Rangers 4 - 5 Rays
Final
  for this game

Longoria's homer lifts Rays over Rangers

Jun 1, 2011 - 2:08 AM

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St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Evan Longoria hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to lift the Tampa Bay Rays over Texas, 5-4, in the second of a three-game set at Tropicana Field.

Matt Joyce hit a two-run shot in the seventh, while Sean Rodriguez added a solo homer for the Rays, who have won three of their last five.

Alex Cobb, making his second big league start, allowed three runs on four hits, walked four and struck out as many in 6 1/3 innings. Joel Peralta (2-3) picked up the win despite allowing a run to score on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth. Kyle Farnsworth threw a perfect ninth to secure the win and register his 10th save of the season.

Michael Young, Ian Kinsler and Adrian Beltre each knocked in a run for Texas, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.

Starter C.J. Wilson worked 6 2/3 innings, yielding three runs on three hits while walking four and fanning 10.

Beltre's run-scoring single in the third gave the Rangers a brief lead, but Rodriguez tied it in the home half on a towering shot to left.

Following the homer, Wilson retired the next 10 batters and his teammates scored two in the seventh on RBI singles by Kinsler and Young to put the Rangers in front, 3-1.

In the bottom half, Longoria led off with a single and three batters later Joyce hammered an 0-1 fastball over the right field wall to tie the score.

Nelson Cruz and Mitch Moreland started the eighth with back-to-back singles off J.P. Howell. Peralta entered and retired the next two hitters, but with runners now on second and third, the righty walked Kinsler and in the process uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Cruz to scamper home for a 4-3 lead.

Arthur Rhodes (3-3) replaced Mark Lowe with two outs in the bottom of the eighth and gave up a single to Johnny Damon before Longoria took him deep to left for the go-ahead runs.

Game Notes

Tampa won four of its six meetings with the Rangers last season...The Rangers went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10, while Tampa Bay left only three men on base.






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