Deadspin | Rays, on a roll, vie for sweep of Rangers

The Tampa Bay Rays and visiting Texas Rangers are trending in reverse instructions, and the Rays will glance to paintings that benefit for a sweep in their three-game sequence on Thursday evening.

Brandon Lowe swung the recent bat within the 5-4 victory Wednesday evening by way of the Rays, who advanced to 11-3 of their previous 14 video games and moved to a few video games above .500 for the season.

A key for Tampa Bay has been enjoying higher in its new house.

The membership struggled early enjoying outdoor at the different facet of the bay from its domed house in St. Petersburg, however that has modified.

The Rays have gained 9 in their previous 10 video games at house in Tampa and 5 consecutive sequence there. They moved to 20-19 of their new park with Wednesday’s victory.

“It’s in our city; we have to start playing better here,” mentioned Lowe, who went 3-for-4 with a homer, double and two RBIs. “Everybody knew it. Something just happened, and we started winning.”

Ryan Pepiot (3-5, 3.21 ERA), who will get started for the Rays on Thursday, has pitched higher than his file would point out.

Despite going simply 1-2 in six begins remaining month, the right-hander posted a 2.25 ERA and an 0.94 WHIP, buoyed by way of a 22-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 36 innings whilst yielding handiest 26 hits.

In his lone look in opposition to the Rangers on April 1 of remaining season, they roughed up Pepiot for 6 runs on 4 hits in 5 2/3 innings in Tampa Bay’s 9-3 loss. Josh Jung hit a three-run homer within the first inning off Pepiot.

While the Rangers are 3rd within the majors in group ERA (3.17), their hitting has long past right into a funk a lot of the time.

The membership is 28th in group batting reasonable (.222) and tied for 17th in homers with 3 groups at 61.

Rangers supervisor Bruce Bochy was once inspired by way of a three-run 5th inning Wednesday, and Wyatt Langford’s three-hit evening stood out.

“Lot of good things happened (offensively),” mentioned Bochy, whose membership has gained handiest 4 instances in its previous 15 video games. “We started swinging the bats well and put runners on base. We got four runs, which is what you’re hoping to do, maybe five. Overall, I thought the bats were better tonight.”

The Rangers will glance to get again on course Thursday in the back of Jack Leiter (4-2, 3.66 ERA), who’s 2-0 in his remaining 4 outings.

He is coming off a May by which he went 2-2 with a 4.32 ERA in six begins, numbers that have been a step down from his efficiency in April. However, his most up-to-date get started at house in opposition to the St. Louis Cardinals was once the right-hander’s highest of 2025.

Last Friday, Leiter scattered 3 hits and struck out six in 5 2/3 scoreless innings as Texas rolled to an 11-1 win. The No. 2 general variety out of Vanderbilt within the 2021 draft will make his first profession get started in opposition to the Rays.

–Field Level Media