AL West Champ Rangers Lose Regular Season Finale To Rays 6-4
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ARLINGTON (AP) — Alexei Ramirez had four hits, including a 10th-inning double before scoring, and the Tampa Bay Rays ended another losing season with a 6-4 victory over the AL West champion Texas Rangers on Sunday.
The Rangers tied it in the ninth against closer Alex Colome, but the Rays then opened the 10th with three consecutive hits off Tanner Scheppers (1-1).
Richie Shaffer led off the 10th with a single before going to third on Ramirez's double and scoring on a wild pitch. Curt Casali then had an RBI double.
Erasmo Ramirez, the seventh Rays pitcher and 14th in the game, worked the 10th for his second save.
While the Rangers (95-67) fell one win shy of matching the franchise record for victories, they had already clinched home-field advantage through the postseason. They will open the playoffs at home Thursday against the AL wild card winner, either Toronto or Baltimore.
The Rays (68-94) finished with their worst record since going 66-96 in 2007, the year before going to their only World Series. It was their third consecutive losing season.
Elvis Andrus went 0 for 3 and had two strikeouts, but the shortstop finished the regular season with a .302 batting average. It is the first .300 season for the Rangers' longest-tenured position player in his eighth year.
Jonathan Lucroy homered for Texas, his 24th this season and 11th for the Rangers since being acquired in a trade Aug. 1 from Milwaukee.
Jared Hoying, Robinson Chirinos and Hanser Alberto had consecutive singles to start the Rangers ninth and tie the game 4-4 against Colome (2-4), who had only his third blown save in 40 chances this season. That trio was hitting in the Nos. 2-4 spots, but none had been in the Rangers' starting lineup for the regular season finale.
Colome then got three consecutive outs, including strikeouts of young sluggers Nomar Mazara and Joey Gallo.
The Rays went ahead in the second when Casali had an RBI single and Jaff Decker a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.
Ramirez had an RBI single in the seventh that made it 4-2 and ended the Rangers' franchise-record stretch of 35 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings by their bullpen.
Rays reliever Brad Boxberger walked the based loaded with two outs in the eighth, then forced in a run with his fourth walk of the inning, to Jurickson Profar.
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