Rays Beat Rangers On 10th Inning Leadoff Home Run
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Desmond Jennings homered on the first pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the AL West-leading Texas Rangers 5-4 Wednesday.
Jennings won the game with his ninth homer of the season, sending a pitch from Mark Lowe (2-3) into the left-field stands.
Texas tied it at 4 in the ninth when Ian Kinsler hit his second homer of the afternoon. Kinsler's 28th home run came with one out against Tampa Bay closer Kyle Farnsworth. Kinsler has seven homers in his last seven games.
The win was the 1,000th overall for the Tampa Bay franchise. The Rays have lost 1,245.
Jake McGee (2-1) allowed a single during a scoreless 10th for the victory.
Ben Zobrist put the Rays ahead 2-0 with a two-run double in the first. He joined Milwaukee's Ryan Braun as the only big leaguers to have 100 doubles, 50 stolen bases and 50 homers over the last three seasons.
Tampa Bay went up 3-0 in the second when Kelly Shoppach scored as Kinsler made a wild throw from second base on B.J. Upton's infield single.
After David Murphy had an RBI grounder in the fourth, Kinsler made it 3-2 with a solo homer in the fifth off David Price. Murphy had four RBIs in the Rangers' 8-0 win over Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
Brandon Guyer gave Tampa Bay a 4-2 lead with his second homer of the season in the sixth. He connected off Derek Holland, who struck out nine in 6 2-3 innings.
Mike Napoli cut the deficit to 4-3 with a solo homer in the Texas eighth.
NOTES: Price joined teammate James Shields in reaching 200 strikeouts this season when he fanned Napoli to end the fifth. ... Texas LF Josh Hamilton, who tweaked his back Tuesday night, went 1 for 5 and struck out three times. ... Tampa Bay DH Johnny Damon (sore right foot) was out the lineup for the third consecutive game, but hit a fly ball as a pinch-hitter during the eighth. ... Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a fourth-inning single. ... Rays C Jose Labaton (sore left knee) could play this weekend. ... Bill McCrary, who played for Kansas City in the Negro Leagues from 1946-47, threw the ceremonial first pitch. ... Both teams are off Thursday.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
