ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Entering Friday’s opener against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Texas Rangers had lost five straight games, including a tough loss Thursday at Baltimore that saw them lose after leading by at least four runs for the major league-high seventh time this season.
But Friday offered the opposite kind of late-game switch, as Texas rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the ninth inning to win 4-3 in 10 innings, giving manager Jeff Banister hope that his team can bounce back with a little momentum and continued clutch hitting.
“When guys are seeing the ball well and getting barrel to it, you’d like to think that better things are ahead of us,” Banister said.