Texas Rangers improve to 10 games above .500 for first time this season

Texas Rangers right-hander Lance Lynn has been reliable all season.

He was dominant Friday night at Tropicana Field.

Utilizing a brilliant outing by Lynn and just enough offensive opportunism, the Rangers won their sixth straight game and remained baseball’s hottest team by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-0.

Not only did the Rangers reach a season-high in consecutive victories, they also tied the Rays for top spot in the American League wild-card standings. The Rangers (46-36) are 10 games above .500 for the first time this season.

“I don’t think anybody in our clubhouse is surprised,’’ said Rangers manager Chris Woodward, whose team is 21-10 over the last 31 games. “We believe we can beat any club on any day and that’s the idea. We know we’ve got starting pitching, a bullpen that can execute pitches and one of the best offenses, if not the best offense in baseball.

“You get excited to get in a spot where you’re competing to get to the playoffs. That has been our goal the whole year, whether people on the outside believe it or not. The men in there (Rangers’ clubhouse) believe it.’’

Lynn (10-4) allowed just three hits (and five base runners) in eight shutout innings. He had 10 strikeouts and one walk in his 112-pitch effort. Reliever Jose Leclerc wrapped it up with a scoreless ninth.

“That’s as good as we’ve seen him (Lynn) throw this year,’’ Woodward said.

After allowing a leadoff single to Tampa Bay’s Brandon Lowe on his first pitch, Lynn retired 15 of the next 16 batters he faced, including a run of 12 straight outs. The Rays didn’t get a runner into scoring position until the sixth inning.

For the 12th straight game, Lynn worked at least six innings, the first time that has happened for the Rangers since 2015 (Cole Hamels). But this was more of a masterpiece than an innings-eating endurance test.

“I got some quick outs, strikeouts, had some great plays behind me, and we scored some runs early, so I was able to attack,’’ said Lynn, who has thrown 100 or more pitches in 15 of his 17 starts, including a streak of eight straight games since May 21.

Ranger starters have gone six innings or more and allowed one run or fewer in five straight games, just the third such streak in club history. The starters have a 0.48 ERA over the past five games, and Ranger relievers have totaled just 5 2/3 innings pitched in that stretch.

“It all starts with us (the starters), and if we throw the ball well, we have a chance,’’ Lynn said. “When I take the mound, if we end the game with a win, that’s all I care about.’’

In the eighth, Tampa Bay’s Willy Adames led off with a double and went to third on a wild pitch. But Lynn made it look easy, collecting a pair of strikeouts and getting Lowe on a pop-up.

The Rangers broke out 3-0 in the second. Rays starter Yonny Chirinos (7-4) issued two walks, then surrendered back-to-back doubles by Rougned Odor and Ronald Guzman, both down the right-field line.

It became 4-0 on a sloppy Tampa Bay play in the third. Nomar Mazara walked and went to second on Joey Gallo’s single. Mazara took a wide turn and didn’t noticed that Pham had sneaked in from left field to nab him at second. Chirinos tried a quick throw, but it soared over Pham’s head and Mazara scampered home.

The Rangers nearly scored again in the sixth. Odor’s sinking line drive got past a diving Pham in left. Odor kept on chugging but was gunned down when third baseman Joey Wendle made a perfect relay throw to the plate. Odor was credited with a triple.

GAME NOTES

Odor was lifted in the ninth, but Woodward called it a mild left hamstring cramp and didn’t think it would cause him to miss time. … Hunter Pence, on the injured list since June 17 with a right groin strain, said he was in good shape after running the bases during workouts before Friday night’s game. “Today was a good day,’’ said Pence, voted as the starter at designated hitter for the July 9 All-Star Game in Cleveland. “It wasn’t full speed, but the running went very well. I don’t feel too far away (from returning).’’ Woodward hasn’t ruled out using Pence on Sunday. … Catcher Sam Huff will represent the Rangers in the July 7 Futures Game. Huff is batting .295 with 21 home runs and 56 RBIs in 72 games with Class A Hickory and Down East. … Left-handed pitcher Jesse Biddle, a first-round pick in 2010, was claimed from the Mariners and will be added to the active roster when he reports (expected Monday for the start of a home series against the Angels). LHP Jeffrey Springs (biceps tendinitis) will be shifted to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster.

This story was originally published June 28, 2019 at 9:10 PM.