ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Rays got the strong start they were hoping for from Josh Fleming on Wednesday as he was called up to fill the open spot in their rotation.
But that was about it for what went well, as Tampa Bay’s bats were again quiet and its bullpen generous in another loss to the Rangers, this one 5-1 in front of 3,021 at Tropicana Field.
Fleming, disappointed not to make the opening-day roster, filled in well for injured Chris Archer, allowing only a solo homer by former Ray Nate Lowe, while working into the sixth.
But reliever Chris Mazza, after escaping a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the sixth, gave up four in a messy seventh that started, as many rallies do, with a leadoff walk.
The hitters did little to help, as the Rays (5-7) lost for the seventh time in their past 10 games.
They have been one of the league’s least-productive teams so far this season, scoring five runs in the first three games of this series and just 13 total over their past five.
Fleming did what he does well, mixing pitches, working fast and getting his usual soft contact. The left-hander allowed four hits and two walks, getting nine ground-ball outs (including four hit back to him).
Fleming left after allowing a single to David Dahl and walking Joey Gallo (with no help from home-plate umpire Sam Holbrook) to start the sixth. Mazza allowed a single to Adolis Garcia to load the bases, then wriggled out of trouble.
He got one out on Lowe’s grounder to first and the second, after a replay review, on the throw home, as Dahl never got to the plate before Mike Zunino tagged him. Joey Wendle made a good play on Nick Solak’s bouncer to third to end it.
But Mazza allowed two to reach to start the seventh, and by the time the inning ended, the Rangers had scored four.
Jonah Heim, whom the Rays traded as a minor-leaguer to Oakland to get Wendle, led off with a walk, and Charlie Culberson singled on a ground ball through the vacant second-base spot. Diaz made a good play at first to turn Leody Taveras’ ground ball into a double play, but Mazza walked Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
Dahl doubled to right to score two, and after an intentional walk of Gallo, Garcia ripped a ball that hit the top of wall to the right of center. It was ruled in play, but he raced around the bases for what looked to be a three-run inside-the-park homer, sliding under Zunino’s tag.
The Rays won another replay review on the call at home, but the other two runs made it 5-0.
Brandon Lowe hit a leadoff homer in the ninth for the Rays’ lone run.
