ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Maybe Kevin Cash should get ejected every game.
Well, probably not.
But after home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman ejected Cash in the bottom of the second inning for arguing balls and strikes, the Rays went on to a 6-2 victory against the Texas Rangers before an announced crowd of 11,234.
Cash's ejection marked only the ninth time in his Rays managerial career _ and the first time this season _ an umpire sent him to the showers early. Bench coach Matt Quatraro took over and the Rays erased a one-run deficit to improve to 48-36 and remain in second place in the AL East.
It's the Rays' first series win in their last six. They came into the weekend having lost three of their previous five series, tying the other two.
Nothing makes an interim manager look better than a great pitching performance and Quatraro got one from Blake Snell and a host of relievers.
Snell struggled in his last three starts, allowing 16 earned runs against the Angels, Yankees and Twins. On Sunday, he looked far more like the reigning Cy Young Award winner. Snell struck out 12 and allowed only three hits: a bunt single to Joey Gallo in the second, a single by Elvis Andrus in the fourth, followed by a mammoth home run shot by Gallo that struck Tropicana Field's D-ring catwalk above right field.
Snell has not received strong run support from his teammates this season: 3.53 runs per nine innings before Sunday.
But the Rays answered Gallo's homer in the bottom of the fourth, Kevin Kiermaier driving home Yandy Diaz on an RBI single and Willy Adames bringing home Kiermaier on a ground-rule double
Tommy Pham added a solo home run in the fifth.
The Rays tacked on two more runs in the eighth. Kiermaier had an RBI single, driving in Diaz. He then scored on a passed ball. Diaz went 3-for-4 in the game with three doubles and three runs scored.
Snell held up his end of the bargain through sixth with two more scoreless innings and the bullpen took over, allowing only one hit in the last three innings. Chaz Roe, Colin Poche and Adam Kolarek held the Rangers at bay in the seventh, Kolarek struck out the side in the eighth and Emilio Pagan closed out in the ninth.
The Rays play host to a three-game series against Baltimore starting Monday before the Yankees come to the Trop for a four-game series starting Thursday.
