ARLINGTON, Texas _ The game that the Rays lost, 6-4, Thursday had to be frustrating enough.
They helped the Rangers way too much with pitches that weren't on the spot and plays in the field that were missed or messed up, and they wasted way too many opportunities for a team that talks about being on a mission to make the playoffs.
But the bigger loss may have been the momentum they had.
And potentially their place atop the AL wild-card race.
After a 10-1 run that carried them to and maintained their hold on the top spot, and the homefield advantage for the Oct. 2 game that goes with it, the Rays lost on back to back nights to a Rangers team that just back to .500.
The Rays dropped to 87-61 and could fall behind the A's, who were working on beating the West-leading Astros for a third straight day. Of potential greater concern, the Rays are only a half-game ahead of the Indians, who were off Thursday and host a key weekend series with the Central-leading Twins.
The Rays had much to regret Thursday.
In the second, they rapped four straight singles but got only one run as Daniel Robertson, Mike Zunino and Avisail Garcia made three straight outs with the bases loaded.
And in the fifth, they had three runs in and a chance for more with two on and no outs, but Nate Lowe and Matt Duffy struck out, Joey Wendle singled to load the bases and Robertson flied out.
The defense had its moments, too, as Robertson had a tough time filling in at short for Willy Adames, with one error and two missed plays. Starter Brendan McKay didn't field a bunt cleanly. Garcia made an errant throw.
There was some good, as Ji-Man Choi broke the team record by reaching in 10 consecutive plate appearances over two games.
Coming off a two-homer, three-walk game Wednesday, Choi singled and then walked his next four times up. The team record had been nine, done three times previously, and by an eclectic group: B.J. Upton in 2011, Logan Forsythe 2015, Tim Beckham 2016.
The Rays have been bragging humbly about their resolve and ability to come back in games, and they tested that again Thursday.
A 1-1 tie became a 5-1 deficit after a messy fourth inning, in which a combination of ineffective pitching and unimpressive defense cost them.
The Rangers rally started with a hard one-out single by Jose Trevino that eluded Robertson. Next was a bunt single that McKay didn't field smoothly, and Delino DeShields was safe on a replay reversal.
Reliever Pete Fairbanks took over and made it worse. He allowed an RBI single to Elvis Andrus, and an errant throw by Garcia set the Rangers up for more. They got one when Fairbanks threw a wild pitch that bounced by catcher Zunino, and two more on a homer by Nick Solak, the former Rays prospect who was traded in July for Fairbanks, and seems to want to make sure the Rays regret it.
The Rays then made their comeback in the fifth, but came up a run short. Zunino singled and Garcia walked, then Austin Meadows doubled them both in, pushing his team-leading RBI total to 82. Tommy Pham then singled in Meadows to make it 5-4.
The Rays were hoping for more good things from McKay, who made an encouraging return to the majors Friday after a brief demotion and a short stint on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation.
The reality was just okay.
McKay lasted only an out into the fourth, having allowing six hits and two walks that led to three runs, two after he left courtesy of Fairbanks. McKay threw 64 pitches, 42 for strikes.
