Rays find their way to a win over the Rangers

ST. PETERSBURG — At this point, the Rays aren’t concerned with aesthetics or specifics.

They need to win games to ensure a playoff spot and don’t really care how they get to shaking hands at the end.

Saturday, with two of their most productive hitters, Randy Arozarena and Yandy Diaz out of the lineup, and no pitcher getting more than nine outs, they found a way to do so, beating the Rangers 5-1.

They scratched out an early lead creating two runs that scored on sacrifice flies, then added a homer from one of their least potent hitters. They got flashy defense from two players known more for their bats. And six pitchers combined to hold the Rangers to one run.

“That’s been the atmosphere all year, so it’s nice to see everything clicking at this time,” said reliever Jason Adam. “It doesn’t matter if you win 11-0 like we did the other day or you won like (Saturday) or you win 1-0. Just whatever it takes to get that win, we’re all bought in. We want to play into November.”

They at least furthered their chances to play past the first week of October, improving to 81-64 and moving into second in the chase for the three American League wild-card spots, a half-game ahead of Seattle and 1½ behind first-place Toronto.

In addition, the Rays expanded their margin over the fourth-place Orioles to 5½ games, plus the tiebreaker, with 17 to play.

“It was a complete team effort,” outfielder Jose Siri, who had a big role in the offense with three hits, a steal and two runs, said via team interpreter Manny Navarro. “Everyone did their part in contributing one way or another, and hopefully we can do that going forward.”

The Rays struck in the first inning when surprise leadoff man Jonathan Aranda was hit by a pitch, moved up on a single and a force out and scored on a sacrifice fly. They executed well again in the third. Siri led off with a single, quickly stole second, went to third when Aranda battled through nine pitches to hit a rightside grounder and scored on another sacrifice fly.

“Perfect,” manager Kevin Cash said. “Just score. Score and win.”

The Rangers got their lone run when former Rays minor-leaguer Jonah Heim homered off Ryan Yarbrough, second in the Rays’ pitching parade.

Tampa Bay got it back in the fifth when Taylor Walls had their big hit, his first homer in the majors hitting right-handed (of seven this season and eight total) and first on a first pitch, offsetting his .174 average. They added two more on a seventh-inning double by Isaac Paredes.

“I think we’re going to see Taylor Walls hit home runs right-handed and hit them left-handed,” Cash said. “I know this has been a trying year, but you get to this part of the season, your stats really don’t matter too much anymore. We’re just trying to win games.

“I think that’s what’s made him special this year is he’s been able to balance that out, and he’s contributed so much defensively (that) anytime you get some offensively it’s just that much more.”

David Peralta, the 35-year-old acquired at the trade deadline, made a pair of highlight-worthy catches in left, and Harold Ramirez made a handful of key grabs at first.

The pitching staff made it all stand up as, in Cash’s words, “everybody in the bullpen played a big role.”

Opener Shawn Armstrong got the first five outs, then Yarbrough got the Rays into the fifth before creating a bit of a mess that Javy Guerra cleaned up.

Jalen Beeks delivered two dazzling innings, which Cash called “the best he’s looked in a while just with the strike-throwing and the efficiency, so that was a really big bright spot.”

Adam worked the eighth, making a Matrix-like move to avoid being hit in the head by a Heim liner, and Brooks Raley finished.

“It’s such a fun bullpen to be a part of, because top to bottom it is (so good),” Adam said. “Beeks put on a clinic (Saturday). ‘Army’ put on a clinic. ‘Yarbs’ shoved. Javy got that huge out. Brooks shut it down. Who am I missing? Me. I didn’t die. It’s an awesome staff to be a part of.”

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