On a warm April night in Arlington, in front of a sellout crowd, only one team's bats reflected the temperature. The Texas Rangers dropped the first game of a three-game series to the Tampa Bay Rays 8-4
Mark Lowe took over for Matt Harrison in the sixth, and gave up a two-out solo home run to Luke Scott.
David Murphy tried to spark the Rangers offense in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home-run to right field. Back-to-back two-out singles by Mitch Moreland and Ian Kinsler put James Shields in a mini-jam, but he was able to battle through and finish the inning off.
Koji Uehara and Robbie Ross pitched one-two-three innings in the seventh and eighth respectively.
The Rangers would chase JP Howell in the eighth inning on back-to-back singles from Nelson Cruz and Murphy. Wade Davis came in relief of Howell. He stuck out Mike Napoli, but Moreland was able to reach safely when Evan Longoria, running into shallow left, dropped a fly ball. With bases loaded, one out and Kinsler batting, Cruz was thrown out at home attempting to score on a passed ball. Kinsler would walk, loading the bases for Elvis Andrus. On the tenth pitch of the at-bat, Andrus almost snuck a ball around the right field foul pole, but it was just foul. The next pitch, he flied out to center, ending the inning.
Ross would stay on to face one hitter in the ninth, a strikeout. Alexi Ogando took over and retired the last two hitters of the night.
The Rangers managed nothing in ninth inning and would go on to lose the game 8-4.