ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Drew Smyly’s return from the disabled list didn’t go as well as he would have liked.
Tampa Bay gave Smyly leads in each of the first two innings Sunday, but Texas’ Adrian Beltre and Ryan Strausborger hit solo home runs and the Rangers beat the Rays 5-3.
Smyly (0-2) entered the game with nine straight starts allowing fewer than five hits and three runs, but hadn’t pitched since going on the DL with a torn labrum in his shoulder in May.
“I was a little rusty,” Smyly said. “I had a lot of nerves. I felt like it was my first game all over again.”
It was almost a first game for Strausborger, a 27-year-old who hit his first major league homer in his seventh game during fewer than two weeks in the majors.
Beltre’s 406th career homer broke a 3-3 tie in the third inning. Strausborger followed with his homer into the left field bleachers in the fourth.
The Rangers swept the three-game series and have won four straight games and seven in a row at home. They moved to 59-57 and have pulled ahead of Tampa Bay, which dropped below .500 at 58-59.
“We ran into a pretty hot team,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “It was hot outside, and they might be hotter right now.”
Smyly allowed five runs in four innings. He was making his first start since he went on the disabled list with a torn labrum in his shoulder in May.
The left-hander was not concerned that he still might not be right physically.
“Even though the results weren’t there, it was great,” he said. “I’m excited to walk away healthy and I’m going to look forward to pitching in Oakland Friday.”
Cash concurred.
“It was important that he felt good, which he did,” he said. “He’ll bounce right back and be ready to go five days from now.”
Texas’ Yovani Gallardo (9-9) gave up three runs in the first two innings but blanked the Rays over the next 3 1-3 for his second straight win. He allowed 11 hits and a walk and struck out one.
Shawn Tolleson pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 23rd save in 24 chances.
The Rays’ Kevin Kiermaier had three hits, including a run-scoring double in the second, and stole a base.
Tampa Bay led 1-0 in the first inning when Grady Sizemore doubled and scored on James Loney’s single.
The Rangers struck for two runs in the bottom of the first. Delino DeShields led off with a walk, stole second base and scored on a double by Shin-Soo Choo. Two fly-ball outs sent Choo home.
Desmond Jennings led off the second with a triple. Kiermaier doubled down the left field line to drive in Jennings and scored himself on John Jaso’s single.
In the bottom of the second, DeShields blooped a single into left to drive home Bobby Wilson and tie the game 3-3.
Texas took the lead for good in the third on Beltre’s second homer in two games.
3 FOR 3
Keirmaier’s three-hit game was his third this season. His career high is four hits on July 9, 2014, vs. Kansas City.
FIRSTS
Strausborger also had his first three-hit game — he had just 2 hits in his first 14 at-bats. Mike Napoli, re-acquired from Boston on Aug. 7, had a third-inning double, his first hit as a Ranger since a home run Oct. 1, 2012, at Oakland.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: LHP Derek Holland (strained shoulder) threw Sunday and could be ready to come off the DL for the first time since April 11.
UP NEXT
Rays: RHP Erasmo Ramirez (9-4, 3.59) is the scheduled starter Monday to open a three-game series at Houston. Ramirez pitched seven scoreless innings in Tuesday’s win at Atlanta. His .201 opponents’ batting average leads the American League