Cal Quantrill delivered another strong performance for the Texas Rangers on Thursday night, blanking the Tampa Bay Rays on two hits over seven innings in the 6-0 win in Arlington, Tex.
It was the third time in the past four outings Quantrill (7-5) tossed at least six shutout innings. He struck out five and walked two in his latest effort.
Corey Seager blasted a two-run homer in the opener of the four-game series, and Wyatt Langford doubled and scored twice for the Rangers (70-71), who moved within a half game of the final American League wild-card spot with their fourth win in the past five games.
The Rays (83-57) have lost three of four, causing their lead atop the AL East to be narrowed to three games over the idle New York Yankees.
Tampa Bay left-hander Shane McClanahan (10-7) allowed four runs and six hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked one.
The Rangers broke the scoreless tie in the fourth when Langford doubled with one out and Justin Foscue stroked a two-out RBI single through the left side for a 1-0 lead.
Texas broke it open in its half of the fifth after Logan O’Hoppe singled to left-center field to lead off the inning. He was sacrificed to second and scored on a two-out bloop single to shallow right by Ezequiel Durán to make it 2-0.
Following a steal of second by Duran, Seager pulled a changeup into the seats in right for a two-run homer and a 4-0 lead.
The Rangers tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth when Evan Carter tripled into the right-field corner to score Langford from first and Carter then scored on a sacrifice fly by Jake Burger to make it 6-0.
Quantrill, who came in 3-0 in six career starts against the Rays with a 2.14 ERA, retired the first eight batters before Nick Fortes reached on an infield single with two outs in the third.
Yandy Diaz followed with another single, but Quantrill got Chandler Simpson to ground out to short to end the threat.
Quantrill retired the side in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings before stranding his only two walks in the seventh.
