(Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Rays try to force a fifth game in their American League Division Series matchup with the Texas Rangers this afternoon when the two teams play Game 4 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
2010 MLB Playoffs: Wade Davis, Rays Look To Send ALDS Vs. Rangers Back To Tampa
Tampa Bay staved off elimination on Saturday, as Carlos Pena drove in the tying run in the eighth and scored the go-ahead tally on John Jaso's base hit later in the inning, lifting the Rays to a 6-3 come-from-behind win.
The Rays, who managed just one run in dropping the first two games of this series, scored six times off Texas’ normally-reliable bullpen to keep their season going as they try to become only the second team to rally for a division series win after losing the first two at home.
“I’m proud of the way our guys didn’t cave in,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “To be able to come back against that bullpen like we did is pretty good stuff.”
Pena tacked on a two-run homer in the ninth after Carl Crawford led off the frame with a round-tripper to give Tampa Bay some breathing room. Former Ranger Joaquin Benoit (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings to get the win.
“We knew that coming into today, we’re facing elimination. And at the same time, we were trying to come out loose and personally I was trying to do the same,” Pena said. “ I wanted to come out and be myself and do the best I can to help the ballclub win. I am just so happy to contribute.”
The Rays had mustered just eight hits in losing the first two games, but on Saturday banged out 11 with Pena, Dan Johnson and Carl Crawford getting two apiece.
"I don't know," said Matt Garza, who received a no-decision after allowing one earned run in six innings. "It is what it is. The thing we count on is pitching and defense, and on offense, timely hitting. That's what we've been doing all year. We might not [be too impressive] with our batting average, but we score a lot of runs and we can do it in waves."
Ian Kinsler had given the Rangers a 2-1 lead with a home run in the seventh, but Darren Oliver (0-1), Neftali Feliz and Dustin Nippert failed to keep it, as Texas fell to 0-5 all-time in postseason home games.
“They beat us,” Oliver said. “They beat me. They beat us in all facets of the game.”
Heading to the hill for the Rangers today will be righty Tommy Hunter, who despite making his season debut on June 5, finished the year 13-4 with a 3.73 ERA.
“I don’t know [which team has the most pressure],” Hunter said after Saturday’s game. “I really don’t want to put pressure on anybody or have pressure on us or anything like that because it’s a baseball game.
“We’re going to go out and play like the little kids that we are, and just let things fall into place as they should.”
Hunter was roughed up for four runs in three innings the last time he faced the Rays, but did pick up a complete-game win against them this season and is 2-1 lifetime with a 3.63 ERA in four starts against them.
Tampa, meanwhile, will rely on right-handed rookie Wade Davis, who was 12-10 with a 4.07 ERA this season. Davis, who won seven of his last eight decisions, was battered for eight runs in just 3 1/3 innings in his only start against the Rangers back on June 4.
“He shot a bear recently in Toronto and came out with a bear with a bow and arrow and put it down, so I really thought he has taken off since that occurred,” Maddon said when asked of his rookie’s nerves heading into an elimination start. “[It was] an off-day in Toronto and the boys went bear hunting. That’s a nice day off right there, and Wade was the only one that came back with the 300-plus-pound black bear. If he can stay eye to eye with a black bear, I think tomorrow is not that big of a deal.”
Should this series go to a decisive fifth game it will be played on Tuesday at Tropicana Field with Game 1 starters David Price and Cliff Lee facing off once again.
Tampa won four of its six regular-season meetings with the Rangers but both of those losses came in Arlington, where it had won just twice in its last nine visits before Saturday’s victory.
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