Cal Quantrill tosses 7 shutout innings as Rangers blank Rays

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 a 6-0 win at Arlington, Texas.

It was the third time in his past four outings that 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. 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 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 (80-60).

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. O'Hoppe was sacrificed to second and scored on a two-out bloop single to shallow right by Ezequiel Duran 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 drive in Langford from first and Carter scored on a sacrifice fly by Jake Burger to make it 6-0.

Quantrill, who improved to 4-0 with a 1.77 ERA in seven career starts against the Rays, retired the first eight batters he faced 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.

--Field Level Media