As Rays roll to another win, the little things can make a big impact

TAMPA — The Rays have been doing some big things well during their recent hot streak, such as the home runs from Junior Caminero and Brandon Lowe, and the dominant outings from just about every starter.

But some days, it’s the little things that win you games.

That certainly was part of the story line Wednesday, when the Rays beat the Rangers 5-4 — in part due to Jonathan Aranda’s hustle in racing home from third base in a four-run third.

“You look at the grand scheme of the game,” second baseman Brandon Lowe said, “Jonny having great base running there is the winning run of the game.”

It was that kind of good night for the Rays, starting with the forecast rain holding off.

They moved to a season-high matching three games over .500 at 32-29. They won for the 11th time in their last 14 games, 16th in 24 overall and ninth in 10 at Steinbrenner Field. They also logged a sixth straight series without a loss, now 5-0-1.

Some of the obvious things were Shane Baz giving them a solid five-inning start. The bullpen adding four zeroes, with Pete Fairbanks nailing his 11th save. Lowe’s three-hit night, which included a first-inning homer. Jake Mangum making a sliding catch in the leftfield corner to end the fourth.

And then there were some others.

The Rays added to their lead in the third, rallying off Kumar Rocker. Doubles by Josh Lowe and Brandon Lowe got them one run. Singles by Yandy Diaz and Aranda plated another, with both runners moving up on a Caminero ground out.

That’s when the little things mattered.

Mangum, who does a lot of them (including a 15-pitch at-bat later in the game), hit a slow roller toward first and flew down the line, beating Rocker — who took a toss from first baseman Jake Burger — to the base to be safe.

Diaz scored to make it 4-0 and Rocker, seemingly frustrated by the Rays’ quick-strike attack, made things worse for himself by keeping his head down and taking a few steps toward rightfield.

Aranda, having moved up from second, saw the opportunity to dash home and steal an extra run. Third-base coach Brady Williams encouraged him to go.

“I got to third, and I’m always paying attention to what the play is developing into,” Aranda said via team interpreter Eddie Rodriguez. “I was in between, and when I saw that (Rocker) kept walking and then the coach told me to go, that’s why I went. …

“He kept walking with his head down. And I think maybe because he saw that we were scoring runs, his head was out of the game. And I took advantage of that.”

Mangum was thrilled to turn around and see Aranda at home plate: “Glad he was able to keep his head on a swivel and score for us. That was a big one.”

Manager Kevin Cash applauded the hustle by both, noting the need for the Rays to add on runs at that point.

“Really heads up by Jonny right there to not assume anything,” Cash said. “Rocker sprinted over. Mangum is really good at getting out of the box, because his swing kind of takes him that way, and he’s going to bust it on every ball in play. Impressed that Jonny didn’t quit on the play or put his head down. Very heads up.”

Brandon Lowe agreed: “That’s incredible base running to not shut down. A lot of guys, it’s a ground ball to first base, he beats it out and it’s easy to just kind of jog your way over to third and be done with it. But Jonny was involved in the play, was watching. And as soon as I think Kumar took a couple steps, Jonny was gone. I mean, I think Jonny was three-fourths of the way home before (Rocker) even realized. So, that was a great job by Jonny to stay locked in on that play.”

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy also saw the play as the key to the game.

“(Rocker) made some mistakes,” Bochy said “Of course, the biggest one is the fundamental of covering first base. The fundamentals got us (Wednesday). That’s a basic play and could have saved us two runs. He just forgot the situation and the other man on third and compounded the damage.

“And that’s the difference in the ballgame.”

Though it was only the third inning, Cash said it was important the Rays added on.

“Early on, you’ve got to take everything you can get,” he said.

That proved right as Baz let the Rangers back in the game as he battled to get through the fifth inning after sailing through the first four.

He gave up a one-out single to Adolis Garcia, got a ground ball for the second out but then gave up a two-run homer on a Jonah Heim liner to left that Mangum made a leaping bid for.

“When I jumped, I was like, ‘I got it,’ and then just hit that wall,” Mangum said. “I don’t know if the wall stopped me from getting to it or if I didn’t get high enough. … I thought it was really close.”

Baz allowed a single then an RBI double to former Florida Gator Wyatt Langford to make it 5-3. After a walk, he finally got out of the inning.

“That inning was kind of weird, so I wanted to make sure I finished it,” Baz said. “It was good to get out of that.”

Manny Rodriguez, Mason Montgomery and Edwin Uceta each posted a zero. Fairbanks got two quick outs in the ninth, but a throwing error by Brandon Lowe and a Langford single got the Rangers within one.

Aranda’s run proved to be the difference.

The little things do matter.

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