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Detwiler, Rangers tagged by too many home runs, beaten by Rays 7-2

Ross Detwiler and the Texas Rangers had a lot of trouble keeping the ball in play at Tropicana Field.

Evan Longoria and Steve Souza Jr. hit three-run homers and Asdrubal Cabrera also connected Saturday night, sending the Tampa Bay Rays over the Rangers 7-2.

“Two three-run homers and a solo shot is tough to come back from,” Texas manager Jeff Banister said.

Longoria hit a three-run homer in the first inning off Detwiler, and the Rangers never recovered. Souza greeted reliever Anthony Bass with another drive in the fifth.

Detwiler (0-4) gave up five runs on five hits and three walks in four innings.

“I threw a lot of fastballs in that first inning. Most of them were missing,” he said. “When you’ve got to come right to somebody and you don’t know where it’s going and you’re just hoping for a strike, it’s going to be a long day.”

Cabrera, in the center of a skirmish earlier in the game, ended a career-long 49-game drought without a home run with a solo drive in the eighth.

The benches and bullpens emptied in the fourth after a pickoff play at second base.

Cabrera made a headfirst dive back to the bag and second baseman Adam Rosales appeared to block him. Rosales’ knee came down on Cabrera’s hand. Miffed, Cabrera used his forearm to push away Rosales.

“Obviously I don’t want to inflict pain on anybody,” Rosales said. “I let him know it was not my intention to hurt him.”

Texas challenged the safe call, which was confirmed after a wait of 3 1/2 minutes.

Carlos Peguero hit a two-run homer off Rays starter Matt Andriese in the fourth. It was his fourth homer in 16 at-bats.

Tampa Bay reliever Andrew Bellatti, who served jail time as a teen after a fatal car crash, was the winning pitcher in his major league debut.

The 23-year-old Bellatti (1-0) gave up one hit and one walk in 3 1-3 scoreless innings. He struck out two.

Bellatti was sentenced as a 19-year-old in 2010 to eight months in jail and five years’ probation as the driver in an accident that killed another driver.

Bellatti served three months in California. He had written a letter to the widow of the victim, and she had asked the judge to release him early.

The former 12th-round draft pick left in the ninth with the bases loaded and one out. Brad Boxberger entered and got consecutive outs for his eighth save.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: CF Leonys Martin was in the lineup after missing four games with a sprained left wrist.

Rays: LHP Drew Smyly (left shoulder tightness) expects to have an MRI on Monday.

UP NEXT

Rangers: LHP Wandy Rodriguez (1-1) will face the Rays on Sunday.

Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi (3-2), scratched from his Saturday night start due to flu-like symptoms, expects to take Smyly’s spot Sunday.