Aranda’s three-run homer in the 10th lifts Rays over Rangers, 6-3

Jonathan Aranda sent a three-run shot into the right-field bullpen in the 10th inning, giving the Tampa Bay Rays a 6-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday in Arlington.

The Rays opened the extra inning with Taylor Walls’ sacrifice bunt against Texas closer Jacob Latz, moving automatic runner Jorge Mateo to third. Latz then intentionally walked Yandy Díaz before Aranda, a Mexican hitter, launched the decisive homer. It was Latz’s first loss since April 10.

Tampa Bay had built an early 2-0 lead against Jacob deGrom. Dominican rookie Junior Caminero hit a solo homer in the first inning, his 38th of the season, the highest total in the American League. Richie Palacios added his eighth homer, a career high, in the fifth. It was Palacios’ second home run in two games and his third in four.

Both Rays homers came against deGrom, who allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked one over six innings. He has allowed 10 first-inning homers this season, the most in the major leagues, and carries a 9.00 ERA in 27 first innings compared with a 2.79 ERA afterward. Liam Hicks brought Aranda home in the eighth with Tampa Bay’s third straight two-out single.

Tyler Wells pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win, improving to 4-2. Tampa Bay has won two straight after dropping the series opener and holds an 85-57 record. Texas fell to 70-73, three games behind Houston and two behind Cleveland and Toronto in the race for the league’s final wild card. The Rangers are the first team since the 2011 New York Yankees, and only the fourth in a 162-game season, to reach September without leading their division while never falling more than three games back.