Hey, these Rays look familiar, hustling their way to another win

TAMPA Two games, and two victories, over a last-place Orioles team might not be enough to say the Rays are officially back to their winning ways.But theyre sure looking like it.After flexing their muscles in Fridays post-All-Star break opening win with four homers, the Rays on Saturday used their hustle, playing small ball to rally for a 4-3 victory.Its kind of what we did when we had that stretch of six weeks where we were just kind of running through everybody, starter Zack Littell said.Its kind of what we did well.

Smelling blood in the water, and then just capitalized when we needed to.

Obviously, it wasnt anything flashy.

...

But thats how you score runs.

And it just takes one for us to get going.

So really encouraging.Shut out through six innings by Dean Kremer, and down 2-1 going to the eighth, the Rays indeed staged a rally reminiscent of their majors-best 25-9 run from late May to late June.Two singles.

Three stolen bases.

A walk.

Runners advancing on a flyout, a wild pitch and a throwing error on a fielders choice grounder.Net result: Three runs.Just small ball.

Play our game and make things happen.

Just continue to do that, and things are going to happen, said Jose Caballero, who played a key role.This is kind of the games that we are looking forward to winning, because its the close games.

Whenever this team can step up and show the small ball that we can play, and step on their throats and just make them make the mistakes.

Today is a good game to show that off.The win improved the Rays to 52-47, moved them within a half game of the final American League wild-card spot, and created a little more distance from their 4-12 stumble to an All-Star break they badly needed.I feel like it was a good time for us to regroup, said rookie Chandler Simpson, who delivered a key hit in the eighth-inning rally to extend his hitting streak to 18 games.Now weve got a mindset of just taking it one game at a time, and just coming out on fire, with our hair on fire.

(Friday) was a good replica of that, and Im glad we got to carry it over to (Saturday), and now (Sunday).Littell deserved some credit for keeping the Rays close after a rough start that made you wonder if the forehead bruise he sustained running into a rail at a kids indoor playground Thursday was a bigger problem.He allowed a single, a double, a sac fly and another single to the first four Os to fall behind 2-0, but nothing else in working six innings.

Reliever Edwin Uceta, showing a glimpse that his struggles may be behind him, posted two zeroes.The winning rally started with a single off Seranthony Dominguez by Ha-Seong Kim, who stole second and went to third on a flyout.Simpson then delivered the biggest at-bat of the night.

With the infield in to take away the bunt, the 24-year-old showed some veteran patience, fouled off two 99-plus-mph pitches, then laced a hard single up the middle to score the tying run.Just trying to put the bat on the ball, the situation when hes got velo and a splitter, and just trying to be a tough out ...

just to score that run by any means possible, he said.Ninety-nine (mph), 100, youre going to be a little bit late sometimes.

But Im glad I got a good pitch to hit and did my job with it.That got the Rays off and running.

Simpson stole second, then went to third when Caballero walked on a wild pitch.

Caballero stole second.

Yandy Diaz walked to load the bases.Gregory Soto came in for the Os.

Jonathan Aranda grounded a ball toward first.

Simpson, arguably the fastest runner in the game, broke on contact for home as the go-ahead run.Caballero was running hard also.

When first baseman Ryan OHearn had to spin to throw and his ball sailed wide of the plate, Caballero raced home with an insurance run the Rays needed, as closer Pete Fairbanks gave up one in the ninth and, for more dramatic effect, a final-out flyout to the wall that Simpson had to leap to grab.A relieved manager Kevin Cash had a lot to be pleased with.A lot of great at-bats, probably highlighted by Chandlers there to hang in there ...

foul off a couple balls then line a ball up the middle to tie it, Cash said.

I give Cabby a lot of credit for coming in there off the bench (to replace Brandon Lowe, who had a flare-up of plantar fasciitis) and facing a pretty tough matchup, not trying to do too much and ended up getting a walk.And then Cabbys baserunning, to be able to score on that play, not assuming anything at all.

(Fill-in third base coach Michael Johns), he flew by him before he knew he was there.So good baserunning, good at-bats and glad to see us get something going, because we were pretty quiet for most of the game.With roster decisions pending as the trade deadline looms, the big question is whether they can keep it going.

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