ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – One more strike.

That's all the Rangers needed to get out of trouble Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Not once. Or twice. Or three times. Four times, the Rangers were one pitch from keeping the defending American League champs from doing damage.

The Rangers were 0-for-4 on those occasions and fell to the Rays, 5-4, in 10 innings. The loss dropped the Rangers two games behind Boston in the wild-card race and 6½ behind the Los Angeles Angels in the American League West.

"When we're in these types of situations going down the stretch, those little things get magnified," manager Ron Washington said. "I thought we played a pretty good ballgame out there, even though we didn't win it. These guys always bounce back. They [Tampa Bay] just got the big blow."

The Rangers survived a solo homer by Carlos Pena on a 1-2 pitch in the second inning. They also overcame Pena's two-run homer on a 2-2 pitch in the fourth inning.

Even after Pena worked a walk off C.J. Wilson following an 0-2 count in the eighth inning and came around to score, the Rangers had the answer. It came when Marlon Byrd tied the score at 4 with a two-out, ninth-inning homer.

But once Jason Grilli hit Evan Longoria with an 0-2 pitch to open the bottom of the 10th, the Rangers' ability to bounce back ended. Grilli then walked Ben Zobrist, and Pena ended the night against his former team with a single to center.

Grilli was activated from the disabled list earlier Saturday but wasn't able to replicate his first 17 appearances with the Rangers.

He had a 1.53 ERA coming into the game.

His difficulties started with a fastball that was a little too far inside to Longoria.

"It was definitely in, but not what I wanted on an 0-2 pitch," Grilli said. "I was trying to go for a double play and keep the ball down [to Zobrist]. They drew a walk, and I put the runner in scoring position. It was a pretty quick scenario."

Now the Rangers, who have bounced back from tough losses all season, must do so again today to avoid the sweep.

"They just kept coming and kept coming and their guys were making their pitches," said Byrd, who was hit by peanuts thrown by fans in the ninth inning. "They played the full game, and we didn't. But the way we played, we can't hold our heads [down].

AP

Texas Rangers 3B Michael Young (right) tags out Tampa Bay's Dioner Navarro on a steal attempt.

View larger More photos Photo store

"We've got to come out tomorrow and keep fighting because they're coming out trying to sweep us."

The Rangers finished with only seven hits, and again it was Michael Young providing much of the offense. He had his third consecutive three-hit game, and the hits were timely. His third-inning triple gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead.

Then, after the Rays took the lead back in the fourth inning on a two-run homer by Pena off Rangers starter Tommy Hunter, Young tied the score at 3 with his 21st homer in the sixth.

Hunter lasted five innings, becoming the sixth consecutive starter to not pitch six innings.

Neftali Feliz followed with the longest outing of his brief career. He pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings to keep the score tied at 3.