Rays’ center fielder Mallex Smith can’t hang on to Adrian Beltre’s fly ball, which opened the floodgates and allowed the Rangers to score three unearned runs in a 4-3 victory.

After playing some clumsy defense to fuel their recent five-game losing streak, it was good to see the Rangers be the recipient of their own brand of sloppy baseball at the less-than-sure hands of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Mallex Smith, who, by the way, is the only player in major league history with the first name of Mallex, dropped what would have been Adrian Beltre’s inning-ending fly ball in the sixth, allowing two gift runs to score, tying the game at 3-3, and, more importantly, allowing Beltre to end up at second.

Which would turn out to be huge in a few pitches.

The error seemed to rattle Rays starter Chris Archer. Because he Little Leagued in the next run, unloading a wild pitch to move Beltre to third, then another wild pitch to bring him home for what would be the winning run of the game.

It was nice to get one back after giving away so many.

*****

In honor of Don Henley, who I saw in concert last night, here are 15 Don Henley songs that make up the soundtrack for the Rangers 2017 season:

Boys Of Summer
Desperado
The End Of the Innocence
Long Way Home
Driving With Your Eyes Closed
On The Border
How Bad Do You Want It
Too Far Gone
Praying for Rain
An Inside Job
Too Much Pride
After the Thrill is Gone
Wasted Time
The Last Resort
Failed Grasp on the Big Picture

*****
TODAY’S GAME:

Tyson Ross (2-2, 7.22) vs. Jake Odorizzi (6-4, 4.37)
Game time: 12:10

How the Rangers hit against Odorizzi.
How the Rays hit against Ross.