The Texas Rangers lost 6-3 to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the American League Division Series Saturday evening at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The Rays used 11 hits, including two home runs, to secure its first win in the best-of-five game series against the Rangers.

Tampa Bay scored a run in the sixth inning, and added two in the eighth and three in the ninth, avoiding a three-game sweep against the AL West champs, who have a two-to-one game lead in the series.

Rays’ right-hander Joaquin Benoit (1-0) was the winning pitcher, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings with no hits and one strikeout.

Rangers’ left-handed pitcher Darren Oliver (0-1) took the loss allowing two runs on three hits with three strikeouts.

The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third on an RBI ground out to shortstop by Elvis Andrus. Andrus drove in Mitch Moreland, who doubled to left to start the inning then advanced to third on a pass ball.

Starting pitcher Colby Lewis pitched 5.0 innings and allowed no runs with five strikeouts and got Texas out of back-to-back, two-out jams in the fourth and fifth, stranding two runners in each inning. Lewis walked five batters and was taken out of the game after Evan Longoria’s leadoff walk in the sixth.

Tampa Bay ended its 16-inning scoreless drought, tying the game at 1-1 in the sixth. Dan Johnson singled to right and two batters later, came around to score on when B.J. Upton ripped an Alexi Ogando 96-mile per hour fastball to left for a two-out RBI double. 

The Rangers rallied for a 2-1 lead in the seventh after Ian Kinsler launched a solo home run over the left-field fence.

The Rays plated two in the eighth to take a 3-2 advantage. First baseman Carlos Pena tied the game with a run-scoring single to right that scored pinch runner Desmond Jennings. Pena crossed the plate three hitters later on an up-the-middle single by John Jaso.

Tampa Bay put the game out of reach adding three more runs in the ninth, making the game 6-2. Left fielder Carl Crawford led off the frame with a solo shot to right-center field. With two outs and Sean Rodriguez (singled to left) on base, Pena belted another Rays’ homer to right-center, for a two-run blast.

Right fielder Nelson Cruz provided the final fireworks of the night, going deep to left-center off Tampa Bay closer Rafael Soriano in the bottom of the ninth, cutting the Rangers’ deficit to 6-3.

The Rangers and Rays will face off in Game 4 of the ALDS Sunday, Oct. 9, with a 12:07 p.m. first pitch at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington