After a slow start out of the All-Star break, the Tampa Bay Rays regrouped to have an outstanding week and will look to start another one Tuesday night when they host the Texas Rangers in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Following a four-game sweep by the Boston Red Sox right after the break, the Rays won six of seven, taking three of four in Toronto before shutting down the Cleveland Guardians in a three-game weekend sweep to start a nine-game homestand.

However, the American League East leaders are the top team in the Junior Circuit for a reason, mainly relying on excellent starting pitching with a punchy top of the order, featuring standout hitter Yandy Diaz leading off and slugger Junior Caminero two batters later.

Pitching loomed large against the Guardians as starters Shane McClanahan, Nick Martinez and Drew Rasmussen completely dominated the visitors.

Over 18 innings, the trio allowed just one run (an ERA of 0.50), seven hits and three walks, totaling 17 strikeouts as the Rays outscored Cleveland 15-3, including shutouts in the final two games.

“Just a well-executed, masterful performance,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Rasmussen’s seven scoreless innings of one-hit ball in Sunday’s 1-0 win. “We’re definitely built around our pitching, no doubt. Most of the year, (our starters) have been spot on, quality outing after quality outing, 1 through 5, probably highlighted by Ras and Nick.”

Rays starter Griffin Jax (6-7, 3.89 ERA) has won five of his past seven starts, and holds a 5-5 record and a 3.38 ERA with an opposing batting average of .236 since moving from the bullpen to the rotation.

Like the Rays, manager Skip Schumaker and his Rangers enter the matchup in first place in their division, leading the AL West over the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners, though they will travel to Houston after facing Tampa Bay.

Texas homered its way to victory Monday afternoon to claim the series over Seattle, going deep four times in the first three innings off nemesis George Kirby in a 7-3 bashing.

Leadoff hitter Joc Pederson homered in his first two at-bats off the right-hander. The lefty-swinging Pederson went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and pushed his long-ball total to 19.

“It just shows the mentality we’ve had lately,” Pederson said of beating Kirby, who entered the contest 9-1 with a 1.33 ERA in 12 career starts versus Texas. “We were able to get (to) a really good pitcher. That’s one of the best pitching staffs in baseball.”

Texas did not announce Tuesday’s starter, but its radio network said the options are Jordan Montgomery, who had Tommy John surgery in March 2025, or Nathan Eovaldi on four days’ rest.

Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (back) has taken two live batting practice sessions and looked sharp. The team is expected to announce a rehab assignment for him soon.

Seager hit the 15-day injured list on July 1 and has only appeared in 51 games.

“I would love to tell you ‘Yes,'” Seager said when asked if he understood his back injury, which started with lower back inflammation. “Well, as you know, backs are not … what you want. Honestly, just getting back is kind of the priority.”

He is batting just .182 with 10 homers and 25 RBIs this season.

–Field Level Media

Coby Mayo homered and drove in three runs as the visiting Baltimore Orioles powered past the Detroit Tigers, 8-5, on Monday.

Leody Tavares and pinch-hitter Tyler O’Neill also homered, while Jackson Holliday supplied four hits and scored twice. Pete Alonso added two hits and scored a run.

Orioles starter Kyle Bradish gave up five runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. Grant Wolfram (3-2) pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and was credited with the victory. Rico Garcia got the last three outs for his fifth save.

Hao-Yu Lee drove in two runs for the Tigers, who have lost three straight. Spencer Torkelson and Zach McKinstry each had two hits, a run scored and an RBI.

Detroit starter Keider Montero (7-6) allowed six runs, four earned, and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Baltimore scored a run in the first on Taylor Ward’s fielder’s choice, which knocked in Alonso.

The Orioles extended their lead to 3-0 in the second. Holliday doubled and Mayo reached on a Colt Keith error before Jeremiah Jackson’s RBI grounder. Dylan Beavers drove in the next run with a single.

McKinstry led off the bottom of the inning with a triple and scored on Lee’s sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.

Mayo drove in the Orioles’ fourth run in the third with a single.

Detroit pulled within 4-3 in the fourth after loading the bases without an out. Lee knocked in a run with an infield single and Matt Vierling drove in the next run with a one-out sacrifice fly.

Tavares blasted his homer with one out in the fifth. After a Holliday single, Montero was replaced by Brenan Hanifee. Mayo greeted him with a 390-foot shot over the left-center field wall for a 7-3 Orioles lead.

The Tigers cut their deficit in half during the bottom of the frame. Torkelson had a sacrifice fly and McKinstry followed with an RBI single.

O’Neill homered to lead off the sixth against Tyler Horton, driving the ball 400 feet over the left-center field wall.

–Field Level Media

Luis Urias homered, Myles Straw had two hits and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Nationals 3-2 on Monday in Max Scherzer’s return to Washington.

Scherzer, who spent 6 1/2 seasons in Washington and won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019, came off the injured list to make his seventh start of the season. He gave up a run on four hits, walking three and striking out four on 75 pitches in 2 2/3 innings.

Mason Fluharty (5-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. Louis Varland, the last of six Toronto relievers, pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.

The Blue Jays have alternated losses and wins for six games.

Andres Chaparro homered for the Nationals, who had won two straight.

Nationals opener Eddy Yean (0-1) gave up two runs on three hits in 2 1/3 innings. He didn’t issue a walk nor fan a batter.

Scherzer, making his 100th start at Nationals Park and working on his 42nd birthday, had been sidelined due to back and thumb issues. He pitched in and out of trouble in the first inning.

James Wood led off with a single and stole second, and Luis Garcia Jr. singled him to third. Jose Tena struck out before CJ Abrams walked to load the bases. Scherzer struck out Dylan Crews, and Daylen Lile grounded out.

Nasim Nunez singled with one out in the Washington second and stole second. Wood walked and Garcia doubled off the wall in right, scoring Nunez to give Washington a 1-0 lead.

Urias tied it 1-1 with a solo homer in the third, and Straw and Ernie Clement followed with back-to-back doubles to make it 2-1 Blue Jays.

Scherzer left after striking out Lile to end a 12-pitch at-bat in the third. The crowd gave him a standing ovation and he waved as he entered the dugout.

In the fourth, Toronto’s Kazuma Okamoto singled, stole second and scored on a two-out single by Straw to make it 3-1.

With runners on first and third and two outs in the top of the fifth, George Springer got in a rundown between first and second. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. broke for home but was tagged out on a close play.

Chaparro’s pinch-hit homer made it 3-2 in the fifth.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Nunez singled and Wood walked, but Varland fanned Garcia to end the game.

–Field Level Media