Nick Solak homered off Peter Fairbanks, the pitcher he was traded for two months ago, helping the Texas Rangers to a 6-4 win against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night in Arlington, Texas.

Solak went 2-for-3 in his 22nd major league game, raising his batting average to .360.

Delino DeShields had two hits and two runs, Jose Trevino added two hits and, in the seventh inning, Rougned Odor homered for the second straight game to provide Texas a two-run lead.

The Rangers (74-74) have won six of seven to get back to .500.

The loss by the Rays (87-61), coupled with Oakland's 3-2 win over the Houston Astros, allowed the A's (87-60) to take over the lead for the American League's first wild card by one-half game. The Cleveland Indians, who were idle on Thursday, are another one-half game behind the Rays.

Joey Wendle and Matt Duffy each had two hits, and Austin Meadows drove in two runs for the Rays.

In a matchup of rookie left-handers, Brendan McKay (2-4) of the Rays and Kolby Allard of the Rangers failed to go deep in the game.

McKay allowed three runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings, striking out two and walking two.

Allard went four innings, giving up four runs and seven hits while striking out one and walking three.

Luke Farrell (1-0) threw two innings of shutout relief for the Rangers, followed by shutout innings from Jonathan Hernandez and Rafael Montero.

Jose Leclerc retired the side in order in the ninth for his 13th save.

The Rangers took a 5-1 lead after scoring four runs in the fourth inning. The big blow was Solak's homer.

The Rays scored three runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to 5-4.

Meadows doubled in the first two runs and Tommy Pham followed with an RBI single.

Danny Santana had an RBI single in the first inning to give Texas a 1-0 lead.

Allard gave up four straight singles to start the second inning, but the Rays only plated one run, on Wendle's single, to tie the score at 1-1.

--Field Level Media