St. Petersburg, FL (Betting Express) - Matt Garza struck out 10 over a career- high eight innings to lead the Tampa Bay Rays over the Texas Rangers, 5-3, at Tropicana Field.

Garza (4-1) walked two and scattered four hits while allowing two runs. He reached the 10-strikeout plateau for the second time in his career and the first since striking out 11 in six innings of a 4-1 win over Cleveland on July 29, 2007 while with Minnesota.

"That was his best outing of the season," manager Joe Maddon said. "(He) did set the tone today...I think as his confidence grows we can see him pitch like that more consistently."

The Rays offense was led by Akinori Iwamura, who was 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. Tampa Bay took two of three in the series and won for the fifth time in its last six games.

Milton Bradley drove in two runs for Texas, which lost a series for the first time since being swept in a three-game set at Detroit in late April. The Rangers had won eight series and split another in that span.

Kason Gabbard (1-2) absorbed the loss for the Rangers, allowing all five runs -- four earned -- on five hits and six walks over 4 1/3 innings.

Iwamura led off the bottom of the first with a base hit, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on a one-out single by B.J. Upton. Upton stole second on Carlos Pena's third strike before Gabbard intentionally walked Evan Longoria. A Jason Bartlett groundout, however, stranded the two runners.

The Rays got men on in each of the next two innings, but Gabbard induced ground ball double plays to keep the game close.

Garza was perfect through three innings, recording one strikeout in each, before the Rangers got on the board in the top of the fourth.

Ian Kinsler walked to begin the inning and advanced to third on a Michael Young ground-rule double. The extra-base hit extended Young's major league- leading hit streak to 14 games. Two batters later Bradley laced a frozen rope to center field for a double, bringing Kinsler and Young home for a 2-1 Texas lead.

The Rays struck back in the bottom of the fifth. Shawn Riggans singled and Ben Zobrist walked to open the inning and set the stage for Iwamura. The second baseman singled to plate Riggans while Iwamura and Zobrist each advanced an extra base on the throw home.

After a Carl Crawford groundout, Upton was walked intentionally to load the bases for Pena, who drew another free pass to force home Zobrist with the go- ahead run.

"I was able to see the ball really well that at-bat," Pena said. "I was able to lay off a couple there that I think he wanted me to swing at."

Frank Francisco took over for Gabbard but did not fare much better.

Longoria hit a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 4-2 before Francisco issued back-to-back walks to Bartlett and pinch hitter Cliff Floyd -- the latter forcing home another run. Riggans then struck out looking to end the inning, and he also fanned to end the seventh with the bases loaded again.

Garza finished his strong outing by getting Kinsler to fly out to begin the eighth before striking out Young and Josh Hamilton.

"I felt great, no doubt about it," Garza said. "Numbers-wise it was my best outing. I don't want to let those guys down out there."

Troy Percival came in to close out the game but had to leave with two outs in the ninth after apparently injuring himself on a Brandon Boggs third strike pitch. Bradley lined out to begin the inning before David Murphy singled to right. Boggs then struck out looking as Percival fell to the front of the mound after the throw. He stood up under his own power but was unable to finish the game.

Dan Wheeler, who picked up his first save, entered for Percival needing one out to end the game. Murphy had an uncontested steal of second base and scored on a single by Frank Catalanotto to make it a two-run game.

Wheeler closed the game out, however, on a Jarrod Saltalamacchia fly ball to shallow center field that was caught by a diving Upton.

Game Notes

Kinsler extended his hitting streak to 13 games...This was Garza's longest outing since going 7 2/3 innings on August 29, 2006 against Kansas City...Iwamura is first in the American League and second in the majors to Lance Berkman with 37 hits in May...The Rays have won nine of their last 11 series...The Rangers are 5-2 in rubber games...Attendance was 10,927.