truebluefan

Rays manager Joe Maddon told his slumping second baseman to take a couple days off and forget about baseball.

Jorge Cantu, the Rays team MVP a year ago, admitted the pressure of a 12-for-82 spell had gotten the best of him mentally. The two days off allowed him to relax, get back to basics and even offer a little encouragement to a group of kids who have admired him throughout.

He entered Wednesday's game against the Rangers with just two extra-base hits in the month of August. A little rest paid off.

Cantu had three extra-base hits on Wednesday, including his first home run in his past 19 games, and drove in three runs in Tampa Bay's 7-3 win against the Rangers. The Rays have won three games in a row - all against Texas - for their longest winning streak of a trying second half.

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