Brandon Lowe got Tampa Bay off to a great start Monday night, and even though the pitching staff gave up the ghost, the Rays eventually came back from a three-run deficit to beat Cleveland, 9-8, at Tropicana Field.
Tampa Bay enters the inclement weather off-day at 49-36 on the season, having won 17 of the last 21 home games.
The Rays took an initial four-run lead in the second inning against Cleveland starter Logan Allen. Yandy Díaz, the eventual hero of the ball game, singled to left with one out then went to third on Ji-Man Choi’s double to right. After Mike Zunino walked, loading the bases, Brandon Lowe launched a 92 mph center-cut fastball into the atmosphere for a 4-0 lead. It was Lowe’s first career grand slam and his 17th homer of the season — tying a career-high set in 2019.
But things began to go Cleveland’s way in the following inning. While Tampa Bay was able to put up another run, José Ramírez helped throw the momentum in their favor when he robbed Zunino of an extra-base hit on a liner to third. Lowe walked then went to third on Kevin Kiermaier’s single, which chased Allen.
Enter Justin Garza.
Manuel Margot lined what should have been a single to right, yet Harold Ramirez made a diving catch. While it went for a sacrifice-fly, it prevented an extra-base hit. Randy Arozarena followed with a hard-hit ball to the wall in right, but Ramirez made a leaping grab — taking away another extra-base hit.
Meanwhile, Rich Hill allowed a run on three hits and a walk over 3.2 innings. He struck out five of the first six batters he faced, appearing to set the tone for the game. The left-hander rolled through three scoreless frames to start the contest before the wheels began to fall off in the fourth. Ahmed Rosario doubled to right-center to open the frame, while Ramírez was hit on the foot by a pitch even though it appeared he had swung, which was ruled a check swing. Franmil Reyes followed with a single to left, scoring Rosario to put Cleveland on the board. The runners advanced into second and third on a double steal during Bradley Zimmer’s at-bat, and Bobby Bradley was hit by a pitch with two outs, loading the bases. Rays Manager Kevin Cash had seen enough and pulled the none too pleased Hill for the final out of the frame. It was the veteran’s shortest appearance since tossing just three innings on May 2, yet he still managed to lower his ERA to 3.65.
The Rays entered the fifth inning with a slam lead which Drew Rasmussen, who left the bases full in the fourth, couldn’t hold. Tampa native Oscar Mercado started the frame with a single to right-center before Cesar Hernandez chopped a base hit to left. Mercado went to third, and Hernandez moved up to second on Arozarena’s throw into third. Why Big RAAAAAAAANDY didn’t throw into second, thus holding Hernandez at first, is beyond my realm of understanding. And while Rosario grounded out to third, scoring Mercado, Ramírez lined a single to right-center, cutting the deficit to two. Reyes was next, sending a two-run missile off the Ray Tank in right-center, tying the game at five. Cleveland moved ahead in the following inning, making it an even uglier contest.
Jeffrey Springs walked Mercado with one out leading to his removal in favor of J.P. Feyereisen. Yet Mercado started to swipe second but held up when Zunino threw to the bag. Wander Franco tried to nab Mercado as he retreated back to first, but his rushed throw bounded into Tampa Bay’s dugout for a costly two-base error which allowed Mercado to move up 180 feet. Tampa Bay brought the infield in to cut down a potential runner at the plate, yet Hernandez hit a bloop single to center, putting Cleveland up by a run.
After Rosario lined out to center, Ramírez ripped a single to right, moving Hernandez into third. Ramírez stole second before Reyes ripped a double to right-center for a three-run lead.
After so many demoralizing games the last two weeks, the Rays finally had enough. Their slow-and-steady comeback began in the sixth inning after Choi, Kiermaier, and Margot hit singles off reliever Nick Wittgren; the last one coming with two out. Bryan Shaw finished the frame, getting Arozarena to line softly to the mound with the tying runs on base.
Shaw took the mound again in the seventh and would have worked a clean frame if not for Díaz, who cut the deficit to a run when he hit an opposite-field homer to right. Interestingly enough, he came close to doing the same thing a few innings prior, however, his would-be homer went just foul.
The Rays were able to score the tying and winning runs against Emanuel Clase, who had a 1.01 ERA entering the game. Manny Margot beat out an infield hit, but left in favor of pinch-runner Brett Phillips after hurting his left hamstring on the play. Following the game, Cash acknowledged that he wasn’t sure about the severity of the injury, although he did say Margot is not the type of guy to come out of a game. Read into that what you will.
Meanwhile, Arozarena singled to center, putting the tying run at second, before Franco singled to left-center, scoring Phillips and tying the game at eight. Arozarena moved into third, and Franco into second on the throw there. Austin Meadows was walked intentionally, loading the bases, before Díaz hit a chopper toward second. Hernandez threw home in an attempt to cut down a run, yet Arozarena safely crossed the plate and scored the winning run.
Source: FanGraphs
Not to be overlooked were the outings by Andrew Kittredge and Pete Fairbanks. The right-handers combined for three scoreless innings, scattering a pair of hits while striking out four and walking none. They effectively quieted a Cleveland lineup that three of the previous four hurlers couldn’t — setting up a walk-off rally in the ninth.
The Rays came back to notch an improbable win heading into the doubleheader scheduled for Wednesday.