Source: FanGraphs
Atlanta scored three two-out runs in the second inning for a three-run advantage. With two on and two out, Joey Terdoslavich laced a double to left on a first pitch hanging curveball for a 1-0 Atlanta lead. Pedro Ciriaco followed with a two-run, opposite field single on a 1-2 pitch for an, as of then, commanding three-run advantage.
Tampa Bay got one run back in the second inning on a Kevin Kiermaier comebacker off Matt Wisler with the bases loaded. Wisler bobbled then regained control of the ball to get an out at first as James Loney scored.
But the Braves struck again in the fourth when Ciriaco lined a homer over the left-field wall into the 162 Landing — his first homer of the season giving the Braves a 4-1 lead. Yet Grady Sizemore brought the Rays within two runs in the fifth on his sixth homer of the season — a mammoth blast off the C ring in right. Curt Casali helped bridge the gap when he drove in Asdrubal Cabrera at third on a hard liner in the sixth, where the Braves got a 6-4 fielder’s choice at second.
However, Atlanta answered with two runs in the top of the seventh off Alex Colome to pull ahead by three. Colome allowed two inherited runners to score in the seventh after coming on for Jake Odorizzi with a pair of runners in scoring and none out with the Rays down by one.
That set the stage for the wild late inning rally.
Down 6-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Sizemore got the ball rolling on the seventh inning rally when he drove a ball to the left-center gap that initially appeared catchable, yet fell between Michael Bourn and Cameron Maybin, and bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double. Evan Longoria followed with an infield single near second base which allowed Sizemore to advance to third, and put runners on the corners with none out. Loney hammered the first pitch he saw from lefty Matt Marksberry into the right field corner for an RBI double, bringing the Rays within two.
Kevin Cash made a wise decision, and pinch-ran Tim Beckham for Loney — a decision that paid almost instantaneous dividends. Logan Forsythe hit an RBI sacrifice-fly to deep center, with Beckham advancing to third, and bringing Tampa Bay within one. Asdrubal Cabrera popped out to second for the second out, but the speedy Beckham scored on a two-out wild pitch to knot the game at six.
The one that got away. #RaysUp WATCH: http://t.co/pJ0THFEdrB pic.twitter.com/k2lxz6Kvto
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 13, 2015
They weren’t done. Brandon Guyer hammered a double into the left-field corner, bringing The Outlaw to the plate. Kiermaier hit a hard grounder wide of first, and Marksberry missed the bag trying to beat a hustling Kiermaier to the base. Guyer scored on the error, and the Rays held their first lead. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez saw enough of Marksberry, and called upon 27 year-old righty Ryan Kelly. After Kiermaier swiped second, Curt Casali then belted a two-run blast to cap the six-run rally.
Properly struck, @CurtCasali. #RaysUp WATCH: http://t.co/xYfrAOoGPp pic.twitter.com/L2SjT5Dv9d — Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 13, 2015
The rally put Alex Colome on the winning side of the ledger.
Jake McGee threw an impressive 1-2-3 eighth, which included a swinging strikeout of supreme dick-head AJ Pierzynski.
Brad Boxberger entered the ninth and walked Jace Peterson and Terdoslavich, sandwiched around a Eury Perez swinging strikeout. With runners on first and second and one out, Boxberger fanned Ciriaco after an extended nine pitch at-bat, and coaxed a weak fly ball out from Michael Bourn to earn his 29th save.
The game was ugly and fraught with gaffes by both the Rays and Braves. Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) said it best:
Their usually tight defense was sloppy, with balls dropping that are usually caught. They wasted several chances to score or tack on runs. And starter Jake Odorizzi was not sharp.
Despite all that, Tampa Bay walked away with a huge home win ahead of a lengthy 10-game road trip, starting Friday.
Kevin Cash talked about the team showing resiliency after the game:
[youtube_sc url=”youtu.be/0-bsmS7vPZw”]
The Rays will kick off a three-game set against the Texas Rangers on Friday; Nathan Karns (7-5, 3.52 ERA) will make the start. Join us at Green Bench Brewing Company just a stones throw from the Trop for our next Rays Watch Party.
Noteworthiness
— The Rays optioned OF/DH Joey Butler to Triple-A Durham to make room on the roster for OF Desmond Jennings, who will be reinstated from the DL on Friday.