This contest was a series of moments wrapped around a wild seventh inning that saw each team score at least three runs, albeit in different methods. Prior to a 7th inning that was off the rails in the home half, the Rays looked to be mostly in control with an early 2-1 lead through five innings thanks to an RBI single by Liam Hicks and a solo home run by Jonathan Aranda:
That prodigous was just Aranda’s second home run in the past 20 games and just his fourth extra base hit in his last 86 plate appearances:
That held up until Ty France hit his 100th career home run sneaking an opposite field home run just over the right field cut out to give the Padres a 3-2 lead:
The Rays would come back to tie the game 3-3 on Junior Caminero’s first home run in 16 games and just his third extra base hit in his last 66 plate appearances to set the stage for an eventful 7th inning:
Garrett Cleavinger came in of relief of Nick Martinez in the 7th and committed the cardinal sin of walking the leadoff batter after being ahead 0-2 on Luis Rengifo. That walk was quickly followed by a single by Dustin Harris and a perfect bunt by Fernando Tatis Jr to load the bases with nobody out. Cleavinger would come back to strike out Jake Cronenworth, but was lifted for Kevin Kelly in hopes of getting an inning-ending double play. Manny Machado foiled those plans with a single through the abandoned part of the infield plating the first two runs of the inning, which was followed by a double-steal leading to the third run of the inning:
The Rays went into the bottom of the 7th down three runs against a team that had lost one game all season when leading after seven because their A-bullpen has an A+ grade and A+ stuff. The Rays simply followed the script the Padres used in the top of the inning with the 7-8-9 hitters each reaching base setting up the wildest play of the game. Yandy Diaz crushed a high fastball from Bradgley Rodriguez that looked and sounded lika grand slam off the bat. The baserunners were primed to run into the most TOOTBLANs of TOOTBLANs, but Rengifo’s knee gave out on him in a run-down and throw home allowing all three base runners to score and get Diaz to third base:
Diaz would eventually come in to score the go-ahead run on Chandler Simpson’s second hit of the game. That single gave Simpson a .384 batting average since the break, which leads all qualified hitters. Kelly would come back to work a clean 8th before handing the ball to Bryan Baker to save his 39th game of the season and his 27th consecutive save since his last blown save on May 13th.
The win by the Rays coupled with the Yankees losing the first game of the double-header gives the Rays a five-game lead over the Yankees. The Rays will go for a series sweep tomorrow with staff ace Drew Rasmussen on the mound opposing Robbie Ray.
