Rays 7, Mets 6: Pepiouch! Rays lose starter early in close-scoring game.
It took ten innings for the Rays to win, but win they did.
On Sunday afternoon at the Trop, the Rays were decked out in their City Connect best (even featuring the Sky Ray logo in the score bug! cute!) The Rays were hoping to complete a three-game sweep of the Mets, but a game of back-and-forth leads kept them on their toes.
Ryan Pepiot took on Luis Severino in the pitching matchup.
In the top of the first, Starling Marte got a one-out walk, then Francisco Lindor hit a two-run homer to put the Mets on the board early. Two outs followed, but the Mets had made their mark. In the bottom half, Yandy Diaz walked to start things off, then Isaac Paredes hit a one-out double. The Rays left two stranded, however.
The Mets went 1-2-3 in the top of the second. Then the bottom of the second started with a Jose Caballero walk, followed by an Alex Jackson double that went deep enough that Caballero was able to score and put the Rays on the board. Jonny DeLuca reached on a fielder’s choice, then a Jose Siri sac bunt advanced the two baserunners. A Yandy Diaz single was able to score the two runners and put the Rays up 3-2. Paredes got a two-out walk, but the Rays ended up having to settle for three runs in the inning.
Omar Navarez singled to start the third inning, then Brandon Nimmo was hit by a pitch to put two on. Starling Marte singled, unfortunately he did it with a nasty comebacker right into Ryan Pepiot’s leg, and that was it for the Rays’ starter (he did not break anything, but is now day-to-day). Manuel Rodriquez came out of the pen as a replacement with the bases loaded. Rodriquez got the next two outs, but then walked DJ Stewart, forcing in a run to tie the game 3-3. In the bottom half, Caballero walked again with one out, then stole second. A Jonny DeLuca single scored Caballero and put the Rays back into the lead.
In the top of the fourth Harrison Bader reached on a fielding error from Siri. Brett Baty followed that with a single, then Omar Navarez singled to score Bader, and it was back to a tie game. Kevin Kelly came in to replace Rodriguez on the mound. Brandon Nimmo then singled to score Baty, putting the Mets up 5-4. Francisco Lindor singled with one out, but blessedly, Pete Alonso then hit into a double play to end the inning. With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Richie Palacios and Isaac Paredes got back-to-back walk, with Palacios stealing second in the middle. Parades was eliminated in a force out off the bat of Randy Arozarena, then Arozarena stole second. Despite two runs in scoring position, the Rays weren’t able to convert any runs.
The fifth was quiet as both teams went 1-2-3.
Garrett Cleavinger was next out of the pen for the Rays in the sixth, but a Brandon Nimmo hit-by-pitch was all the Mets managed for a baserunner. Also, ouch to Nimmo getting hit twice in the same game. Luis Severino’s game was done in the sixth, with Jorge Lopez replacing the Mets’ starter. Yandy Diaz doubled with one out, but the Rays weren’t able to bring him home.
Shawn Armstrong replaced Cleavinger, and got the Mets out 1-2-3. Reed Garrett was next out of the Mets’ pen, and gave up a one-out single to Amad Rosario. Rosario was then caught stealing for the second out. Caballero then walked for the third time in the game. Caballero then stole two bases, but unfortuantely wasn’t brought home.
The eighth was an ode to luck on the part of the Rays. With one out in the top of the eighth, Harrison Bader singled, then Brett Baty walked. Bader advanced to third on a flyout. Brandon Nimmo then walked (without getting hit) to load the bases. Thankfully (and VERY luckily) a groundout from Marte ended the inning and the Rays got out of the jam with no additional runs scored. In the bottom half, Sean Reid-Foley was the next Mets’ reliever, and DeLuca walked to start things off. Alas, a double play and a strikeout then ended the inning with the Rays still trailing by one.
Jacob Lopez was next out of the pen, hoping to keep things scoreless to give the Rays a shot at a ninth inning comeback. With two outs, Lopez walked J.D. Martinez, who was then replaced with pinch-runner Tyrone Taylor. Jeff McNeil then walked to put two men aboard. A Bader pop-out ended the inning with no harm done. The Rays were down to their last chance in the bottom half. It was a Randy Arozarena home run on a 3-2 pitch that tied the game up at quite literally the last possible opportunity. Rosario then singled, but the Rays had to settle for the tie and another chance in the tenth.
Lopez continued on the mound in extras. With one out, Tomas Nido flied out to advance the ghost runner Bader to third. The Rays then got a very close out at first for the third out, which naturally the Mets challenged. The call was overturned due to the ball coming loose at the end of the catch, boo hiss, and the Mets got a run thanks to the overturn, giving them a 6-5 lead and probably costing the Rays the game. The Mets settled for one, but it seemed unless the Rays had another miracle up their sleeves, that would be it.
Jake Diekman was out of the Mets’ pen. Ben Rortvedt was deeply invested in bunting. Ghost runner Cabellero stole third and Rortvedt walked. Did I say it would take a miracle? Well DeLuca was that miracle as he hit a line drive to score Caballero and Rortvedt, walking it off 7-5.
Final: Rays 7, Mets 6