Rays flip the script, take advantage of sloppy Rockies to win series
Published in Baseball
TAMPA, Fla. — Much of the talk around the Rays clubhouse Sunday morning was about how they were robbed repeatedly in Saturday’s loss by the Colorado Rockies’ dazzling defense.
Things evened out a few hours later.
The Rays took advantage of a messy sixth inning by the Rockies to rally for four runs and an eventual 6-4 win.
That gave the Rays a win in their inaugural series at Steinbrenner Field.
The score was 2-2 when the Rays started the sixth somewhat benignly. Brandon Lowe flied out, Jonathan Aranda was hit by a pitch and Taylor Walls singled.
But then things got sloppy, as they scored four runs without hitting a ball out of the infield.
Pinch-hitter Junior Caminero grounded a ball up the middle that second baseman Tyler Freeman misplayed, allowing Aranda to score and Walls to get to third.
Better for the Rays, worse for the Rockies, shortstop Ezequiel Tovar recovered the ball and made an errant throw, which allowed Caminero to get to second.
That mattered when Jose Caballero followed by dropping a bunt down the third-base line. Colorado catcher Jacob Stallings threw wide of first, allowing Walls and Caminero to score.
Caballero went to third, which paid off as he raced home ahead of the throw after Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon made a nifty grab of Ben Rortvedt’s grounder.
The Rays grabbed an early lead when Yandy Diaz led off with a double and Brandon Lowe followed with a one-out homer to right-center. That shifted another previous conversation, about how the wind hadn’t been their friend.
Taj Bradley gave the Rays six solid innings, scattering five hits, walking none and striking out seven, but couldn’t hold the lead.
Monday: vs. Pirates
7:05 p.m. ET, Steinbrenner Field, Tampa
TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Sun; 95.3 FM, 620 AM
Pitchers: Rays — RH Drew Rasmussen (0-2, 2.83 in 2024); Pirates — RH Carmen Mlodzinski (5-5, 3.38 in 2024)
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