Rays rally with 3-run ninth, walk off Rangers on 2-run infield single

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Jun 5, 2025

Published in Baseball

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TAMPA, Fla. — The Rays looked like they were going to go down quietly Thursday.

But they saved the best for last, rallying for a wild 4-3 walk-off win, with Taylor Walls delivering the tying and winning runs with an infield single.

Down 3-1 in the ninth, the Rays rallied. Yandy Diaz singled with one out, and Jonathan Aranda drew a walk. Red-hot Junior Caminero, who had homered in his first at-bat on his bobblehead day, singled to cut the lead to 3-2.

After Jake Mangum flied out, Christopher Morel hit a sharp grounder to third and raced to first for an infield single that loaded the bases.

Then Walls grounded a ball toward second that Marcus Semien fielded, but he had no play as Aranda and Caminero scored.

The Rays improved to 33-29, a season-high four games over .500, and have won 12 of their last 15 games.

The Rays started the game in a good way, with a solo homer in the second inning by Caminero.

But Rays starter Ryan Pepiot, who had seemed to be past his home run issues, allowed a pair that gave the Rangers the lead.

Jake Burger took Pepiot deep with one out in the third to tie the game, ending his career-best 17 2/3-inning scoreless streak, then another to the slumping Semien leading off the fifth.

Pepiot went through a stretch in which he allowed eight homers over four games, but then he gave up only two over his last seven.

“When you limit the long balls, you’re going to go on some scoreless streaks,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said before the game.

Reliever Kevin Kelly gave up another homer to Semien, who came into the game with only four on the season, with two outs in the seventh.