Rays lose to Guardians, as Pete Fairbanks gives up decisive run in 9th

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Sep 6, 2025

Published in Baseball

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TAMPA, Fla. — Talking before Saturday’s game, Drew Rasmussen revealed the secret to the Rays’ recent run of success, winning seven of their previous eight games and 10 of 13 to get back into the American League playoff chase:

Desperation.

“We kind of put (ourselves) in the position where our backs were against the wall,” Rasmussen said. “When you’re in the position where you have to win every day and that’s all that really matters, it’s cool to see how this group has responded, and our ability to go out there and just worry about one day at a time.

“I think there have been portions of this year where — and everyone’s been guilty of it — where you’ve looked at the big picture of the season. Where I think right now, we’re just focused on winning today, and other than that nothing else really matters at this point."

Now they have to be even more desperate after dropping a second straight game to the Cleveland Guardians. Saturday’s 3-2 loss was even more frustrating, given how the late innings unfolded.

The Guardians took the lead in the ninth when closer Pete Fairbanks allowed a leadoff single to Daniel Schneemann and a walk to pinch-hitter Brayan Rocchio. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners up to second and third, and Fairbanks struck out C.J. Kayfus.

But Steven Kwan grounded a ball to the left side of the infield that became a run-scoring infield single.

The Rays dropped to 71-71 and will remain at least two games out of the final American League wild-card spot.

The Rays had a chance to go ahead when they loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh. Jake Mangum’s infield single ended starter Tanner Bibee’s night, and then pinch-hitters Christopher Morel and Nick Fortes drew walks off lefty reliever Erik Sabrowski.

The Rays used rookie shortstop Carson Williams as a third straight pinch-hitter. When Williams got down 0-2, Mangum broke for home. But Sabrowski saw him and calmly threw to the plate, where catcher Bo Naylor tagged Mangum out.

They made the third out on the bases again in the eighth after Yandy Diaz singled with two outs and, with a 1-2 count on Brandon Lowe, was caught trying to steal second. Diaz has only three stolen bases this season.

Shane Baz, coming off back-to-back good starts and carrying an 11-inning scoreless streak, gave the Rays another solid five-inning outing.

The Guardians got two runs in the fourth, though Baz did well to limit the damage after loading the bases with a hit batter, a walk and a single. He gave up a two-run double to Schneemann but nothing else, striking out Gabriel Arias and Naylor, and getting Kayfus to ground out.

The Rays eventually got even.

Josh Lowe struck first, with a 103.6 mph, 379-foot homer off Bibee to open the fifth. They scored again in the sixth when rookie Tristan Gray led off with a double, went to third on Chandler Simpson’s bunt and scored on Diaz’s fielder’s choice grounder that Arias couldn’t corral at shortstop.

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