Happy Memorial Day, everyone (unless you are a Canadian, like me, in which case, happy very belated Victoria Day). The Rays are facing familiar foes this week, as they head to Baltimore to take on the Orioles. The O’s were just in St. Pete last week, where the Rays swept them. However, Baltimore might be feeling a little more emboldened. They took on the struggling Detroit Tigers over the weekend and took two of three games in that series. The Rays had Shane McClanahan on the mound, up against Kyle Bradish for the O’s. I don’t mind telling you that every time someone says Bradish’s last name, I hear it as “Radish” and it’s adorable.
With two outs in the top of the first, Jonathan Aranda doubled, but the Rays weren’t able to bring him home. In the home half, the Orioles went down in order.
The second inning was a speedy affair on both sides, and each team went down in order. It is a good time to acknowledge a classy gesture from Orioles fans as they gave Cedric Mullins a big round of applause when he came out for his first at-bat. That speaks volumes about a player when they are still so beloved by a team after they’ve moved on to a new club.
In the third, with two outs, Chandler Simspon singled. Junior Caminero then singled right behind him. Unfortunately, the Rays simply weren’t able to bring their baserunners home. Blaze Alexander got the home half going with a leadoff single. With one out, Alexander was then caught stealing, eliminating the baserunner. Tyler O’Neill singled, but a lineout then ended the inning with no harm done.
Two outs into the fourth, Mullins got a walk, but the Rays were once again unable to convert the baserunner. McClanahan continued to deal in the bottom of the inning, working his way through the Orioles in order.
Taylor Walls got a one-out single in the top of the fifth. Once again, though, the Rays let an opportunity get by them. Bradish has been good, despite having some issues with command, and while the Rays were getting on base, they were also having a hard time finding opportunities to then score those runs. In the home half with one out, Leody Taveras singled on a bunt towards first that McClanahan tried to scoop toss towards first but ended up overthrowing and allowing Taveras to get to second. With two outs, Jackson Holliday walked, but McClanahan got redemption and the final out by making a much more secure toss to first after catching a soft comebacker.
The Rays finally broke up the scoreless game in the top of the sixth with a solo home run by Aranda. It bounced off the top of the outfield wall so there was some initial concern the O’s might challenge, but they didn’t.
With two outs, Mullins walked, his second of the game, but the Rays had to settle for just the one run. McClanahan returned for the sixth, only his second time all season going more than five innings. He’d likely be on a very short leash for the inning, though. With one out, Gunnar Henderson was hit in the back with a pitch. Shane was looking pretty fired up after the HBP, so Kyle Snyder headed out to cool him down (and likely give the bullpen a little extra time to warm up). He then walked Adley Rutschman, and that was it for McClanahan. His final line for the day was 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K on 84 pitches. Hunter Bigge came out of the pen to replace him and hopefully get the final two outs of the inning. The O’s went for a double steal, but Henderson got snagged going for third, getting the second out of the inning. They found themselves back in a similar situation, though, when Pete Alonso walked, putting two on again. Bigge managed to get himself out of a tight corner, though, getting the final out and keeping the Orioles off the scoreboard.
Grant Wolfram was in for Bradish in the top of the seventh. With two outs, Chandler Simpson doubled to center. Yennier Cano replaced Wolfram to get the final out of the inning. In the home half, the Bigge wheels kind of fell off. Taveras got a leadoff walk, then stole second. Bigge tried to pick him off at second and the ball went into center, Taveras ended up at third. Then, Alexander singled, and the Orioles managed to tie the game. This, of course, begs the eternal question: if a pitcher is the one who commits the error that ultimately causes a run to score, should they not still be responsible for the run? A question for the ages. Bigge’s day was done and he was replaced by Casey Legumina, who got the first out. With two outs, Taylor Ward singled into right and Victor Mesa Jr. did his darndest to get the ball over to third, but it went over Caminero’s glove and into the netting, putting it out of play and allowing another run to score. An error was charged to Mesa. The Rays got the final out of the inning at last, but the O’s had claimed the lead.
Sloppy fielding wasn’t restricted to the Rays for this game. Anthony Nunez came in to pitch and Yandy Diaz hit a one-out double to deep center, but Taveras bobbled the ball, dropping it before he could throw to second, and Diaz was able to get all the way to third. Taveras was charged with an error. Oliver Dunn came in to run for Diaz, and Richie Palacios singled to bring Dunn home. A Mullins groundout got Palacios to second, but a lineout by newbie Mesa Jr. ended the inning with a 2-2 tie. In the home half, Alonso got a one-out walk, but was eliminated in a double play to end the inning.
Rico Garcia was the new Orioles pitcher in the top of the ninth. With two outs, Simpson singled, but he was then caught stealing, killing the Rays’ chance at a tie-breaker unless the game headed to extras. Bryan Baker came in for the Rays in the bottom of the inning, and he got the Orioles out in order to force extras.
In the top of the tenth, with one out, Garcia intentionally walked Aranda to put two runners on. Oliver Dunn then walked to load the bases. In the absolute best scenario they could have had, Palacios struck out (and he was big mad about it) and Mullins hit a liner right to first base to end the potential rally. Ian Seymour was the new Rays pitcher. With one out, Taylor Ward was intentionally walked to put two on, but two outs followed to get the Rays out of the inning.
Tyler Wells came in for the O’s in the eleventh, and newbie Mesa Jr. finally got his redemption moment with a leadoff homer to score two runs. It was the only hit the Rays would get in the inning, but it was enough.
Pete Alonso singled to start the inning, and in an attempt to get the ball home, it actually ended up near the dugout, and the Orioles easily scored. Alonso moved to second. Chandler was charged with the error. Jeremiah Jackson singled to score Alonso with another poorly placed throw home. With one out, Alexander was walked intentionally. He then advanced to second on defensive indifference (more like fear of overthrowing another base), and while the Rays finally got out of the inning, they were right back to being tied.
In the twelfth, Caminero flied out to advance free runner Chandler to third, then Aranda hit a sac fly to bring him home and get the Rays back into the lead. They would have to settle for just the one run, but hopefully it would be enough.
Jesse Scholtens was the next Rays’ pitcher out of the pen, and all eyes were on him to keep the O’s from scoring. Ward flied out to advance the ghost runner Cowser to third. Gunnar Henderson reached on a fielder’s choice, but they got Cowser out at home. Henderson somehow ended up at third and Kevin Cash absolutely lost his mind. Henderson was forced to head back to first. Nick Fortes, meanwhile, was looking like he felt a little tender after getting plowed into by Cowser. The Orioles evidently decided on a Hail Mary play by challenging the safe call at home, claiming Cowser touched the plate before he was tagged out. Honestly, depending on what angle you look at, it could go either way. The call was then overturned, and the game was once again tied. Pete Alonso got a two-out single, but no additional runs scored and the game headed to the 13th.
Dietrich Enns came out, and Palacios singled, moving runner Dunn to third. Mullins then singled to bring Dunn home. A sac bunt by Mesa moved both baserunners into scoring position, then a Fortes sac fly scored Palacios. The Rays were up 7-5. Taveras started the home half with a double to score their free runner Jackson. Blaze Alexander singled, then a Holliday sac fly scored Alexander to re-tie the game for the millionth time. Cowser then homered, scoring two and walking off the game with an Orioles win.
Final: Orioles 9, Rays 7 (F/13)
