It appeared to be just one of those games you chalk up as a tough loss. Solid pitching on both sides and one or two swings make all the difference. Then, in the bottom of the ninth everything changed and instead of the Rays getting stuck with a tough loss, the Rangers left Tampa with one of the more demoralizing losses anyone has suffered this season; a loss that completed a three game sweep by the Rays.
Ryan Pepiot was on the bump for the Rays opposite Rangers’ starter Jack Leiter. The Rays’ right-hander tossed six innings of two-run baseball allowing just three hits and two earned runs. He walked two and punched out eight. Two of the three hits left the yard as solo shots and accounted for all the damage he surrendered.
Leiter’s night looked similar. Over five innings, he surrendered just one run on a solo shot to Caminero. He allowed three hits, struck out six, and walked one.
It was a solo homerun battle early one as the teams traded blows. Caminero got the party started on his bobblehead night with a solo shot in the second inning to give the Rays an early 1-0 lead. Burger followed the next inning with a blast of his own to even the score. Then in the fifth inning Semien hit his first of two solo blasts. The second came in the seventh and the Rangers took a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning.
With a two-run lead Robert Garcia took the mound in search of fourth save of the season. He quickly retired Brandon Lowe to lead off the inning, but with one out surrendered a single to Yandy Diaz. Just like that the Rays had life and Garcia began to falter. He issued a four pitch walk to Aranda to bring Junior Caminero to the plate as the winning run. Caminero battled and lined a single up the middle scoring Caballero, who was pinch running for Diaz, from second.
With the Rays trailing by just a run Mangum popped up to right field and the Rays were quickly down to their last out. Down to his last strike, Morel hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Josh Jung who was unable to record an out after initially looking at second base only to find Caminero hustling to avoid the out. By the time he decided to throw to first, it was too late and the bases were loaded.
Walls stepped in and hit a groundball between first and second. Walls won the race to the bag allowing the tying run to score, but in the confusion of the play between Rangers infielders, Caminero never stopped running and scored from second base to win the game.
They walked off the Texas Rangers on a two-run walk off infield single. Yes, you read that correctly. And, with the win they move to a season-high four games over .500. They are now in possession of the third wild-card spot and trail the first-place Yankees by only 5.5 games.
Junior remained red-hot on his bobble-head night. He ended the night with a homer, his 15th of the year, two runs scored, two hits, and two RBIs. At 21 years of age, what he is doing on a nightly basis is special.
After a season and a quarter of mediocre baseball by the Rays, they appear to be fun again. Let’s enjoy it.
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