Rays: 6, Orioles: 8 - Streak Snaps on Odor Walk Off

This Rays game had everything: Not a lot of hits, flashy defense, wild pitches, baserunning AND fielding errors, extra innings, Brett Phillips.

Wander Franco helped opener Jalen Beeks in the 2nd inning:

Rays didn’t get their first hit until the 5th inning, when Randy Arozarena singled. Issac Peredas walked to put two men on with 1 out and Mike Zunino up to the plate, who hit a three run HR to left field.

Rays lead 3-0.

In the bottom of that same inning, the Orioles threatened off a Chris Ownings double, with Cedric Mullins up. Mullins hit a line drive single to Brett Phillips who threw a 99 MPH laser to Mike Zunino at home plate, who tagged Ownings out.

The 7th inning is where things got...bizzare.

Randy opened the inning with a bloop single into shallow left, buuuut Randy ran into an out trying to stretch that single into a double.

Credit to Baltimore’s Mateo for throwing an absolute bullet and nabbing Randy, although I’m not sure if Randy helped himself with that slide.

Kiermaier was the next batter and doubled, which makes you think: “what if?”. Didn’t matter as Issac Parades flied out and Mike Zunino struck out looking to end the inning and the threat.

If you thought the weirdness was over, buckle in. Ryan Yarborough opened the inning with back to back hits to put runners on 1st and 3rd with nobody out. No worries right? Lets go to the bullpen, specifically Brooks Raley. Wild pitch scores the runner from 3rd to make it 3-1.

Raley gets Robinson Chirinos to hit a fly ball to Randy Arozarena, who was tracking it and... the ball bounces in and out of his glove.

3-2 Orioles. J.P. Feyereisen comes in for Brooks Raley, and gives up a line drive single by Trey Mancini to tie the game at 3.

That would be the end of the weirdness. For now.

Rays had a couple of baserunners in the 8th and 9th inning, but couldn’t make anything of it. Rays pitching was able to keep the Rays in it with a combination of Colin Poche and Jason Adam to send it into extras.

Rays would start with Taylor Walls at 2nd base. After pinch hitter Francisco Mejia lined out, Brett Phillips laced a double down the right field side to score Walls and give the Rays a 4-3 lead.

Brian Anderson on the Bally’s broadcast brought up a great point and said that although the 1 run is good, in extras the 2nd run is more important. Always nice to have a bit of insurance, right? Thats exactly what Yandy did, looping a single to score Brett Phillips from 2nd base and giving the Rays a 5-3 lead going into the bottom of the 10th.

Matt Wisler would have to preserve this Rays lead. To make it more stressful, he walked the first two batters of the inning to load the bases with nobody out, and Anthony Santander up. If you don’t remember, Santander hit a 3 run walk off home run last night against the Yankees.

That didn’t happen, but he did tie the game on a single on a slider that did not slide.

Shockingly Kevin Cash left Wisler in after that, although Ryan Thompson was up in the bullpen in a hurry.

With the infield in, Taylor Walls was able to field a quick grounder to 1B for the 1st out. Wander Franco gunned down a runner at the plate for the 2nd out.

And Wisler got a flyout to end the threat and send this game into the 11th.

I don’t know how we escaped that either.

Let’s DO IT AGAIN!

After one out, Vidal Brujan pinch ran for Harold Ramirez at 2nd base, and Kevin Kiermaier singled him home to give the Rays a slim 6-5 lead.

That would be the lead that Ryan Thompson would have to work with as the Rays go to the bottom of the 10th.

Ryan Thompson was able to get two outs, including a strikeout of Rougned Odor. BUT after getting ahead of Austin Hayes 0-2, got the count up to 3-2, then gave up a single. To tie the game. Again.

Game tied at 6? I think? Checks notes. Yup, 6-6 tie game.

Going into the top of the 12th, the Rays couldn’t score and went down 1-2-3 against Baltimore Oriole Nick Vespi, who was making his major league debut. Ryan Thompson was out for a second inning, and also got the Orioles to go down 1-2-3.

Lucky number 13th inning! I’m sure this is what Rob Manfred wanted when he introduced the extra innings runner.

Nick Vespi comes out again to face the Rays and got Vidal Brujan and Ji-Man Choi to strikeout. The LHP intentionally walks Arozarena to face Kevin Kiermaier, and with KK down 0-2, KK hits a looper into left field. Wander, running on contact went to home, and although originally was called safe... the Orioles challenged the play and it was overturned for the third out.

I’ll skip to the end because this game has been brutal. Ralph Garza Jr. gives up a 2-run walk off homer to Rougned Odor to end the Rays’ winning streak over the Orioles at 15 games.

Rays blow 3 leads late in the game, and lose 8-6. To be honest, this was one of the more frustrating losses and games this season for the Rays. They will look to bounce back tomorrow and start another winning streak.

Starterish Jeffery Springs takes the mound vs Kyle Brandish for the Orioles. Gametime is 7:05 PM