The Rays didn’t waste time chasing down the chance in front of them.
With the Yankees off and the Red Sox dropping a one-run game to the Blue Jays at first pitch, Tampa Bay walked into West Sacramento with a clean opening to make up ground in the AL East. Yandy Diaz made sure the night started with a bang, jumping on Jacob Lopez’s second pitch and sending it over the visiting clubhouse at Sutter Health Park for his 16th homer of the season. The blast also moved Diaz into sole possession of sixth place on the Rays’ all-time home run list, and Tampa Bay had an early 1-0 lead.
That edge didn’t last long. Newly acquired right-hander Freddy Peralta got the start and worked through a first inning that stretched close to 30 pitches, with Tyler Soderstrom lining a double and then stealing home. The Athletics kept the pressure on in the early innings, while the Rays’ offense largely disappeared after Jonny DeLuca’s single in the second through the fifth.
Zack Gelof added more trouble in the bottom of the fifth with a homer that pushed Sacramento ahead 3-1. Tampa Bay managed to inch back in the seventh when DeLuca and Chandler Simpson reached on singles that barely got past the infield dirt. Nick Fortes brought DeLuca home with an RBI groundout, trimming the deficit to 3-2.
Peralta’s quality start ended there, and Chris Roycroft took over only to get hit for three more runs, stretching the Athletics’ lead to 6-2.
Then came the inning that flipped everything.
In the top of the eighth, Diaz and Jonathan Aranda singled in back-to-back fashion, and Diaz could be seen signaling for Junior Caminero to settle down from second base as the young slugger had been pressing with runners in scoring position. Caminero didn’t wait around for any more buildup. He attacked the first pitch he saw and blasted it into the West Sacramento sky, cutting the gap to one.
Tampa Bay wasn’t done. Ryan Vilade drew a walk, DeLuca singled, and Simpson tied the game with a base hit to right. DeLuca and Simpson both stole second and third, Fortes worked a walk, and Taylor Walls delivered the big swing with a two-run double that put the Rays ahead 8-6.
By the time the dust settled, Tampa Bay had sent 12 men to the plate and strung together eight straight runs, its biggest offensive inning of the season.
Tyler Wells and Kevin Kelly handled the final two innings. Wells gave up one hit and one walk in the eighth, and Kelly finished it off with a scoreless ninth. The Rays left West Sacramento with a 10-6 win.
In Other News...
Rays Add Infield Help As A Roster Squeeze Suddenly Hits
The Rays are adding some infield insurance in Jorge Mateo, agreeing to a major league contract with the utility man after his release from the Braves. Tampa Bay has valued players who can move around the diamond and help on the bases, and Mateo fits that mold as the club navigates another sudden roster shuffle. His arrival also means the Rays will need to clear a spot on the 40-man roster before the move can become official.
Ben Williamsons move to the injured list is part of what opened the door, and the timing adds to the sense that Tampa Bay is juggling more than one middle-infield issue at once. Carson Williams is also in line to be squeezed out of the current mix, leaving the Rays to sort through a fresh set of roster decisions as they try to keep the bench flexible and the defense covered. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Deadline Fix Has Already Become A Catcher Problem
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The Rays were looking for a postseason boost of their own when they brought in Freddy Peralta, a move designed to deepen the rotation and sharpen the margin for error. Instead, his early outings have not provided the steadying presence Tampa Bay was after, leaving the team with another deadline question to solve as the games start to carry more weight. [Read more 🡒]
Taylor Walls Gave The Rays A Lift They Desperately Needed
Taylor Walls gave Tampa Bay a much-needed jolt against the Athletics, and he did it in a way that stood out even for a player known more for his glove and legs than his power. In his 97th game of the season, the Rays shortstop went deep twice, once from each side of the plate, adding a rare burst of offense to a lineup that had been looking for any kind of lift.
For a player batting .217 this season, the outburst carried extra weight. Walls came into the night with modest power numbers and 18 stolen bases, but his swings helped push the Rays to a 9-2 lead entering the seventh inning, exactly the kind of cushion they have been needing as they try to steady the offense around him. [Read more 🡒]