The Rays made the Red Sox wait a little longer, and they did it in walk-off fashion.
After a night that kept slipping back into a 1-1 knot, Richie Palacios delivered the final blow in the bottom of the ninth, dropping a flare into right field to send the Rays home with a 2-1 win. Before that, Tampa Bay had wasted chances, Boston had wasted chances, and the whole thing had the feel of a game that kept daring somebody to finish it off.
Boston grabbed the first lead in the third inning when Freddie Peralta ran into trouble after a strong start. He gave up two doubles that put the Red Sox ahead 1-0.
The Rays had a chance to answer immediately in the bottom half, when Cedric Mullins bunted for a hit and then advanced to second on an error by the Boston third baseman. But Mullins was picked off trying to steal third, and Jorge “why are you still on this team?”
Mateo and Jake “missed half the season and very rusty” Fraley both struck out to leave the inning empty. Mateo also burned a challenge on a clear strike.
Peralta had to work again in the fourth. After getting to 1-2, he walked Wilyer Abreu, which used up the Rays’ second challenge, and then allowed a single to Nick Sogard. The Red Sox had two on, but the inning ended with a strikeout and a pop-up.
Then Jonathan Aranda stepped in and changed the tone. He jumped on a fastball and sent it out to the opposite field, tying the game 1-1.
From there, both teams kept finding ways not to score. There were baserunners, but no payoff.
Two different players, one on each side, were caught stealing third. Johnny DeLuca was thrown out at home.
The Rays never solved Brayan Bello, and Boston had a little more comfort against Peralta, whose command was described as meh, but still only managed the one run.
Even the ninth inning had a strange twist. The Red Sox got a double and a triple off Bryan Baker, which looked like it should lead to a run. But Caleb Durbin, who had hit the double, had already been caught stealing third, so the triple came with the bases empty.
The whole night had a grinding, Sisyphean feel to it: get men on, lose the momentum, start over. The Red Sox struck out nine times. The Rays struck out 12.
In the end, Tampa Bay finally got the last word against Garrett Whitlock. Caminero and Simpson singled, then moved to second and third on a passed ball with one out.
Victor Mesa Jr. struck out trying to bring home the winning run. Palacios got down 1-2, then slapped that flare to right and ended it.
That also kept the Red Sox from clinching a postseason spot for at least one more day.
Back at it tomorrow, with Griffin Jax trying to build on his recent strong starts and the Rays set to face Patrick Sandoval.
In Other News...
Rays Finally Delivered In A Spot That Could Define The AL East
Richie Palacios gave the Rays exactly the kind of late push contenders need, lining a walk-off single to beat the Red Sox 2-1 and keep Tampa Bays momentum rolling in a tense September race. The game stayed tight throughout, with Freddy Peralta working 5 2/3 innings and limiting Boston to one run while striking out six, enough to keep the Rays in position for a result they badly needed.
The victory moved Tampa Bay a step closer to clinching the American League East and stretched its division lead to 4 1/2 games, a cushion that suddenly makes every late-inning win feel bigger. For a club trying to finish the job, the manner of this one mattered too: a close game, a steady start, and a timely hit when the margin for error was almost gone. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Bullpen Picture Just Got More Complicated Before October
Casey Legumina gave the Rays another reminder that bullpen help can come from anywhere when he worked two scoreless innings with four strikeouts against the Red Sox. In a stretch where Tampa Bay has been sorting through injuries and shifting roles, outings like that matter because the club is trying to map out a relief mix it can trust once the games tighten up in October.
Ian Seymour is part of that same evaluation, with the Rays still weighing how best to use him as the regular season winds down. The late-inning picture has become more fluid by the day, and performances like Leguminas are pushing their way into the conversation at exactly the moment Tampa Bay needs clarity most. [Read more 🡒]
Rays May Be Walking Into The Yankees' Biggest Late-Season Threat
With nine games left in the regular season, the race above Tampa Bay still has a little room for movement, and the Yankees have at least one pitcher capable of making it interesting. Cam Schlittler has become New Yorks ace and a real AL Cy Young contender, piling up a 14-6 record, a 1.95 ERA and 228 strikeouts in 31 starts. He is slated to take the ball against the Rays in the upcoming series, with another start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.
For Tampa Bay, that makes this next stretch feel a little less routine than the standings might suggest. New York is four games back, but a frontline starter in form can change the mood of a late-season series quickly, especially when the calendar is this short and every game still carries some weight. The Rays do not need to be caught off guard by the matchup, though they may already be walking into the one weapon the Yankees can lean on to make the final week uncomfortable. [Read more 🡒]