ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Through most of Friday night’s game, the Rays barely had a pulse. But they found late life and rallied for a dramatic 3-2 walk-off victory over the New York Mets at Tropicana Field.
Brett Phillips, who had struck out in each of his first three at-bats, drove home the winning run with a first-pitch, two-out, bases-loaded single off left-handed reliever Aaron Loup in the ninth inning.
With one out in the ninth, pinch-hitter Brandon Lowe walked, then Willy Adames singled him to third. Mike Zunino walked on a 3-1 count, filling the bases and bringing up pinch-hitter Joey Wendle, who took a called third strike on a 2-2 pitch from Loup.
That brought up Phillips, and the Seminole native delivered.
The Rays’ celebration was in stark contrast to most of the game, when the bats barely made a peep.
Mets left-hander David Peterson made it look ridiculously easy by retiring 17 consecutive Rays (only one ball was hit out of the infield during that span).
But the Rays, trailing 2-0, finally came to life in the eighth inning.
Zunino led off with a monstrous 450-foot home run into the Trop’s leftfield party deck, cutting the lead in half. Third baseman Kevin Padlo followed with a double — his first major league hit — that sailed over the head of center fielder Kevin Pillar.
The tying run was on second, but Peterson struck out Phillips (who unsuccessfully tried to bunt earlier in the count), then reliever Trevor Ray retired Randy Arozarena on a rocket line drive that was speared by third baseman Jonathan Villar.
With two outs and a 2-2 count, Manuel Margot delivered an RBI double down the left-field line and Padlo raced in with the tying run, greeted by several Rays who left the dugout in celebration. Austin Meadows had a chance to drive in the lead run, but he struck out on a full count.
Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow (10 strikeouts, one walk, four hits allowed in eight innings) had a perfect game through 4 2/3 innings — 14 Mets up, 14 Mets down — but that ended quickly in the fifth inning.
And so did the scoreless game.
With two outs, Pillar collected an infield hit, sending shortstop Willy Adames deep into the hole, then beating his throw by a couple of steps. Villar followed with a two-run homer to right field, making it 2-0.
The Mets got singles from James McCann and Jose Peraza — four straight hits in all against Glasnow — and the wheels nearly came off. But Glasnow settled down to escape the inning on Jeff McNeil’s flyout to center.
The damage had been done, though, and Peterson was cruising.
The Rays had a huge opportunity in the second inning when Yandy Diaz doubled and Peterson walked two batters, loading the bases with one out. But Padlo and Phillips struck out.
That began a string of 17 consecutive Rays retired. Outside of the second inning, Peterson’s inning pitch counts went 9-5-9-11-9-10 until the eighth.
That’s when the Rays came to life and the game’s momentum shifted.
For Glasnow it was another quality start. After giving up the two fifth-inning runs, Glasnow allowed only one runner into scoring position when McNeil smacked a one-out double in the eighth. But with Glasnow’s pitch count nearing the century mark, he struck out Francisco Lindor, then got Michael Conforto on a harmless grounder to first.
Peterson gave up four hits in 7 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out nine. He left after pitching a gem. But there were more twists and turns ahead.
