ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ The Rays had gone more than three days, three time zones and the equivalent of more than three full games without a run.
So it was only right that they wildly celebrated the one they finally got Saturday night.
Even more so that it gave them a 1-0, 13-inning walk-off win, and thus avoiding a second straight loss to the majors-worst Tigers, as they continue their battle for their first playoff berth since 2013.
Mike Brosseau knocked in Eric Sogard with the winner, ending a 29-plus inning scoreless streak. Sogard started the rally with a two-out double off the right-field wall. After Tommy Pham was intentionally walked, Brosseau lofted a fly deep to right-center.
With the win, the Rays improved to 72-52, and hung on to the second AL wild card, as the A's had crept back to within a half-game. Also of note, the Rays moved to within 1 { games of the Indians, who hold the top spot.
While their hitters struggled, the Rays pitchers were dazzling, striking out a team record 24.
They were led by Ryan Yarbrough, who threw shutout ball for another 6 1/3 innings and struck out 10. By the end of the night, five others had joined in, Chaz Roe, Nick Anderson, Emilio Pagan, Diego Castillo and Colin Poche. That eclipsed the 22 on June 27 in an 18-inning game in Minnesota.
While their hitters struggled, the Rays pitchers were dazzling, striking out a team record tying 22. They were led by Ryan Yarbrough, who threw shutout ball for another 6 1/3 innings and struck out 10. By the end of the night, four others had joined in, Chaz Roe, Nick Anderson, Emilio Pagan and Diego Castillo. They also struck out 22 on June 27th in an 18-inning game in Minnesota.
The Rays came into play Saturday having been blanked for their previous 17-plus innings, having scored two at the start of Wednesday's game in San Diego and nothing since.
They were scheduled off Thursday and their hitters pretty much took Friday off, shut out by Detroit's trio of Daniel Norris, Drew VerHagen and Joe Jimenez.
The blanking continued Saturday, with Tigers veteran Jordan Zimmermann, in his first start since Aug. 4 following an injured list stint for a neck/back issue, posting the first five zeroes. From there, Jose Cisnero, Gregory Soto, Buck Farmer, Nick Ramirez and David McKay.
The Rays had a prime opportunity in the seventh when Jesus Aguilar led off with a walk and _ after Cash found a new toy in using Brendan McKay as a pinch-runner _ Ji-Man Choi singled.
But Matt Duffy swung away rather than bunt, and struck out. Kevin Kiermaier at least put the ball in play and bounced to first, which moved the runners. Then Willy Adames, the one-time Tigers prospect acquired in the 2014 David Price trade, had a chance to get everyone shaking their heads on his bobblehead night, but his drive to center was caught.
They had an even better one in the 11th, loading the bases with one out, but then getting nothing as Travis d'Arnaud grounded into a double play.
Mike Zunino started the inning with a walk, Eric Sogard singled and a Tommy Pham ground out and intentional walk to Austin Meadows loaded them. But that didn't work either, as they are now hitless in their last 17 at-bats with the bases loaded.
Yarbrough gave the Rays another dazzling scoreless start, though manager Kevin Cash didn't wait until two outs in the ninth this time, pulling him after 6 1/3 innings, and 83 pitches. Yarbrough had allowed three hits and struck out 10.
Over his last two starts, Yarbrough put up 15 zeroes, allowing six hits and striking out 18. Going back to mid-June, with a short stint in the minors in the middle, he is 6-0 with a 1.43 ERA over 11 appearances, allowing one or no earned runs in 10.
Adames was in the spotlight, as the Rays featured him in a bobblehead giveaway _ glow in the dark, at that _ on Saturday, not coincidentally against his former Tigers team.
"That's amazing," Adames said, "I'm excited. I think it's great to have your own bobblehead. I've been asked a lot; everybody wants one. I can only get a certain amount. I think I need a whole box. There's a lot of people asking for my bobblehead."
The Rays acquired him on July 31, 2014, as the key prospect in return for Cy Young Award winner David Price in a three-way deal that also got them Drew Smyly and Nick Franklin.
Adames was 18 at the time, playing at Class A in his first season in the States after signing with the Tigers in July 2012 as a free agent in the Dominican Republic.
The Rays talked about him having the potential to develop into a frontline player, and potentially a leading man.
It took a while, and a few twists along the way, but at the still young age of 23 he seems to have gotten there, going into play Saturday leading AL shortstops with 10 defensive runs saved per the fangraphs.com metric while hitting .248 with 15 homers, 37 RBIs and a .721 OPS.
"I feel better," Adames said. "I think I'm doing better this year on defense and I've been feeling better at the plate. That makes me feels good. The beginning of the year was tough. With the team winning that made it easier for me to keep at going ... that made it easier for me."
Adames, excited that his mom, dad and sister made the trip up for the weekend, had plenty of bobbleheads to go around. He wanted to make sure to save one for friend Jake Bauers, who came up with Adames through the Rays system and was projected for a while to part of a dynamic duo. Until being traded in December in the deal for Yandy Diaz.
"It was going to be me and Bauers, a bobblehead of us," Adames said. "He got traded, and I guess I got my own. I'll send him one."
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