ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After Rich Hill zipped through the first two innings with ease and Brandon Lowe blasted a grand slam in the bottom of the second, Monday’s game sure seemed to headed the Rays’ way.
Then for most of the rest of the night, it wasn’t, as the Indians took charge.
And then at the end, it was.
The Rays rallied for two in the ninth to score a 9-8 walkoff win, with Yandy Diaz delivering the winner on a fielder’s choice. With the bases loaded, Diaz grounded to second, but the throw home was too late to get Randy Arozarena.
Manuel Margot started the rally off Emmanuel Clase with an infield single, though Margot had to leave the game with what seemed to be a left-hamstring issue. Arozarena followed with a single to center. Rookie Wander Franco, who earlier committed a costly error, singled in the tying run, and took second on the throw to third. The Indians walked Austin Meadows, which brought up Diaz.
The win was the second straight for the Rays, who improved to 49-36.
Tuesday’s game has been postponed due to the potential impact of Tropical Storm Elsa, with the teams slated to play a doubleheader on Wednesday starting at 12:10 p.m.
After snapping a five-game losing streak Sunday against the Blue Jays to put a good finish on a bad road trip, the Rays got off to a promising start Monday.
Hill retired the first seven batters on the way to posting three zeroes, while his mates delivered a 4-0 lead. A single by Diaz, a Ji-Man Choi double and a walk by All-Star Mike Zunino loaded the bases, and Lowe delivered his first career grand slam. It was his 17th homer of the season and fifth off a lefty.
The Indians got a run in a messy fourth in which manager Kevin Cash decided Hill, though with only 57 pitches, couldn’t finish, starting a parade of relievers that wasn’t much fun to watch.
The fifth inning was especially painful for the Rays, who went in with a 5-1 lead and left tied. Singles by No. 9 hitter Oscar Mercado, the Gaither High product, and Cesar Hernandez started the Indians’ rally off reliever Drew Rasmussen. A groundout and a Jose Ramirez single each scored one run, and a Franmil Reyes homer two to make it 5-5.
The Indians went ahead in the sixth. A Mercado walk by Jeffrey Springs got them started, and a throwing error by Franco at short, after Mercado stopped on an attempted steal, hurt. That’s because Mercado ended up on third as Franco’s throw sailed into the dugout. Mercado scored on Hernandez’s bloop single over the drawn-in infield. They got two more on a single by Jose Ramirez and a double by Reyes.
The Rays got one back in the bottom of the sixth on singles by Choi and then with two outs by Kevin Kiermaier and Margot. They scored another in the seventh when Diaz homered to right with two outs.
