The Rays didn't get the big hit they needed on Thursday.
But two productive outs worked just fine.
After losing a one-run lead in the sixth inning, the Rays came back to rally in the seventh and final inning to beat the Orioles 3-1 in the opening game of a doubleheader in Baltimore.
The winning rally was a team effort.
Pinch-hitter Randy Arozarena drew a leadoff walk against Cesar Valdez. Michael Perez followed with a double to right to put two in scoring position. Yoshi Tsutsugo, moved to the leadoff spot in a reconfigured lineup that had been struggling with runners in scoring position, followed with a right-side grounder that scored the speedy Arozarena. Brandon Lowe, whose seven-game hitting streak ended, followed with a sac fly to left to make it 3-1.
And then they had to navigate the seventh, with Diego Castillo walking two but Joey Wendle making a great grab and throw to Willy Adames for the final out on a force at second.
The Rays (32-18) went into play with a chance to clinch a spot in the eight-team American League playoffs with a sweep of the doubleheader.
The afternoon wasn't all good, as the Rays lost outfielder Austin Meadows, who left in the third inning with what was said to be left oblique soreness.
The Rays took the lead in the second when Seminole High product Brett Phillips, making his second start since being acquired from Kansas City, tripled in Joey Wendle.
But the Orioles tied it in the sixth, after manager Kevin Cash pulled Blake Snell, who dazzled through the first five innings, following a leadoff walk and a bunt. Cash went with Castillo, figuring he was a better matchup against the right-handers at the top of the Baltimore lineup.
Castillo got a ground out, with Pat Valaika moving to third. But then he walked Jose Iglesias on five pitches, and it got worse when he allowed a first-pitch single to rookie Ryan Mountcastle.
Meadows started the Rays' second-inning rally by working a nine-pitch leadoff walk off Orioles rookie starter Dean Kremer. Wendle's grounder to second forced Meadows at second. A Kevin Kiermaier flyout later, Phillips laced a 1-1 pitch into the rightfield corner. Wendle raced home from first, and Phillips made it to third.
Though Meadows is hitting .205 with four homers, 13 RBIs and a .663 OPS, he is considered a key part of the Rays lineup, and both he and Cash have expressed optimism, as recently as in interviews before Thursday's game, that he was headed the right way.
Snell delivered a strong start, cruising through the first five innings so impressively that it looked like he might have a real shot at posting the Rays' first complete game in more than four years, since Matt Andriese on May 14, 2016.
Actually, Snell, who had not done well at Camden Yards previously and was open about not liking to pitch there, was talking about throwing a complete game in a Wednesday interview.
"Hopefully, I can get some quick innings," he said. "It's going to be a seven-inning game. Which if I get though seven, that's considered, if we can get the win, that would be a CG. Just saying, it's pretty obvious what it is. But with how I've been pitching and how I like to go 3-2 on everybody lately, it would be tough to go seven.
"Hopefully we learned, we got better and we start throwing strikes, making them swing and get them out in four pitches or less. And then you have an opportunity to do something cool like go seven innings. That would be really sexy on the resume. So that is there. I see it. Got to be able to do it now."
The teams were playing a doubleheader on Thursday to make up for the Aug. 27 game at Tropicana Field that was postponed as part of the sports-wide effort to draw attention to systemic racism and social justice issues.
