ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Rays found another way to win Saturday, beating an old friend in the process.
A slow bouncer by Austin Meadows that former Rays reliever Jose Alvarado couldn’t handle scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as the Rays beat the Phillies, 5-3, Saturday afternoon at Tropicana Field.
The win was the Rays’ 14th in their past 15 games and improved their American League-best record to 33-20.
The Rays were in position to take the lead due to some aggressive baserunning by Randy Arozarena, first to beat out an infield single to lead off the eighth, then to go from first to third when a pitch bounced past catcher J.T. Realmuto.
Brandon Lowe struck out, the Phillies intentionally walked Yandy Diaz and brought in Alvarado — who was traded to the Phillies this offseason. Manager Kevin Cash had several right-handed options, but stuck with the lefty-swinging Meadows, who has been swinging a hot bat, including a two-run homer in the first.
Meadows didn’t do much — the exit velocity of the bouncer he hit between the mound and first was measured at 59 mph — but it got the run in. Alvarado then hit Ji-Man Choi, struck out Manuel Margot and walked Mike Brosseau to force in another run.
“The key was getting Randy on base right there, allowing some things to go our way,” Cash said. “Meadows hung in there, just put it in play. When you chop it, you’ve got a chance with a guy at third.”
The Rays and Phillies came into game as top teams in their leagues for hitter strikeouts, so it was no surprise Saturday was a swing festival. They combined for 31 on the afternoon, just short of the major league nine-inning game record of 35.
The Rays, wearing throwback Devil Rays jerseys, took a 2-0 lead in the first, and the unusual Friday off-day didn’t cool off Meadows, had a two-run homer and a two-run triple Thursday.
Saturday, Diaz singled with out one off Zack Wheeler, then Meadows delivered a two-run home run.
That was Meadows’ 11th homer of the season, matching Mike Zunino for the team high, and gave him 18 RBIs in his last 13 games and 26 in his last 23.
“They’re playing good, they’ve got a tremendous mindset going right now,” Cash said. “The amount of wins we’ve racked up here of late certainly helps that. They are feeding off each other, and in the big moments the dugout really erupts.”
The Phillies tied it in the fifth, as Ryan Yarbrough again gave the Rays a good outing that was not quite good enough, extending his winless streak as a starter to 24 games, dating to August 2019.
Yarbrough worked effectively through the first four innings, then found himself in trouble and out of the game in the fifth.
He allowed a one-out walk to Odubel Herrera, then Roman Quinn bunted toward third for a hit. Pitching coach Kyle Snyder went to the mound and Ryan Thompson started getting ready in the bullpen, but Yarbrough gave up the lead when No. 9 hitter Ronald Torreyes lined a ball into the right-field corner.
Both runners scored, though Quinn went down rounding third, got up and basically hopped home on his right leg, the Phillies saying later he injured his left Achilles.
Torreyes moved to third as right fielder Manuel Margot misplayed the ball, but Thompson kept the Phillies from adding on.
The Rays took the lead back in the bottom of the sixth when Diaz and Meadows drew back to back walks off Wheeler, and Ji-Man Choi lined a first-pitch single to center.
Then the Phillies came right back and tied it again with one out in the seventh when ex-Ray and Tampa native Matt Joyce, who replaced Quinn, snapped an 0-for-28 skid with a homer to left off Rays lefty Jeffrey Springs.
