This game had everything:
- Multiple lead changes
- Three hits from Yandy Diaz
- Dingers
- Kameron Misner getting tagged out after popping up from a slide
- MTV’s Dan Cortez
Jokes aside, this win did not come easy. A dramatic double play with the bases loaded in the top of the 11th inning is what it took to cap this thrilling victory for the Rays. Both reams traded blows in what seemed like every inning, and although it was frustrating to watch at times, the Rays did not quit.
Things got started in the bottom of the first when Corbin Carroll took Rays starter Taj Bradley deep to open the scoring. It was a rough first inning for Bradley, as it took him north of 25 pitches to get the first three outs. To start, it did look as if it was going to be a short outing for the right hander.
But the early lead wouldn’t last long, as Christopher Morel matched Carroll’s solo homer in the next half inning. The Rays added another on a Jose Caballero single to take a lead of their own.
Both starters settled in nicely after early struggles, with Bradley turning in a quality start with a season high 103 pitches. His counterpart Eduardo Rodriguez pitched into the 7th, only allowing two runs.
It was a superstar performance for Carroll. Off to as hot a start as anyone in baseball, he hit another homer in the 7th off of Rays lefty Mason Montgomery — a majestic 430 foot shot to dead center field.
But the Rays wouldn’t take it lying down, tying the game at five in the top of the 8th. The bullpen held things down after that as the game went into extras, and the Rays tacked on two in the top of the 11th — the difference in the game.
Multi-hit Performances
The Rays offense, while leaving multiple runners on base throughout the game, came through enough times to plate seven runs. As many say, as Yandy goes, the offense goes, and his three hits and three RBIs were paramount to this win. His double in the 11th provided the insurance the Rays needed.
Morel added a double later on in the game, and ended up scoring a second time, batting in the cleanup spot. Misner, like Diaz, also had three hits of his own, two of which went for extra bases. Misner drove in Chandler Simpson to take the lead in the 11th.
Montgomery’s Struggles Continue
Rays flamethrowing lefty Montgomery surrendered his third homer of the season when Carroll took him deep in the 7th inning. While Montgomery has shown elite stuff as well as the ability to miss bats, at times he has been vulnerable to the long ball.
It seems like this has been the story for the Rays bullpen in general so far. Coming into tonight’s game, the unit led baseball with 14 home runs allowed, and has the sixth worse fWAR (-0.3).
Mangum’s Exit
After running out a ground ball, outfielder Jake Mangum came up limping and exited the game with groin tightness. He will undergo testing, however there is no news yet on his timetable to return to action.
All in all, it was a fun game to watch as a neutral fan. As a Rays fan, however, there were several frustrating moments that clouded what should have felt like a great team victory.
Credit where credit is due, though, these guys grinded this one out.
