New-look Rays fall to Reds in extra innings, 3-2
Published in Baseball
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Stuart Fairchild delivered Cincinnati’s first hit in six innings Friday night, and it was a big one.
Fairchild’s double to left off reliever Manuel Rodriguez in the top of the 10th inning scored Austin Slater with the winning run in the Reds’ 3-2 victory over the Rays in front of an announced 20,441 at Tropicana Field.
Tampa Bay had runners at first and third with two outs in the bottom of the 10th but couldn’t get either home.
After Josh Lowe struck out to open the inning, Richie Palacios moved placed runner Yandy Diaz from second to third with a flyout. Alexis Diaz then hit Isaac Paredes to put runners at the corners with two outs, but Jonny DeLuca flew out to left to end the game.
It was just the second extra-inning win of the year for the Reds (50-53). The Rays (52-52) dropped back to .500 for the season and to 6-3 in extra-inning games.
The Reds got a runner on base in the ninth when first baseman Yandy Diaz dropped a throw from third baseman Jose Caballero, allowing Spencer Steer to reach. Pete Fairbanks erased the mistake by picking off Steer and got the Rays out of the inning unscathed.
The Rays were still processing the loss of two of their most prominent players earlier in the day. Left fielder Randy Arozarena was traded to the Mariners in the early morning hours as the team flew back from Toronto. Pitcher Zach Eflin was in the clubhouse before the game when he learned he had been dealt to the Orioles
With the MLB trade deadline coming up on Tuesday and the Rays still on the outside looking in at the wild-card race, players know more moves could be on the way.
“I think everybody was kind of shocked,” Rays infielder Brandon Lowe said. “It was kind of a crappy night (Thursday), honestly. A late night to get through customs and all that kind of stuff. You just kind of want to get home and go to bed, and we all kind of found out the same time at 1 in in the morning or whatever, and then it actually dropped. It shocked everybody a little bit back.”
Rays starter Shane Baz allowed two runs, both in the first inning, on two hits. He walked two and struck out seven. The right-hander generated 13 swings-and-misses, five each on his four-seam fastball and curveball.
Baz retired 15 of the last 17 batters he faced, with one reaching on an error.
The Rays answered with two runs in the second inning. Paredes was hit by a pitch to start the inning and scored on Jose Siri’s groundout. DeLuca doubled and scored on a Caballero single.
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