Field Level Media
May 29, 2021
Austin Meadows homered, singled and drove in three runs to lift the host Tampa Bay Rays past the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 on Saturday.
The Rays have won 14 of their past 15 games.
Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough lasted 4 1/3 innings and allowed two runs and three hits while striking out eight and walking two.
Diego Castillo (2-2) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief and J.P. Feyereisen picked up his second save.
Matt Joyce homered and Ronald Torreyes doubled and knocked in two runs for the Phillies.
The short-handed Phillies played without Bryce Harper (wrist) and Didi Gregorius (elbow), who both remain on the injured list.
Phillies starter Zack Wheeler was stellar in seven innings as he gave up three runs and four hits to go along with a career-high 14 strikeouts against two walks. Wheeler's 14 strikeouts were the most by a Phillies starter since Vince Velasquez recorded 16 on April 4, 2016.
Sam Coonrod (0-2) took the loss.
Meadows' RBI infield single in the eighth and Mike Brosseau's bases loaded walk off Jose Alvarado gave the Rays a 5-3 lead.
Tampa Bay jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Meadows ripped a two-run home run to right field.
The Phillies managed only one hit through the first four, a single by Rhys Hoskins. J.T. Realmuto walked with two outs in the fourth, stole second and moved to third on an error. Brad Miller then struck out swinging to end the threat.
In the fifth, the Phillies rallied to tie the game when Torreyes hit a two-run double to right. Roman Quinn, who scored the second run, was helped off the field after injuring his left Achilles.
Joey Wendle singled with one out in the fifth for the Rays, ending a stretch of 11 straight batters being retired. But Francisco Mejia and Kevin Kiermaier both struck out to end the inning.
Wheeler walked consecutive batters with two outs in the sixth and the Rays went ahead 3-2 when Ji-Man Choi hit an RBI single to center.
The Phillies tied the game in the seventh when Joyce snapped an 0-for-28 skid with a towering solo homer to right off Jeffrey Springs.
--Field Level Media