Field Level Media
Jul 22, 2021
Austin Meadows had an RBI single with one out in the 10th inning to lift the visiting Tampa Bay Rays to a 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday.
Bryan Shaw (3-4) induced Wander Franco to ground out to start the 10th inning before Meadows muscled a broken-bat single to left-center field to plate inherited runner Randy Arozarena from second base.
The Indians attempted to respond in the 10th inning as inherited runner Amed Rosario advanced to third base on Jose Ramirez's flyout to right field. Diego Castillo, however, struck out Franmil Reyes and Bobby Bradley to secure his 14th save of the season.
Pete Fairbanks (3-3) picked up the win after tossing one scoreless inning for the Rays, who overcame a three-run deficit to record their 11th win in the last 14 games.
Yandy Diaz highlighted his four-hit performance with a homer off James Karinchak to lead off the ninth inning and trim Cleveland's lead to 4-3. Ji-Man Choi worked a four-pitch walk with two outs before being replaced by pinch runner Brett Phillips, who scored on Brandon Lowe's RBI double to left-center field.
Prior to the game, Tampa Bay acquired seven-time All-Star Nelson Cruz from the Minnesota Twins in a four-player trade. Cruz, who has 19 homers and 50 RBIs this season, joined minor-league pitcher Calvin Faucher in joining the Rays in exchange for fellow minor-league right-handers Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman.
Reyes belted a three-run homer for Cleveland, which has lost all four games against Tampa Bay this season.
The setback kept Terry Francona tied with Mike Hargrove for sole possession of second place in franchise managerial victories. They each have 722, which are six shy of Lou Boudreau for the club record.
Oscar Mercado led off the third inning with a double and Ramirez was intentionally walked with two outs by Tampa Bay in order to pitch to Reyes. The powerhouse made the Rays pay for that decision by depositing a 1-2 slider from Patino into the bleachers in left-center field for his 17th homer of the season.
The teams each plated a run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning before Francisco Mejia tripled in the seventh and came around to score on a groundout to trim Cleveland's lead to 4-2.
--Field Level Media