Sportsnaut
Randy Arozarena capped a three-run ninth inning with a walk-off RBI single to give the Tampa Bay Rays a 6-5 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Josh Lowe started off the ninth with a single off closer Emmanuel Clase. Yandy Diaz, who had three hits, collected a one-out RBI double, and Brandon Lowe tied it on a two-out infield single.
Lowe stole second before Arozarena lined the decisive hit off Clase (1-7), giving the Rays their second straight walk-off hit in the series. Tampa Bay goes for the sweep on Sunday.
Cleveland held a 5-2 lead in the eighth inning after Kole Calhoun and Cam Gallagher each had RBI hits in the inning.
But Luke Raley, who had a home run in the fourth inning, picked up an RBI double in the eighth inning.
Calhoun, Gallagher, Andres Gimenez, Ramon Laureano, Oscar Gonzalez and Gabriel Arias each had two hits for Cleveland.
Josh Fleming (2-0) was credited with the win, giving up two runs in three innings.
Guardians starter Gavin Williams struck out 10 and allowed one run in five innings. For the second straight start, the right-hander reached double-digits in strikeouts. On Aug. 7 in a no-decision against the Toronto Blue Jays, he fanned 12 while giving up just one hit in seven shutout innings.
With Tyler Glasnow (back spasms) needing a couple of more days to recover, the Rays treated Saturday as a bullpen game. Shawn Armstrong made the start, and tossed two shutout innings, striking out three.
At 43 pitches through two innings, Armstrong was replaced by Erasmo Ramirez in the third inning.
The Guardians struck quickly off Ramirez for a run. Steven Kwan tripled, and scored on Brayan Rocchio’s sacrifice fly.
In the fourth inning, Raley pulled Tampa Bay even at 1 on a two-out, home run to center field, No. 16 on the season. Raley added a run-scoring double in the eighth inning.
Cleveland reclaimed the lead with two runs in the sixth inning on Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly and Myles Straw’s fielder’s choice.
–Field Level Media
