ST. PETERSBURG — With Sunday’s game starting at an unusually early hour, the Rays’ offense appeared to be dormant through the first seven innings.
Fortunately, they got some help from the Reds in the eighth inning and rallied for a 2-1 series-clinching victory in front of an announced crowd of 19,873 at Tropicana Field.
After two walks and an infield single loaded the bases, the Rays tied the game when Fernando Cruz’s third strike to Amed Rosario bounced off catcher Austin Wynns, allowing pinch-runner Jose Caballero to score from third on a wild pitch. Lucas Sims then walked Richie Palacios to bring in Brandon Lowe with the go-ahead run.
“I don’t know if half of our locker room is up before 11:35,” Lowe said. “Those of us with kids get up, but there are a few who don’t have kids. One a.m. games are early and our clubhouse opens at 10 a.m. (those days). I left my house at 7:15 a.m. (on Sunday), which is not something I would see myself doing in the middle of summer.
“But, you know, it’s on the schedule, so you put in the work and, fortunately, a win makes the game that much better.”
The win clinched the Rays’ ninth series win in their last 11 series and moved them two games over .500 (54-52) for the first time since May 20. It was their 10th consecutive win in a tiebreaker game, extending a franchise record. According to Elias, it is the longest single-season streak in the majors since the 2019 Yankees won 10 straight from May 5 to Sept. 12, 2019.
The Reds (50-55) wasted a standout start by right-hander Hunter Greene, who limited the Rays to two hits in seven scoreless innings, and a four-steal game by shortstop Elly De La Cruz.
Included in the game were the Rays’ trades of high-profile reliever Jason Adam to the Padres beforehand and All-Star infielder Isaac Paredes to the Cubs afterward.
Shawn Armstrong worked the first two innings as the starter, while the Rays opted for a bullpen day in what would have been starter Zach Eflin’s turn in the rotation. Eflin was traded to the Orioles on Friday.
Edwin Uceta, Manuel Rodriguez, Tyler Zuber and Garrett Cleavinger held the Reds scoreless over the remaining innings until Pete Fairbanks finished to earn his 20th save on the day of the Turner Syndrome Foundation’s awareness and fundraising event honoring Ellis, the little girl he and his wife Lydia lost last offseason.
“I didn’t know it was a full bullpen day until I got to the dugout in the top of the fifth inning,” Fairbanks said, “so yeah, I think that made us feel bad. I think we performed admirably. Uceta was disgusting, Manny was disgusting, Zuber makes some huge pitches to get out of trouble. Cleav was Cleav.”
Rays relievers did not allow any extra-base hits, the second straight game in which Tampa Bay pitchers allowed only singles.
And they were keeping up with Greene, which was downright unpleasant.
Greene struck out five and allowed just two hits, two hit batters and one walk while throwing 100 pitches. It was the 22nd consecutive start with at least five strikeouts for the hard-throwing right-hander.
“It seems like he’s not trying at all,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “It’s like 92 to 99. And then the breaking ball, the split. It’s a lot.”
Greene kept the no-hitter going into the sixth inning. After De La Cruz made a terrific backhanded sliding catch between third baseman Santiago Espinal and left fielder Spencer Steer on Taylor Walls’ fly ball to left field, Lowe broke it up with a sharp single to right field.
Greene then hit Isaac Paredes with a pitch, putting the Rays in scoring position for the second time in the game. But Josh Lowe struck out to end the inning. In the fifth, Greene walked Palacios and hit Jonny DeLuca to put Tampa Bay in scoring position, but Ben Rortvedt popped out to end the inning.
The Reds scored an unearned run in the second inning on Wynns’ RBI single after Paredes’ throwing error allowed Stuart Fairchild to reach base. Espinal attempted to score on the play after Wynns was caught on a rundown but was thrown out at the plate by shortstop Taylor Walls.
Paredes’ second error allowed De La Cruz to reach base in the eighth inning. The dynamic shortstop then stole his fourth base of the game, forcing a throwing error by Rortvedt that allowed De La Cruz to reach third. But Cleavinger coaxed Steer to fly out to center field to end the threat.
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