The Tampa Bay Rays could not lose Wednesday night against the Oakland Athletics even if they tried. At times, it felt like they tried en route to edge out the A’s 4-3.
The A’s scored first in the top of the fourth inning. JJ Bleday led off with a triple to left field, setting the stage for Miguel Andujar’s sacrifice fly. Andujar’s deep fly ball to left field allowed Bleday to score, giving the A’s an early 1-0 lead. Ryan Pepiot then struck out Shea Langeliers to end the inning, minimizing further damage.
The Rays responded promptly in the bottom half of the inning. Isaac Paredes was hit by a pitch to start the rally attempt. Brandon Lowe then roped a triple to right field, bringing home Paredes and tying the game at 1-1 with a runner at third and no outs. However, the Rays couldn’t capitalize further, leaving Lowe stranded and the score knotted.
The A’s regained the lead in the sixth. Abraham Toro doubled, and after Bleday grounded out, Brent Rooker drew a walk. Andujar then came through with a clutch RBI single with a soft dribbler down the third base line, scoring Toro and making it 2-1 in favor of Oakland. Kevin Kelly replaced Pepiot on the mound and got Langeliers to fly out, ending the threat.
Once again, the Rays answered back in their half of the sixth. Lowe doubled and was driven home by a sharp single from pinch-hitter Jonathan Aranda, tying the game at 2-2. Amed Rosario hit into a fielder’s choice, cutting down Aranda at home. The inning ended with Arozarena being caught stealing home in a bold but unsuccessful attempt, keeping the score even. Getting the third out of an inning on an attempted steal of home is a questionable move.
The Rays took the lead in the bottom of the seventh. After Jose Siri grounded out and Richie Palacios singled and stole second, Yandy Diaz walked. Paredes hit a crucial double, scoring Palacios to put the Rays ahead 3-2. Diaz was thrown out at home on a solid relay from left field, keeping the score close.
The A’s tied the game once more in the eighth as things started to get exciting. Max Schuemann reached on an error by Paredes and advanced on a groundout. Two batters later, Bleday singles and was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a double, but Lowe’s throw home was off, allowing Schuemann to score, tying the score at 3-3.
The ninth inning was one Jose Siri will remember for a long time. With Andujar on second after a leadoff double, Shea Langeliers grounded out, and Daz Cameron lined out. Then came the moment Jose Siri made a spectacular catch, robbing Zack Gelof of a potential two-run homer to save the game. Not only did Siri have a perfect read of the ball, but he also managed to make the catch and avoid what seemed like an inevitable collision with Arozarena, who was in his way like a toddler when a parent needs to use the bathroom (IYKYK).
Siri’s heroics continued in the bottom half of the ninth inning. First, Amed Rosario led off with a double and advanced to third on Alex Jackson’s sacrifice bunt. Jackson’s bunt was a thing of beauty as the A’s were perfectly aligned defensively for it, but he deadened the ball to prevent them from making a play on Rosario. With one out and the infield crowded, Siri stepped to the plate and delivered a line drive single to left, scoring Rosario and giving the Rays a dramatic 4-3 walk-off victory. This hit marked Siri’s first career walk-off and capped off a remarkable ninth inning for the center fielder.
Amed Rosario was a key contributor for the Rays, going 2-for-4 with a double and scoring the winning run. Miguel Andujar had a standout game for the Athletics, with a key RBI single in the sixth and a double in the ninth. However, Jose Siri’s all-around performance, highlighted by his game-saving catch and walk-off hit, ultimately sealed the win for Tampa Bay.
With the win, the Rays have a chance to win the series tomorrow when the two teams face off at 1:10 p.m. ET.
