DENVER — For six innings, it was shaping as much as be an all-around depressing Saturday evening for the Rays.
Contemporary off shedding on a walk-off grand slam that erased their ninth-inning comeback bid on Friday afternoon, the Rays had been shut down by Rockies starter Ryan Feltner and entered the seventh trailing by 5 runs. And it was a bitterly chilly and windy evening at Coors Subject, with the wind chill dipping into the low 30s and powerful gusts turning each fly ball and popup right into a guessing sport.
Then the Rays got here again once more. This time, they completed the job.
Tampa Bay chipped away at Colorado’s lead within the seventh and rallied for 5 runs with two outs within the eighth to drag forward. After giving up huge dwelling runs on Friday, setup males Jason Adam and Colin Poche shut the door to seal the Rays’ 8-6 win.
“Spectacular,” supervisor Kevin Money mentioned. “We’ve acquired a formidable group in there, for certain.”
Early on, the Rays struggled simply as a lot with Feltner as they did with the weather. The correct-hander struck out a career-high 10 batters, the Rockies’ first double-digit strikeout efficiency since Aug. 21, 2021, and permitted only one run on two hits over six innings. In the meantime, Rays starter Tyler Alexander gave up 4 runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings and reliever Chris Devenski surrendered a two-run homer to Brenton Doyle within the sixth.
At that time, the Rays had been simply making an attempt to remain heat. Because the wind swirled across the ballpark, relievers fought for area across the heater within the bullpen. Infielders wore out their hand heaters; Yandy Díaz mentioned he put them throughout his physique. Outfielders stuffed their arms into quarterback-style pouches and, throughout one pitching change, sought shelter in Tampa Bay’s bullpen.
“It isn’t snug for hitters. I actually do not assume it was snug for pitchers, both,” Díaz mentioned via interpreter Manny Navarro. “It was actually chilly on the market.”
Then, unexpectedly, their bats acquired sizzling.
Catcher Ben Rortvedt doubled in two runs towards reliever Jake Hen within the seventh inning, pulling Tampa Bay inside three runs. Proper fielder Richie Palacios saved a run with a spectacular catch to finish the seventh, working and doing his finest to learn the wind as he robbed Ezequiel Tovar of an extra-base hit.
Seems, they had been simply getting began.
“We’ve acquired some dawgs in right here, guys which can be simply grinders. We simply grind via these ABs,” Palacios mentioned. “We had been capable of put some good swings collectively, put some walks collectively and undoubtedly grind out a win.”
After Brandon Lowe popped out and Randy Arozarena grounded out, Isaac Paredes kick-started their huge eighth-inning rally by homering to left discipline off reliever Tyler Kinley. Palacios singled and scored on a double by Harold Ramírez. Amed Rosario hit a game-tying single off former Rays reliever Jalen Beeks, then Rortvedt and Jose Siri walked to load the bases.
“Everybody up there was a tricky out, powerful at-bat, and so they had been simply passing it to the subsequent man,” Poche mentioned. “Everybody contributed, which was simply actually cool to see. … Only a actually good crew win, total.”
In got here nearer Justin Lawrence, and up got here Yandy Díaz. Tampa Bay’s leadoff man smoked a floor ball that took a wild hop previous first baseman Michael Toglia and sailed into proper discipline for a go-ahead, two-run single.
“I used to be simply making an attempt to hit the ball arduous, wherever it was. Truthfully, I believed he was going to get it,” Díaz mentioned. “It will need to have hit slightly rock or one thing, and it gave me a pleasant little bounce there.”
Adam, who gave up McMahon’s walk-off slam on Friday, bounced again with an ideal eighth inning. Nearer Pete Fairbanks was unavailable within the ninth after struggling along with his management (and his grip of the baseball) whereas strolling all three batters he confronted Friday.
So the Rays opted for the lefty Poche, whose fastball velocity was down 3 mph within the sequence opener, to safe their first save of the season.
“There wasn’t even a thought to go to any individual else. It was fairly simple. Pete was down,” Money mentioned. “Poche, he is been there and performed it lots.”
After watching video of his final outing and making an adjustment along with his arms, Poche labored a clear ninth and averted any additional drama in what has already been an eventful sequence.
“Anytime you get one like that, you form of need to get that style out of your mouth,” Poche mentioned. “Possibly you like higher circumstances than what it was on the market, however that inning in all probability felt nearly as good as any in latest reminiscence.”