Tyler Glasnow threw eight shutout innings, but the Tampa Bay Rays could not hold on to a 1-0 lead in regulation. It took a Manuel Margot base hit in the bottom of the tenth for the Rays to earn their 12th win in their last 13 games, defeating the Kansas City Royals 2-1 Wednesday.
Tampa Bay’s hitters didn’t have much success against Royals starter Mike Minor, who allowed just two hits in five innings. But the left-hander also walked four, including Mike Brosseau in the fourth. Brosseau took second on a groundout by Joey Wendle and scored on a base hit by Mike Zunino, giving the Rays their first lead.
Meanwhile, Glasnow retired the first 13 batters he faced Wednesday night before Kelvin Gutierrez reached on a base hit, and the right0hander ended up allowing just two other hits and two walks while finishing eight complete frames, striking out 11.
But at 102 pitches after eight innings, manager Kevin Cash made the decision to go to the bullpen and bring in J.P. Feyereisen. Andrew Benintendi greeted the reliever by blasting an opposite field home run, his fourth of the year to tie the game up at 1-1.
The Rays stranded the winning run in scoring position in the ninth against Jake Brentz, but Kansas City couldn’t take advantage of the runner in scoring position to start the tenth, as Feyereisen stranded pinch-runner Michael A. Taylor at third base after the Royals sacrificed him over to start the inning.
Tampa Bay moved Kevin Kiermaier to third base to start the bottom of the inning on a fly out by Taylor Walls, and after Tyler Zuber intentionally walked Austin Meadows, Margot took a 1-0 pitch and grounded it into right field to end the game.
The win allows the Rays to maintain a one half-game lead ove the Boston Red Sox for the lead in the American League East.
Tampa Bay can finish off a series win Thursday afternoon with a win in the rubber match of the series. Shane McClanahan (1-0, 4.03 ERA) will take on Brady Singer (2-3, 4.00 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 3:10.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
