The Tampa Bay Rays know that if you’re going to make things dramatic against Gerrit Cole, you’d better win that game. And they did just that, as Isaac Paredes’ RBI single in the bottom of the tenth inning capped a comeback from down 6-0, giving them a 8-7 victory over the New York Yankees Sunday at Tropicana Field.
New York jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on Josh Fleming thanks to a pair of second inning home runs, a solo shot by Anthony Rizzo followed by a two-run homer by Harrison Bader. They’d add two more runs run in the third on doubles by Aaron Hicks and Gleyber Torres, and a sacrifice fly by Oswaldo Cabrera in the fifth pushed the deficit all the way to 6-0.
Tampa Bay was limited to just a pair of hints and a walk through the first four innings against Cole, but Jose Siri started the comeback with a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth, his third of the year and the first home run allowed by the Yankees right-handed this season. A single by Yandy Diaz followed by a base hit by Wander Franco, coupled with a throwing error by Torres would get the Rays back within a grand slam.
Back to back doubles leading off the sixth from Harold Ramirez and Paredes drew the Rays back to within 6-3, and after Cole walked Manuel Margot, Christian Bethancourt blasted a three-run homer to straightaway center field to tie the game and chase Cole from the game.
BIG HIT BY BETHANCOURT TIES IT UP!! #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/am03jqCdPj
— Rays Radio (@RaysRadio) May 7, 2023
Reliever Jimmy Cordero would allow Tampa Bay to take the lead by walking Siri, allowing him to take second on a wild pitch, then scoring on a Diaz ground ball back to the mound in which Cordero didn’t look to see where Siri was and he would score all the way from second base.
ARE YOU SIRI-OUS!?!?
Jose Siri just scored from second on a tapper to the mound! #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/rtpXecoxxp
— Bally Sports Sun: Rays (@BallyRays) May 7, 2023
Jose Trevino’s groundout in the seventh against Ryan Thompson allowed the Yankees to get the game tied back up at 7-7, and it would stay that way until the tenth, when Paredes’ opposite field base hit would bring in Brandon Lowe to end the game.
PAREDES IS THE WALK-OFF HERO !!! #RAYSWIN #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/q6WbMkIGKd
— Rays Radio (@RaysRadio) May 7, 2023
Tampa Bay embarks on a ten-game road trip beginning Monday with the first of three games in Baltimore against the Orioles. Shane McClanahan (6-0, 2.03 ERA) will get the start, taking on Kyle Gibson (4-1, 4.61 ERA). First pitch from Camden Yards is scheduled for 6:35.
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.
