The Tampa Bay Rays spotted the New York Mets a 2-0 lead into the eighth inning before coming back to tie, and Brett Phillips‘ base hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning gave them a 3-2 victory, their first walk-off win of the 2021 season.
Tampa Bay got brilliant pitching from starter Tyler Glasnow, who retired the first 14 batters of the game in a row before Kevin Pillar legged out an infield single. Jonathan Villar then got a slider up in the air and into the front row of he right field seats for his second home run of the year.
Mets starter David Peterson got out of a bases loaded jam in the second inning by striking out Kevin Padlo and Brett Phillips, then retired the next 17 batters he would face. That stretch would come to an end when Mike Zunino got a fastball in a 2-0 count and blasted it into the party deck in left.
According to Statcast, the 117.3 MPH exit velocity is the hardest hit home run this season in Major League Baseball.
Padlo followed by doubling for his first big league hit, and after Phillips struck out and Randy Arozarena lined out, Manuel Margot came through with a double down the right field line off Trevor May, plating Padlo to tie the game.
Glasnow ended up finishing eight full frames, becoming the first Rays starter to go at least eight innings in a game since Ryan Yarbrough went 8 2/3 in Seattle on August 11, 2019, but did not fare in the decision.
The Mets turned to Miguel Castro in the ninth to try and force extra innings, but he walked pinch-hitter Brandon Lowe with one out. Willy Adames moved Lowe to third with a base hit, and Zunino drew a walk to load the bases. Luis Rojas then turned to Aaron Loup to face pinch-hitter Joey Wendle. The former Ray got Wendle to take strike three looking, but tried to sneak a first-pitch fastball past Phillips, who lined it into right to end the game.
Pete Fairbanks, who allowed an infield hit but no runs in the top of the ninth, earned his first win of the year.
Tampa Bay can earn a series win Saturday with a victory in the middle game of the series. Shane McClanahan (0-0, 3.75 ERA) will get the start for the Rays, while the Mets have yet to announce who will begin the game. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10.
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.
