The Tampa Bay Rays turned Saturday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox into a tale of two contests, as their pitchers held a no-hit bid through nine innings, and then coming back from a 2-0 deficit on Kevin Kiermaier‘s two-run blast to take a 3-2 decision.
Both Boston and Tampa Bay struggled to get anything going through regulation, with only Brandon Lowe‘s fourth-inning double and Brett Phillips‘ eighth-inning single the only two getting on by putting the ball in play. Meanwhile, J.P. Feyereisen worked two perfect innings, followed by hitless appearances by Javy Guerra (2/3 inning), Jeffrey Springs (2 innings), Jason Adam (1 1/3 innings), Ryan Thompson (1 inning), and Andrew Kittredge (2 innings).
The Rays took their no-hit bid into the top of the tenth, but with Jackie Bradley Jr. at second base to begin the inning, Bobby Dalbec tripled off Matt Wisler into the right-field corner to break up the bid and put Boston in front. Christian Vazquez would bring in Dalbec to extend the Red Sox lead to 2-0.
Hansel Robles was tasked with getting through the home half of the tenth, and struck out Ji-Man Choi and Josh Lowe to begin the inning, but balked Randy Arozarena to third base, and Trevor Story‘s errant throw on a Taylor Walls ground ball allowed Arozarena to score and make it 2-1.
Within one!
WATCH ➡️ https://t.co/n3Wzc4u0iM#MLB | #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/1Ov2st3S6i
— Bally Sports Sun: Rays (@BallyRays) April 24, 2022
Walls would steal second, which would have allowed him to score the tying run had Kiermaier merely singled, but the center fielder enbded up getting a fastball up in the zone and instead deposited it in the seats in right for his first home run of 2022 and his first walk-off home run at any level.
KK WITH THE WALKOFF!!!!!!! #RAYSUP pic.twitter.com/5IAcRKoqh2
— Bally Sports Sun: Rays (@BallyRays) April 24, 2022
The Rays will have an opportunity to finish off a series win with a victory in Sunday afternoon’s finale. Left-hander Shane McClanahan (0-1, 2.40 ERA) will get the start, taking on former Ray Rich Hill (0-1, 7.00 ERA). 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.
