The Tampa Bay Rays appeared to be headed for one of their typical “rally late to pull out another come-from-behind win” Friday night, when they ran into White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson.
Anderson’s solo homer in the top of the ninth inning allowed Chicago to force extra innings and his RBI single in the top of the 11th broke a 5-5 tie, leading the White Sox to a 7-5 victory in Friday night’s opener at Tropicana Field.
Anderson also got Chicago out to theor first lead, as he reached on a Brandon Lowe error, one of three miscues by Tampa Bay on the night, to start the game against Michael Wacha. He would score on a double by Luis Robert for a 1-0 lead.
Ji-Man Choi tied the game in the bottom of the second with a solo homer, his ninth of the year.
Chicago regained the advantage in the fifth as Anderson led off against Wacha with a base hit, moved to second on a passed ball, one of three allowed by Mike Zunino, took third on a groundout by Robert, and scored on a fielder’s choice by Jose Abreu, avoiding the tag by Zunino. Yoan Moncada would make it 4-1 with a two-run homer, his 11th.
Kevin Kiermaier got one run back in the bottom of the fifth, driving in Manuel Margot, who tripled in front of him, with a sacrifice fly.
Tampa Bay finally got into the White Sox bullpen in the eighth, with Margot drawing a four-pitch walk from Craig Kimbrel. Kevin Kiermaier lined out and Mike Zunino struck out, though Margot would end up at third after a wild pitch, but Kevin Cash brought in Randy Arozarena to face Aaron Bummer, drawing a four-pitch walk, and Wander Franco’s infield hit plated Margot to make it 4-3. Nelson Cruz was intentionaly walked to load the bases, and Meadows took the first pitch he saw back into center field for a two-run single that gave te Rays their first and only lead.
The lead would not last long, as Armstrong homered off JT Chargois leading off the top of the ninth to tie the game, and leading off the 11th against Andrew Kittredge, singled in Zack Collins to break the tie. He would eventually come around to score himself on a groundout by Abreu.
Luis Patino will look to even the series Saturday afternoon, taking on Dallas Keuchel. 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.
