The Tampa Bay Rays had large quantity of hits, but lacked any quality hits, as the Colorado Rockies evened the three-game series with a 2-1 decision Saturday at Steinbrenner Field.
Tampa Bay finished with 12 hits on the afternoon, marking just the second time in franchise history that the Rays would record 12 or more hits and one run or fewer in a game. The then-Devil Rays rapped out 13 hits in a 5-1 loss May 29, 2000 against Baltimore.
Tampa Bay had a pair of chances early in the game to take the lead, but Junior Caminero was thrown out at the plate on a double by Jonathan Aranda to end the bottom of the first inning.
Two innings later, it would be Aranda’s turns to be nailed at home on Kameron Misner‘s single.
“You’ve got to credit the Rockies’ defense,” manager Kevin Cash said after the game. “They made some big plays when they needed to.”
The lack of run support meant Zach Littell’s strong first start of the year would go for naught. The right-hander allowed just one run on four hits in six innings, but took the loss.
The Rockies scored their only run off Littell in the third, as Nick Martini led off the inning with a base hit, moving to second on a single from Jordan Beck and coming home on Brenton Doyle‘s RBI single.
Colorado added a vital insurance in the seventh off reliever Garrett Cleavinger on a RBI single from Kyle Farmer.
Tampa Bay finally cracked the scoreboard in the eighth thanks to a run-scoring single by Taylor Walls. They would get the tying and go-ahead runs aboard int he inning, but Bud Black brought in close Seth Halvorsen on to get Yandy Diaz to ground out and end the threat. Halvorson would then work a perfect ninth to earn his first save of 2025.
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.
