BALTIMORE — The Tampa Bay Rays’ American League East lead has dwindled to three games after a botched safety squeeze and a walk-off double by pinch-hitter Dylan Beavers handed Baltimore a 3-2 victory in 10 innings at Camden Yards, extending Tampa Bay’s skid to seven losses in its past nine games.
“Certainly things are not going our way, and nothing’s coming easy,” manager Kevin Cash said. “Wallsy did his job. They just did a better job.”
The Rays appeared poised to steal a win behind starter Shane McClanahan, who worked five scoreless innings in his second start back from the injured list. Cash called it “a huge step in the right direction for him.” Liam Hicks launched a solo shot in the second inning, Junior Caminero drove in a run in the sixth, and reliever Tyler Wells added two scoreless innings to build a 2-0 cushion.
But Kevin Kelly surrendered a leadoff single and then a game-tying two-run homer to Samuel Basallo in the eighth. “I really wasn’t trying to throw it in the zone like I would normally be, so the fact that it ended up there to him was unfortunate,” Kelly said. “The bigger issue is just getting 2-0 right away. That’s pretty obvious.”
The Rays nearly reclaimed the lead in the ninth when Jonny DeLuca ripped a two-out double, but Orioles outfielder Tyler O’Neill made a diving catch on Richie Palacios’ shallow fly to right field. “He had some game-changing plays that were right in the middle of a lot of stuff that could have gone our way,” Cash said.
In the 10th, with Palacios at third and one out, Taylor Walls squared to bunt against Rico Garcia. Walls tapped a curveball just in front of the plate, and Garcia barehanded it and flipped to catcher Carlos Narváez, who tagged Palacios for the out. “If I get that ball more down the first-base line or the third-base line, I think it’s maybe a tougher out in general to get Richie there at the plate,” Walls said. “The right call. Got to be a little bit better executed.”
All-Star closer Bryan Baker then faced Beavers with the automatic runner at second. Beavers golfed a changeup off the center-field wall for the walk-off double. “Just a tough game all around and got out-executed in the 10th,” Baker said.
McClanahan insisted the clubhouse remains steady despite the slide. “We’re in one of those weird little stretches, but nobody in here is panicking. Nobody in here is worried,” he said. “This team is where we are for a reason, and we’re just going to keep being ourselves, keep playing the brand of baseball that’s gotten us to this point, and good things are ahead.”
Baltimore has now won eight of its past nine matchups against Tampa Bay. The two clubs are scheduled to close out the series at Camden Yards on Sunday.