ST. PETERSBURG — Right-hander Michael Grove made his first Major League appearance in 630 days and delivered three scoreless innings as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 at Tropicana Field, reclaiming first place in the American League East for the first time since June 12.
The win improved the Rays to 47-33, putting them percentage points ahead of the 48-34 Yankees (.588 to .585) for the best record in the American League. Grove, who last appeared in a big league game during the 2024 National League Division Series with the Dodgers, retired nine of the 10 batters he faced, allowing one hit and striking out four on just 34 pitches — 26 of them strikes.
“Honestly, kind of throughout the entire outing, I found myself getting a little emotional at times,” Grove said afterward. “But I’m happy to get that one out of the way and keep going forward.”
Grove, 29, went 7-7 with a 5.48 ERA for the Dodgers from 2022-24 before undergoing surgery on his right shoulder to repair a torn labrum. He signed a Major League deal with the Rays in April after being squeezed off the Dodgers’ roster and released into free agency. Grove, who moved to Tampa in 2023, went on the 60-day injured list to finish his recovery and pitched mostly in two-inning bursts during a Minor League rehab assignment before the Rays summoned him to replace injured left-hander Steven Matz.
The Rays’ bullpen carried the load in what manager Kevin Cash called a traditional bullpen day after pushing back Shane McClanahan’s scheduled start to manage the left-hander’s innings. Right-hander Cole Sulser worked the first two innings, Grove got the Rays through the fifth, Casey Legumina picked up five outs, Kevin Kelly finished the seventh and handled the eighth, and closer Bryan Baker recorded his 21st save — tied with Mason Miller for second-most in the Majors. The bullpen’s combined line: nine innings, seven hits, eight strikeouts and no walks.
“I think it’s a responsibility that we take on as a whole,” Baker said. “Going into a bullpen day, you try not to treat it too differently, but it is kind of cool to seal the win as just bullpen guys — and rub it in the starters’ faces for the next couple days.”
“It’s like you don’t have time to not be in rhythm. Get in the game, get in rhythm, get the strikes going,” Cash said. “The bullpen did a tremendous job.”
Junior Caminero launched his fifth homer in the last three games in the first inning — his sixth in his last five games, joining Carlos Peña as the only players to accomplish that feat in franchise history. Caminero has also homered in the first inning three games in a row, something no Ray had ever done. Jonathan Aranda broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth with a two-run shot, giving him 57 RBIs on the year. Grove earned his first Major League win since June 7, 2024, and walked away with a game ball.
“Cherry on top,” Grove said, smiling.