Randy Arozarena hit a home run that tied the game against Edwin Díaz with two outs in the ninth inning. Then, Jonny DeLuca hit a triple that brought in two runs in the 10th inning, helping the Tampa Bay Rays win 7-6 against the New York Mets, completing a sweep of the three-game series.
José Caballero, who started on second base as part of the extra-inning rule, stole third base while Ben Rortvedt walked to start the bottom of the 10th. Both runners scored when DeLuca hit a line drive that went past Harrison Bader’s diving attempt in center field.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza mentioned that Bader’s effort was the right play, considering he’s known for his defensive skills. Despite his attempt, he couldn’t make the catch and came up short.
Before that, in the top of the 10th inning, the Mets took a 6-5 lead when Bader scored due to an error by first baseman Yandy Díaz. Díaz couldn’t catch a low throw after Brandon Nimmo’s grounder was deflected by Erasmo Ramírez, who was pitching for the Rays.
Arozarena, who had been struggling at the plate, hit the game-tying solo home run with two outs in the ninth inning, making it 5-5. Edwin Díaz had been on a streak of 26 consecutive saves dating back to 2022, the longest active streak in the MLB.
“I was aiming to throw a slider low and away,” Edwin Díaz explained. “Knowing he was having a tough time, I wanted to make a good pitch and see if he would swing.”
Arozarena mentioned that the pitch before was a slider, so he anticipated another one. Despite being selected as an All-Star in 2023, he’s currently batting only .143. He struck out three times in his first four at-bats.
Before this series, Tampa Bay had lost eight of their last ten games. “We’ve been facing some challenges lately,” Arozarena commented through a translator. “It feels good to come out, put in the work, and keep a positive attitude. And as you can see, the team needed this win.”
The New York Mets have now lost eight consecutive games at Tropicana Field. “It’s a tough loss and a tough series,” Mendoza acknowledged.
Francisco Lindor hit a two-run home run in the first inning for the Mets. He leads the MLB with six games where he has driven in multiple runs since April 19.
Rays’ starting pitcher Ryan Pepiot had to leave the game in the third inning after being hit by Starling Marte’s line drive, which was recorded at 107.5 mph. Pepiot had been performing well, with a 2-0 record and a 1.00 ERA in his previous three starts.
He gave up three runs and three hits in two-plus innings before exiting. The team later confirmed that X-rays showed no significant damage.
