Jose Siri’s ninth-inning home run tied the game, and Richie Palacios’ RBI single in the 12th inning secured a 6-5 victory for the Tampa Bay Rays over the Oakland Athletics on Thursday.
Palacios expressed his joy after the Rays won two out of three games against Oakland, especially after a tough stretch where they lost six out of seven games. He highlighted the team’s unity during challenging times, which contributed to their success.
For Palacios, it was his first walk-off hit, a moment he had jokingly hoped for after hearing about similar achievements from his brother and uncle.
Siri’s game-tying home run came off a 100 mph pitch from rookie Mason Miller, marking Miller’s first blown save in 12 chances.
Despite a strong pitching performance from Mason in the ninth inning, the Athletics struggled to capitalize with runners in scoring position, going 2 for 17.
In the 10th inning, Abraham Toro’s RBI single off Pete Fairbanks gave the Athletics a brief lead, but the Rays responded with a sacrifice fly from Randy Arozarena to keep the game close.
In the 12th inning, Richard Lovelady stranded runners at second and third for the Athletics, setting the stage for Palacios’ game-winning hit.
The loss went to Tyler Ferguson, who pitched 1 1/3 innings for the A’s, while T.J. McFarland gave up the hit to Palacios.
Isaac Paredes started the game with a two-run homer for the Athletics, followed by Siri’s solo shot in the second inning.
