Rays 7, Tigers 4: WHEELS UP, WINGS OUT. IT’S AIRPLANE TIME

After winning the series-opening game last night, the Rays look to try and take at least two in this four-game series against the Detroit Tigers. Luis Patiño started for the Rays against the highly-touted Tigers starter, Casey Mize.

Akil Baddoo wasted no time putting the Tigers on the board, sending the third pitch in the game into the right field seats to make it 1-0 Tigers. Patiño would strike out the next batter and go on to end the inning without allowing any further damage.

The Rays were able to tie it up quickly in the bottom of the first after Ji-Man Choi hit a one-out single and Randy Arozarena moved him up to third with a triple. Austin Meadows plated Choi with a sacrifice fly, tying this game, 1-1. Joey Wendle flew out to end the inning.

Detroit added more runs in the top of the second to break the tie after Harold Castro led the inning off with a double and Niko Goodrum scored him with a double of his own. A wild pitch moved Goodrum to third and an RBI groundout by Victor Reyes made it 3-1. Akil Baddoo struck out to end the inning.

The Rays put another runner in scoring position with no outs in the bottom of the second, but went down 1-2-3 after that without plating a run.

The Tigers extended the lead once again in the top of the third, this time via a Harold Castro sacrifice fly to make it 4-1. The Rays drew a leadoff walk in the bottom-half, but again went down 1-2-3 without scoring a run.

Patiño had his first scoreless inning in the top of the fourth, and it was a 1-2-3 frame with a strikeout. Casey Mize’s day was done after three innings of work. Derek Holland replaced him. Patiño worked a mother 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Rays were poised to add another run to the board. Ji-Man Choi hit a one-out single, and after a pitching change, Arozarena and Meadows drew back-to-back walks to load the bases for Joey Wendle. Wendle swung at the first pitch he saw and grounded out to strand ‘em.

In the sixth, Patiño pitched yet another scoreless inning, and despite a runner reaching on an error, he induced an inning-ending double play to move this game into the bottom-half. Unfortunately, once again, the leadoff baserunner was stranded for the seventh runner left on base after six innings.

Louis Head replaced Patiño, who had a much better final three innings than he did first three innings. Patiño threw 80 pitches, walked one and struck four out while allowing four earned runs on six hits, one of them a home run. Head struck one batter out in a 1-2-3 inning.

Nick Anderson was brought in to work the eighth inning, and needed only 10 pitches to set the Tigers down with no hits allowed. Tigers reliever Kyle Funkhouser set the Rays down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eighth.

David Robertson entered in the top of the ninth and he struck out two Tigers looking in a scoreless frame of work. The bullpen did their job in keeping this score within reach, giving the offense one final crack at changing the score.

Manuel Margot reached on a single that hit Tigers closer Gregory Soto, but he stayed in the game. Francisco Mejia drew a walk to put two on for Brandon Lowe with no outs in the inning. Lowe singled to load the bases for pinch-hitter Yandy Diaz, who replaced Ji-Man Choi. That marked the end of Soto’s outing after pitching to the minimum-three batters with Michael Fulmer getting the call.

4-3 game. Diaz singled up the middle to bring this game within one. A wild pitch by Fulmer moved Lowe up to third with Randy at the plate. Randy hit a sacrifice fly to tie this game at 4-4. Talk about fight.

Austin Meadows popped a ball up in the infield, and despite Jeimer Candelario losing the ball in the roof and letting it drop, he made the throw to second to get Yandy Diaz out on the force. Meadows stole second base, but Joey Wendle struck out to send this game into extras.

Andrew Kittredge entered in the top of the 10th with Niko Goodrum starting the inning on second base. A groundout to third marked the first out for Kitt, while a great play by Brandon Lowe to first for the second out, where he prevented the ball from going into the outfield, halted Goodrum at third. Kittredge struck Jonathan Schoop out to strand the runner at third.

Joey Wendle started the inning on second with Taylor Walls leading off. Walls drew a walk, bringing Brett Phillips up.

BRING.

OUT.

THE.

AIRPLANE.

The hometown hero did it AGAIN, launching a three-run home run into the right field seats and securing the 7-4 win. You just can’t make it up.

The incredible effort marked the second win of the four-game series. The Rays will try and take the series win tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 pm. Tarik Skubal takes the mound for the Tigers against Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough.