Yandy Diaz broke a ninth-inning tie with an RBI single, Junior Caminero launched his 35th home run and the visiting Tampa Bay Rays beat the San Francisco Giants 7-6 on Friday night in what turned into a battle of bullpens.
After the first 3 1/2 innings resulted in a 6-6 tie, neither team scored again until the ninth.
Nick Fortes was hit by a pitch from Giants closer Randy Rodriguez (3-4) leading off the final frame.
Chandler Simpson’s third hit sent Fortes to third, and Simpson stole second. After Brandon Lowe’s grounder resulted in an out at the plate, Diaz singled to right, scoring Simpson.
Ian Seymour, Garrett Cleavinger, Griffin Jax, Edwin Uceta (8-2) and Pete Fairbanks combined to shut out the Giants over the final six innings. Fairbanks threw a scoreless ninth for his 21st save after Rafael Devers’ inning-opening double.
The Giants held the upper hand on three occasions early on, scoring one in the first, two in the second and three in the third. But the Rays immediately countered with the same amount in the second, third and fourth, creating 1-1, 3-3 and 6-6 ties.
Willy Adames homered, his 19th of the season, Patrick Bailey had a two-run double and Christian Koss and Heliot Ramos each doubled home a run to highlight the Giants’ early attack on Rays starter Joe Boyle, who left after Adames’ homer leading off the third.
The right-hander allowed four runs and four hits, walked two and struck out three.
Caminero produced Tampa Bay’s first run with a solo homer in the second off Giants starter Landen Roupp. Simpson scored the tying run in the third, then created the 6-6 deadlock with a two-run single in the fourth.
Roupp worked two batters into the fourth, getting neither out, and eventually was charged with five runs on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
Simpson finished with three singles, two runs and two RBIs for the Rays, who won their second game in a row. Diaz had two hits and two RBIs, while Jake Mangum also collected two hits and Caminero also scored twice.
Koss had a double and a single and scored twice for the Giants, who lost their sixth straight, all at home. Dominic Smith also had two hits, and Adames also scored twice.
–Field Level Media
