ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays took advantage of the Cincinnati Reds bullpen to score twice in the eighth inning for a come-from-behind 2-1 win Sunday.
The Rays loaded the bases with two outs against the Reds. With one out, Reds reliever Fernando Cruz walked Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe reached on an infield single and Isaac Paredes walked.
Cruz struck out Amed Rosario, but catcher Austin Wynns could not handle the pitch and pinch runner Jose Caballero scored to tie the game. Lucas Sims came in to replace Cruz and walked Richie Palacios to score Lowe and give the Rays the 2-1 lead.
"Good at-bat by Yandy. Great job by (Caballero) by putting pressure on him,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
"Cruz is nasty, tough to lay off some of those, but when you’re nasty sometimes you’ve got to go out of the zone significantly. Great at-bat by Richie as well.”
Garrett Cleavinger (7-2) pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Pete Fairbanks earned his 20th save of the season.
"It’s nice that we play nine,” Lowe said. “Unusual way to win, but 11:35 a.m. start time. I’ll take any kind of win.”
Reds starter Hunter Greene gave up just two hits in seven scoreless innings. He had a no-hitter through 5 2/3 innings before Lowe hit a single to right field. Greene struck out five, walked one and hit two batters.
"Tough loss, but I’ve got to keep just going out there and doing my job,” Greene said. “Hopefully we’re able to get some more momentum going back home.”
Wynns had an RBI single in the second inning that scored Stuart Fairchild after he reached on one of the Rays’ three errors. On the play, Wynns got caught up trying to extend the single into a double and Santiago Espinal was thrown out at home to end the inning.
Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz had three hits and four stolen bases, giving him 55 this season. He also reached base on an error in the eighth inning and made a spectacular sliding catch in short left field to rob Rays shortstop Taylor Walls of a hit in the sixth inning.
“That was fantastic, it definitely gave me an extra boost,” Greene said. “It’s pretty fantastic when he makes plays like that. It’s not the first time he’s done it.”
