Yandy Diaz caps late rally with 2-run single, Rays beat the Rockies 8-6 for 1st road win
DENVER (AP) — Yandy Díaz hit a go-ahead two-run single to cap a five-run eighth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied to beat the Colorado Rockies 8-6 on a blustery Saturday night.
The Rays overcame home runs by Ryan McMahon, Michael Toglia and Brenton Doyle in winning on the road for the first time this season.
Rockies starter Ryan Feltner, bidding for his first win since missing most of last season after his skull was fractured when he was struck in the head by a comebacker, struck out a career-high 10 batters in six innings and left with a 6-1 lead.
But the Rays rallied against the Rockies’ bullpen. Ben Rortvedt hit a two-run double off Jake Bird in the seventh to pull the Rays to 6-3. Paredes, who had an RBI single in the first, then homered off Tyler Kinley to touch off the Rays’ rally in the eighth that also featured Amed Rosario’s tying RBI single and Diaz’s go-ahead two-run single off reliever Justin Lawrence that shot past first baseman Toglia into right field.
The Rays sent 10 men to the plate in the eighth against three relievers during a game in which the teams had to contend with wind gusting to 33 mph. Players dodged swirling hot dog wrappers, and tracked down drifting flyballs and twisting liners throughout the night. Toglia’s sky high popup in the second inning began its descent over third base but by the time it had come back to earth, traveled all the way across the diamond into the glove of first baseman Díaz. Garrett Cleavinger (1-0) got the win in the relief, and Colin Pouche worked a scoreless ninth for his first save. Jalen Beeks (1-1), one of the three Colorado relievers in the eighth, took the loss. TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies INF/OF Kris Bryant was held out of the starting lineup because of some tightness in his lower back. Manager Bud Black described Bryant as day to day but also expressed optimism that he could be back in the lineup as early as Sunday.
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RHP Ryan Pepiot (0-1, 9.53 ERA) was slated to start Sunday for Tampa Bay in the series finale. Colorado was set to counter with RHP Dakota Hudson (0-1, 0.00).
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