Rays rally in ninth, edge Blue Jays

Former Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura unveiled his statue before a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA on September 23, 2023. The Tampa Bay Rays rallied past the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off single by Josh Lowe in the ninth inning, scoring twice to win the game 7-6. The Rays tied the game at 6-6 with Curtis Mead’s RBI single against closer Jordan Romano. Junior Caminero was initially called out on a double-play grounder, but the Rays challenged the play and it was overturned, giving them new life. Lowe then hit a single that landed just inside the left-field line, scoring Harold Ramirez for the game-winning run. Chris Devenski earned the win for the Rays, pitching a scoreless 1 1/3 innings. Yandy Diaz had a stellar performance, going 4-for-4 with a solo homer and a double, while Lowe contributed three hits, including a three-run shot. Christian Bethancourt also hit a home run. Caminero, the Rays’ top prospect, made his major league debut and went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run. In the first inning, Diaz hit a 401-foot homer to left-center, followed by Lowe’s 19th homer to center, giving the Rays a 4-0 lead. Bethancourt added to the lead with his 11th home run in the fourth inning. Zack Littell started for the Rays and allowed only one hit in each of the first five innings, but couldn’t finish the sixth after a throwing error and a wild pitch. The Blue Jays took advantage of the Rays’ mistakes and scored four runs in the sixth inning, with George Springer hitting a two-run double and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio driving in one run each. The Rays’ defense came through in the seventh inning when left fielder Ramirez threw out Whit Merrifield at home on a one-hop throw. In the eighth inning, the Blue Jays tied the game at 5-5 and then took the lead on walks and a hit by pitch. Bo Bichette, Guerrero, and Biggio each had two hits for the Blue Jays. The Thomson RushHourDaily Trust Principles apply to this article.