Rays Rally Late, Score 4 Times in 9th and Win 10-8 on Aranda Walk-Off Home Run

TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays have been struggling to score runs during this recent four-game losing streak, and they faced a daunting task again on Saturday night. They trailed the New York Yankees by four runs in the bottom of the ninth with All-Star closer Devin Williams on the mound.

So what, they said. Frustrated, you ask? Not at all. They weren't giving up, despite the circumstances — both all week and in real time.

So what was their response? All they did was score four runs off of Williams to tie the game, and then won it 10-8 in the 10th inning when a bruised and battered Jonathan Aranda hit a home run to right field on the third pitch he saw. It was an unexpected win — but also very necessary. The losing streak is over, and a chance to split the series against the division-leading Yankees is now a possibility on Sunday.

"I'm really proud, and happy for the group right now,'' Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "It's been a frustrating handful of days, so to be able to hang in there do that against that team and particularly that pitcher, that's as good a closer as you're going to see in the game.

"For us to come back and tie it up, that was huge. I don't know how many must-win games you have in the month of April, but it was starting to feel that way, that we needed to find a way to win. ''

They did exactly that. Jose Caballero started the rally with one out, beating out an infield single and then catcher Ben Rortvedt walked. In stepped rookie Chandler Simpson, who was making his first major-league start. He was 0-for-4 in his first four plate appearances, but in the ninth he ripped a ball to right field that bounced over the wall for a ground rule double. Caballero scored to make it 8-5.

Yandy Diaz followed with a seeing-eye single to plate Rortvedt and then second baseman Brandon Lowe singled to left center to score Diaz and Simpson, tying the game. Five straight men reached base, and just like that, it was tied.

"The game is not over until they make the 27th out, so I was just trying to put the ball in play,'' Caballero said. "The guys did the rest. We scored some runs and kept moving the line. We kept putting good at-bats together and I was glad to see it go our way.''

Edwin Uceta, who came in with two outs in the ninth to rescue Pete Fairbanks, who gave up two runs, was the star in the 10th. He allowed a leadoff single to Trent Grisham, and ghost runner Anthony Volpe moved to third with none out.

But Uceta got Cody Bellinger and Oswaldo Cabrera to strike out and then he coaxed J.C. Escarra into a lazy fly ball to end the threat. "That was an amazing job,'' Cash said. "I think he learned a lot last year on how to pitch in big innings.''

Aranda took it from there, blasting a shot through the wind and into the seats in right field. It was his first walk-off hit.

"That was kind of a veteran at-bat. He showed a lot of confidence and patience,'' Cash said of Aranda's homer. ''He didn't go up there looking to come out of his shoes on the first pitch. He was ready to hit and he got a hold of it good.''

With the win, the Rays are 9-12 on the season, and four games behind the Yankees, who are now 13-8. That's how big the division win was. Being only four games out instead of six is a big deal.

"It's early, but we like this group and we like what we saw in spring training, with the way they came together,'' Cash said. "We felt like would be times we would be able to come back in games. They were frustrated in the clubhouse the past couple of days, but tonight we did a lot of good things.''

The series ends on Sunday afternoon in. 1:40 p.m. ET game. Ryan Pepiot will make his fifth start of the season for the Rays, and he'll square off against New York's Max Fried.