Rays come from behind to beat Toronto again

Rays'Wong comes around to score for the Tampa Bay Rays./CHUCK MULLER

Sunday, 4 a.m.

For most of the season, he has been lost, forgotten. For most of the season, he has been just another guy.

Until Saturday, when Daniel Robertson was rediscovered by his team.

Robertson had a single and a double to drive in two runs late in the game, enabling the Rays to come from behind to beat Toronto, 5-3. For Robertson, who was cast off by the Rays in late June with a .202 batting average, it was evidence that eventually, a players' moment will come.

The Rays have now won four straight games and nine of their last 10. They're now 26 games over .500.

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Morton ran into trouble in the sixth inning./CHUCK MULLER

“Exciting win," said Rays' manager Kevin Cash. "We had a lot of guys who played huge roles. Start with Charlie—just a pretty dominant performance. I know the 6th inning kind of caught up. They had some good at-bats against him. But six innings, 10, 11 punchouts—whatever it was—really, really impressive. Offensively, a lot of good things. Their young left-hander really was tough. Threw the ball up-and-in to everybody for strikes, to push you off the plate. Did a good job of keeping us off balance. The big highlights were (Robertson) and Kean Wong. Kean getting his first hit and then scoring that run to tie it. Then (Robertson) came up with those two huge hits to help us win that game.”

Cash felt good for Robertson.

“I hope he feels really good," Cash said. "He’s probably had more downs than ups to

Meadows had a hit and drove in a run./CHUCK MULLER

this point. Like we’ve said to everybody, you’re here. You’re here to help us win. You can kind of forget the five months of the season. We’ve put ourselves in position for the sixth month now...it’s all hands on deck. These guys have been unbelievable about understanding and knowing when they get the opportunity, do everything they can to make the most with it.”

Robertson said he was enjoying playing in games that matter.

“You play for all that," Robertson said. "There’s going to be a different guy every night. September, with this roster we have. You’ve just got to be ready when called upon. That is a great feeling. That’s what it’s all about. Failing and then doing it is pretty cool too.”

Charlie Morton was very good for five innings, allowing only one hit and throwing shutout baseball. But in the sixth, he allowed four hits and three runs. He received a no-decision in the game.

“I didn’t feel tired," he said. "I actually felt pretty good about it. I’m glad he left me in. I got in trouble there going 1-0 to Rowdy, and then changeup was outside but was elevated to him. Then Guerrero ground ball right down the line. The pitches—even that Smoak at-bat—I made some really good pitches there. Those two

Rays SS Willy Adames gets ready to hit./CHUCK MULLER

curveballs. The one I could have back was the McGuire curveball. That was just a bad pitch. The sac fly ball was up above the zone. I didn’t feel like I was executing any better or worse in the 6th inning, if that answers your question.”

Morton did enjoy watching his team come from behind.

“They want to win," Morton said. "That’s what teams that want to win do. They keep fighting. That’s what we have here. That’s a real big win right there. We go down and the guys just keep battling and putting runs up. And then to put that extra run up. Like I said, that is a result of guys’ desire to win. You can see how excited they are in the dugout and how happy they are for each other. It’s great.”

Rookie Kean Wong got his first hit and scored the tying run.

“A weight came off my shoulders," Wong said. "I always wanted to get that first hit. I

Rays' Tommy Pham comes around to score./CHUCK MULLER

wanted to get it at home and I got it and helped the team. That’s all I ever asked for. It was an adrenaline rush. Cash came up to me and said you’re hitting here and I said, ‘Oh, let’s go.’ So I just went into the box, hopefully get my pitch and get on base.”

Travis d'Arnaud knocked in the go-ahead run for the Rays on a sacrifice fly.

“The right side of the field, I had a lot of holes there," d'Arnaud said. "Second and third, even if I hit a little dribbler to the right side, (Mike Brosseau) was on third and it would have given him a good chance to score. Fortunately, I was able to get it elevated and get a sac fly.”

Tyler Glasnow, out since May 11,  returns to the mound for the Rays today against Toronto at 1:10 p.m. at Tropicana Field. The Jays will counter with Jacob Waguespack.

Kiermaier had a double in the eighth inning./CHUCK MULLER