Saturday, 4 a.m.
If Hollywood have written this script, Wander Franco would have cleared the bases.
If this was a kid's storybook, Franco would have at least doubled in the winning runs.
Alas, real-life is harder, even for players who are playing like someone made them up.
Wander Franco hit a hard ground ball out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night, leaving the Rays' short of their desired comeback in a 4-3 loss to Boston. The loss leaves the Rays at 7-7 on the season.
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Franco, sneaking up on mythological status, hit two home runs and made a highlight reel running catch in the loss. Still, Boston took a 4-1 lead, touching Rays' starter Corey Kluber for 11 hits in five innings. Despite three errors and five walks, the Sox held on.
Franco made the final out, but the biggest was probably by Brandon Lowe, who faced Jake Diekman an out before. Lowe needed just a fly ball to tie the game, but he swung at a ball well outside the strike zone for strike two and then took a called strike three.
"I thought we had a chance with everyone coming up there with guys on base," Rays' manager Kevin Cash said. "Good hitters. Diekman is really good, but we had some good at bats against him."
For the night, the Rays were 0-7 with runners in scoring position. They had just six hits for the game.
In today's game, the Rays will face Boston again at 6:10 p.m. at Tropicana Field. The Rays will start J.P. Feyereisen against Garrett Whitlock.