Monday, 4 a.m.
For now, the fall has been interrupted. The sinking Tampa Bay Rays, losers of six in a row, have finally won a game.
The Rays put together four runs in the seventh inning to highlight a 4-1 victory over the hot Kansas City Royals. The Rays, 26-28 on the season, stopped their slide with the key essentials of the game.
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— The Rays got good pitching. Starter Taj Bradley allowed just one hit and no runs through five innings.
— The Rays finally got a big hit. Brandon Lowe, hitting .159 on the season, lined the first pitch he saw to right field for a three-run triple in the seventh.
— The bullpen played a successful game of dodge ball, holding off comeback attempts by the Royals in the eighth and ninth innings.
In all, it added up to (for a change) a win. Against the Royals, who had won eight straight, that’s no small thing.
The Rays did little offensively against Michael Wacha early. The Rays didn’t manage a hit until the sixth.
But in the seventh, Harold Ramirez blooped a single into center field. Isaac Paredes followed with a double and Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch. After Jonathan Aranda grounded out, Lowe slapped the next pitch into right to clear the bases. It was his second hit in 17 at bats. Jose Siri then singled to right for the fourth run.
But the Royals weren’t through. They’ve been averaging 7.5 runs per game in their winning streak, after all. But Arozarena threw Bobby Witt Jr. out at the plate to help check the team in the eighth. In the ninth, with the bases loaded, Pete Fairbanks coaxed a ground out against Witt.
The Rays are off today. They play Tuesday against the Oakland A’s at 6:50 p.m. at Tropicana Field. Zack Littell will start for the Rays.