Rays 6, Orioles 4
Record: 83-59
Attendance: 5,962. It isn't any wonder the Rays are looking into splitting their home games between Tampa Bay and Montreal. Attendance like this is shameful. The more so because the team is 24 games over .500 for the first time this year and sitting atop the wild card race. Locals will not support them. And yet they're proud of their "baseball culture" in St. Pete/Tampa. If you hear sarcasm there, you're paying attention.
The Rays won a close game Thursday night, 6-4, broadcast over YouTube with former Ray hero Carlos Pena part of the crew. It was sweet to see him back at the ballpark he starred in during the glory years under manager Joe Maddon. He saw an up and down game.
The Blue Jays drew first blood when super-rookie Bo Bichette hit his first of two home runs leading off the game, this one a blast to right center off starter Austin Pruitt on the 13th pitch of his at bat. With nicely distributed run production, the Rays took the lead in the fourth with two runs coming in on an Austin Meadows double, some sloppy Blue Jay defense, and an Avisail Garcia sac fly. Then they tacked on single runs in every inning thereafter, four in all.
Bichette's second HR tied the game at four in the seventh, but in the bottom of the seventh, Austin Meadows put the Rays ahead for good with a solo home run, his 27th. He followed that up with an RBI double in the eighth, giving him a team leading 75 on the year.
The top of the ninth was Emilio Pagan time, but this time he had to keep his fingers crossed when with two on and two out, he gave up a long fly ball to center that managed to stay in the park. It shows as his 18th save, but it was sloppy. The Rays were pleased to get out of the game with a win. Like the Orioles, the Blue Jays are playing the Rays tough, so don't be surprised to see more of the same types of games coming up, seven in all, including the last three of the season. Hang on for a bumpy ride Rays fans, all 5,962 of you.
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