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Tampa Bay Rays

Series: It’s Up to Rasmussen

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ST. PETERSBURG – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With their season on the line for a second consecutive night, the Tampa Bay Rays named right-hander Drew Rasmussen as their starter for Game 5 of the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

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Rasmussen, 31, returns to the mound after throwing 89 pitches over 3 2/3 innings while allowing three runs in a 5-4 loss in Game 2 at Milwaukee.

Right-hander Nick Martinez had been in line to start Game 5 but he was needed to pitch two innings in Tuesday’s 4-3 must-win victory over the Brewers. Tampa Bay used seven pitchers to keep its season alive in Game 4 and earned the victory by scoring two runs in the 12th inning.

The Rays now trail 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, with Games 6 and 7 at Milwaukee, if necessary.

The Brewers are set to send hard-throwing right-hander Jacob Misiorowski to the mound in Game 5 with a chance to win the first World Series title in franchise history.

Rasmussen went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA in 30 starts during the regular season when he was named to his second career American League All-Star team. He is also 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA over 24 2/3 innings over four starts during the current postseason.

A sixth-round draft pick by the Brewers in 2018, Rasmussen was traded to the Rays in 2021 in the deal that sent infielder Willy Adames to Milwaukee.

–Field Level Media

Brewers Make the Most of 2nd Chances

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MILWAUKEE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Milwaukee’s rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt made the most of his second opportunity.

Pratt singled in the go-ahead run to atone for a costly error and the Milwaukee Brewers overcame a four-run deficit behind six scoreless innings from their lockdown bullpen for a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night and a 2-0 lead in the World Series.

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The Brewers, who trailed 4-0 in the first inning, took their first lead of Game 2 in the seventh when Brice Turang doubled to open off Tyler Wells (0-2) and advanced on a flyout. Pratt greeted Kevin Kelly with an RBI single to right to put Milwaukee up 5-4.

“I need to be better defensively, but it’s always awesome when you have an opportunity to kind of redeem yourself and make up for it,” said the 22-year-old Pratt, inserted into the starting lineup after being called up from Triple-A Nashville in mid-June. “Probably wasn’t the best swing, but it did the job and gave us the opportunity to score a run. I’m not going to complain.”

The Rays stranded the tying run at third in the ninth for the second consecutive game. Jonny DeLuca doubled to open the ninth off Aaron Ashby, who got the final two outs in the eighth. Victor Mesa Jr. struck out and DeLuca advanced to third on a groundout, but Yandy Diaz struck out swinging on a 3-2 count.

“It’s tough for teams to come in here and play. Our fans are so incredible. It’s a tough environment to play in,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Tampa Bay had us on the ropes every day. They had runners in scoring position when the game ended both days.”

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Monday in St. Petersburg, Fla. Only 10 teams have overcome a 2-0 deficit to win the World Series, the last being the New York Yankees in 1996.

“These Milwaukee fans have been really loud. I know our fans are going to be really loud and excited to see us come back and kind of reset ourselves a little bit,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “We’ve got a really good pitcher going, as do they. A lot of confidence in this club to respond. They’ve done it all season long, and they’ll continue to do it.”

Brewers starter Logan Henderson allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits in three innings, but the bullpen picked up its eighth win in nine postseason victories. The eight wins match the 2015 Kansas City Royals for most wins by relievers in a single postseason.

JoJo Romero, Dustin May and DL Hall each followed Henderson with a scoreless inning. Abner Uribe (1-0) got four outs and Ashby finished for his third save. Ashby has not allowed a run in 15 2/3 innings over eight postseason appearances.

“Our bullpen doesn’t get enough credit,” Murphy said. “I guess it does get a lot of credit, but you can’t say enough great things about them. Six innings of shutout (work) again.”

“Our bullpen doesn’t get enough credit,” Murphy said. “I guess it does get a lot of credit, but you can’t say enough great things about them. Six innings of shutout (work) again.”

Sal Frelick tied it at 4-all with a leadoff homer in the sixth off Ian Seymour. Frelick, who had four homers in 339 at-bats during the regular season, lined a 3-2 fastball 408 feet to center for his second career postseason homer.

Milwaukee cut its 4-0 deficit in half with two runs in the bottom of the first, then capitalized on an error to pull within 4-3 in the fourth.

Milwaukee threatened in the eighth, but Jackson Chourio was retired home trying to score from third on an infield bouncer on a close play that was upheld upon review.

The Brewers, whose only other World Series appearance was as the American League representative in a seven-game loss to St. Louis in 1982, also overcame a 4-0 deficit in the NLCS, rallying for a 6-4 victory over the Dodgers in Game 4 to complete the sweep.

Pratt’s game-opening error contributed to the Rays’ four-run first. Diaz continued to second on Pratt’s errant throw from short, then scored on Chandler Simpson’s one-out single. Simpson stole second and scored on Junior Caminero’s RBI single. Liam Hicks followed with his first postseason homer to put the Rays up 4-0.

The Brewers bunched four singles for two runs in the bottom half, including RBI singles by William Contreras and Garrett Mitchell.

Milwaukee pulled within 4-3 in the fourth. Pratt battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a one-out walk, advanced to third on Frelick’s single and scored on first baseman Jonathan Aranda’s fielding error.

Chourio prevented a run when his perfect throw home from left field nailed Hicks trying to score from second to end the sixth. That play was also upheld after a review.

Rays starter Drew Rasmussen, who was 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three previous starts this postseason, allowed three runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings.

– Field Level Media

World Series: Game 1 Pits Milwaukee v Tampa Bay

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MILWAUKEE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) -Drew Rasmussen has been the epitome of an ace for the Tampa Bay Rays this postseason. In three playoff starts, the right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA, allowing three runs over 21 innings, striking out 23 and walking three.

After he last pitched in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, a 3-1 Rays win on Oct. 18, he could have started Game 1 of the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night on normal rest.

Tampa, though, is electing to get him an extra day of rest and throw off, instead giving the ball to veteran right-hander Nick Martinez for the opener of the best-of-seven series.

“We prioritized Drew getting an extra day. He’s had a pretty thick workload here,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said Thursday during media day in defense of the decision. “We’ve relied on him heavily. We know when he takes the ball, we’re trying to get the full pitch allotment out of him.

“When Nick pitches, we win. So excited to hand Nick the ball (for) Game 1, and we’ll go from there.”

There’s not much of a drop-off in terms of the quality Martinez provided this season relative to Rasmussen. He threw a team-high 180 innings this regular season with a 3.10 ERA, trailing only Rasmussen (2.67) among starters.

It’s quite a come-up for a pitcher who signed a one-year contract with the Rays back in February.

“I’m sure you guys can remember my Spring Training wasn’t a great one. Now we’re here,” Martinez said. “Again, I think that speaks a lot about the type of people I have around me to kind of navigate this season and help me out and help me be in this situation, and we’re having a lot of fun with it.”

Martinez is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts this postseason. Those starts, though, have lasted a combined nine innings, which may be another factor in starting him Friday when the bullpen is at its freshest.

 

Peralta Can Finish the Job

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ST. PETERSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Starting pitcher Nick Martinez passed the baton to Drew Rasmussen. Now, it’s up to Freddy Peralta to finish the job and take the Tampa Bay Rays to the World Series.

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The Rays return home to St. Petersburg, Fla., on Monday to host Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, holding a 3-2 lead over the Cleveland Guardians after two straight victories on the road.

Trade-deadline acquisition Peralta (1-0, 0.79 ERA), a right-hander, has an opportunity to win the best-of-seven set and send Tampa Bay into a matchup with the National League champion Milwaukee Brewers in the Fall Classic.

“It’s funny because our first goal when we got to Cleveland was just to get back to The Trop,” Rays closer Bryan Baker said, referring to their ballpark. “Then, to be able to go back in this position is exactly what we wanted to do.

“It’s what we worked for. It was a huge couple of games here to get to this spot, and I’m super proud of the guys to come this far.”

The Guardians boarded their flight to Florida with more questions than answers, shell-shocked after their momentum disappeared with a rainout Friday. Cleveland managed just two runs in 12 1/3 combined innings against Martinez and Rasmussen.

Peralta, who came over from the New York Mets, will make his second start and third appearance in the ALCS. He won Game 2 and pitched in relief in Game 4, tossing 6 2/3 total scoreless innings with six strikeouts and a .167 opponent batting average.

“Kudos to Freddy, he’s been awesome to have around as a human being,” Rasmussen said. “It’s not necessarily the most comfortable thing to get traded and being told we’re going to make some mechanical adjustments. But I think he’s gotten back to being an athlete and not quite so robotic.”

In ALCS history, the team that takes a 3-2 lead has advanced to the World Series 69.6% of the time (16 of 23).

Further complicating Cleveland’s comeback chances is its lack of options on the mound. All-Star Parker Messick lasted a career-low two innings in Game 5, and ace Gavin Williams is unavailable in any capacity after earning the win Thursday in Game 3.

Mercurial Joey Cantillo (0-0, 2.70) is likely, but not certain, to be the bulk reliever. The left-hander has given up one hit and two walks in 1 2/3 scoreless innings in the ALCS, but was ripped for five runs in 3 2/3 innings in a July 24 loss at Tampa Bay.

“We’ll have a plan, but we’re not sure who is going to take the ball first,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “But Gavin is not an option.

“We know we’ve got our work cut out for us, but if there’s a group I’m betting on to get this done, it’s our guys.”

Cleveland rallied from a 2-0 deficit to eliminate the Chicago White Sox in the best-of-five Division Series earlier in October. If the Guardians can survive Game 6 against the Rays, Williams and potentially Messick would be in play for the winner-take-all finale.

But it’s a steep hill for the Guardians to climb to get there.

“It will help a ton, knowing we’re able to do it when facing elimination,” Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan said. “And I think we feel better on this one, since we’ve got some wins under our belt against them.

“We’ll just have to trust our plans, turn the page and see what happens.”

–Field Level Media

Rays Walk On, Walk Off

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ST. PETE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Richie Palacios produced a two-out, walk-off single in the ninth inning as the Tampa Bay Rays edged the Boston Red Sox 2-1 on Saturday afternoon in Florida to even their final home series of the regular season.

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Against Garrett Whitlock (7-2), Palacios looped a 1-2 sinker into shallow right to score Junior Caminero as the Rays (94-60) hit their third walk-off winner during the nine-game homestand.

Jonathan Aranda homered while Liam Hicks and Chandler Simpson posted two hits apiece as Tampa Bay improved to 7-1 on the homestand.

Bidding for a fifth consecutive win over five starts, Freddy Peralta received no decision after yielding just one run on four hits over 5 2/3 innings that took 97 pitches. He struck out six and walked two.

Caleb Durbin stroked two doubles and scored for the Red Sox (84-71), who lost for the first time in three games.

Starting pitcher Brayan Bello went a season-best eight innings and allowed one run on five hits with a career high-tying 11 strikeouts. The Rays got an out with the infield drawn in and appeared to escape trouble in the third. Then Roman Anthony, who homered and had three RBIs in Friday’s 4-2 win in the opener, remained hot and made it 1-0 with a two-out double that scored Durbin.

Cedric Mullins laid down a bunt single and reached second on Durbin’s throwing error to open the third, but he was picked off and caught trying to steal third on Jorge Mateo’s failed sacrifice bunt.

In the fourth, Aranda tied it 1-all when he rocked his 22nd homer to left field as he took Bello’s 97 m.p.h. four-seam fastball the opposite way.

With Bello still in the game in the seventh, Hicks led off with a single and Simpson dropped one into right with no outs. Following a groundout and a fielder’s choice, Bello ended the threat by whiffing Mullins on a foul tip.

Durbin lined his second double with one out in the ninth, but Hicks tossed him out trying to steal third. Jarren Duran followed with his fifth triple, but Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded out to deep third to end the inning off Bryan Baker (4-2).

–Field Level Media

 

Anthony Does His Job

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ST. PETERSBURG – (Wire Service Report) – Roman Anthony homered and had three RBIs, Jahmai Jones went deep and the Boston Red Sox cooled off the first-place Tampa Bay Rays with a 4-2 victory on Friday night in Florida.

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The Red Sox (84-70) opened their final road series of the regular season by scoring all of their runs in the first three innings to win for the second consecutive night. Anthony went 2-for-5, while Caleb Durbin was 2-for-3 as the team produced nine hits. Sox starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (8-4) fought control issues but went 5 2/3 innings in earning the win. He allowed one run on three hits while striking out five and walking five.

Junior Caminero doubled, walked twice and drove in a run for Tampa Bay (93-60), but the American League’s top club had only five hits, was a brutal 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position and had its six-game winning streak snapped.

Starter Ian Seymour (9-7) was hit hard in the first two innings and finished by allowing four runs on seven hits in five frames. He whiffed five and walked two.

On the third pitch of the game, leadoff hitter Anthony crushed a Statcast-estimated 438-foot blast to center field. It was the left fielder’s fifth homer.

Caminero’s RBI groundout tied it in the bottom half, but Anthony did more damage by ripping a two-out single to right for a 3-1 lead in the second.

Jones made it 4-1 leading off the third by lining Seymour’s changeup out to left for his sixth homer.

Suarez got out of a slight jam in the third after Caminero walked and Ryan Vilade singled, but he retired red-hot Chandler Simpson and Jonny DeLuca to maintain the three-run lead.

The home club put together a strong threat in the sixth after Wyatt Olds relieved Suarez and issued two walks to fill the bases with two outs. However, he battled back in the count against pinch hitter Jake Fraley and struck him out.

In the ninth, Jonathan Aranda’s groundout scored a run, but Erik Miller got Simpson to ground out to second with the bases loaded for his fifth save.

–Field Level Media

A Baker’s Dozen

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FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – Boston’s starter Sonny Gray pitched six innings of one-run ball and Willson Contreras hit a two-run home run, leading the Red Sox to a 6-1 win and a four-game series sweep of the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon.

The Red Sox, who are now on a 13-game win streak, broke open the game with a three-run third inning before Contreras ripped his second homer in three games to round out the scoring in the fifth.

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Ceddanne Rafaela went 2-for-4 and scored a run for the Red Sox.

Gray (12-1) scattered one run on five hits — including a solo, inside-the-park home run by Victor Mesa Jr. — en route to his ninth straight quality start. The veteran right-hander has now allowed one run or fewer in five consecutive outings.

Gray threw just 49 of his 91 pitches for strikes, but the Rays went 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position on the day. Chandler Simpson (2-for-4) was the lone Tampa Bay batter with multiple hits.

The Red Sox responded to Mesa’s inside-the-park job into the right-center-field triangle in the second by tying the game in the bottom half. After Caleb Durbin hit a leadoff single to left, stole second and took third on a throwing error, Andruw Monasterio doubled into the left field corner to make it a 1-1 game.

A three-run third off Tampa Bay starter Shane McClanahan (8-6) put the hosts in firm control. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases with one out, and a passed ball brought Jahmai Jones home with the leading run. Durbin and Romy Gonzalez followed with an RBI fielder’s choice and groundout, respectively.

The big inning proved to be more than enough offense for Gray, who stranded two runners on base in each of the first three frames before dealing a 1-2-3 fourth and inducing an inning-ending double play in the sixth to conclude his outing.

The Red Sox added to their lead in the fifth, as Rafaela knocked a leadoff single up the middle before scoring on Contreras’ two-run homer to deep right-center field.

McClanahan left after five innings, having given up all six runs (four earned) on five hits. He walked three and fanned three.

Greg Weissert, Jovani Moran and Ryan Watson all pitched scoreless innings to clinch the win for Gray.

–Field Level Media

Sizzlin’ Sox Find a Way

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FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox are in unfamiliar territory, and they’ll hope to remain there Sunday when they wrap up a four-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays.

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Boston’s 7-6 victory over Tampa Bay on Saturday extended the team’s winning streak to 12 games and moved Boston’s record to 49-48. It’s the first time the Red Sox have been over the .500 mark this season since they beat Cincinnati on opening day.

Boston pitching held opponents to 17 runs during the first 11 games of the team’s winning streak, but it was power at the plate that produced Saturday’s win. Wilyer Abreu homered twice, including a two-run shot off Garrett Cleavinger that gave Boston a 7-6 lead in the seventh inning. Tampa Bay led 6-3 entering the bottom of the seventh.

“Never a doubt,” Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said with a laugh after the game. “Electric. It was awesome. Once again, we didn’t get a ton of hits early, but the ones we got mattered. The at-bats late, Wilyer obviously, just (an) electric win.”

The winning streak has moved Boston from the bottom of the American League East standings into third place. The Red Sox trail the division-leading Rays by seven games.

“They feel good about themselves and another game that shows, at the moment, they don’t feel like they’re out of it,” Tracy said. “If you keep it close, they feel like they’re gonna make a run at it, so it was awesome, awesome to watch that.”

Abreu, who hit a solo home run to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead, has 15 home runs this season, including four in his last two games.

“When (Abreu is) not hot, he still takes quality at-bats,” Tracy said. “When he hits a homer or two, you feel like they come in bunches, and they certainly are right now and they’ve been in big spots.”

The Rays enter Sunday’s matchup looking to end a four-game losing streak.

“(The Red Sox are) having a bunch of good at-bats right now,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “We fell behind Abreu right there (in the seventh), who’s as hot as anybody maybe in the game. I think we threw him three fastballs in a row and on the third one he capitalized.”

The Rays outhit the Red Sox 10-6 in the loss, but five of Boston’s six hits went for extra bases. In addition to Abreu’s two home runs, Jahmai Jones hit a two-run homer for the Red Sox. It was his second game with Boston since he was acquired from Detroit.

Tampa Bay received solo home runs from Victor Mesa Jr., and Jonny DeLuca.

“We did some good things offensively,” Cash said. “That was encouraging. Hopefully, we can build off that.”

Sunday’s pitching matchup will feature Tampa Bay left-hander Shane McClanahan (8-5, 2.83 ERA) and Boston righty Sonny Gray (11-1, 2.54).

McClanahan has a 5-1 record and a 2.23 ERA in seven career starts against the Red Sox. Gray is 6-6 with a 4.14 ERA in 17 career appearances (15 starts) against Tampa Bay.

–Field Level Media

Yo Eleven

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FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Wilyer Abreu hit home runs in back-to-back at-bats as the Red Sox won their 11th straight game and swept a day-night doubleheader, defeating the visiting first place Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 on Friday night.

Abreu cranked a two-run homer — the first of back-to-back shots with Willson Contreras — in the first inning before leading off the third with a go-ahead solo blast.

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The victory came in a bullpen game for Boston, with six relievers combining to 6 2/3 scoreless innings with four hits behind Eduardo Rivera, who allowed three runs over the first 2 1/3 innings.

Greg Weissert (2-2) earned the win, while Aroldis Chapman pitched a clean ninth for his 20th save. Boston relievers faced the minimum over the final three innings.

Junior Caminero, who hit a solo home run in the third, and Jonny DeLuca both had multi-hit games for Tampa Bay.

The Rays scored a pair of two-out runs to jump out to a first-inning lead, forcing Rivera to throw 36 total pitches after the first two batters were retired on five. A Caminero single and two walks in succession loaded the bases for DeLuca to knock a two-run single past diving Boston shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng.

However, the visitors’ lead did not last long. After Ceddanne Rafaela hit a one-out double down the left field line, Abreu cleared the right-center-field bullpen for a game-tying two-run homer, and Contreras flipped the scoreboard with a solo shot over the Green Monster in the next at-bat.

The long ball trend continued for both teams in the third. Caminero knotted the score again with a one-out solo shot just inside the left field foul pole, but Abreu deposited the second pitch of the bottom half of the frame to deep right-center to put Boston back in front 4-3.

Tampa Bay starter Mason Englert (0-3) retired the next three batters after Caleb Durbin was caught stealing and then got two outs in the fourth, but the Red Sox expanded their lead as Cheng walked and scored from first on Anthony Seigler’s two-out double off the base of the wall in the right field corner.

Boston’s bullpen did the rest. After Weissert recorded the final two outs of the third, Jovani Moran had the longest outing of the bunch, throwing back-to-back 1-2-3 innings.

The Rays’ stable of relievers was also strong. Craig Kimbrel, Cole Sulser and Cam Booser did not allow a hit over three innings behind Englert, who was tagged for eight hits and five runs across the first five frames.

–Field Level Media

 

Ten in a Row, Here They Go

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FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – Jake Bennett threw six scoreless innings before a six-run sixth inning allowed the Boston Red Sox to blow open a 10-0 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of a day-night doubleheader on Friday afternoon.

Masataka Yoshida and Carlos Narvaez each homered as part of three-hit days for the Red Sox, who banged out 15 hits en route to their 10th consecutive victory dating back to July 3.

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Yoshida (3-for-5) added a double and finished a triple shy of a cycle, while Narvaez and Caleb Durbin were both 3-for-4.

Bennett (5-3) allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out three. He has won four straight outings.

Alec Gamboa went the rest of the way, allowing just two hits over the final three innings for a save.

The Red Sox quickly bounced back from going down 1-2-3 to start the game against Tampa Bay starter Griffin Jax (5-7), as back-to-back hits by Durbin and Yoshida led to second-inning runs. Jarren Duran drove in the opening run on a sacrifice fly before Narvaez dropped an RBI single into center for a 2-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Bennett threw 3 1/3 no-hit innings before Junior Caminero’s one-out single in the fourth. Jonathan Aranda was Tampa Bay’s lone baserunner before that knock, drawing a one-out walk as the second batter of the game.

In the fourth, Yoshida tucked a leadoff solo homer around Pesky’s Pole in right field to extend the Boston advantage to 3-0.

The first six Red Sox batters reached base and five scored in the sixth. Durbin was hit by a pitch, Yoshida singled to center and Romy Gonzalez walked to load the bases, and then Duran continued the merry-go-round by chopping a two-run single through the right side.

After Chris Roycroft relieved Jax, Narvaez and Tsung-Che Cheng laid down back-to-back bunt singles that produced runs. Catcher Nick Fortes’ throwing error on Narvaez’s chopper plated another.

Roycroft did induce a double play ball, but two more runs came home with two outs, as Ceddanne Rafaela battled through a nine-pitch at-bat for an RBI double off the Green Monster and Durbin knocked another RBI single to right after Wilyer Abreu was intentionally walked.

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In the eighth, Gamboa — who was recalled as Boston’s 26th man for the twin bill — worked around a Taylor Walls one-out double as only the second Tampa Bay hit before Narvaez socked a solo homer over everything in left field to move the Boston lead to double digits.

The Red Sox took their last at-bats with position player Ben Williamson pitching for the Rays.

–Field Level Media