The Tampa Bay Rays end the first portion of their seven-day road trip with a heartbreaking 8-7 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox, marking the team's first series loss in a little more than a month.
Though Tampa Bay valiant fought back from a 7-2 deficit, the team didn't have quite enough to pull off the complete comeback, the White Sox winning the game in the bottom of the 10th on a Yasmani Grandal walkoff single.
The Chisox jumped to a 4-0 lead in the 4th inning, a two-run homer by Jose Abreu off Rays' starter Ryan Yarbrough, followed by a two-run single by Zack Collins. The Rays got two back in the next half inning, a two-run double by the much-maligned Kevin Kiermaier getting the Rays on the board.
Chicago added three more in the fifth, the first run coming across after a throwing error by Yandy Diaz, attempting to throw out the speedy Brian Goodwin on a bunt attempt with Tim Anderson at second base, Anderson scoring on the play. Andrew Vaughn stretched the lead to 6-2 with an RBI double, and Jake Lamb drove Vaughn in with a single, making it 7-2.
The Rays scored five runs over the next three innings to tie the game, a solo homer by Diaz in the sixth, a two-run homer by Zunino in the seventh, and a Diaz RBI groundout along with an RBI double by Manuel Margot to tie the game in the eighth.
Up next for the Rays is a flight to Seattle to face the Mariners on what is, surprisingly enough, the team's final west-coast trip this season. We'll have all the action on 95.3 WDAE Thursday night with Neil Solondz and the Rays pregame show at 9:30, followed by all the action with Dave Wills and Andy Freed at 10 pm.
PHOTO: Getty Images