The Tampa Bay Rays (58-56) defeated the St. Louis Cardinals (59-57) 6-4 on Thursday night to avoid being swept in the three game interleague series in St. Louis.
Recently acquired from the Cardinals, Dylan Carlson hit a two-run single in the first to give the Rays a 2-0 lead. After St. Louis answered with three in the bottom of the frame, they added another in the third to take a 4-2 lead.
That would be all the offense the Cardinals got, and the Rays would rally. They came through with three in the seventh inn - after Yandy Diaz got one on a sacrifice fly, Brandon Lowe hit a two-run homer to give the Rays a 5-4 lead. Jose Caballero added some insurance in the ninth to make it 6-4 Rays.
Brandon Lowe finished the game 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two runs driven in. The Cardinals got all their offense off Shane Baz, who allowed four earned runs in four and one-third innings of work while striking out two and walking two. Richard Lovelady (3-4, 7.07) got the win out of the bullpen while Pete Fairbanks worked the ninth for his twenty-second save.
The Rays now return home to host the Orioles in a three-game series beginning on Friday night. First pitch from Tropicana Field is scheduled for 6:50 PM on Friday - pregame coverage begins with the Inside Pitch at 5:30 PM on 95.3 WDAE & AM 620, your Home of Rays Baseball.
COVER PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES