Rays find some power late, beat Cubs to avoid sweep
CHICAGO — The Rays had reason to be concerned.
They hadn’t looked anything like themselves in losing two — what Brandon Lowe politely called “lackluster” — games to the Cubs, and Wednesday’s matinee series finale was heading in the same direction.
But then, suddenly, they flexed some of the muscle that had made them the majors’ most powerful offense for two months, and the pieced-together bullpen — overcoming some errant pitches and a costly fielding mistake — got the biggest outs as they held on for a 4-3 win.
“The feeling in this clubhouse is that everybody has each other’s backs,” starter Zach Eflin said. “And that was kind of Exhibit A (Wednesday).”
There were so many hands in the victory, which improved the Rays’ majors-leading record to 40-18 and allowed them to avoid their first three-game losing streak and series sweep of the season.
Lowe hit a two-run, game-tying homer in the seventh inning after Manuel Margot drew a two-out walk. The Cubs then took the lead right back before Taylor Walls drew a leadoff walk in the eighth and Jose Siri hit a two-run shot to put Tampa Bay ahead.
Jason Adam navigated a perilous eighth, with two Cubs in scoring position and one out. After Kevin Kelly put two on with one out in the ninth and third baseman Isaac Paredes botched what could have been a game-ending double play, Jalen Beeks came in to end it, Randy Arozarena running down a drive to left for the final out.
“A great team win,” Eflin said.
For a team that has led the majors in many offensive categories while rampaging through the first two months, the Rays didn’t look good against a Cubs team that started the week with the worst record in the National League. They were shut out on one hit in Monday’s opener, slapped seven hits but scored only one run Tuesday, then went hitless through four innings and were held to one hit into the seventh on Wednesday.
Manager Kevin Cash didn’t have an explanation for their lack of production besides good Cubs pitching but said there was no lack of confidence about returning to form.
“Not even a thought,” he said. “At 2-0, we really like our chances. It’s easy to, as long as you can erase the previous two ballgames. But the guys came in very consistent with their approach like they always do.
“Sometimes it’s just not as easy as they’ve made it look a lot this year.”
Eflin gave up two runs in the first, then settled in. Lowe’s homer, his first since May 17, was a huge spark. a 431-foot-shot to center.
“Brandon’s (homer) changed the whole mindset of the dugout, for sure,” Cash said.
Even though Eflin allowed a leadoff double in the seventh that led to the Cubs retaking the lead against lefty Colin Poche, Siri said Lowe’s blast provided a carryover for his own 411-foot blast to center, his 10th homer of the season.
“It helped us out a lot, and it gave me confidence,” Siri said via team interpreter Manny Navarro. “It made me loose, and I could throw my arms out when I was up there (to hit a homer). I think we needed that at the time.”
Lowe said there was plenty of credit to be shared — especially with Margot for working the walk that led to the Cubs changing pitchers and bringing in Mark Leiter Jr., who the Rays were familiar with since he pitched Wednesday.
Lowe said it felt good for the Rays to feel like themselves again offensively.
“Home runs kind of energize everybody,” he said. “I feel like any time you score runs, you kind of put a little oomph in your step. It’s definitely good to see and then obviously to watch Siri do his thing.
“We felt like we were kind of back into the swing of things a little bit after taking a little lull for two games.”
The bullpen has been a bit of an adventure much of the season, more so now with closer Pete Fairbanks injured again and others pushed into higher-leverage roles.
Cash went to Adam for the eighth, since he’d face Chicago’s toughest hitters. He tried Kelly, the Rule 5 rookie who was pitching for Cleveland’s Double-A team at this time last year, in the ninth. But that didn’t work, as Kelly walked one Cub and hit another before Paredes made the uncharacteristic costly error.
Beeks had no idea he would be used to get the final outs, much less in such a tense setting, with a one-run lead and the bases loaded. “But it’s the Rays,” he said. “So you always have to be ready.”
Beeks first faced former Ray Miles Mastrobuoni, starting him with a strike. The count went to 3-2 before Beeks finished him with a 96 mph fastball at the top of the zone that Mastrobuoni swung through. Beeks then fell behind Yan Gomes 3-0. He got back to 3-2 with a called strike and a foul ball. After another foul ball, Beeks got Gomes to line out to left.
“Going 3-2 to both guys wasn’t what the plan was, but it was exciting,” Beeks said. “And afterward, it was fun.”
So was packing up and heading out of Wrigley Field after the tough three games, Siri said via Navarro.
“We’re very happy to get out of here.”
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