SkyRays: 10, Mets: 8 - ALL HAIL THE SKYRAY

Rays offense explodes behind Johnny DeLuca, Yandy Diaz and Randy Arozarena

I AM SO HYPED ITS CITY CONNECTS DAY LETS GOOOOO

Newly called up Johnny DeLuca and Alex Jackson both in the lineup today:

Mets scored first after two back to back singles by Jeff McNeil and Tyrone Taylor with 2 outs in the bottom of the 2nd, and then Brett Baty hit a Tropicana special, a HR off the D ring.

Mets lead 3-0.

Rays had a response with some small ball. Amed Rosario opened the bottom half of the innign with a single, then moved to 3rd base with a Jose Caballero double. And Johnny DeLuca would get his first Rays RBI.

Curtis Mead smoked a 102.1 MPH opposite field double to score Caballero and cut the Mets lead to 1.

Not to be outdone, Yandy Diaz hit a 110 MPH single to score Mead and tie the game!

Civale had a nice bounceback in the 3rd, getting outs from Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, and Francisco Lindor.

Harold Ramirez singled and Randy Arozarena walked to put the first two runners on in the 3rd inning. Amed Rosario singled to bring Harold home (thanks to a Hit and Run) and give the Rays their first lead of the game.

Jose Cabellero loaded the bases for Alex Johnson, who juuuuuust missed this fastball. Still good for a sac fly and a 5-3 Rays lead.

Johnny DeLuca singled his 2nd and 3rd RBI of the night and the Rays have a 7-3 lead!!!

With two outs, Yandy Diaz continued his hot hitting and scored DeLuca AND chased Mets starter Jose Quintana out of the game.

Rays lead 8-3 after 3 innings, and wouldn’t be done yet.

These City Connect Jerseys must have some magic in them, because in the bottom of 4th Randy Arozarena hit a no doubt of a HR.

445’, 109.1 MPH off the bat. Rays now have a 9-3 lead. Should be plenty, right?

....Right?!

Welllll hang on.

Top of the 5th came around, and Rays starter Aaron Civale could not locate anything.

Civale loaded the bases with only 1 out, then a sac fly by Starling Marte gave a run back to the Mets. Ironically it was a good pitch by Civale, but Marte just went out and poked it into right field.

The very next pitch, Francisco Lindor laced for a double and scored two more runs for the Mets.

Rays still have a three run lead, but that would be it for Aaron Civale. Cash asked Shawn Armstrong to try and stop the bleeding, with an inherited runner on 2nd base.

Yeah, didn’t happen as Shawn Armstrong gives up a double to bring the Mets within 2 runs. It always has to be difficult for the Rays bullpen. Armstrong got out of the inning, and Aaron Civale’s final line is: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 5 Ks on 77 pitches.

Rays still lead 9-7 after 5 innings, although its not as comfortable as before.

It looked like the Rays would bust it open again in the bottom of the 6th inning, as the Rays had the bases loaded with only 1 out. A ball hit off of Mets’ Lopez’s glove (that should’ve been an inning ending double play) scored the 10th run of the game for the Rays.

Rays still hit into the double play, but it wasn’t until the next batter - Jose Caballero. I’ll take the 1 run, though!

The bullpen, for the most part, held it together! Shawn Armstrong, Kevin Kelley, and Phil Maton combined for 3.1 IP, 2 H (Both on Armstrong), 0 BB and 3 Ks.

Jason Adam would be asked to close out the game in the 9th with a 3 run lead, and did not make it easy. After one out, Adam threw an awful breaking pitch to Brett Baty, who didn’t miss and hit his 2nd HR of the game.

Adam also gave up a double that was almost caught by Randy, but Adam was still able to get the most important out, the final one.

FINAL: Rays: 10 - Mets: 8.

The City Connects provide the magic and much needed good vibes for the Rays offense to explode for the win!