Series win in the Big Apple: Rays 8, Mets 4

The Mets’ league-best ERA has been no match for the Rays offense.

It’s the second game of the Rays’ weekend series at Citi Field, and Drew Rasmussen is tasked with starting this one to try and clinch the series win against the Mets.

Rain pushed the start of this game back by an hour, but Tylor Megill took the mound for the Mets once the tarp was removed from the field. The Rays offense was quiet in the first, and Rasmussen followed with a strong bottom of the first of his own, striking out Francisco Lindor to begin the frame and forcing Juan Soto to ground into a double play to end it.

The second inning was equally quiet for both offenses, but it was the top of the third that saw a run finally cross the plate. Taylor Walls hit a one-out ground rule double to left, and Josh Lowe brought Walls home with a single to left. Brandon Lowe added a single of his own, but the Lowe’s were stranded on base to end the third.

The lead didn’t last long, as Brett Baty homered in the bottom of the third to tie this game up. The runs didn’t stop there, as another one was plated for the Mets after Francisco Lindor doubled with two outs and Brandon Nimmo scored him with a hit of his own. Rasmussen was able to keep the runs against at two, so the game was still within a short reach after three innings.

Junior Caminero didn’t have to reach very far to tie this one up, as he led off the top of the fourth with a home run to deep left field. The ball left his bat at 109 mph and traveled 409 feet.

Jake Mangum was plunked by Megill after Caminero’s home run, and Matt Thaiss moved Mangum up to third with a single up the middle. With one out in the fourth, Taylor Walls dropped a perfect bunt, plating Mangum, giving the Rays the lead, and still making it to first base thanks to a fielding error by Megill. Brandon Lowe extended the lead with a blooper to right, bringing Thaiss home to make it 4-2 Rays.

With runners on the corners and two outs, Yandy Diaz extended the lead even further with a single to left, scoring Walls and making it 5-2. Jonathan Aranda drew a walk to load the bases and keep the threat going, and a wild pitch by Megill allowed Lowe to score and push the lead up to 6-2. Megill wasn’t able to complete his disastrous fourth inning, and the Mets brought in Jose Castillo to stop the bleeding, but those last two runs were the difference in the game.

Rasmussen didn’t let the trend of a big fourth inning continue in the bottom-half, as he needed only nine pitches to retire the side. On the offensive side, Taylor Walls continued to swing a hot bat, extending the lead to 7-2 after hitting another double, and scoring Matt Thaiss, who singled earlier in the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, Rasmussen was slightly less dialed in, allowing a solo home run to Ronny Mauricio and an RBI single to Brandon Nimmo, reducing the lead to 7-4. Yandy Diaz got one of those runs back, hitting a triple to score Brandon Lowe, who had reached on an error to begin the sixth.

Kevin Kelly was tabbed to work the bottom of the sixth, relieving Rasmussen after five innings of work. Four earned runs crossed the plate on seven hits for Rasmussen, while he walked one and struck out three. Kelly threw 11 pitches in a 1-2-3 inning, moving this game to the seventh.

Cole Sulser, Garrett Cleavinger, and Mason Englert worked together to ensure that no more runs would score for the Mets, and those three did just that, with Englert closing this one out and securing the series victory for the Rays. Shane Baz will take the mound tomorrow afternoon to try and do his part in trying to sweep the Mets. First pitch is scheduled for 1:40 pm.