ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays were in a tough spot after 6 1/2 innings at Tropicana Field on Saturday evening.
Starter Nick Martinez had already given up a pair of one-run leads, and the Padres pulled ahead by three against relievers Garrett Cleavinger and Kevin Kelly in the seventh. With San Diego’s shutdown bullpen getting ready to go, and closer Mason Miller looming, it seemed the momentum had swung away from Tampa Bay.
But the American League-leading Rays have made a habit out of turning the improbable into reality, and they did it again by pulling off a wild seventh-inning comeback in their 7-6 win over the Padres before an amped-up crowd of 25,621. Tampa Bay’s 81st victory of the season extended the club’s AL East lead over the Yankees to five games with 27 remaining.
For six innings, the top of the Rays’ lineup did the heavy lifting. Yandy Díaz hit a leadoff double and scored on a single by Liam Hicks in the first inning. Jonathan Aranda clobbered a Statcast-projected 453-foot solo shot on top of the batter’s eye in the third. Junior Caminero ended his 15-game homerless drought with a game-tying blast in the sixth.
But it was the light-hitting bottom of the lineup that got things started in the seventh, with Tampa Bay trailing, 6-3. Richie Palacios worked a walk against right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez, then Cedric Mullins and Taylor Walls reached on singles to load the bases.
Up came Díaz, who ripped a 108.9 mph line drive off the wall in center field. Palacios scored easily, but Mullins stopped after rounding third. That left Walls caught between second and third as Padres second baseman Luis Rengifo retrieved the ball.
Walls stood still, forcing Rengifo to chase after him. Then Mullins broke for the plate, prompting an off-balance throw from Rengifo -- who was seriously injured on the play -- that sailed toward the backstop. Mullins slid home, then Walls followed suit, roaring and pumping his fists after scoring the tying run.
Díaz advanced to third amid all the chaos, then gave way to pinch-runner Jorge Mateo with one out. With left-hander Adrian Morejon on the mound, the Padres wisely issued an intentional walk to Caminero before pinch-hitter Ryan Vilade struck out. That brought up Chandler Simpson with two outs.
Having tormented the Padres with his contact hitting and speed the past two days, it should come as no surprise that Simpson delivered the decisive blow. The second-year speedster slapped a 99.7 mph fastball from Morejon to left field, once again putting the Rays on top.
Reliever Kevin Kelly returned to pitch a clean eighth inning, and closer Bryan Baker picked up his Major League-leading 39th save -- and his 28th in a row -- to finish the game.