TAMPA, Fla. – Ten players had a least one hit, eight drove in at least one run and eight scored at least once. Add a bullpen that retired 23 of the final 24 batters and it is easy to understand how the Rays not only overcame an 8-0 second-inning deficit to the Orioles on Wednesday night, but built a cushion in an 12-8 win.
“From the first to ninth (in the order), everybody did their job,” said Yandy Díaz. “Even the guys that came off the bench. Everybody chipped in, and we were able to win the game.”
Bradon Lowe was one of the players who came off the bench. His pinch-hit, two-run homer in the fifth tied the game. He was hitting for Curtis Mead, and the two combined for three hits, two walks, two RBI and four runs out of the No. 2 hole.
“The way that the game was won, the way that it was played, the at-bats that were put together, the bullpen that came through, I mean, it’s hard to quantify just what this can do for a team,” said Lowe.
With the comeback, the Rays equaled the largest deficit they have overcome in 27-plus seasons. Here are the other two games in which they climbed out of a size-eight hole.
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August 18, 2012 at Angels
The Rays trailed 8-0 after three innings and erupted for a seven-run fifth, highlighted by Desmond Jennings’ bases-clearing double that was followed by Evan Longoria’s two-run homer, to make it a one-run game.
In the sixth, Jose Lobaton’s sacrifice fly scored Ryan Roberts to tie the game. That set the stage for Carlos Pena’s two-run homer in the eighth of Kevin Jepsen to give the Rays a 10-8 lead, which is how it finished.
After Alex Cobb allowed all eight Angels runs in 2 2/3 innings, the bullpen allowed only three hits in 6 1/3 innings, an effort that was capped by Fernando Rodney’s 38th save.
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July 25, 2009 at Blue Jays
Toronto scored two ruins in each of the first four innings to take an 8-0 lead. After the Rays got on the board with a run in the sixth, the Blue Jays responded in their half of the inning by restoring the eight-run lead at 9-1.
Carlos Pena’s bases-clearing triple highlighted a four-run seven that brought the Rays to within 9-5. They scored twice in the eighth and twice in the ninth, on homers by Pena and Willie Aybar, to the game. Off to the 12th inning they went, which is when Jason Bartlett’s two-out double scored Ben Zobrist with the winning run in a 10-9 win. J.P. Howell picked up the win and Joe Nelson recorded a save.
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