Rays Drop 4-3 Heartbreaker to Cardinals
Winn, Goldschmidt Help Helsley Close Out Rays
Pham, Scott II Homer for Tampa Bay
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays fell 4-3 to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, as Ryan Helsley struck out Taylor Walls with the bases loaded to end the game and strand the tying run at third base.
The Rays (62-60) had rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning on a two-run homer by Victor Scott II and an RBI single by Tommy Pham. But the Cardinals (65-57) got to the Rays' bullpen in the ninth, as Paul Goldschmidt led off with a single and Masyn Winn followed with a double. Helsley then came on and struck out Yandy DÃaz before walking Isaac Paredes to load the bases. But he got Walls to swing through a 98 mph fastball to end the game and earn his 10th save of the season.
The loss snapped the Rays' three-game winning streak and dropped them 3.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the final Wild Card spot in the American League.
The Cardinals took an early lead against Rays starter Drew Rasmussen, who allowed three runs on five hits in four innings. Goldschmidt hit a solo homer in the first inning, and Winn added a two-run single in the third.
The Rays got on the board in the fifth inning on a solo homer by Pham, his 20th of the season. They tied the game in the eighth on Scott II's two-run shot off Cardinals reliever Génesis Cabrera.
But the Cardinals bullpen held the Rays scoreless in the ninth, and Helsley came up with the big strikeout to end the game.
The Rays will look to bounce back on Wednesday when they host the Cardinals in the second game of their three-game series. Shane McClanahan (11-5, 2.20 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Rays, while Dakota Hudson (7-7, 4.05 ERA) will start for the Cardinals.
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