ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jonny DeLuca scored on an error in the ninth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat Arizona 5-4 on Friday night to end the Diamondbacks’ season-high winning streak at six games.
DeLuca drew a walk from Justin Martinez (5-3), and scored from first when center fielder Jake McCarthy misplayed Brandon Lowe’s two-out single that deflected up the middle.
“It’s just the definition of a team effort,” DeLuca said. “It’s always fun to play a game like this where it’s just a fight back and forth, and obviously coming out of top feels a lot better.”
McCarthy called his error a lapse.
“I was coming in too fast, and I probably should have put a glove on it instead of bare handing it,” McCarthy said. “I knew DeLuca runs pretty well, so I figured he was going to round third pretty aggressively. I just left it there and that can’t happen.”
Joc Pederson and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had run-scoring singles in the first for the Diamondbacks, who have overcame a series of injuries to hold one of the NL wild-card spots. They have won 20 of 26 since the All-Star break and 30 of 41 since late June.
Corbin Carroll tied it at 4 on a two-out, two-run homer off Rays closer Pete Fairbanks (3-3) in the ninth. It was Fairbanks’ third blown save in 26 chances.
“We didn’t play our typical game today,” Arizona manager Torey Louvello said. “There were five or six identifiable things that we needed to clean up. When we do it wrong, we give up some runs and it leads to a loss. I don’t want us to dwell on this. We’re going to use it as a teachable moment and keep pushing forward.”
Josh Lowe had a two-run single in a three-run eighth inning against Ryan Thompson that put the Rays up 4-2.
Tampa Bay’s Ryan Pepiot allowed two unearned runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings in his first start since July 14. The right-hander had been sidelined by a right knee infection that was thought to have stemmed from a spider bite and required hospitalization.
“Just a really fun game,” Pepiot said.
Arizona’s Ryne Nelson gave up one run, five hits and struck out six in 6 1/3 innings.
Dylan Carlson got the Rays to 2-1 on his third homer in 11 games in the fifth, and had an RBI single during the eighth. He had gone deep twice in his previous 102 games.
Arizona’s Eugenio Suárez had a pair of interesting at-bats.
Suárez was called for a swinging strike on a 1-2 pitch in the second on a pitch that hit his hand. He reached on a fourth-inning pop fly that shortstop José Caballero was charged with an error for colliding with second baseman Christopher Morel, who was in position to catch the ball. Gurriel was thrown out trying to score from first on the play in the fourth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: 1B Christian Walker (strained left oblique) is doing flips and light soft ball in a batting cage, and small forward running. ... All-Star 2B Ketel Marte (left ankle sprain) was out of the lineup for the third straight game, but took part in pregame drills and may play Saturday,
UP NEXT
Arizona RHP Zac Gallen (9-5, 3.69 ERA) was set to face LHP Jeffrey Springs (0-1, 4.61 ERA) on Saturday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
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