Tampa Bay Rays prevail 7-6 in nail biting encounter against Cleveland Indians – MLB Update
Tampa Bay Rays showed great courage and determination to prevail in a nail biting encounter against the Cleveland Indians 7-6 at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday, July 8 in the finale of their four match series of the 2012 Major League Baseball
regular season.
First baseman Carlos Pena had an excellent time on the plate as he helped the Rays avoid another humiliating series defeat. The Indians had won two of the previous three games. With home conditions in their favour, they were the favourites to win the finale
but Pena put up a power show to deny them a deserving series victory.
"I started getting loose when Rhymes hit the homer," Fernando Rodney said. "I told the guys, 'Don't worry, we're going to win this game.'”
Cleveland, once again, made a solid start to the contest as they raced to 5-0 lead in the fifth inning. Casey Kotchman had three hits in the game and he homered to right in the fourth inning to give the Indians complete control of the contest.
Luke Scott helped the Rays stay in the game as he doubled to deep right-centre to reduce Indians’ lead to 2-5. Desmond Jennings earned an RBI double to right-centre to add spice to the proceedings. Will Rhymes homered to right and Pena tripled to deep-centre
in the ninth to let the Rays level the score 6-6.
"The hits were coming so fast, I didn't have time to think," Zobrist said. "Hitting was so contagious at that point, he threw a pitch and I swung."
"That was some win," Rays’ manager Joe Maddon said. "It was Rhymes' first home run since 1837, and Carlos has hit probably two balls that way all year."
Ben Zobrist also played a key role in deciding the outcome of the clash as he single to right in bottom of the ninth as Tampa Bay secured an emphatic comeback from behind victory. It will be interesting to see if they Rays can produce similar results after
the All Star Break to have any chance of replacing New York Yankees at the top of American League East standings.
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