By the 16th inning
Authentic Adrian Clayborn Jersey , the Tampa Bay Rays had their backup catcher pitching, and the Miami Marlins had one of their pitchers pinch-hit.
It was a battle of attrition, and Tampa Bay won.
Jake Bauers hit a tiebreaking two-out, two-run double in a five-run 16th, ending the Rays’ 13-inning scoreless streak and lifting them over Miami 9-6 on Tuesday night.
”There were a lot of people doing things they’re not used to doing,” Bauers said.
That included Rays reliever Vidal Nuno (2-1), who pitched two scoreless innings and also had two hits. He was thrown out on a headfirst slide trying to stretch a single into a double in the 15th, singled home a run in the 16th and then left the game after straining his right hamstring sprinting to first base.
Nuno will likely go on the disabled list, manager Kevin Cash said.
”What a performance,” Cash said. ”Amazing.”
”That was an incredible effort by Nuno, especially the dive into second base ,” Bauers said. ”That was one of the crazier things I’ve seen on a baseball field.”
Nuno became the first American League reliever to record two or more hits and earn a victory in the same game since the designated hitter rule was adopted in 1973.
Miami’s J.T. Realmuto led off the 15th with a double, but Nuno pitched out of the jam.
With the Rays leading 9-4 in the 16th and short on pitchers, backup catcher Jesus Sucre took the mound for the bottom of the inning but gave up three consecutive singles and a sacrifice fly.
Jose Alvarado came on and walked pinch-hitting pitcher Dan Straily before Cameron Maybin grounded out to end the 5 1/2-hour marathon. That gave the Rays their ninth win in 11 games.
”It got a little stressful there at the end,” Cash said. ”We appreciate the win, but we’re beat up.”
Announced attendance was 6,259
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Johnny Field singled to start the Rays’ five-run 16th against Brett Graves (0-1), and Carlos Gomez was hit by a pitch. After Kevin Kiermaier hit into a double play, Matt Duffy walked, and both scored on Bauers’ double.
The runs were the first for the Rays since the second inning, when they led 4-0.
Right fielder Mallek Smith was yanked in the fourth inning for missing a sign, Cash said, which left the Rays even more shorthanded in the late innings. Reliever Sergio Romo batted in the 12th, struck out and remains hitless in his career.
”Definitely not how you draw it up in a lot of different ways,” Duffy said. ”In a 16-inning game there are going to be some ugly things. Not an ideal day, but we’re happy to come out with the win.”
Wilson Ramos hit a two-run homer for the Rays, his 12th.
Miami’s Brian Anderson singled home a run in the fifth and has 33 hits with runners in scoring position to lead the majors. Teammate Justin Bour had three hits and scored once.
Rays center fielder Kiermaier threw out Anderson trying to score on a flyout to end the fifth and keep the score at 4-all. Tampa Bay’s Chaz Roe struck out Realmuto with runners at second and third in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.
”A lot of ifs and buts in a game like that,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: RHP Sandy Alcantara will be placed on the 10-day disabled list with an infection under his upper right arm.
Rays: RHP Chris Archer (left abdominal strain) threw four hitless innings in a rehab start for Class A Charlotte. … RHP Jake Faria (left oblique strain) is scheduled to throw live batting practice Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Marlins RHP Jose Urena (2-9, 4.40), sidelined since June 20 with right shoulder impingement, is expected to come off the disabled list to start Wednesday afternoon against RHP Matt Andriese (1-3, 3.86).
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Cleveland Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer leads the big leagues with 109.3 pitches per game this season.
The 27-year-old emerging star would not have it any other way.
“I feel great,” Bauer said to the Cleveland Plain Dealer when asked about his high pitch counts. “I recover really well
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Bauer will go for another triple-digit performance Wednesday night when Cleveland (35-30) visits Chicago (23-42) for the third contest of a four-game series at Guaranteed Rate Field. The teams have split the series’ first two games, with the Indians posting a 4-0 victory Monday and the White Sox bouncing back for a 5-1 win Tuesday.
It is not impossible for the White Sox to beat Bauer, but the challenge will be steep.
The right-hander is 5-4 with a 2.62 ERA in 13 starts this season. He has walked 29 and struck out 109 in 86 innings. He has registered double-digit strikeouts in each of his past three outings and in five starts overall this season.
No wonder Indians manager Terry Francona has left Bauer in the game for 100-plus pitches in every start this year.
“I just don’t see a reason (to pull him),” Francona said to the Plain Dealer. “I just feel he deserves to stay out there.”
In 14 career games (12 starts) against the White Sox, Bauer is 6-2 with a 3.55 ERA. He has fanned 89 in 76 innings.
The White Sox will counter with right-hander Dylan Covey (2-1, 2.22 ERA), who has emerged as an early bright spot during a rebuilding season. The 26-year-old struggled badly as a rookie in 2017, but he has looked much better since being promoted from Triple-A Charlotte in late May. He has not allowed an earned run in either of his past two starts.
In three career games (one start) against Cleveland, Covey is 0-0 with a 3.68 ERA.
Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor will try to stay hot at the plate after going 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles Tuesday. The 24-year-old has a team-leading 23 doubles to go along with 14 home runs and 35 RBIs.
Five Indians players already have double-digit home runs. Jose Ramirez leads the group with 19, while Edwin Encarnacion (16) and Lindor (14) round out the top three. Yonder Alonso and Michael Brantley have 11 apiece.
Chicago is led in homers by Matt Davidson and Tim Anderson, who each have 11.
White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu will look for another strong game as he tries to strengthen his case to be a starter in the All-Star Game at Nationals Park. The 31-year-old is hitting .286 with 10 home runs and 38 RBIs, and his 25 doubles lead the club.
A second All-Star appearance would be special for Abreu.
“It will be excellent because we play this game for the fans,” Abreu said via an interpreter to mlb.com. “To have the honor to represent them, and they know what I’m doing, that is really big. If that happens, I would be really happy.”
