Cash’s confidence in the top of the lineup paid off Saturday night as the Rays evened the series at 2-2.
Jonathan Aranda’s single led to two runs in the seventh inning when the ball got by right fielder Chase DeLauter and helped propel Tampa Bay to a 7-3 victory.
asserted
ball → pay → victory
The first four hitters in the Rays order — Yandy Díaz, Aranda, Chandler Simpson and Junior Caminero — had six of their 11 hits and drove in six runs after they went 7 for 41 with three RBIs during the first three ALCS games.
asserted
they → have → games
A lot of hard hits,” Cash said.
asserted
Cash → say → hits
“But overall, just happy that Junior squared some balls up, Aranda came through in a big way for us and then Yandy there at the end with a add-on homer.”
asserted
Aranda → square → homer
The best-of-seven matchup became a best-of-three.
asserted
matchup → become → three
Game 5 is Sunday in Cleveland before the series shifts back to St. Petersburg, Florida, on Monday.
asserted
series → shift → Monday
There is no off day for travel after Friday’s game was postponed by rain.
asserted
game → be → rain
It feels good, but we’re going to take it one game at a time and not look ahead.
asserted
we → feel → time
But we’re glad to be going back home after that,” Simpson said.
asserted
Simpson → ’re → that
Aranda had three hits and drove in two runs, Diaz had two hits and two RBIs, including a two-run homer in the ninth off Matt Festa, while Simpson and Caminero each drove in a run.
asserted
Simpson → have → run
“It was just a matter of time to get going.
asserted
It → get → time
We can use this going forward,” Aranda said through translator Kevin Vera.
asserted
Aranda → use → Vera
Error, timely hitting allow Rays to break it open in 7th
Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead in the sixth when Caminero lined a double to the left-field wall off Daniel Espino (0-1), then broke open the game in a three-run seventh.
asserted
Caminero → allow → seventh
Richie Palacios and Taylor Walls got aboard on base hits and moved into scoring position on a double steal.
asserted
Palacios → get → steal
After Díaz struck out, Aranda lined a single past a diving Bazzana, who was playing near the grass between first and second, and into right field to score Palacios.
asserted
who → strike → Palacios
When DeLauter allowed the ball under his glove, Walls came around from second.
asserted
Walls → allow → second
Aranda went all the way to third on the error and scored on Simpson’s sacrifice fly.
asserted
Aranda → go → fly
“It looked like it may have snaked on him or just skipped by him, took his eye off of it,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said.
uncertain
Vogt → look → it
“A couple unfortunate plays for us tonight that we usually complete and just weren’t able to do it.
asserted
we → complete → it
“Those were the two runs we needed.
asserted
we → need → ?
In the moment, I see the ball go under the hands of DeLauter, I said, it’s time to run,” said Aranda, who went 0 for 10 in the first three games,
Sharp outing by Martinez
Nick
asserted
who → see → Martinez
Martinez continued his mastery of Cleveland this season.
asserted
Martinez → continue → Cleveland
Pitching on a 46-degree night — the coldest postgame game in Rays’ history — the right-hander allowed one run and two hits.
asserted
hander → pitch → run
After DeLauter’s RBI single put Cleveland up 1-0 in the first, Martinez (1-0) retired 10 straight at one point before walking Bazzana leading off the fifth.
asserted
Martinez → put → fifth
“I think your most important games are in the cold weather.
asserted
games → think → weather
We have obviously the climate controlled ...
asserted
climate → have → ?
But I think you just try to put that aside, right?
asserted
you → think → that
These games are important,” Martinez said.
asserted
Martinez → say → ?
“To look at ticky-tack stuff like that about the weather, honestly, you’re just so jacked up to be pitching in these moments you’re not really thinking about the weather.
asserted
you → look → weather
In three starts this season against Cleveland, Martinez went 3-0 and gave up one run in 18 1/3 innings with 12 strikeouts.
asserted
Martinez → go → strikeouts
Freddy Peralta — who started Game 2 on Tuesday and threw six scoreless innings — relieved Martinez and got the final two outs on the sixth.
asserted
who → start → sixth
The right-hander threw only nine pitches and could still be in line to start Game 6 on Monday.
uncertain
hander → throw → Monday
Rollercoaster night for Guardians’ rookies
DeLauter and Travis Bazzana had key hits at the plate, but also struggled baserunning and in the field.
asserted
DeLauter → have → field
DeLauter was easily tagged out at second after his RBI single when he tried to extend it to a double along with his error in the seventh.
asserted
he → tag → seventh
Bazzana hit his first postseason home run but also had a tough time fielding at second base.
asserted
Bazzana → hit → base
Bazzana homered in the seventh against Ian Seymour and Brayan Rocchio added an RBI single as Cleveland closed to 5-3.
asserted
Cleveland → homer → 5
“You just got to flush it and come back strong tomorrow,” Bazzana said about the loss.
asserted
Bazzana → got → loss
“I think we’ve been in situations where it gets tough, it gets tighter, it gets harder, a little closer to the end of the season and you just got to fight for that next win and be present tomorrow.
asserted
you → think → win
So yeah, we’ve seen this kind of situation before and we just got to bounce back.”
asserted
we → see → situation
Halpin’s web gem
Caminero drove a fastball to Griffin deep to center, before Center fielder Petey Halpin made a leaping catch before crashing into the nook between the 19-foot wall in left and the 9-foot wall in center.
asserted
Halpin → drive → center
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
