Rays' hero in 10-inning 'W'? 'One through 25'

The Rays didn’t need Nelson Cruz’s bat -- at least for Thursday, anyway. They came back from 3-0 and 4-1 deficits to defeat the Indians, 5-4, in 10 innings at Progressive Field. It was their 30th comeback victory this season.

“It seems like there is a new guy every day,” designated hitter Austin Meadows said. “Certain guys continue to contribute, whether it’s guys who come up or who have been around. It seems like every day there is a new hero.”

? Box score

The Indians had a two-run lead going into the ninth inning, but the Rays found a way to tie the score off right-hander James Karinchak. Yandy Díaz, who finished a double short of the cycle, made it a one-run game with a home run, while Brandon Lowe sent Brett Phillips home with a double to tie the score at 4-4. The Rays were down to their last out when Lowe came through in the clutch.

“It speaks volumes about our team. There is no quit in this team,” Lowe said. “One through 25 -- it’s incredible, honestly.”

An inning later, with right-hander Bryan Shaw on the mound, Meadows, who could lose some time at the designated hitter spot because of Cruz, drove in automatic runner Randy Arozarena from second with a single to left field that put Tampa Bay ahead for good.

“You can’t get more clutch than game-winning RBIs,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “I know Bryan Shaw really well. He’s really tough -- righty, lefty. He cuts the ball as well as anybody in baseball. Meadows just got enough of it to push it out into center field. It was a big league knock. It was a big overall game for a lot of people.”

It marked the second game in a row that Meadows drove in the game-winning run. He came through in the clutch on Wednesday against the Orioles at the Trop in the bottom of the ninth inning.

“Shaw has a really good cutter. It’s really hard,” Meadows said. “I just felt like he was going to keep [throwing cutters to me]. The first two pitches were cutters in, so the only pitch I saw was the cutter. He made a mistake and I was able to get it done. It was a huge win, obviously, coming back from behind like we have been doing all year.”

The Rays (58-39) remained a game behind the Red Sox (59-38) in the American League East. They're going to be better when Cruz arrives, which could happen as early as Friday. He is expected to hit in the middle of the batting order. At 41, Cruz is still dominating in the batter’s box, hitting .294 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs through 85 games in 2021.

“Before the game, everybody was super excited. He is a huge help for us,” Meadows said. “Obviously, we know what he has done and continues to do. I’m looking forward to meeting him. He is going to be a huge addition to our team, so we are excited.”

Cash can’t wait to insert Cruz’s name into the lineup.

“[The Rays] are trying to better a good club. We are a good team. We know we just got better by adding Cruz,” Cash said. “Nelson Cruz is one of the hottest bats out there. … You don’t hear anybody say a negative word about him. We have a really high-quality hitter and high-quality person.”