Cruz hits 'slam' like you've never seen

BOSTON -- With 445 home runs in his 17-year Major League career, Nelson Cruz is used to rounding the bases like he did after crushing a solo shot over the Green Monster late Monday afternoon -- at a slow jog, the same way he covered the last 90 feet in the fourth inning Monday afternoon at Fenway Park, but not so much the first 270 feet.

It took a high fly ball, the afternoon sun interfering with center fielder Alex Verdugo¡¯s effort to catch it and an errant throw from second baseman Taylor Motter sailing into the third-base camera well. But Cruz pulled off a wild and unlikely Little League ¡°grand slam¡± that jolted the Rays back to life in their eventual 11-10 win over the Red Sox.

¡°That was fun. I definitely enjoy to play like a kid. That's the way you should play,¡± Cruz said. ¡°It was a great victory. I think that's one of the sweetest ones, I guess, because the way we [were] down by six runs ¡­ and to be able to come back and win, definitely it shows the layers of this team. No matter the situation, we never give up.¡±

That play was one of several huge moments for Cruz, the Rays¡¯ big midseason acquisition, in Monday¡¯s dramatic victory. The home run he hit in the eighth put Tampa Bay in position to tie the game on Austin Meadows¡¯ inside-the-park home run in the ninth. Cruz delivered a go-ahead single in the 10th inning, advanced to second on a heads-up play and scored what turned out to be a necessary insurance run on Brandon Lowe¡¯s single to right.

But the fly ball to center field -- a triple in the mind of Cruz and Rays manager Kevin Cash, if not the official scorer -- kick-started the Rays¡¯ comeback and inspired some amusing reactions from his teammates.

¡°The big man was moving around the bases,¡± rookie shortstop Wander Franco said through interpreter Manny Navarro. ¡°He was hustling. He knows how to play baseball, and he showed it there.¡±

¡°It's just a joy to watch,¡± Meadows said. ¡°Especially someone that big, to be able to move like that and get the extra bases and just being a team player, doing what he can and hustling on the bases to put our team in a better position to score runs and ultimately win. ¡­ Seeing him come in the dugout smiling and kind of getting everybody jumping up and down, we just have a lot of fun out there and that translates to winning games.¡±

As entertaining as the play turned out to be, it was also important for the Rays. Tampa Bay seemed to be out of the game after left-hander Ryan Yarbrough allowed six runs in the second inning, putting them in a 7-1 hole, but that play made it a two-run game.

Facing Chris Sale with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth, Cruz skied a 2-2 slider to center field. After taking one step onto the warning track, Verdugo reached to catch Cruz¡¯s fly ball but missed, instead knocking it toward right-center field with his glove. Taylor Walls, Randy Arozarena and Franco scored as the ball rolled in front of Boston¡¯s bullpen, and Cruz hustled to third base.

Motter airmailed the relay throw to third, however, so Cruz hopped up and trotted home. The play was initially ruled a triple -- it would¡¯ve been Cruz¡¯s second of the season and only the 15th of his career -- with an error charged to Motter. However, a scoring change corrected the ruling to include a three-base error by Verdugo, a throwing error charged to Motter and no RBIs for Cruz.

¡°I just, I guess, have to lead by example,¡± Cruz said. ¡°I always tell [third-base coach Rodney] Linares to send everybody. That was a situation, I guess, keep going until I get thrown out.¡±

Between that and the extra base he took in the 10th inning, putting himself in scoring position to score a critical run, it was the 41-year-old¡¯s baserunning that drew substantial praise from his manager and teammates after the game. Praise and, yes, a few jokes.

¡°I think Nellie sometimes thinks he's invisible out there,¡± Cash said, grinning. ¡°I'm not exactly sure what he's doing, but we'll take it today.¡±