Rays pull game out of fire to level series
DALLAS: Down to their last strike, the Tampa Bay Rays pulled a wild and unlikely 87 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers out of the hat yesterday when Brett Phillips singled in the tying run.
He was followed by Randy Arozarena who scored the goahead run on an error to level the World Series at 22.
Up 76 in the ninth with two out, the Dodgers had looked well on the way to taking a 31 stranglehold on the bestofseven series when Phillips walked up to the plate with two men on, and with two strikes connected on a line drive to right for his first career postseason hit to score.
As Kevin Kiermaier raced across with the tying run,
Arozarena stumbled to the turf turning for home and looked ready to be tagged out until a throwing error allowed him to dive on to the plate with the winning run.
‘‘I’m having a hard time putting my emotions into words,’’ Phillips said.
‘‘That’s what’s special about this team — one goal, everyone coming together to win.
‘We don’t rely on one guy, it takes everyone.
‘‘Baseball is fun.’’
The contest was the type that would have had a sellout crowd on its feet, but with Covid19 restrictions in place, only a limited number of fans were allowed inside Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, the neutral venue being used for the series.
The day before, the Dodgers scored early and often as pitching ace Walker Buehler overpowered the Rays 62 in game three.
Game five is today. —
Reuters