Tampa Bay pinch hitter Junior Caminero’s go-ahead RBI single sparked a four-run sixth inning, securing the Rays’ first home series triumph in their temporary ballpark by beating the Colorado Rockies 6-4 on Sunday afternoon.
In a 2-all tie in the sixth, Caminero cued a single over second base against Luis Peralta (0-1) to score Jonathan Aranda. Jose Caballero’s RBI bunt single was thrown away by catcher Jacob Stallings, allowing Caminero to score the third run. Ben Rortvedt’s fielder’s choice plated Caballero for the final marker.
In Tampa Bay’s third game at Steinbrenner Field, Brandon Lowe slugged his first homer while Jonny DeLuca was 3-for-4 with two stolen bases. Caballero added a walk and a stolen base.
Starter Taj Bradley (1-0) went six strong innings and surrendered two runs on five hits. He struck out seven and hit a batter.
Colorado’s Nick Martini was 3-for-4 with an RBI, while pinch hitter Mickey Moniak popped a two-run homer.
Starter Ryan Feltner allowed two runs on four hits in five innings. The right-hander fanned five and walked one.
Lowe sat on a first-pitch curveball and rocked it an estimated 409 feet to right center in the first, a two-run shot that scored Diaz after his leadoff double as four of the first five Rays reached base.
Feltner settled in after that, but the right-handed Bradley was sharp from the start.
Bradley retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced, getting five strikeouts and needing just 46 pitches to limit the Rockies to a lone first-inning single by Ezequiel Tovar.
However, the visitors finally broke through in the fifth when Michael Toglia led off with a double off the right field wall and scored on Martini’s single to make it 2-1.
They added to that in the sixth when Hunter Goodman stroked a two-out single to left to score Tyler Freeman.
Moniak blasted a two-run shot to center in the seventh to cut it to 6-4.
Pete Fairbanks, who won the season opener, posted his first save by working around a pair of singles in the ninth and striking out Moniak to finish it.
