Rays lose lead late, get walked off by Orioles for seventh loss in nine games

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Aug 22, 2026

Published in Baseball

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BALTIMORE — The Tampa Bay Rays, as you may have read or heard, have been struggling a bit lately.

Saturday, they looked like they had gotten back closer to what had been working for them much of the season, with strong pitching and a couple of key hits, and taking a two-run lead into the eighth.

And it still didn’t work out for them.

The Baltimore Orioles rallied for two runs in the eighth to get even, held off the Rays from going back ahead in the ninth, then scratched out a run in the 10th for a 3-2 walk-off win.

Dylan Beavers led off the 10th with a drive to deep right-center that scored placed runner Leody Taveras from second.

The loss was the Rays’ seventh in their last nine games and dropped their American League-leading record to 76-53. They did maintain a three-game lead in the East Division, as the New York Yankees also lost Saturday.

The Rays had a chance for a run in the ninth when Jonny DeLuca doubled with two outs, but right-fielder Tyler O’Neill made a diving catch of Richie Palacios’ shallow fly.

They had a better chance in the 10th when Cedric Mullins’ grounder to first moved Palacios, the runner placed at second to start the inning, to third.

Taylor Walls tried the squeeze bunt the Rays have used often but didn’t get it past pitcher Rico Garcia, who made the toss home for the out.

After wasting a chance in the first inning off Orioles starter Brandon Young, the Rays took a 1-0 lead in the second.

That happened on a leadoff home run by Liam Hicks, who took advantage of Players’ Weekend to sport red catcher’s gear in Canadian flag style in honor of his native country.

The Rays expanded their lead to 2-0 in the sixth, though they could have had more.

Taylor Walls drew a leadoff walk but got thrown out trying to get to third on Yandy Diaz’s single to right.

With two outs, Chandler Simpson did what Chandler Simpson does, using his speed to beat out a slow infield roller for a hit and sending Diaz to second. In doing so, Simpson extended his hitting streak to 13 games.

Junior Caminero then came up with the kind of big hit the Rays have been lacking, slapping a single through the middle to score Diaz.

With two on and two out, Orioles manager Craig Albernaz, the Eckerd College product, switched to lefty reliever Josh Walker. Rays manager Kevin Cash countered by pinch-hitting righty Ryan Vilade for the lefty-swinging Hicks.

That worked in the Orioles’ favor, as Vilade struck out.

The Orioles got even in the eighth off reliever Kevin Kelly.

Jackson Holliday led off with a first-pitch single, then Kelly struck out the dangerous Pete Alonso, a Tampa native. But the Orioles pinch-hit Samuel Basallo, the powerful lefty. That worked for them, as Kelly got behind 2-0 and then left a sinker where Basallo could get it, and he drove it 411 feet over the center-field fence.

McClanahan, in his second start after a 17-day injured-list stint due to back tightness, looked very much back to form, working five shutout innings.

He got there in 74 pitches, a reasonable increase from the 57 he threw over 3 1/3 innings in his Monday return. He allowed four hits and one walk while striking out five. Two of the hits were singles by Alonso.

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