Rays Sweep Padres 5-4 as DeLuca and Mateo Secure 11-Inning Victory

Tampa Bay completed a three-game sweep of San Diego as Jorge Mateo hit a walk-off single in the 11th inning following a game-tying home run by Jonny DeLuca.

Tampa Bay defeated the San Diego Padres 5-4 in 11 innings on Sunday at St. Petersburg, Florida, to finalize a three-game series sweep. Jorge Mateo provided the game-winning hit with a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th, following a chaotic sequence where Jonny DeLuca forced extra innings with a two-out, two-run home run in the ninth. The victory marked the sixth consecutive time the Rays have beaten the Padres.

Trailing 3-1 in the ninth inning, DeLuca faced Mason Miller, who entered the contest with 32 saves in 33 opportunities. DeLuca launched a fly ball to left field that appeared to be the final out, but the ball dislodged from the glove of outfielder Samad Taylor as he collided with the wall. The ball landed over the fence for a game-tying home run, handing Miller his second blown save of the season. Miller has now surrendered home runs in two straight appearances after previously going 53 games without allowing a long ball.

Extra-Inning Drama and Scoring Summary

In the top of the 11th, automatic runner Manny Machado advanced to third base on a wild pitch by Tyler Wells. Ty France then drove Machado home with a sacrifice fly to give San Diego a 4-3 lead. Wells earned the win to improve his record to 3-2. In the bottom half of the frame, Liam Hicks recorded a one-out single against David Morgan, who took the loss to fall to 2-1.

With runners on the corners, pinch runner Kenny Piper stole second base. The Padres then issued an intentional walk to Chandler Simpson to load the bases. The Rays tied the game at 4-4 when DeLuca reached base on an error by shortstop Xander Bogaerts, setting the stage for Mateo’s decisive single. San Diego had previously built their lead through a two-run single by Bogaerts in the fourth inning and a sacrifice fly by Sung-Mun Song in the seventh.

Pitching Performances and Milestones

Drew Rasmussen started for Tampa Bay, pitching six innings and allowing two runs on four hits. The performance ended Rasmussen's streak of seven consecutive wins and prevented him from becoming the first pitcher in franchise history to record six wins in a single calendar month. On the visiting side, Robbie Ray threw six innings, allowing one run on three hits before exiting with the lead.

Junior Caminero provided the initial offensive spark for the Rays, hitting a 440-foot solo home run in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 2-1. This blast extended Caminero’s hitting streak to 13 games and marked his second consecutive day with a home run. Of his 37 total home runs this season, 19 have traveled at least 420 feet, which leads all Major League Baseball hitters.

Disciplinary Action and Defensive Stats

San Diego star Fernando Tatis Jr. was ejected from the game in the seventh inning. The ejection occurred after Tatis Jr. was ruled out for running in fair territory while attempting to reach base on a comebacker. The play effectively ended the Padres' half of the seventh inning. Defensively, the game turned on the 11th-inning error by Bogaerts, which allowed the tying run to cross the plate before the walk-off hit. The Rays' bullpen held the Padres to just one run in the final four innings to facilitate the comeback.