Rays rally late, then hang on to beat Guardians for 5th straight win

Taking top slugger Junior Caminero out in the eighth inning of a tie game for a pinch-runner can't be an easy decision.

But that's what Rays manager Kevin Cash did on Monday night, and it proved very much to be the right move.

And a key factor in the Rays' 3-2 comeback win over the Guardians in Cleveland that extended their winning streak to five.

After Jonathan Aranda led off the eighth with a homer that tied the score 2-2, Caminero singled.

Cash sent out Richie Palacios to pinch run, and he quickly stole second.

"Richie Palacios coming off the bench ready to run right there was huge, to not wait around and get himself in scoring position," Cash told reporters at Progressive Field.

Cash then made another interesting decision, to not use lefty Jake Fraley to pinch-hit for Ryan Vilade against righty reliever Hunter Gaddis.

Vilade made that call the right one also, bouncing a single up the middle to score Palacios with the decisive run. Vilade also drove in the Rays' first run with a two-out single as part of his second three-hit game in his last four starts.

"He had a big day for us," Cash said. "He definitely came through for us, shooting that ball up the middle. (He) found a couple hits earlier on as well.

"Ryno really complements our team very well. He plays all over the field and gives you a really solid at-bat."

Vilade, the first player acquired (via trade with the Reds) in a busy offseason, has welcomed the opportunity to contribute and appreciated Cash giving him the chance to bat in that situation.

"(It gave me) a lot of confidence," Vilade told Rays.TV's Ryan Bass in the onfield interview. "Once Richie pinch-ran and got the stolen base, I knew my job was to get him to third. Once I got down two strikes, I just battled.

"Trying to move (the ball) forward and I found another hole and he was able to score and it was great."

The Rays (17-11) didn't do much over the early innings against Cleveland lefty Parker Messick, the Plant City High and FSU product who twice in his 2025 big-league debut season beat the team he had dreamed playing for as a kid.

When the Guardians took a 2-0 lead in the fifth on a Daniel Schneemann homer off Rays starter Steven Matz - who didn't do much else wrong over a strong seven-inning outing - it looked like that may have been enough.

But the Rays scratched out a run in the sixth, as Yandy Diaz led off with a walk, went to second on a ground out and scored on a two-out single by Vilade that ended Messick's night.

"We knew we had our hands full coming in; Messick's been really good," Cash said. "Matz has been really good. It was an impressive pitching outing on both teams' part."

Matz was coming off a rough outing against the Reds, allowing three home runs and lasting only three innings. He said going into the game he wasn't concerned, and he showed that with his longest outing since Oct. 1, 2021.

"I'm a strike thrower and I'm going to command the ball and move the ball around and I wasn't able to do that last start," Matz told reporters in Cleveland. "So to come back with this start and be able to do that is huge."

Matz's strong seven innings, the timely offense and some dazzling defense - most notably plays by second baseman Ben Williamson snaring a line drive and Chandler Simpson chasing down a foul ball - put the Rays in good position.

But it also took relievers Ian Seymour (who allowed a leadoff walk in the eighth) and Bryan Baker (who had runners on third and second with one out in the ninth) getting out of trouble to secure the win.

The Rays improved to 17-11 with the win and an American League-best 15-6 since their 2-5 start. They are six games over .500 for the first time since July 10.

And, in contrast to their 5-10 record against NL teams, they moved to 12-1 against AL opponents, just the seventh team in league history to win at least 12 of their first 13.

"That was a gritty win," Vilade said. "And that's the type of team we are."

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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 9:12 PM.