Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves Box Score on Jul 16, 2021

Austin Meadows' tiebreaking, two-out single in the 10th lifted the Tampa Bay Rays to their first extra-innings win in nearly two months, a 7-6 victory over the host Atlanta Braves on Friday.

Hitless in three career at-bats against reliever Jesse Chavez (0-2), Meadows (2-for-4, three RBIs) lined a 3-1 pitch to right to score Brett Phillips, who narrowly beat the throw home.

Pete Fairbanks tossed a perfect 10th for his fourth save, retiring newly acquired Joc Pederson -- called on to pinch hit -- on a grounder to shortstop Wander Franco to end the game, in relief of Matt Wisler (2-3).

The Rays, who moved to 4-9 in extra innings, won for the first time in extras since May 26, when they beat Kansas City 2-1. The victory broke a six-game losing streak in extra frames.

Joey Wendle went 3-for-5 and Ji-Man Choi popped a solo homer for the visitors.

Atlanta's All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman went 4-for-5 with two runs, two RBIs, a stolen base and ripped his 20th homer. Austin Riley and Dansby Swanson also went deep as the Braves built a pair of two-run leads.

Braves hurler Charlie Morton -- the Rays' Opening Day starter last July 24 -- yielded three runs on six hits in six innings. He walked three and fanned eight.

After Morton opened the second inning by hitting Meadows, Wendle grounded a double. Kevin Kiermaier then shot an RBI single to left, and Mike Zunino's groundout plated Wendle for a 2-0 lead.

Rays starter Michael Wacha opened the fourth by issuing a walk to Ozzie Albies and Riley launched a 2-2 cutter to center -- his 15th homer -- to tie the game. Swanson slugged his 16th to left field on a four-seam fastball from Wacha as the Braves grabbed a 3-2 lead.

After striking out with the bases full to end the second, Choi atoned on the first pitch of the fifth, slicing his fourth homer down the line in left off Morton to make it 3-3.

In the fifth, Freeman lined a two-run deep shot to right off J.P. Feyereisen after the reliever replaced Wacha, giving the Braves their second lead.

Franco tripled to right and scored on Meadows' sacrifice fly in the seventh, but Orlando Arcia's two-out RBI single regained Atlanta's two-run advantage.

The Rays tied it 6-6 on RBI singles by Meadows and Wendle against reliever Chris Martin in the eighth.

--Field Level Media