Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Mets Box Score on May 18, 2023

Tommy Pham delivered the tie-breaking RBI single in the sixth inning Thursday as the host New York Mets edged the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 to win their first series in five tries this month.

The Mets also entered 0-5-2 in their last seven series dating to Apr. 17-19, when they took two of three from the Los Angeles Dodgers. New York went 8-15 in between series wins against six opponents, with only the Atlanta Braves holding a winning record through Wednesday's games.

Josh Lowe had two hits and an RBI for the Rays, who still have the best record in baseball at 32-13 but finished 4-6 on a season-long 10-game road trip.

The teams traded runs in the first before Pete Alonso hit a home run for the third straight game to give the Mets the lead in the fourth. It was Alonso's 16th home run of the season.

Lowe homered in the sixth for the Rays, his 10th, before New York pieced together the go-ahead rally against Zack Littell (0-1) in the bottom of the inning.

Jeff McNeil led off with a single and Alonso flew out before McNeil went to third on a single by Brett Baty. Pham then beat out a slow roller to third for a hit as McNeil scored.

The rally made a winner of starter Tylor Megill (5-2), who allowed two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out four over six innings. Brooks Raley threw a perfect seventh for the Mets and Jeff Brigham gave up a hit in the eighth before David Robertson worked around a one-out ninth-inning double by Randy Arozarena to earn his eighth save.

Baty had an RBI groundout in the first. Pham and McNeil had two hits apiece.

Harold Ramirez hit into a run-scoring forceout in the first for Tampa Bay, while Lowe and Arozarena had two hits each.

Rays rookie right-hander Taj Bradley, who was recalled from Triple-A Durham prior to the game, allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out four over five innings. It was Bradley's fourth career start.

-Field Level Media