Colorado Rockies vs Tampa Bay Rays Box Score on Aug 22, 2023

American League-leading hitter Yandy Diaz had a go-ahead RBI single and rookie Osleivis Basabe slugged a grand slam in Tampa Bay's nine-run, eighth-inning rally on Tuesday night, rocketing the Rays to a 12-4 win over the Colorado Rockies in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Playing without star shortstop Wander Franco (administrative leave), who missed his eighth consecutive game while under investigation by Major League Baseball, the Rays trailed 4-3 entering the pivotal frame.

After loading the bases against lefty reliever Brent Suter (4-1), the Rays knotted the game on pinch hitter Christian Bethancourt's line-drive, run-scoring single.

Diaz, who went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs to boost his average to .328, grounded a one-out single to left to score Basabe. Randy Arozarena then drove a single to left that bounced off Nolan Jones' glove to score two more.

Following Isaac Paredes' run-scoring double, Basabe launched a grand slam in his second at-bat of the inning for his first-ever big-league home run.

Arozarena went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs and two walks, while Paredes had three hits, two doubles, two RBIs and a run. Basabe had two hits, two runs and four RBIs.

The Rays, who are an AL-best 41-22 at home, produced 16 hits.

Reliever Andrew Kittredge (1-0) tossed a one-hit, scoreless eighth.

Colorado's Michael Toglia slugged a solo homer, and Elias Diaz went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Seven Rockies produced hits as they fell to 20-44 on the road.

In just the 22nd all-time meeting between the clubs and the first since April 3, 2019, the Rays struck first with a lone run in the first inning after loading the bases with no outs. Paredes provided the early lead with a fielder's choice, but Colorado starter Ty Blach escaped a potential big inning.

The Rockies scored twice in the second for their first lead. Jones tripled on a flare into shallow left field and came across to score on Jurickson Profar's sacrifice fly. Toglia followed with a deep shot to right center for his third homer of the season.

In the following frame, Jose Siri's two-out single to right tied it at 2-2 as Arozarena scored after walking for the second time.

During the sixth, three hits by the Rockies, including Elias Diaz's RBI single, chased Rays starter Zack Littell and tied the game at 3-all.

Reliever Colin Poche's first offering was a wild pitch that went to the backstop, and Brendan Rodgers scored to make it 4-3 for the visitors.

--Field Level Media