The Rays let another lead slip away, but this time they rallied to beat the Braves

ATLANTA — What could have been another crushing and frustrating loss for the Rays on Sunday afternoon instead turned out to be an inspiring 8-6 victory.

Jose Siri provided the winning margin with a two-run, one-out homer in the ninth, giving the Rays the lead back after blowing a 6-2 lead.

The win improved the Rays’ last-place finish to 34-38 as they enjoy a day off in rainy Minnesota on Monday before continuing a nine-game, 10-day road trip.

The Rays were in better shape earlier Sunday, taking a 6-2 lead on a fourth-inning grand slam from Ben Rortvedt.

At first, the rally didn’t look like much.

Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch from Braves rookie Hurston Waldrep, a 2023 rookie out of the University of Florida, who was making his second big league start, with one out.

Richie Palacios walked four pitches, Siri walked five. Then Rortvedt threw the next pitch down the right field line and just inside the foul pole.

At the time, it seemed like the kind of major boost the struggling Rays needed.

Yandy Diaz’s leadoff double set up the first run for the Rays, who scored on a fairly rare break in their favor, as Arozarena’s two-out player up the middle flew off second base and was instead a single RBI.

After the Braves tied it on a leadoff homer by Jarred Kelenic and took a 2-1 lead in the second on a homer by ex-Ray Travis d’Arnaud, Brandon Lowe tied the Rays up with a 429-foot blast in the third .

Starter Zach Eflin gave the Rays a solid outing, striking out a season-high seven while pitching into the sixth. But his afternoon ended when he allowed four straight singles with two outs. The third, from Adam Duvall, scored Atlanta a run. The second, combined with an error by first-time third baseman Richie Palacios, who made a superb diving save and an absolutely terrible throw, cut the lead to 6-4.

The Braves tied it in the eighth when reliever Jason Adam allowed a one-out double to Matt Olson and then a two-run homer by Austin Riley to cap an 11-pitch at-bat.

Arozarena led off the ninth inning with a walk to Braves closer Raisel Iglesias. After Palacios retired, Siri, trailing 1-2 in the count, made the difference of 416 feet. Pete Fairbanks, after a leadoff walk, allowed the Rays to advance to the ninth.

This story will be updated.

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