Tampa Bay Rays Rally to Clinch Series Over St. Louis Cardinals

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – The Tampa Bay Rays rallied for a 5–4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field to win the three-game series.

**Key Moments** In a tight finale, the Rays broke the 4–4 tie when Brandon Lowe hit a two-out, two-run single in the eighth inning. This gave Tampa Bay the lead for good.

**Pitching Matchup and Performance** Matthew Liberatore took the mound for St. Louis. He worked through six innings, allowing three runs on five hits. He also struck out four batters. Ryan Pepiot, his counterpart, pitched 5 2/3 innings for Tampa Bay. He gave up four runs on seven hits and struck out six batters. Then, he passed the ball to the Rays bullpen.

**Late-Inning Heroics** The game was tied 4–4 in the seventh after Alec Burleson hit a solo home run. Then, Tampa Bay’s offense came alive in the eighth. With runners on first and third and two outs, Lowe came through. He hit a sharp single to the left side, scoring both runners.

**Bullpen Closes It Out** Taylor Walls (1 inning) and Pete Fairbanks (1 inning) teamed up to retire the last six batters. Fairbanks earned his 16th save by striking out the side in the ninth.

Standings Impact: With the win, Tampa Bay (63–67) is now just 12 games from .500. St. Louis (64–67) slips further in the National League Central race.

Up next, the Rays visit the Boston Red Sox on Monday, while the Cardinals return home to face the Chicago Cubs.