Perfect throw snuffs out Rays' comeback attempt

SAN DIEGO -- Manuel Margot got a good read on the ball off the bat of Christian Bethancourt and quickly sprinted away from second base. Hitting a top sprint speed of 28.7 feet per second -- well above the MLB average -- Margot deftly cut the corner at third base and headed home.

The Rays were down by one run in the eighth inning of their road trip finale Sunday afternoon. Margot was intent on reaching home plate and evening the score against the Padres. Third-base coach Brady Williams was in full agreement, waving him home.

Simultaneously, however, Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. had other ideas. He aggressively charged the ground ball single and came up firing, his body in good position as his momentum took him toward home plate. One 99.5 mph throw later and a headfirst slide by Margot, and the Rays’ best chance to pull out a victory before heading back to Tropicana Field was thwarted.

With a 5-4 defeat at Petco Park, the Rays took a series loss and ended the trip through Oakland and San Diego with a 3-4 record.

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“Brady did right. Margot did right. Unfortunately, Tatis did a little bit better,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

Cash challenged the out call, hoping to get a blocking ruling against catcher Austin Nola. The MLB replay office took a long look, but the play stood, leaving the Rays’ comeback bid one run short.

“We know Fernando has a good arm and it was going to be a play at the plate,” Margot said. “I’ve seen him make throws like that before. I thought maybe the catcher might have blocked it.”

Tatis, a former shortstop still fairly new to right field, waited out the replay decision, then mimed holstering his weapon in a moment of self-appreciation.

“I'm always trying to be one step ahead, anticipating that the ball was coming ever since the beginning, and just being calm under the chaos,” Tatis said. “Just controlling what I can control and letting my talent take off.”

Owner of MLB’s best record by a wide margin, the Rays (51-24) return to action Tuesday at home against their closest pursuer in the American League East, the Orioles. Tampa Bay is 31-7 at home, where it seemingly can do no wrong.

That, however, is not the case on the road. The Rays are 20-17 as the visitor, including 14 losses in their past 25 road games. A winning record on the road certainly is nothing to dismiss, but it’s one of the few nits to pick with Tampa Bay.

Away from the dome lately, the Rays often have found themselves one play, one call or one miscue away from the success they so often enjoy at home. On Sunday, they had all three. Tatis made his throw on the big play, and the replay call went against Tampa Bay. Five innings earlier, a mistaken defensive read was compounded by poor execution, leading to three San Diego runs that put the Rays in comeback mode.

The Padres had runners at first and third with one out in the third inning against Rays starter Yonny Chirinos with the ever-dangerous Juan Soto batting. Chirinos threw a nasty splitter to get a nubber off Soto’s bat, a few feet in front of home plate.

Bethancourt grabbed the ball and peeked to third base to make sure runner Trent Grisham wasn’t straying too far. The catcher then fired to second base to try to get at least a forceout, perhaps a double play. One problem: Tatis, who has elite speed to match his elite arm, was the runner at first and had gotten a huge jump. Tatis beat the ball to the bag, and shortstop Wander Franco didn’t make the catch cleanly, allowing the ball to bounce onto the outfield grass.

As Franco retrieved the baseball, Tatis motored around third, ignoring coach Matt Williams’ stop sign. Franco threw wildly home for his second error on the play. Bethancourt, however, took responsibility for initiating the sequence.

“That was a mistake by my part,” Bethancourt said. “I should have gone for the out at first base, knowing the speed of Tatis.”

It was one ugly moment in a beautiful season. And, the Rays know, they’ll get a chance to show their best look again in the coming week.

“All dogs are good-looking when they’re at home,” Margot said.