Rays Take Series from Mets, Tie for Wild Card Lead

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the New York Mets 8-4 on Saturday, led by Junior Caminero's home run and Taylor Walls' two RBIs, which marked their eighth win in the last 11 games and tied them with Toronto for the American League's top wild-card spot. Drew Rasmussen earned his fifth straight decision as the Rays' offense staged another big rally, following their previous 7-5 comeback victory over the Mets on Friday. Former Mets draftees Jake Mangum and Eric Orze continued to contribute for the Rays, capitalizing on new opportunities after recent trades. The Mets, despite their strong season and home record, suffered consecutive losses for the first time in nearly a month and lost a home series for the first time in 13 tries. Elsewhere, the San Diego Padres lost 8-7 to the Arizona Diamondbacks after their bullpen faltered in the ninth inning, and young star Jackson Merrill exited with a head injury. The weekend's games highlighted the impact of late-inning rallies and bullpen performances across Major League Baseball.