Kameron Misner slugged a walk-off homer on the first pitch of the ninth inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays won their first outing in their new Tampa home on Opening Day by edging the Colorado Rockies 3-2 on Friday.
Playing at Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field instead of St. Petersburg’s hurricane-ravaged Tropicana Field dome, the lefty-swinging Misner lined a 97 mph fastball from Victor Vodnik (0-1) out to right for his first big-league homer as the Rays made themselves home in their first-ever game in Tampa.
It was just the second Opening Day walk-off homer in Rays’ history. Carl Crawford hit the other in 2003, a three-shot that provided Tampa Bay with a 6-4 win over the Boston Red Sox.
Jose Caballero singled in a run and Jonathan Aranda had an RBI as Tampa Bay posted seven hits by seven players.
Closer Pete Fairbanks (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth.
Over 85 pitches, Tampa Bay starter Ryan Pepiot allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits in six innings. He fanned eight, walked one and hit a batter.
The National League West club wasted a brilliant start by Kyle Freeland, who faced just 20 batters over six scoreless frames and 67 pitches. He allowed two hits, struck out seven and did not have a single three-ball count.
Colorado’s Ryan McMahon was 3-for-3 with a double and a walk. Ezequiel Tovar went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Hunter Goodman had two hits. Jordan Beck scored and stole two bases.
Tovar, who led the National League with 45 doubles last season, ripped his first down the third-base line for a 1-0 lead in the third after Beck reached on third baseman Junior Caminero’s error.
Pepiot allowed a first-and-third situation with no outs in the fourth, but the Rockies got to him for another tally on Kyle Farmer’s sacrifice fly that scored Toglia.
In the home half of the fifth, the Rays put runners on first and third, but it came at an expense as Josh Lowe singled to center with two outs but limped to first base and left the game (right oblique discomfort).
With Freeland out after six innings and Tyler Kinley in relief, Brandon Lowe singled and Caminero doubled. Pinch hitter Aranda then popped a sacrifice fly to right to make it 2-1. Caballero, who replaced Josh Lowe, tied it with a single to left.
