Nick Fortes doubled home the go-ahead run in the ninth inning to give the visiting Tampa Bay Rays a 3-2 comeback victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday in the opener of the three-game series.
Tampa Bay’s Jonny DeLuca, who tied it 2-2 with a leadoff homer in the seventh, battled back from a 1-2 count for a two-out walk off Trevor Megill (0-1) in the ninth. Fortes followed with an RBI double to the gap in right-center.
Ian Seymour entered in the bottom half and hit Sal Frelick with a pitch to open the inning before getting the next two outs. Kevin Kelly came on and got his first save of the year when pinch hitter Blake Perkins bounced into a forceout.
Garrett Cleavinger (1-1) tossed a scoreless eighth inning for the win.
Milwaukee lost for the first time after a three-game sweep of the visiting Chicago White Sox to open the season. Tampa Bay had lost two of three at St. Louis to start the campaign.
Held to three singles by Nick Martinez through the first five innings, the Brewers erased a 1-0 deficit in the sixth on William Contreras’ first homer of the season, a two-run shot. Brice Turang opened with a double down the right-field line before Contreras then sent the first pitch 415 feet to center.
DeLuca brought the Rays even with his first homer, a seventh-inning shot to left off Aaron Ashby with an exit velocity of 109 mph.
Yandy Diaz staked the Rays to an immediate 1-0 lead, opening the game with his first homer. Diaz lined 1-2 pitch from Kyle Harrison to left for his 22nd career leadoff homer.
Harrison, acquired from the Red Sox in an offseason trade, allowed one run on four hits in five innings, striking out eight and walking one.
Martinez gave up two runs on six hits in six innings, striking out three without a walk in an 88-pitch outing.
