Rays turn dazzling double play, then walk off Twins

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays could have lost Wednesday’s game after Jason Adam allowed the Twins to score the tying run in the ninth inning with one out and then loaded the bases.

The Rays eventually won Wednesday’s game when Randy Arozarena hit Jhoan Duran’s second pitch of the home ninth over the right field wall for a walk-off homer and a 2-1 victory.

In between was the reason they ended the night in celebration with a majors-best 45-19 record rather than likely dejection: a dazzling double play turned on a hard grounder to third by Isaac Parades, Taylor Walls and Luke Raley.

“Unbelievable,” Adam said. “That’s one of the best double plays you’re ever going to see, especially if you take into account the situation. Those guys bailed me out.”

Having led since Paredes homered to lead off the second, and having strung together eight shutout innings from the group of Shawn Armstrong, Cooper Criswell, Kevin Kelly, Robert Stephenson and Colin Poche, the Rays saw it all nearly go to waste.

But Adam, handling the highest-leverage work in Pete Fairbanks’ absence, had one of those innings.

He got a quick out, hit a batter and allowed a stolen base, walked another and allowed the lead runner to steal third, then gave up a run-scoring single. Another hit batter loaded the bases.

Ryan Jeffers laced a 102.4-mph grounder down the third-base line. Paredes went to the ground to make a backhand stop, then from one knee made the throw to second. Walls, anticipating a potential play at second, was perfectly positioned with his left foot on the base to reach across for Paredes’ throw and, with Willi Castro coming in hard, shift his weight and fired to first.

Raley completed the play with a big stretch, setting the stage for Arozarena’s dramatics.

“That home run doesn’t matter without that double play because they’re going to pick up two, maybe three (runs),” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Paredes, great pickup by him. And ‘Wallsy,’ I don’t know if there’s another guy that can do what he did on that turn, to be falling one way and get enough on the throw. So tremendous play on all fronts.”

Paredes said he figured once he made the stop he just needed to somehow get the ball to Walls.

“I just had to throw it in his direction,’’ Paredes said, via team interpreter Manny Navarro. “I know he’s got really good hands. I just wanted to get it there as fast as I could. I knew his foot was on the base when I made the throw. I knew he was going to make it after that.’’

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Walls was happy to share the credit.

“Isaac did a heck of a job of knocking it down and just getting it to me,” he said. “I knew I had time with Jeffers running down the line, so I was just trying to catch the ball. And then, at that point, I really didn’t even pick Rales (Raley) up. I was just letting it go, and hopefully it hit the right spot. Yeah, that was a big play. We really needed that.’’

Twins shortstop Carlos Correa noted how well they made it: “That’s how you have the best record in baseball: you make plays and you take care of the ball. That’s what they do very well. Obviously, they’ve been getting a lot of offense too this year, but they play defense as good as anyone and they pitch as good as anyone.”

Arozarena, who had designated-hitter duties, decided he wanted to end the game as soon as possible.

“I’d say I called it,” he said via Navarro. “I didn’t want to bat because I thought we were going to win it earlier. But once (they) tied it, I knew that I was going have a chance to get a nice hit there.”

That he did, his first career walk-off homer and team co-leading 12th of the season, and off one of the game’s hardest throwing relievers with a fastball averaging 102.1 mph.

“I was looking for a fastball at 105, and I think I hit a splitter that was 98,” Arozarena said. “But I was actually sitting fastball. Luckily I was able to have a good enough game to be able to connect.”

He made his way around the bases, stopping short of home to do his widely popular arms crossed gesture, and then was mobbed by teammates.

“Randy is a great player,” Adam said. “We all know that. It’s no secret. And he lives for the big moment.”

And, Adam added, with a smile, “Glad I could give him a chance to have a big moment.”

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