Carlson hits RBI single in 12th, Rays sweep Diamondbacks

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ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - AUGUST 18: Dylan Carlson #10 of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts after hitting a walk-off RBI single in the 12th inning to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-7 at Tropicana Field on August 18, 2024, in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Dylan Carlson hit an RBI single in the 12th inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-7 to complete a three-game sweep Sunday after blowing a six-run lead.

Jonny DeLuca led off with a sacrifice bunt against Justin Martinez (5-4) that moved automatic runner Alex Jackson from second to third. Taylor Walls walked before Carlson won it with his base hit to left field.

Martinez worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the 11th.

Arizona was without a hit for six innings before staging its late comeback.

"It was an exciting game, you could say," Carlson said. "There were a lot of good things done in the game. A lot of contributions from a lot of guys."

Edwin Uceta (1-0) struck out two in a scoreless inning to get his first major league win.

Walls and Arizona’s Joc Pederson each had a run-scoring single in the 10th.

Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen and Tyler Alexander lost a combined no-hit bid in the seventh when Corbin Carroll flared a single off Alexander to shallow left that Walls, the shortstop, nearly caught barehanded.

Rasmussen tossed two perfect innings as the opener before Alexander allowed three runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Carroll cut Arizona’s deficit to 6-3 on a two-run homer against Alexander in the eighth. Adrian Del Castillo tied it with a three-run homer off closer Pete Fairbanks in the ninth.

"There’s some really good moments, and some really identifiable moments where we’ve got to improve," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "We really fought hard. There’s no quit in this team. They’re hungry, and that’s what I’m going to focus on."

Fairbanks, who also blew a save on Friday, left with a lat strain with two outs in the ninth. He will be going on the injured list.

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Arizona star Ketel Marte aggravated his injured left ankle on a check-swing as a pinch hitter in the ninth and needed assistance to walk off the field. He was the designated hitter Saturday following a three-game absence because of a sprained left ankle.

Lovullo had no update on Marte other than he was being examined.

"It didn’t look great," Lovullo said. "We need to probably re-evaulate and find out how quickly we can get him back."

Two other Arizona mainstays, first baseman Christian Walker (strained left oblique) and catcher Gabriel Moreno (strained left adductor), are on the injured list.

The Diamondbacks have lost three in a row for the first time since June 26-28. They are still 30-13 since then and hold an NL wild-card spot.

Brandon Lowe put the Rays up 2-0 in the third with a two-run homer off Merrill Kelly. José Caballero drove in two with a double during a three-run fifth that made it 5-0.

"A lot of ups and downs," Lowe said. "A lot of backs and forth just when you thought the game was done."

Kelly gave up six runs and eight hits over five-plus innings in his second start since returning from a strained right shoulder.

Rays first baseman Yandy Díaz exited with a bruised left forearm after being hit by a pitch from Kelly leading off the first.

Díaz, through a translator, said he is sore and considers himself day-to-day. X-rays were negative.

Tampa Bay center fielder Jose Siri didn’t start for the third straight game after not running hard on a grounder Wednesday, but entered as a pinch hitter in the ninth. Rays manager Kevin Cash said before the game that Siri will start Monday night at Oakland.

Siri declined to speak with reporters before Sunday’s game.