A rare Taylor Walls error and a bullpen mess cost Rays another game

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Jul 26, 2025

Published in Baseball

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CINCINNATI — A rare Taylor Walls error cost the Rays their sixth-inning lead Saturday, then another bullpen blowup led to a frustrating 6-2 loss to the Reds.

Walls’ error on a seemingly routine grounder with two outs in the sixth allowed the Reds to score two and erase the lead the Rays had just taken on a Yandy Diaz home run.

The bullpen blowup in the seventh, after the Rays battled back to tie it, was a team effort.

Recently acquired Bryan Baker allowed a leadoff walk, then another with two outs. He was ahead of Matt McLain 1-2 when he left the game with athletic trainer Aaron Scott.

Garrett Cleavinger came in, walked McLain to load the bases, then allowed a bloop single to center by Reds star Elly De La Cruz that scored two. The Reds added two more in the eighth off Kevin Kelly.

The loss was the Rays’ fifth in eight games since the All-Star break and 17th in their last 24. They dropped to 53-52, 10 games behind the American League East-leading Blue Jays.

The game featured an impressive scoreless duel through five innings between Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot and Reds All-Star lefty Andrew Abbott.

The Rays had just taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth on Diaz’s 18th home run when Pepiot allowed two of the first three Reds to reach in the bottom of the inning on a walk and a single, and then move up on a groundout.

Austin Hays hit a sharp grounder to short that Walls whiffed on, his third error of the season, allowing both to score.

The Rays came back to tie it 2-2 in the seventh. Jose Caballero walked with one out and went to third on a single by Jonny DeLuca, who was making his first appearance since an April shoulder injury. Caballero scored on a pinch-hit single by Josh Lowe.

Pepiot gave the Rays six solid innings, allowing just two unearned runs and two hits, though he walked a season-high four.

Manager Kevin Cash said before the game he was glad to have Pepiot on the mound, given their recent results.

“We need to get some things turned around quickly. And I think he’s the right guy to do that,” Cash said. “Just go out and be himself, try to get that fastball/change-up combination going early on. I look at him as being as consistent as any starter for us this year. So, probably the right guy to take the ball when we’re kind of a little bit on this slide that we’ve been on.”

Pepiot, who grew up in the Indianapolis area, expected to have more than 50 relatives and friends on hand, as he attended Reds games as a kid.