Tampa Bay Rays Edge Colorado Rockies 9-7 in 11-Inning Thriller Fueled by Liam Hicks’ Grand Slam
(Denver, CO = Won Jeong) The Tampa Bay Rays secured a 9-7 victory over the Colorado Rockies on August 4, 2026, highlighted by a pivotal grand slam from Liam Hicks.
In a tightly contested matchup, the Rays pulled off the win in extra innings. The turning point came in the top of the 3rd inning when Hicks launched a four-run shot to right field, breaking a 1-1 tie to give Tampa Bay a 5-1 lead. The drive brought home Richie Palacios, Taylor Walls, and Jonathan Aranda.
The action was intense right from the start. In the bottom of the 1st inning, the Rockies drew first blood as Jake McCarthy scored from third when Mickey Moniak grounded into a double play. The Rays answered in the top of the 3rd, drawing level when Jonathan Aranda took a bases-loaded walk to score Cedric Mullins.
Colorado responded in the bottom of the 3rd. Ezequiel Tovar lined a single to center field to score Jordan Beck, and Moniak followed with a three-run homer to right field, knotting the score at 5-5.
In the bottom of the 4th, Willi Castro crushed a two-run shot to right field, putting the Rockies back in front, 7-5.
The Rays refused to go quietly. In the top of the 9th, Aranda delivered a crucial ground-ball single to left field, driving in both Walls and Yandy Díaz to tie the game at 7-7 and push it into extra innings.
In the top of the 11th, Tampa Bay regained the lead at 8-7 when Ben Williamson scored from third on a wild pitch. Junior Caminero then provided insurance with a ground-ball single to center, driving in Díaz to stretch the lead to 9-7.
Bryan Baker came on to close out the game in the bottom of the 11th, delivering a spotless inning with two strikeouts and no hits allowed to secure the save and lock down the win.
On the mound, Rockies pitcher Gabriel Hughes showcased a sharp curveball, using it to record five strikeouts. However, he struggled with his four-seam fastball, giving up hard contact that led to five runs over 5.1 innings. His curveball was particularly effective, generating eight strikes and whiffs out of 18 pitches to finish off batters.
Hicks’ grand slam proved to be the signature moment of the night, sparking the Rays’ offense and laying the groundwork for their hard-fought victory.
