Corey Dickerson’s bat just keeps stating his case to become the American League’s DH at this year’s All-Star Game in Miami.
Tuesday night, Dickerson — currently ranked third in the voting for the designated-hitter spot, helped fuel the Rays’ offense with an RBI single and his 16th home run of the season. Alex Cobb pitched in with seven innings, holding the Reds to two runs en route to a 6-5 win at Tropicana Field.
“I’m impressed with the way he swings the bat, going the other way,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash about Dickerson. “He’s kind of similar to Joey Votto, that he shows genuine adjustment when he gets deep in the count, and it’s allowed him to find a lot of ways to get hits.”
Cobb moved to 6-5 on the season while lowering his ERA to 4.05. Reds starter Amir Garrett, who endured a 37-pitch inning in the third, fell to 3-6. Despite surrendering a 433-foot home run to Votto and an RBI single to Eugenio Suarez with two outs in the ninth, Alex Colome got the job done to record his 20th save of the season. Cincinnati had the potential tying run on first base when Scott Schebler struck out to end the game.
“You couldn’t be happier with that part of our game. It’s an unrelenting — anybody who thinks this is a team that is packing it in because we’ve been losing some games this month doesn’t know the ballclub,” said Reds manager Bryan Price after his team dropped its 10th game in the last 11. “You have one of the top closers in the American League and the next thing you know we’re one swing of the bat from having the lead and having our closer in the game.”
The Reds jumped out to a 2-0 lead via RBI singles by Jose Peraza and Suarez in the second and third innings. The Rays answered in the third when Dickerson singled home a run off Garrett, and Logan Morrison added a two-run single to put the Rays up, 3-2.
Jesus Sucre homered off Garrett with one out in the fourth with a man aboard. One out later, Dickerson connected on a 1-0 pitch for a solo shot to left, putting the Rays up, 6-2. Dickerson leads the AL with 93 hits and 39 extra-base hits.
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