Rays vs. Pirates Live Score and Highlights — Feb 22, 2026

The article dives into a wild Tampa Bay game, where a late rally flipped the script from trailing to a big comeback. It follows the action inning by inning—starting with a third-inning spark, moving through a tie in the fifth, then a sixth-inning lead change, and finally a seventh-inning surge that locked in the win.

This write-up takes a closer look at each big moment, showing how a mix of timely hits, walks, and gutsy base-running decisions turned things around for the home team.

Key Moments That Turned the Game

Momentum swung back and forth all night, and the early innings set the tone for a test of this squad’s grit. Tampa Bay weathered a tough stretch and then grabbed control with a late rally.

Here’s how the game changed, one moment at a time.

Third-Inning Spark

Early in the third, things started to shift. Delgado came through with an RBI single to right, scoring Areinamo and pushing Barrios to third.

Malloy then grounded into a double play, but Barrios still crossed home, bringing the score closer and giving the dugout some life.

• Delgado‘s RBI single to right, scoring Areinamo and putting Barrios on third
• Malloy grounded into a double play that allowed Barrios to score

The home team started to claw back, one run at a time, setting up a back-and-forth battle that would last all night.

Fifth-Inning Push and Tie

By the fifth, the rally picked up steam. Malloy’s single drove in Davidson and moved Barrios to third.

Garcia followed with a clutch single to left, scoring Gourson and moving H. Davis and Blanco Jr. up a base. The lineup wasn’t just hitting—they were building pressure, putting runners on and forcing the issue.

A walk to Cook loaded the bases. Fletcher’s walk brought in H. Davis, tying the game and shifting the energy in the park.

• Malloy’s single drove in Davidson and moved Barrios to third
• Garcia’s single to left scored Gourson, with H. Davis and Blanco Jr. moving up
• A walk to Cook loaded the bases
• Fletcher’s walk forced in H. Davis to tie the game

Sixth-Inning Lead and Answer

The sixth inning flipped things again. Melton launched a solo homer to right, putting his team back on top and reminding everyone how quickly things can change.

Cimillo fired back with a solo shot to left, tying it right up and sending the crowd into a frenzy. Ross then singled to bring home Gourson, stretching the lead and putting more pressure on the visitors.

• Melton hit a solo home run to right to give his team the lead
• Cimillo followed with a solo homer to left
• Ross’s single scored Gourson to extend the advantage

Seventh-Inning Rally and Seal

In the seventh, Blanco Jr. came through with a two-run surge that really shut the door on any comeback hopes for the other side. His single brought in Dumitru and White Jr., and Gourson scooted over to third.

That moment pretty much locked in the rally and left the home team in control. It’s wild how one inning can flip the whole story, right?

• Blanco Jr.’s single sparked a two-run rally, scoring Dumitru and White Jr.
• The hit also moved Gourson to third, putting the finishing touch on the comeback.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Rays vs. Pirates (Feb 22, 2026) Live Score