Jose Bautista had never before experienced the euphoria of a game

He can add that to his list of accomplishments.

Bautista’s grand slam with two outs in theninth inning lifted the New York Mets over the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 on Friday night.

”I was aware of it Noah Fant Jersey ,” Bautista of his first walk-off homer. ”I guess sometimes it just takes a while.”

Todd Frazier walked and Devin Mesoraco singled to open the ninth against Chaz Roe (1-2). Amed Rosario’s sacrifice advanced the runners, Roe retired pinch-hitter Dominic Smith on a comebacker and intentionally walked Brandon Nimmo to load the bases.

Roe tried to come inside with a sinker on the first pitch to the slugger, who has 32 home runs in 157 games against Tampa Bay.

”Tried to get ahead early with the sinker and got too much of the plate,” Roe said. ”I knew he was swinging there.”

It was Bautista’s sixth homer of the season and gave the Mets their third win in their last 19 games at home.

Bautista remained unsigned through spring training, signed with Atlanta on April 18 and was promoted to the majors on May 4. He appeared at third base – a position he hadn’t played in years – and hit .143 (5 for 35) with a two homers and five RBIs in 12 games before he was released on May 20.

Lacking power after Yoenis Cespedes went on the disabled list, New York took a chance on Bautista two days later.

In 39 games with the Mets, the 37-year-old has hit .227 with four home runs and 18 RBIs. But over his last 17 games, Bautista is hitting .330 (15 for 50) with four homers and 15 RBIs.

And he’s certainly amazed Mets manager Mickey Callaway.

”I think that from what we’ve seen as a Met, it’s been outstanding,” Callaway said.” Top-tier production out of a guy that we got from Atlanta, who let him go. So that’s surprising. Now the guy himself, who has a body of a 25-year-old, stays in shape? Can never count those guys out.”

Tampa Bay had a chance to take the lead in the top of the ninth against Jeurys Familia (4-4).

He Daniel Robertson with a pitch, loading the bases, and first baseman Wilmer Flores threw out pinch-runner Hunter Wood at the plate despite his high throw following Mallex Smith’s grounder. Umpires confirmed the call after Tampa Bay challenged.

Familia then struck out Willy Adames to end the threat.

Jacob deGrom was once again stellar for the Mets, allowing just one run and four hits while striking out eight and issuing one walk over eight innings.

It was the ninth no-decision for the staff ace.

”Like I said before http://www.denverbroncosteamonline.com/dalton-risner-jersey , the goal is to win, whether I get the win or somebody else,” deGrom said. ”The goal is to win baseball games and we got a win tonight.”

Asdrubal Cabrera gave the Mets a 1-0 lead in the third with an RBI single.

DeGrom, who has an 1.80 ERA in nine starts at Citi Field this season, gave up a tying solo homer to Adames in the fifth.

AN EYE FOR INTERNATIONAL TALENT

New York announced the signings of their top two targets in the new international free agent period. The Mets gave a franchise-record $2.7 million signing bonus to 16-year-old Francisco Alvarez from Venezuela. Alvarez was ranked No. 9 on Baseball America’s prospect list, and 13th on the MLB Pipeline list.

Freddy Valdez, a 16-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic, received a $1.45 million signing bonus. Baseball America had him as the 29th best prospect, MLB Pipeline ranked him at No. 25.

FRESH FACES

Tampa signed LHP Shane McClanahan, the 31st overall pick in the draft, for a $2,230,100 bonus, $5,700 above slot value. He was a compensation pick for the loss of Alex Cobb in free agency. RHP Matthew Liberatore, taken with the 16th pick Drew Lock Jersey , made his debut with the GCL Rays on Friday. He allowed one earned run, one hit, and two walks with one strikeout and a hit batter in 1 2/3 innings, getting the loss.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: RHP Chris Archer will return to the rotation and start Monday against Detroit. The ace has been on the disabled list June 5 due to a left abdominal strain. Archer is 3-4 with a 4.24 ERA in 13 starts this season.

Mets: Manager Mickey Callaway said that it would be ”ideal” for RHP Noah Syndergaard to start July 13 vs against Washington if all goes well with his rehab start Sunday at Class A Brooklyn.

MOVES

Rays: Tampa Bay recalled LHP Adam Kolarek from Triple-A Durham and designated OF Jerry Hazelbaker for assignment.

Mets: RHP Paul Sewald was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas and LHP Jerry Blevins was placed on the bereavement list.

UP NEXT

Rays: Blake Snell (11-4, 2.24 ERA) starts the second game of the series. Snell has won his last three outings, allowing just two runs and eight hits while striking out 26 despite 12 walks in 21 innings.

Mets: Steven Matz (4-5, 3.46) gets the nod in his first start against Tampa Bay. Opponents are hitting just .167 (17 for 102) with runners in scoring position against the New York lefty.

—

ATLANTA (AP) — Sam Shields is one of just four Los Angeles Rams who has played in the Super Bowl before. He finds the privilege much sweeter the second time around.In the big game against Pittsburgh eight years ago, Shields won a ring as an undrafted rookie defensive back making plays for Green Bay. He eventually became a Pro Bowl cornerback for the Packers before a fairly innocuous tackle in the 2016 season opener derailed his life.Shields’ fourth recorded concussion kept him out of football for nearly two full years. After months of pain and grueling rehabilitation, he joined the Rams last spring and gradually made one of the most unlikely comebacks on either roster at this Super Bowl — a former defensive star now thriving as a key special-teamer and steady veteran for Los Angeles.Shields wants to beat New England on Sunday to earn a second ring, which would put him in elite NFL circles. But he is also proud of his ability simply to stay in the game.“It never crossed my mind that I could go this far,” Shields said. “I was definitely out of it, in a dark situation. At first, it was tough. Now I’m getting rewarded.”Shields sought refuge in darkened rooms for months on end after his injury, unable to alleviate his pounding headaches any other way. He needed extensive, complicated rehab at UCLA before he could even contemplate a return to regular life, let alone football.“The hardest part was not letting my family see everything I was going through http://www.denverbroncosteamonline.com/dre_mont-jones-jersey ,” said Shields, who has three daughters back home in Florida. “I didn’t want to talk to my kids about all I was going through, because I didn’t want them to be going through it with me. All those things that I was going through, I had to deal with by myself. It definitely made me who I am now.”Shields was unable to handle bright lights or any prolonged mental concentration, let alone an NFL career. He went through months of physical and mental exercises, gradually healing his brain.He chuckles at the memory of running on a treadmill while “being asked a million questions so that I would remember how to cope while I’m tired. It’s just training your brain to get back and rolling again, because I was in a dark moment. My brain wasn’t alive.”Even after turning a corner on his health following months of guidance from UCLA’s doctors, the former Pro Bowl cornerback thought for several more months about quitting his sport.He just couldn’t do it, even after so much physical agony and soul-searching. He had to play again, even if another hit could take him back to the start — or even deeper down.“He loves the game,” Rams general manager Les Snead said. “He can’t live without it. He could have easily moved on to that next chapter, but there was that itch inside.”Shields has recounted the details of his rehabilitation before, but he is more interested in focusing on its success. He hasn’t missed a game for the Rams this season, contributing as a backup on defense while gladly playing a major role on the Rams’ vaunted special teams.Shields’ daughters weren’t old enough to enjoy his first Super Bowl trip. They know what’s happening this time around — and unlike his injury, Shields is eager to share this experience with them.“That’s a really unique dude,” Rams cornerback Marcus Peters said. “I really respect everything he’s been through. He’s an amazing father T.J. Hockenson Jersey , an amazing person. You’ve just got to have ultimate respect for a guy who started off his career as a Pro Bowler and just killing the league. He went through the little concussion thing, and when you love and care about the game as much as you do, to see him come back and be the same explosive player that he was in the past, you just salute him.”Even when he was a Pro Bowl cornerback, Shields didn’t look down on the dirty work of kick coverage. He realizes a big play on special teams can have a major impact on a game, just like he had two weeks ago.During the second quarter of the NFC championship game in New Orleans, Los Angeles was down 13-0 with a stagnant offense. That’s when Johnny Hekker threw a pass to Shields , a receiver at the University of Miami until his senior season, for a first down. The perfect fake punt, which included a clever juke by Shields to pick up the first down, prolonged the Rams’ first scoring drive.“It feels great to get your name called and to take advantage of it,” Shields said. “It was a crucial moment. I’ve been in crucial moments before, and I know how to take advantage of it.”