PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 12-1 on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park, using a 17-hit attack and a pair of early offensive bursts to secure their 98th win of the season. Tampa Bay improved to 98-65, while Philadelphia dropped to 88-74. Victor Mesa Jr. led the Rays with four hits and two RBIs, Richie Palacios drove in four runs, and Junior Caminero hit his 42nd home run of the season. The game drew 43,076 and took 3:13 to complete.

The Rays wasted little time against Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola. Yandy Diaz opened the game with a double to right field. After Jonathan Aranda flew out to left and Liam Hicks lined out sharply to right, Caminero launched a two-run homer to left-center field, scoring Diaz. Mesa followed with a double, and Palacios lined a double to right that brought Mesa home. Jonny DeLuca then flew out to left, but Tampa Bay had built a 3-0 lead before Philadelphia came to bat. Caminero’s homer gave him 101 RBIs on the season.

Philadelphia could not answer against Tampa Bay’s pitching. In the bottom of the first, Trea Turner struck out swinging, Kyle Schwarber popped out to shortstop Taylor Walls, and Bryce Harper grounded out to first baseman Aranda. The Phillies managed a single by Brandon Marsh in the third, but J.T. Realmuto grounded into a double play, and Turner later lined out. Justin Crawford added a single in the third, but the inning ended without a run. Tampa Bay starter Griffin Jax worked three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out one.

The Rays added to their lead in the fifth. Diaz singled to right, Aranda walked, and Hicks reached on a force out that put runners at the corners. Philadelphia then intentionally walked Caminero to load the bases. Mesa singled to center, scoring Diaz. Palacios worked a bases-loaded walk that forced home Hicks. After DeLuca struck out, Cedric Mullins singled to center, scoring Caminero and Mesa. Taylor Walls struck out to end the inning, but Tampa Bay had pushed its advantage to 7-0. Mesa’s single and Palacios’s walk were part of a four-run inning that broke the game open.

Tampa Bay kept pressure on in the sixth. Diaz singled to right, and after Aranda and Hicks flew out, Caminero singled to left. Mesa doubled to right, scoring Diaz and moving Caminero to third. Palacios then singled to right, scoring Caminero and Mesa. DeLuca flew out to right to end the inning, but the Rays had extended their lead to 10-0. Palacios finished the night with two hits and four RBIs, while Mesa reached base four times and scored twice.

Philadelphia finally scored in the seventh. Bryson Stott doubled to left, Bryan De La Cruz walked, and Garrett Stubbs walked to load the bases. Crawford reached on a fielding error by Palacios, allowing Stott to score and keeping the bases loaded. Turner grounded into a force out that retired Crawford at second, ending the threat. The run was the only one allowed by Tampa Bay’s bullpen and cut the deficit to 10-1.

The Rays tacked on two more in the ninth. DeLuca singled to third, and after Mullins struck out, Walls doubled to right, putting runners at second and third. Ryan Vilade then singled to center, scoring DeLuca and Walls. Aranda struck out on a foul tip, and Hicks singled to left before Jorge Mateo flew out to center. In the bottom of the ninth, Stubbs and Crawford struck out, Turner doubled, Schwarber walked, and Harper grounded out to Aranda, ending the game.

Steven Matz earned the win for Tampa Bay, improving to 6-6. He worked one scoreless inning, allowing no hits and striking out one. Jax delivered three scoreless innings with two hits and one strikeout. Cam Booser pitched a scoreless inning with one hit and two strikeouts. Cole Sulser allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two in a scoreless inning. Brody Hopkins also tossed a scoreless inning, walking one and striking out one. Nola took the loss for Philadelphia, falling to 7-12. Tanner Banks worked 1.1 scoreless innings for the Phillies, allowing no hits and one walk while striking out one. Chase Shugart allowed one run on one hit and one walk over 1.2 innings, striking out three. Tampa Bay pitchers combined for seven strikes, 53 balls and seven balls in play. Philadelphia pitchers combined for 18 strikes, 59 balls and 18 balls in play.

Mesa’s four-hit game paced Tampa Bay. He went 4 for 5 with two RBIs and scored twice. Palacios went 2 for 4 with four RBIs, including a bases-loaded walk and a two-run single. Caminero went 2 for 3 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. Diaz had three hits, including a double, and scored three times. Mullins drove in two runs, and Vilade added a two-run single in the ninth. For Philadelphia, Stott doubled twice and scored once. Harper singled and walked, while Turner doubled and Crawford singled and drove in the Phillies’ only run. The Phillies finished with seven hits and left multiple runners on base.

For Tampa Bay, the victory was its 15th in the past 21 games and its 98th overall. Philadelphia fell to 88-74. Caminero reached another milestone with his first-inning homer, surpassing 100 RBIs on the play. He is also in line to start 162 games at third base in the regular-season finale. If he starts, he would become the fourth player in Major League Baseball’s divisional era since 1969 to start 162 games at third base in a season, joining Vinny Castilla, Cal Ripken Jr. and Sal Bando. He would also become the fourth player in franchise history to play 162 games in a season, along with Evan Longoria, Delmon Young and Aubrey Huff.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Tampa Bay 6, Philadelphia 5. Interstat’s ELO system had given Philadelphia a 54.4 percent probability to win. Tampa Bay had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 13 went under the over-under line of 6.5.