Against one of the toughest, most complete teams in baseball, facing an old friend, a vintage Tamp Bay Rays performance of pitching, slick glove work, and timely hitting got the Rays their first August win.
Rays jumped out with a much needed early lead. First batter of the game facing the former Rays Cy Young winner, Blake Snell, Yandy Diaz took full advantage of the dimensions of Steinbrenner Field and short porch’d Snell for a HR to RF for a quick 1-0 lead.
With the way Drew Rasmussen was throwing
today, that would end up being the game winner because Rasy was simply dominant.
Rays have desperately needed a starter to take over a game and put up blank after blank. Rasmussen stepped up like a true ace and leader. 5.1 IP 4 hits 0 walks, and 6 Ks would be his final line, but that doesn’t quite showcase just how impressive he was against a fearsome lineup.
After a 1st inning lead in what seems like forever, the Rays would add on to their lead with another Yandy Diaz opposite field homer, this time of the 2 run variety. But that was the only change, because Yandy deposited that bomb to almost the exact same spot. Snell would be seen shaking his head in disbelief after getting short porch’d twice by the big Guava.
Rays wouldn’t get much vs Snell with the way Blake was throwing. 19 whiffs, no walks, looking like vintage Snellzilla, it’s extremely encouraging to me to see the Rays somehow come away with a few runs today. All season has been a struggle against any lefty, let alone a former multiple Cy Young winner who clearly had his A stuff working.
When you are not getting a ton of hits, you have to be at your best with run prevention. Rasmussen was doing his part, but would give way once the lineup turned it over to Shohei Ohtani for a 3rd time. With 1 on, 1 out, two of the best left handed hitters in the game, Ohtani and Freeman, would step up and the Rays would go to their pen.
Oh we’ve seen this play before. No need to read the Playbill. heartbreak and horror await. And when Garrett Cleavinger, who did not get traded at the deadline, stepped in and proceeded to give up back to back absolutely torched hits to the aforementioned lefties, Rays fans everywhere were feeling that sinking feeling.
But perhaps August is indeed different. Without a doubt the play of the game, with the bases loaded Cleavinger would get Teoscar Hernandez to hit sharply into an inning ending double play for what would end up being the last threat of the Dodgers.
The following inning, Snell would depart, and Caminero would provide some instant insurance with a solo dinger also opposite field to push the score to 4-0.
2 dominant innings from Edwin Uceta, who has completely turned his whole season around in the 2nd half. In the 9th Pete Fairbanks would wipe out Ohtani, Freeman, and Teoscar with 3 Ks swinging and secure a much needed win to even the series 1-1.
The Rays will have a chance to start August with a series win on Sunday, and more importantly leave all the bad vibes of July in the rear view mirror.
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