Baseball.
Just a few weeks ago, the Rays were swept by the Mariners in Seattle, three losses that (at least to me) seemed to confirm that this team was toast.
Tonight, the Rays did everything right in a dominating victory. They pitched, they hit, they ran the bases well (other than Junior getting thrown out trying to stretch a double). I’m not saying a playoff berth is in their future, but they looked like a team with few flaws.
This was a bittersweet night for many Rays fans. It marked the first return
to Tampa Bay for Randy Arozarena since he was traded to Seattle last year.
As you might imagine he got a warm reception.
The Rays put together a great video — not hard to put together exciting clips of Arozarena’s time with the Rays — and they played it between innings. As a nice touch, the broadcast showed the video and also showed Randy watching the video. It really sucks that the Rays traded away such a beloved player, and it’s all the more difficult that Arozarena is having a great year for a most likely playoff bound team, while the Rays have not had any standout outfielder performances on a team most likely to miss the playoffs.
As soon as the game started, we got the full Randy experience all within the first few minutes.
Batting leadoff, he singled, making contact on a big swing.
Then he stole second base because of course he did.
And then he got picked off second base, with Brandon Lowe tagging him on the chin (ouch) as he tried to make it to third.
A bit later we got to see him take a pretty crazy route as a ball went over his head for a double (not saying that was going to be an easy play for anyone, just remembering that efficient outfield routes were never his strongpoint).
But as much as his return was fun for a very enthusiastic crowd, Rays fans had a lot more to focus on in this game.
Shane Baz’s performance was very encouraging for the team and for Baz. If you recall, his last outing was marked by his typically rocky first inning, but he then found his stride and pitched well until he was removed later in the game.
That success carried over to tonight. He scattered five hits and two walks through six scoreless innings, and struck out six. He got an assist from the very unpredictable wind, which most likely kept a well hit Cal Raleigh first inning ball in the stadium, but that’s not to minimize how effective he was tonight. Cleavinger pitched an effective seventh inning, and Van Belle finished off the final two innings, allowing Seattle’s two runs in the ninth.
Just about everyone contributed to the offense.
As one would expect the big hits were homers from…..Nick Fortes and Tristan Gray. No, seriously.
Fortes’ was probably the most significant, it was the three-run shot that put the Rays in the lead.
A lot went on with that home run. It was an opposite field shot that didn’t seem to be all that well struck, but whereas the wind worked to keep Raleigh’s hit to the same field IN the park the wind helped the Fortes hit get OUT of the park. A fan seemed to have the home run ball but then the Seattle right fielder Canzone seemed to have been able to slap the ball back onto the playing field. To top it all off, Canzone’s glove ended up in the stands.
Seattle asked for a crew chief review, alleging that the fan had interfered, but the review upheld the home run call, it was clear that the ball had cleared the fence and the fan was not the reason Canzone couldn’t catch it.
Overall the offense had a lot of heroes. While Fortes’ homerun gave the Rays a second inning lead, the two-out rally would not have happened without Jake Mangum running out an infield single, followed by Richie Palacios (returned, finally, from the IL) drawing a walk.
Mangum and Junior Caminero both had three hit nights, and Diaz and Brandon Lowe each had run-scoring doubles.
More games like this, please!
