If you were worried that the Rays would stumble into Saturday afternoon’s game following their largest defeat of the season, the bats quickly dispelled those fears in the top of the first. Two batters into the game they had scored and just like that they were off to the races, looking much like the team of the last month.
By the time Each Eflin had retired the third out of the first inning, four runs had crossed the plate and the O’s faced another early deficit. This time however, they would not come charging back to the tune of 22 runs. Instead, Zach Littell tossed seven innings of one run baseball holding the O’s offense in check. The Rays went on to win by a score of 11-3 and the four run first inning turned out to be all they would need.
Eflin didn’t get the chance to bounce back from his shaky first inning and was pulled after just one inning of work. He surrendered four runs on five hits, took the loss (6-5), and saw his ERA rise to 5.95.
The highlight of the first inning was a towering two-run bomb off the bat of Jonathan Aranda that traveled 467 feet to right center. It gave the Rays a 3-0 lead.
The Rays broke out for another four-run inning in the fourth thanks to some aggressive base running by Chandler Simpson and a three-run bomb off the bat of Yandy Diaz. Following a fourth consecutive scoreless frame by Littell, the Rays held a commanding 8-0 lead after four.
The Rays scored again in the fifth on a sacrafice fly from Taylor Walls that scored Caminero.
The O’s did get one run back on Chadwick Tromp’s first blast of the year. The solo shot pulled the O’s to within eight runs. The score was 9-1 after five innings.
The Rays added a pair of runs in the seventh and in the eighth inning, up 11-1, Joe Rock made his Major League debut. The southpaw tossed two innings, surrendered a pair of runs on four hits. He struck out four and walked none.
Littell earned his seventh win of the season (7-7) and lowered his ERA to 3.61. Josh Lowe, Yandy, Caminero, Mangum, and Simpson all collected multiple hits. In total the Rays tallied fourteen hits to just five strikeouts. They also walked six times.
It was a much needed response after a 22-8 drubbing the night prior, avoiding back to back losses to the last place O’s. With the win and Yankees loss, the Rays sit just a half game back of first and have matched the Yankees win total on the year, having also played one more game to this point.
Taj Bradley will take the mound opposite Dean Kremer. Taj will look to build on a strong start in Kansas City where he flirted with perfection.
