The Tampa Bay Rays continue to impress everyone around the league. They took on the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, which proved to be an exciting game that wasn’t decided until the extra innings.
Tied in the 10th inning, Randy Arozarena was the hero as he hit a walk-off single to score Vidal Brujan. The Rays went on to win the game 4-3 and keep their undefeated streak at Tropicana Field alive.
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Arozarena has been on absolute fire ever since the World Baseball Classic. He’s hitting .350 with five home runs and 22 RBIs. He also has three stolen bases to his name in the young season.
The win puts Tampa Bay at 18 wins. The only two teams close to 18 wins are the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers, with 14 wins heading into Saturday.
“Randy is HIM,” one fan tweeted.
“The Rays way! Nail biting to the end but a WIN,” another fan tweeted.
Tampa Bay Rays fans are stoked with how their team has started the season. They’ve come out guns blazing. They really seem like the team to beat this season.
The White Sox were put in a difficult situation. Either way, they were going to have to face Arozarena. They opted to walk Wander Franco to set up a double-play ball as they already had an out. The plan ultimately backfired, as Tampa Bay is full of clutch hitters.
Who could have predicted the Tampa Bay Rays starting this hot?
There wasn’t much hype surrounding the Tampa Bay Rays to start the season. The team would be without one of their ace pitchers, Tyler Glasnow, and many didn’t expect the team to do much, especially at the start of the season.
Shane McClanahan has stepped up in Glasnow’s absence. The hard-throwing lefty has a 4-0 record through five games this season. He has a 1.86 ERA and 37 strikeouts over 29 innings pitched.
Glasnow has nearly recovered from his oblique injury. He is set to face batters on Monday in a simulation game. There’s still no timetable for his return, but seeing him face batters is a great sign.
It doesn’t seem like the Rays will slow down at any point this season. They have excellent pitching that will only improve and a lineup full of power. While it’s still early, they look like true contenders this season.