True, it has only been six games since Wander Franco went on the restricted list. Yet, the Rays exploded for 49 runs in going 4-2 during their cross-country trip to San Francisco and Anaheim. To think they were blanked once.
Franco, who remains under investigation by Major League Baseball and officials in the Dominican Republic after social media posts surfaced August 13 suggesting he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor, was on a seven-game hit streak in which he was batting .517 (15-for-29) with three homers.
The Rays, though, did not miss Franco’s bat in scoring at least six runs in five of the six games on the trip and twice reached double digits, including an 18-run outburst in the second game of Saturday’s double-header against the Angels that marked the second-highest output in team history. The Rays scored 19 runs on three occasions.
In the news: Wander Franco On Restricted List, Not With Rays On West Coast Trip
Not surprisingly, the long ball played a major role in piling up the runs. The Rays hit 10 homers on the trip, including three in each game of Saturday’s twin bill.
After losing the first game, 7-6, the Rays erupted for 20 hits in an 18-4 win in the nightcap. Isaac Paredes’ three-run homer in a seven-run sixth inning was his 24th of the season. That gave him the team lead until Jose Siri, two batters later, blasted his 24th.
Osleivis Basabe, who made his MLB debut August 13 and has been playing short in Franco’s absence, went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles in Saturday’s second game. He is 8-for-28 (.286) with four RBI in seven games and has showed much range at short.
The Rays, who had their series finale Sunday moved to Saturday as part of a double header so they could return home before Hurricane Hilary impacted the Golden State, have a day off Monday before hosting Colorado for three games beginning Tuesday. The Yankees follow the Rockies for a three-game weekend series at the Trop.
The Rays (75-51) left Anaheim in second place in the American League East and 2.5 games behind Baltimore. They are in the wild-card lead.
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