ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Though it took until the first week of June, the Rays’ bats have come to life. True, they had 10 extra-base hits and game-winning dramatics in taking the final two games of a three-game series against visiting Oakland last week. The timing was great. Yet, in those games they totaled 15 hits.
The Rays (31-31) head into a four-game series against the Orioles (39-21) that gets underway Friday evening at Tropicana Field having hit .294 with 14 extra-base hits in the past four games. That included three straight games of double-digit hits, a refreshing change after going 11 straight with less than 10 hits. The Rays went 3-8 in that stretch.
While Tampa Bay was held to eight hits in Wednesday night’s 5-3 win in Miami, five of them were doubles. In the two-game series sweep of the Marlins, the Rays went 10-for-23 with runners in scoring position after entering the series hitting .230 in such situations.
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They Rays bring a three-game win streak into Friday’s game against Baltimore, the first such streak since winning four straight at Boston and Toronto May 15-18. The modest streak began Sunday in the final game of three-game series in Baltimore after having lost the first two.
“We came back in a tight series in Baltimore and won that final game, which was huge,” said manager Kevin Cash, following Wednesday night’s win. “Carried the momentum through the off day into (Miami), and like to see us do that when we get home. You have to like how we have played of late.”
You have to like how Brandon Lowe and Randy Arozarena have performed of late. Lowe went into the Miami series hitting .181 (6-for-33) since his return from a right oblique strain that shelved him for five weeks. The lefthanded-hitting Lowe went 4-for-8 and drove in six of the Rays’ 14 runs in the two games against the Marlins. The big blow was a game-tying three-run homer in the fourth inning off lefty Jesus Luzardo in what would be a 9-5 win Tuesday night. Lowe is a .225 career hitter against southpaws.
“When he sees the ball, he can carry a big load on his back and that is kind of what he has done,” said Cash.
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Randy Arozarena’s average has not been as high as .170 since April 19. He did, however, get on base seemingly every which way against the Marlins. Officially, he was 2-for-3 and he walked four times while twice getting plunked. Arozarena singled and walked in each of the final two games of the series in Baltimore.
“Randy’s at-bats the last three or four games have been really impressive and that might be the most encouraging thing,” said Cash, while also praising the effort of Isaac Paredes, who drove in five runs against the Marlins to raise his team-leading RBI total to 37.
Aaron Civale (2-4, 5.37 ERA) will take the mound for the Rays on Friday night. He will be opposed by Cole Irvin (5-2, 2.84). The Cubs follow the O’s into the Trop for a three-game series beginning Tuesday night. It will be Chicago’s first trip to St. Pete since 2017.
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