The Tampa Bay Rays were back at Steinbrenner Field Sunday afternoon going for a series win against the Atlanta Braves.
Joe Boyle, acquired from the Oakland A’s during the off-season, was called up from Durham to make a spot start. Boyle has made two starts at AAA Durham this season with 10 strikeouts and a 2.25 ERA. Shane Baz was the scheduled starter, but manager Kevin Cash gave the starters an extra day of rest as the Rays will play 13 consecutive games before their next day off. Baz will make his nexr start against Boston on Monday night.
It was a good first time out for Boyle as a starter for the Rays. Boyle worked five innings and gave up two runs while walking two and striking out seven.
Lakeland native Chris Sale started for the Braves and was greeted by Yandy Diaz, who hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first to put the Rays up 1-0. Jose Caballero would then single to center, driving in Junior Caminero to give the Rays a 2-0 lead.
It would stay 2-0 untill the fourth inning when Coco Montes would single home Caballero to put the Rays up 3-0.
In the bottom of the fifth, another RBI single by Christopher Morel put the Rays up 4-0.
Boyle, who had stymied the Braves lineup through the first five innings, ran out of gas in the sixth inning, walking two. The Braves got all three of their runs across in the sixth. Two runs were charged to Boyle, while one was charged to reliever Mason Montgomery.
That was all the Braves would get, as Garrett Cleavinger and Mason Englert slammed the door every time the Braves would get a runner on base.
In the sixth, the Rays scored their final three runs. Jonathan Aranda singled, scoring Jake Mangum. A Caminero home run followed that, his second of the season, to put the Rays up 8-3. Caminero drove in three runs on the afternoon.
The Rays banged out nine hits against Atlanta’s pitching, with Danny Jansen and Curtis Mead being the only Rays to not collect any hits in the win.
Tampa Bay did a fantastic job making contact when runners were in scoring position. But even with the timely hitting, the Rays left 11 runners on base, which has already cost them a couple of games this season.
Tampa Bay’s pitching walked two and struck out 12 in the game as the Rays took two of three from the Braves. Rays pitching held the Braves to just four hits as Atlanta dropped to 1-9 on the road.
Sunday afternoon, Steinbrenner Field had another sellout with an announced crowd of 10,046. Every Rays home game this season has been sold out.
The Rays’ next seven games will be against division opponents, starting with a three-game series against Boston on Monday night. Shane Baz, Ryan Pepiot, and Zack Littell will start for the Rays against Boston this week.