For the first time since May 17, the Tampa Bay Rays won a series against a National League opponent, ending Game 3 against the Washington Nationals with a 4-3 win at Tropicana Field Sunday afternoon.
The Rays’ power at the plate showed up. Yandy Diaz doubled home shortstop Taylor Walls in the third inning and outfielder Ryan Vilade hit a 436-foot solo homer in the sixth.
The game and series clinching run came off the bat of outfielder Johnny DeLuca’s two-run homer in the seventh. The score capped off DeLuca’s first series back since suffering a hamstring injury on May 24. DeLuca’s homer was made the deciding score thanks to a relief effort from pitchers Garret Cleavinger, Bryan Baker and Kevin Kelly.
After starting pitcher Nick Martinez struck out five batters — but allowed three runs in the first six innings — all three relievers pitched one inning each, allowing zero runs in the process. Cleavinger only allowed one hit in the seventh before being swapped for Baker. Baker has saved 19 games for the Rays this season, but entered this one an inning earlier than usual to handle the top of the Nationals batting order in the eighth. Three consecutive outs later, Kelly closed the day with the help of catcher Nick Fortes.
Fortes forced the Nationals second out of the ninth with a throw to shortstop Taylor Walls who tagged Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile at second on a stolen base attempt. A strikeout from Kelly one batter later gave the Rays its second series win of June.
Now sporting a record of 7-11 this month, getting back players like DeLuca from injury is another positive step towards performing at a level that helped the team finish April 16-9 and May 18-8. DeLuca’s pop will also be of great assistance to a Rays lineup that has hit the least home runs in Major League Baseball this season.
Now winning 26 of 36 games at Tropicana Field this season, the Rays will attempt to increase that number during its first of four straight games against the Kansas City Royals on June 22 at 6:40 p.m.