All stats entering Monday BOSTON -- You know things are going well for the Rays when they’re winning games thanks to the baserunning savvy of noted speedsters like José Caballero and … Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero? Well, Aranda’s heads-up baserunning was the difference in a 5-4 win over the Rangers on Wednesday night. And Caminero’s daring dash home finished a 4-3 win against Texas on Thursday night. It was less surprising that Caballero’s speed played a big part in Sunday’s 3-2 win over the Marlins at George M. Steinbrenner Field. All three victories reinforced something that’s became evident throughout the Rays’ MLB-best 14-4 run from May 20 through Sunday: They’re doing all the important stuff well, but they’re also nailing the little things that can often be the difference between winning and losing. "It kind of goes back to Rays baseball. That’s what this organization’s known for. It’s a lot of different ways to beat you,” outfielder Jake Mangum said. “We’ve had games where we relied on the home run ball. We’ve had games where we relied on just touching the baseball with a runner at third with one out.” |
During that 18-game stretch, which shot the Rays from five games under .500 to five games over, they led the Majors in run differential (plus-58), runs per game (5.8), runs allowed per game (2.6), doubles (39), extra-base hits (69), OPS (.808), slugging percentage (.479), steals (29) and WHIP (1.00). And they’ve been in all the games they lost, with three by one run and one by two runs. So, what have they been doing well? Pretty much everything. "When you go on a run like we’ve been playing … a lot of things have got to go right for you,” manager Kevin Cash said. “I think we’ve created some opportunities by doing good things.” Here are a few things that have stood out during the Rays’ best stretch in two years. |
1. Pitching, pitching, pitching This is where it usually starts with the Rays, right? Their staff pitched to a 2.39 ERA during their 14-4 stretch, the second-best mark in the Majors behind the Giants (2.19). Their starters produced a 2.39 ERA, their relievers a 2.41 mark, reflecting how steady the group has been across the board. But the rotation picked up most of the work -- they entered Monday tied for the Major League lead in innings pitched at 370 1/3 innings -- while allowing three runs or fewer in 17 of 18 outings during that stretch. It’s been the same group of five for all but one start this season -- Ryan Pepiot, Zack Littell, Taj Bradley, Drew Rasmussen and Shane Baz -- and they seem to be hitting their stride. "Just to see the consistency and just knowing who’s taking the ball every single day, we have all the confidence in the world in all these guys,” Pepiot said. 2. Power’s back Remember when this lineup seemed to significantly lack for power early on? In their first 47 games, they hit 40 home runs and posted a .362 slugging percentage. It put a lot of pressure on their situational hitting to deliver offense. Over the last three weeks, they hit 30 home runs in 18 games, while slugging .479. Only the Mets hit more homers during that stretch (31). And a lot of that power has come from … |
3. Junior Caminero
The slugging third baseman’s season didn’t get off to a great start, as he was hitting .230/.259/.402 following an 0-for-4 effort with two double-play grounders against the Astros on May 20.
Since then? He’s looked a lot like, as he put it recently, “the Junior that everybody wants to see.” Plenty of hitters have contributed during this streak, but few have taken over games like Caminero.
After taking two days off to work on his swing and approach, Caminero went on a tear and hit .349/.388/.825 with seven homers, nine doubles and 20 RBIs in 16 games. The only hitters with a higher wRC+ during that stretch were Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh.
4. The running Rays’ running ways The Rays stole 29 bases over their previous 18 games, six more than the next best team in the Majors. They’ve consistently put pressure on opposing pitchers and defenses, making good decisions and reads that might not show up in the box score -- like Aranda’s play on Wednesday or Caminero getting a good lead to prevent a double play at second on Thursday -- but make all the difference in the final result. "There were a lot of different things that we did,” Mangum said. “Not to mention our pitching staff – they’re so much fun to play with. If you combine all those things, you’ve got a good baseball team.” |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
• "This always felt like the place for me,” Evan Longoria said Saturday, when the greatest player in franchise history officially retired as a Ray. Read more >> • Ian Seymour had an unforgettable MLB debut in Monday night’s win. Read more >> • The Rays aced an “energy test” in Sunday’s series finale, thanks in large part to Caballero’s energy off the bench. Read more >> • It’s been an up-and-down season for top prospect Carson Williams, but he enjoyed perhaps the best game of his career on Sunday. Read more >> |
A player’s first trip to Fenway Park is almost a rite of passage. They take in the history, make their way out to the Green Monster and add their signature to the countless others who have come before. Mangum, Seymour, Eric Orze and Kameron Misner joined the club on Monday. It was especially meaningful for Seymour, who was called up on Sunday and lives about 30 miles away in Westborough, Mass. "This is a dream come true for baseball players. To get to play at Fenway Park, it’s an honor,” said Mangum, who visited twice in college but never played here before Monday night. “It was really cool to get underneath the wall and sign your name. Couldn’t stop smiling doing it.” |
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After this trip to Fenway Park and Citi Field, the Rays will return home for seven games against the Orioles and Tigers, with a few events and giveaways planned. Among them: • June 17: The Rays’ first postgame drone show, featuring iconic moments in team history • June 19: A Baz bobblehead, continuing the Steinbrenner Field bobble series • June 20: Pride Night, with a special ticket package that includes a Pride hat • June 22: A Shane McClanahan player pin for all fans |
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