Tonight’s game is how the Tampa Bay Rays front office imagined things going. It hasn’t always gone as planned this year. However tonight good pitching paired with good defense gave the offense a chance to win the game. The Offense wouldn’t let down the pitching.
Blake Snell goes 6.2 strong innings.
Blake Snell entered the night coming off his worst outing of the year allowing five runs in 3.1 innings to the Baltimore Orioles that included three homers. Snell was up for the challenge.
Snell set the tone early with a scoreless first where the only blemish was a walk to Mike Trout. Snell wasn’t wild, but Trout was disciplined enough to lay off a couple fastballs just above the strike zone.
In the second Shohei Ohtani hit a missile off the wall for a double to lead off the inning. Ohtani moved to third on a grounder to second by Jefry Marte. Snell delivered with a three pitch strikeout of Martin Maldonado for out number two. Chris Young took a soft liner to right, but Johnny Field made a terrific diving catch to preserve the Rays 1-0 lead.
Michael Hermosillo jumped on a fastball for a double down the left field line in his first career plate appearance. Zack Cozart moved Hermosillo to third with a grounder to first for the first out. Once again Snell delivered a three pitch strikeout with a runner on third with one out. This time it was Andrelton Simmons who owns a career strikeout rate south of 10%. Snell got the slumping Trout looking at strike three on the inside edge of the zone to keep the Angels off the board.
With one out Snell walked Ohtani. Snell picked up another big strikeout with a runner in scoring position. This time Marte was the victim. Maldonado couldn’t deliver the hit to put the Angels on the board flying out to center.
In the fifth inning Snell once again found himself in trouble. Young led off with a walk. After Hermosillo struck out, Cozart sent a liner down the right field line setting up runners at second and third with one out. This time Simmons came through with a grounder up the middle to score two runs. Trout lined out to right field ahead of an Albert Pujols strikeout.
Snell put up his first clean inning in the sixth. The nine pitch frame allowed Snell to come back to the mound in the seventh.
Snell finished strong striking out Ohtani and Hermosillo to end his night. Snell’s night was done after 114 pitches. He threw 6.2 innings allowing four hits and two runs while striking out eight and walking three. Snell wasn’t wild, but worked on the fringes of the zone and led to a couple walks.
Chaz Roe came in relief. Roe issued a walk to Cozart with two outs. Simmons grounded out to short to end the seventh. Trout broke out of his 0-for-21 slump with a homer to start the eighth and cut the Rays lead to 7-3. Roe responded by striking out Pujols on three pitches for the first out of the eighth inning.
Jonny Venters came in to face Ohtani. Venters won this round with a strikeout on a curve way out of the zone. Marte sent a liner to the center field wall. Mallex Smith was able to make the catch with his back against the wall about a foot from the top of the wall to end the inning.
Venters returned to the mound in the ninth. Maldonado hit a chopper up the middle that deflected off Venters glove that deadened the ball enough that Joey Wendle was unable to make the play. Venters struck out Young and Hermosillo for the first two outs. Venters struggled to find the zone against Cozart and issued a walk. Simmons hit a soft fly ball to center to end the game.
Venters was extended for five outs, but it was the best showing he’s had in his return. He struck out three. Outside of the walk to Cozart he couldn’t have performed much better.
Daniel Robertson and Johnny Field make big defensive plays early.
With one out in the first Daniel Robertson made a slick barehanded play to rob Simmons on an infield single.
.@Andrelton getting Andrelton’d. https://t.co/u9Rm3AONUY pic.twitter.com/f05QflL9Mm
— MLB (@MLB) May 19, 2018
Johnny Field came up with a spectacular diving catch to keep the Angels off the board in the second.
We're scoring some runs but first -
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 19, 2018
Let's appreciate @JohnnyField1. pic.twitter.com/Nk0vVWDjXV
The Rays made the rest of the plays they could with the lone exception of the infield single in the ninth that deflected off Venters glove. The ball died at the second base bag. With Maldonado running if Joey Wendle was able to come up with the ball cleanly he would’ve been able to make the play.
Wilson Ramos and Daniel Robertson power offense.
Robertson put the Rays on the board with a homer with one out in the second to give the Rays a 1-0 lead.
With one out in the third CJ Cron walked to extend his on base streak to 24 games. Wilson Ramos made the Angels pay with a fly ball to center that hit off the tip of Trout’s glove and bounced off the top of the wall and over for a two run homer giving the Rays a 3-0 lead. Trout probably makes that play more often than not, but this time he didn’t.
This guy is good! Wilson Ramos homers over Mike Trout for his 5th of the year. The @RaysBaseball lead the Angels 4-0 in the 3rd.
— FOX Sports Florida (@FOXSportsFL) May 19, 2018
Catch all of tonight's action against the Angels LIVE now on FOX Sports Sun and FOX Sports Go! #RaysUp #MLB pic.twitter.com/aNjvRxpMmm
The Rays wouldn’t let the homer stifle their two out rally. Brad Miller followed with a single. Robertson singled on a grounder to second. Smith flared a single down the left field line to drive in Miller for the third run of the frame and give the Rays a 4-0 lead. Christian Arroyo walked to load the bases and end the night for Nick Tropeano. Noe Ramirez came in and struck out Field to end the threat.
Ramos was at it again in the fifth. He lined a massive short to right-center field. This time he left no doubt for his second homer of the game and his 100th homer of his career. Robertson walked to reach base for his eighth consecutive plate appearance. Smith hit a single to right. The throw went to third and Mallex was able to beat the throw into second. Arroyo picked up a RBI single to extend the Rays lead to 6-0.
Rays added another run in the seventh after Arroyo tripled on a liner to right that deflected off the glove of Hermosillo. Field dropped down the squeeze about a foot in front of home plate. Maldonado whiffed on the barehanded grab as Arroyo scores.
The Rays tacked on another run in the ninth after Smith singled to lead off the frame. Smith wasted no time stealing second on the first pitch. Smith advanced to third on an Arroyo grounder to second. On a 2-1 pitch Field once again tried a squeeze. Once again the bunt didn’t travel very far, but it did end up foul. On the next pitch Field sent a liner over the drawn in infield to score the insurance run for the Rays.
Everybody in the lineup picked up a hit or walk. Arroyo had his second straight two hit game and added two walks. Miller and Smith had three hit nights.
The Rays winning streak is extended to five and they moved into a tie with the Toronto Blue Jays for third in the American League East. The Rays will look to get back to .500 for the first time since the second game of the year with Sergio Romo picking up his first career start. Ryan Yarbrough is scheduled to provide length out of the bullpen.