Yesterday afternoon, the Rays avoided their first series defeat since mid August, and also kept their playoff hopes alive as they defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-2, and split the finale of their last road trip of the season.
Blake Snell was dominant in what should be his penultimate performance of the season, delivering 6 2⁄3 inning of shutout baseball, racking up 11 strikeouts along the way. He allowed just two walks and three hits over the course of the afternoon, dropping his ERA to 1.90, which is the 2nd lowest in the American League since the Rays played in their inaugural season in 1998.
With the victory, Snell now has a franchise record of 21 wins in a season.
On the offensive side of things, Tommy Pham did Tommy Pham things as he collected a single, a stolen base, and two walks. He is now slashing .347/.444/.620 with 6 HR in 144 plate appearances as a member of the Rays.
C.J. Cron was the only player on the team to have a more than hit, he crushed his 28th home run of the season in the 8th inning. Brandon Lowe also homered in the 8th, launching the 6th home run of brief major league career.
Tonight, the Rays return home for their finale homestand of the year, they’ll welcome in the New York Yankees for a four game series.
One more Rays loss, or Athletics victory will officially eliminate the Rays from playoff contention
Rays Links
- MLB.com named their second half All-Stars with several Rays making the list and the snubbing of the 1st half carries over to the 2nd half...Blake Snell was once again, left off
- Kevin Kiermaier put on a defensive showcase during the case, but left early due to suffering an injury on a play
- Carlos Gomez is not stepping back from his public outcry of the umpiring during Thursday night’s stunning loss to the Blue Jays
Around the League
- You can put it on the board, yes! Hawk Harrelson has retired
- The Arizona Diamondbacks completely and utterly collapsed this month, ending their season miserably
- The National League Wild Card is the most exciting race left in baseball