Paredes Outpowers Rangers - Rays 8, Rangers 3

This was supposed to be a battle between the two best teams in baseball. The Tampa Bay Rays decided to leave no doubt who the top team is.

It takes a lot to overshadow Tyler Glasnow, getting his first win of the season with a six-strikeout performance. Still, Isaac Paredes was an unstoppable force at the plate, powering the Tampa Bay Rays to an 8-3 victory over the Texas Rangers with two home runs and six RBIs.

Here is how it all went down.

The Rangers struggled out the gate. Marcus Semien and Corey Seager were quickly dismissed with a pop-out and a flyout, respectively. Nathaniel Lowe managed to draw a walk, but Adolis Garcia could not take advantage of it, striking out swinging.

There was a slight delay before the bottom of the first as a fan was receiving medical attention and had to be brought to the field.

When the Rays came up to bat, they initially struggled, with Yandy Diaz striking out and Wander Franco lining out to center. However, a fielding error by Rangers’ second baseman Marcus Semien allowed Harold Ramirez to reach base. A walk by Randy Arozarena subsequently put Ramirez in scoring position. It was then that Isaac Paredes delivered the first blow, ripping a ground ball double to left field that allowed Ramirez to score the first run of the game. Rays lead 1-0.

In the third inning, the Rangers’ Leody Taveras changed the momentum with a homer to right field to tie the game 1-1. The Rangers, however, quickly lost the momentum as Marcus Semien struck out, followed by Corey Seager.

In response, the Rays began the bottom of the third inning with a single from Yandy Diaz. But the next at-bat saw Wander Franco grounding into a double play, putting a potential damper on the inning. Nevertheless, the Rays persevered as they have done all season long. Harold Ramirez doubled, and Arozarena walked, much to the disappointment of the fans in Randyland. A double steal placed both in scoring position and extended the team’s consecutive steal streak. Then, Paredes stepped up and delivered a massive three-run homer, putting the Rays in a commanding lead, 4-1.

The only thing better than a spectacular play being made by a Rays outfielder is when a fun Glasnow lip read accompanies it. The Rangers Adolis Garcia was on first base with a one-out walk when Josh Jung stepped to the play. He hit a fly ball to right field, and Manuel Margot made an incredible play to make the catch in foul territory and slide into the bullpen mound like a kid on a backyard tarp covered with dish detergent. Glasnow was impressed.

Tyler Glasnow led the charge with a solid 6-inning performance. He kept the Rangers’ offense in check with 6.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 K, and 1 HR. His pitch count was efficient, with 55 strikes out of 84 pitches. However, he was charged with two pitch timer violations as he continues to adjust to the new rules.

The Rays' bats kept applying pressure in the bottom of the sixth inning. Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch and stole second base to set the tone. Then, Paredes, already the night's hero, delivered another stunning blow. He connected with the pitch perfectly, sending the ball soaring for his second home run and extending the Rays’ lead to 6-1. The inning continued to spiral downwards for the Rangers, as the Rays continued to add runs with RBI singles from Margot and Taylor Walls, cementing their lead 8-1.

Leody Taveras trimmed the Rays' lead to 8-2 with his second solo homer in the eighth inning. It appeared that Taveras would be the only Rangers player to get a hit in the game until Josh Jung hit a solo homer of his own in the top of the ninth that ultimately did not matter in the outcome of the game as the Rays won 8-3.

Luis Patiño made his first appearance of the season and closed the game with a 2-inning stint. Despite allowing two runs on two hits and registering one pitch-timer violation of his own, he managed to hold the lead for the Rays' victory.

With the dust settled and the dome lit up orange, we put tonight’s game behind us. These two teams will meet again tomorrow at 4:10 p.m., with Taj Bradley taking the mound for the Rays and Nathan Eovaldi getting the start for the Rangers.

May the best team win. Again.