Sunday, 5 a.m.
For the Tampa Bay Rays, the first seven days of the basball season was an uphill walk across broken glass. It was hard to look at, hard to find clues that anything will be different.
Then came Saturday, and a welcome easy victory.
The Rays, 3-5, had a day when everything worked in a 7-1 victory over Minnesota at Target Field. To illustrate how different it was, consider this: In the first seven games of the season, Rays' pitching allowed 48 runs. This time, one run on three hits.
The Rays got a two-hitter out of staring pitcher Stephen Matz (is innings(. They also got two shutout innings (one hit) from Cole Sulser and a one shutout inning Masson Englert.
The Rays had 10 hits (and five walks) on the day.
Cedric Mullins and Chandler Simpson each had two hits for the Rays. Yandy Diaz hada triple and Jonathan Aranda had a double.
The rays play the Twins again today at 2:10 p.m. at Target Field. Nick Martinez will pithc for the Rays against Simeon Woods Richardson.