
Sunday, 4 a.m.
Have you ever wondered just how much the Tampa Bay Rays depend on Yandy Diaz’s bat to carry their offense?
True, Diaz got off to an ordinary start this season, but he’s up to .279 now. He’s hit 14 homers and driven in 64.
Yeah, he’s been timely, too.
Diaz had three hits, including his fifth leadoff home run of the year, in a 7-1 victory over Baltimore Saturday.
Content beyond this point is for members only.
Already a member? To view the rest of this column, sign in using the handy "Sign In" button located in the upper right corner of the GarySheltonSports.com blog (it's at the far right of the navigation bar under Gary's photo). Not a member? It's easy to subscribe so you can view the rest of this column and all other premium content on GarySheltonSports.com.
This time, Diaz had help. Jonny DeLuca also had three hits. Tyler Walls had two, including a home run. And Jose Siri took a home run away from Gunnar Henderson. The Rays are now 70-72 on the season.
Starter Ryan Pepiot won his eighth game. He allowed just one run over 5 1/3 innings.
The teams play again today when Baltimore’s Corbin Burnes goes after his 14th win. The Rays will counter with Zack Littell in the 12:05 p.m. game.