Wednesday, 4 a.m.
All this, and you also get cake.
Give it to Yandy Diaz. The guy knows how to celebrate a birthday.
Consider, if you will, the way that Diaz enjoyed his 32nd birthday Tuesday night.
— He went four-for-four.
— He drove in the go-ahead run in the Rays’ 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
— He took over the lead in the American League batting race with a .322 average.
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Diaz led the Rays to a comeback win over St. Louis, but he wasn’t the only standout for the Rays. Starting pitcher Zach Eflin threw seven innings of four-hit, one-run baseball. Isaac Paredes tied the game with his 22nd home run of the season in the seventh. And Josh Lowe started off the three-run eighth inning with a leadoff triple.
In that inning, the Rays got consecutive hits from Diaz, Wander Franco, Brandon Lowe and Randy Arozarena (his second of the night).
Pete Fairbanks picked up his 15th save despite giving up a solo homer to Wilson Contreras in the ninth inning.
The Rays, who have won seven of their last 10 games,
haven’t been able to catch up to Baltimore, who have won eight of their last 10. The Rays trail by 2 1/2 games.
It was Eflin’s 11th win, tying for the team lead. It was good to see after the Rays announced that Shane McClanahan would likely miss the rest of the season.
The Rays play the Cardinals again tonight at 6:40 p.m. The Rays have not announced a starter for tonight. The Cardinals will start Dakota Hudson.