Rays find their strokes in win over Angels

by Gary Shelton on August 24, 2022

in general

Wednesday, 4 a.m.

Offense? Who said anything bad about the Rays offense?

Besides, well, everyone.

The Rays, whose hitting has faded in and out for most of the season, have cranked it up a bit lately. Tuesday night's 11-1 bashing of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was perhaps the prime example, but there have been indications that the returns of a few injured starters has juiced the batting order.


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Consider this: In their last 11 games, the Rays have nine wins and two extra-inning losses. Over that span, they have 67 runs and 97 hits. It's been a rare assault for a Rays' lineup that still has four starters hitting .220 or less.

The Rays got 14 hits Tuesday night, eight of them in their last team two at-bats. They scored nine of their runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

Along the way:

-- Randy Arozarena had three hits.

-- Christian Bethancourt drove in three runs with a single and homer...in the same inning.

-- Isaac Paredes hit his first home run in his last 71 at bats.

-- "Randy’s doing his thing," Rays' manager Kevin Cash said. "He’s a big part of our team, our offense. Randy’s at the top of the list offensively."

Bethancourt also pitched a scoreless ninth inning, with a fastball in the mid-90s, unusual for a position player. He said he was trying to beat Pete Fairbanks' heater.

"We have our own two-way guy now," said starter Corey Kluber. "The first fastball was 93, so that gave me a good ego check right away."

Kluber won his eighth game of the season, allowing just five hits in six innings and one earned run. Overall, the starters have a 1.62 ERA in their last 11 games.

The Rays play the Angels again tonight at Tropicana Field (7:10 p.m.). Shane McClanahan will start for the Rays against Mike Mayers.


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