Tuesday, 4 a.m.
Are you bored yet? Are you tired of seeing win after win by these Tampa Bay Rays?
Of course not.,
The Rays followed their recent formula again Monday night in a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. They got stellar pitching (again) and enough hitting (again). They won their 10th game of their last 11. They got a spark from an unknown hero (again).
Ryan Vilade hit a three-run homer in the first, and Taylor Walls had a two-run single in the sixth to lead the offense.
Vilade, whose squeeze bunt helped the Rays' Sunday win, had just 40 at-bats on the year coming into the game. He had only one career home run in his major league career. But he drove the first pitch he saw on Sunday 413 feet into the left-field stands.
Nick Martinez won his third straight game, going five innings and allowing five hits and one unearned run. The Jays ended up with 10 hits themselves, but they were one-for-eight with runners in scoring position.
Jonathan Aranda, who had four hits on Sunday, added three more on Monday. Ben Williamson had two hits.
Bryan Baker closed out the game, earning his ninth save on just three pitches.
The Rays and Jays play again tonight at 6:40 p.m. at Tropicana Field. Drew Rasmussen will start for the Rays against Kevin Gasmen.