Monday, 3 a.m.
About that decision to give up on Jonathan Aranda…
Have you reconsidered yet?
Granted, there was a lot of talk about Aranda in 2022. That was before he played in 32 games and hit all of .198. But, hey it takes time. Then, in 2023, he played 34 games. He hit .230. Even this year, he has hit .248 in 37 games.
On the other hand, he is finishing on fire.
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Aranda hit another home run Sunday, his third in three games, to lead the Rays to a 4-2 victory and a sweep over Toronto. Aranda has started 14 of the last 16 games, and he’s hit .294. He’s earned a fresh look going into next season.
If the Rays can get a little more hitting, that might be true of the team, as
well.
The Rays won with a similar game plan. Shane Baz pitched well — six innings, four hits, one run — for his sixth straight strong performance. The Rays used five pitchers to get the final nine outs, the last of which was Edwin Uceta, who got the save. Kevin Kelly got the win
The Rays fell behind 1-0 on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Leo Jimenez in the fourth. That was the only damage to Baz, who had loaded the bases with one out.
Aranda’s sixth inning homer gave the Rays their first lead in the sixth.
Toronto tied the game in the seventh when Ernie Clement singled to left.
The Rays came back to retake the lead in the bottom of the seventh. Yandy Diaz had a pinch-hit double. Jose Caballero singled pinch-runner Jose Siri to third, and Christopher Morel hit a deep sacrifice fly to left.
Brandon Lowe added an insurance run with an eighth-inning home run, his 20th of the season.
The Jays scored once in the ninth on a single by Vlad Guerrero, but left the tying run at third base.
The Rays are .500 again on the season. They open a series in Detroit on Tuesday night, when Ryan Pepiot starts against the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal, one of the favorites to win the AL Cy Young Award.