ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Fans are supposed to rejoice when their team scores first, right? Lately, as much as the Rays have scored early in most of their games in 2017 – winning hasn’t always been the outcome. Including last night against this Royals team.
See Tuesday night’s 4-0 lead in the first turn into a 7-6 loss in 12 innings.
Fast forward to Wednesday night. Logan Morrison would drive in his team-leading 21st RBI of the season scoring Corey Dickerson from third after he was hit by a pitch to lead off the ballgame.
Rays fans, when you go to cast your All Star vote, don’t forget Morrison.
After an error by Alcides Escobar allowed Evan Longoria to reach safely with one out in the third, Morrison stepped to the plate. Two pitches later, he would deposit his team-leading ninth home run to dead center field making it a 3-0 Rays lead.
One hitter later, Rickie Weeks Jr, hit his second of the season into the left field seats. It was the third time in 2017 that the Rays have had back-to-back bombs in a game.
BACK to BACK!
That’s 831 combined feet of POWER!#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/dzH0iF4PrH
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 11, 2017
Dickerson keeps the bat white-hot!
Dickerson continued to make a strong, All Star case, himself. In the bottom of the fourth following a Derek Norris single, he smoked the first pitch from Jason Hammel into the right field corner for an RBI triple. The Rays lead was now 5-0.
The very next hitter, Brad Miller, scored Dickerson on a sac fly to right field.
Would a 6-0 lead through four be enough?
With two outs in the fifth, Norris singled home Colby Rasmus to push the lead to 7-0.
The Rays got the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth off Peter Moylan. Weeks Jr would walk home the eighth run of the ballgame and his second RBI of the night.
Rasmus takes the “grand” tour.
A grand slam for good measure!
It’s a 12-0 #Rays lead in the ninth! pic.twitter.com/z3LEyWBqir
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 11, 2017
With the bases loaded in that very same inning and two outs, Rasmus would hit his sixth career grand slam. The Rays would take a 12-0 lead to the ninth…for Jumbo Diaz.
Chris Archer would be pulled after 101 pitches and 11 strikeouts through eight innings. It would make back-to-back games of 11 strikeouts by the Rays ace.
Jumbo gives up the shutout.
With two outs and two runners aboard, Jorge Soler got his first hit of 2017 with an RBI double to left field. Jumbo would finally get Brandon Moss swinging to end this one.
QUOTABLES:
- Morrison on his big night, “Probably my shortest sac fly and longest home run of my career. Baseball is funny.”
- Archer on his 2017 season, “Honestly, I’ve been feeling pretty good. I think this was the game where I executed at the highest level.”
NOTABLES:
- Morrison has three home runs in his last five games and four in his last seven. He leads the team with nine total and also a team-leading 23 RBI.
- Rickie Weeks Jr home run tonight was his first career bomb at Tropicana Field.
NEXT UP:
- The Rays and Royals wrap up the four-game set Thursday. Jake Odorizzi (2-1, 2.88) takes the hill for the Rays while the Royals send out Jason Vargas (4-1, 1.19).
