Rays 11, Padres 4: Baz was good, the bats were better

Rays flip the script and put up 11 runs agains the Padres

The Rays were able to flip the script of Friday’s affair and scored eleven runs to win by a final score of 11-4 on Saturday afternoon. In total, the Rays and Padres have combined for 33 runs through the first two games of this three game set. The Padres have scored 17 while the Rays have scored 16 runs, yet neither game has been close.

Shane Baz made his 9th start of the year and it was a solid one despite a first inning, two-run shot that gave the Padres an early lead. After a leadoff walk to Arraez and strikeout of Profar, former Rays prospect Jake Cronenworth took Baz deep to right field. It was his 16th blast of the year.

Those two runs would be the only that Baz surrendered over five innings of work during which he struck out five, walked one, and allowed just one other hit.

Following the first inning homer, it was essentially all Rays the rest of the way. In the bottom of the first, the Rays answered with a run to cut the deficit in half. Caballero drove in Junior Caminero, who had previously walked and advanced to third on a Josh Lowe double.

The following half inning, the Rays broke the game open. Brandon Lowe tied the game with an RBI single, driving in Jose Siri. Then, with men on the corners, Junior Caminero laced a ball to the deepest part of the park and gave the Rays a 5-2 lead with his third homer of the year. The blast traveled 429 feet.

In the fourth inning, the Rays scored again, extending their lead to 8-2. Caballero laced his second run-scoring hit of the day, driving in Morel and Brandon Lowe. Ben Rortvedt followed with an RBI single of his own, driving in Josh Lowe.

The following inning, Morel joined the party, scoring Aranda on a RBI single and giving the Rays a 9-2 lead.

Despite the Padres tacking on a pair of runs off Rasmussen in the seventh inning, the Rays responded in the bottom of the eighth with two runs of their own. Josh Lowe tripled home Brandon Lowe and later also scored on a ground ball. The Rays took an 11-4 lead and that score would hold as final.

Brandon Lowe went 3-5 and scored three times. Josh Lowe and Morel both reached base three times, going 2-4, and scoring twice. Caballero drove in four and Caminero drove in three.

Pair that offensive display with a strong start from Baz and you have a recipe for success. With the win, the Rays moved to 67-68. They will send Pepiot to the bump for the rubber match hoping to take the series.