Halfway home, the Tampa Bay Rays are sitting exactly where they want to be: on top of the American League East.
After 81 games, Tampa Bay is 48-33, which gives the club the best record in the American League. Even better for the Rays, their work at home has been elite - they’re 31-12 at Tropicana Field, the top home mark in Major League Baseball.
The season has not been a straight line. Tampa Bay ripped through a 22-4 run from April 22 through May 22, then hit a rough patch with a 9-18 slide from May 24 through June 23.
But the first half ended with the Rays back on a roll, riding a five-game winning streak into the break after sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks. Their nine sweeps are the most in the majors.
“You know, we talked about having a minor hiccup, and everyone's going to go through it,” pitcher Drew Rasmussen said. “I do think it's nice to see us right the ship and get heading in the right direction again."
Junior Caminero has been one of the biggest reasons the offense has had so much pop lately. The third baseman has blasted seven home runs over his last six games, and on Sunday his 22nd homer of the year went a career-best 463 feet.
“Yeah, I feel very, very good and comfortable,” Caminero said. “Just go out there, have fun, look for a really good pitch, and make big adjustments."
Yandy Diaz has been the steady presence near the top of the lineup. The designated hitter has reached base in 26 straight home games, while also leading the majors with a .336 batting average and posting a .932 OPS, the third-best figure in the American League.
“I'm not trying to think. I just go up to the plate, take good swings, and swing at good pitches. So far, that's all I've been doing,” Diaz said.
Diaz was pulled from Sunday’s game with a shoulder strain, though he is expected to be day to day.
The Rays are off Monday before opening a three-game road trip in Kansas City on Tuesday.
In Other News...
Rays Fans Had The Same Fear When Yandy Daz Left Early
Yandy Dazs night ended early against the Arizona Diamondbacks after the Rays designated hitter was slowed by a left shoulder strain, a concern that immediately hung over a lineup that depends on his presence. He was already visibly uncomfortable after a lengthy fifth-inning at-bat before being replaced in the seventh, leaving Tampa Bay to manage the rest of the game without one of its most important bats.
For a club that leans on Daz as a key part of its core, any shoulder issue is worth watching closely, especially with the season moving forward and lineup stability always at a premium. He is listed as day to day, and while that offers a measure of relief, it also leaves the Rays waiting to see how much this setback will affect him once the medical staff gets a better look. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Sweep Arizona As Rasmussen Keeps Fueling A Red Hot Stretch
The Rays wrapped up a sweep of Arizona with a 5-1 win, and once again the story started on the mound with Drew Rasmussen. He worked six scoreless innings to keep Tampa Bay in control, while Junior Caminero and Cedric Mullins supplied the punch with home runs as the Rays kept their momentum rolling and moved to 48-33.
Rasmussens latest outing fit neatly into a June that has been building his case for one of the best stretches in club history, and the Rays have kept feeding off that stability as the calendar turns. Camineros power has become a headline of its own, Mullins has settled in well enough to add another jolt, and Tampa Bay keeps stacking wins with the kind of balance that can make a hot stretch feel more durable than temporary. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Suddenly Have A New Concern After Facing Diamondbacks
The Rays left Arizona with a sweep and a convincing 5-1 win over the Diamondbacks, but the result came with a bit of unease attached. Yandy Diaz exited after dealing with a shoulder issue, and the club had Richie Palacios step in, a reminder that even a clean series can carry a cost when one of the lineups most reliable bats gets dinged up.
For Tampa Bay, the timing matters as much as the injury itself. Diaz has been central to the offense at Tropicana Field and has given the Rays a steady presence in the middle of the order, so any disruption there is worth watching closely. The team is set to dig further into the shoulder, and for now the bigger question is how long it might affect a player who has been one of their most dependable run producers. [Read more 🡒]