TAMPA, Fla. – It was hot Sunday afternoon at Steinbrenner Field. The heat index for the 1:40 first pitch was 101. The Rays were scorching as well, getting on the board early, sending 11 men to the plate during a seven-run fifth inning and coasting to a 13-0 win and three-game series sweep of the Blue Jays.
The final score equaled the franchise mark for second-largest shutout win, which was achieved twice previously, including last season at Toronto. The record is 14-0 versus the Yankees in 2021 at Tropicana Field.
“It was hot, but it will only get worse from here,” said pitcher Ryan Pepiot, with a safe meteorological prediction.
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Pepiot (3-5, 3.55 ERA) went seven innings Sunday to equal his career high and picked up his first win in a month while combining with relievers Eric Orze and Cole Sulser to not allow a runner to reach second base.
The win was the Rays’ fifth straight, all on the current nine-game homestand, and it matched their longest streak of the season from April 23-27 at Arizona (2) and San Diego (3). It also enabled them to reach Memorial Day at the breakeven point (26-26) for the first time since defeating the Padres at the end of the previous such streak.
“This is as good as we have played all season long,” said manager Kevin Cash, whose club outscored Toronto 19-2 in the series and has won 14 of the 19 against the Blue Jays the past two years, including five of six this season. “We have won a handful of games kind of the way we are built with run prevention, good pitching, playing real good defense and getting some timely hits.”
Brandon Lowe has been leading the hit parade. The second baseman, who has also dazzled defensively, hit a two-run homer in the first inning off of Chris Bassitt. That should come as no surprise as Lowe is 10-for-17 with four homers in his career against the righthander. In the larger picture, and beginning with the Rays’ trip to Toronto on May 13, the lefty batsman is 17-for-44 (.386) with five homers and 11 RBI. His homer Sunday gave the Rays an early advantage, something they had in all three games versus the Blue Jays.
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“I think more than anything, it just kind of lets everybody relax,” Lowe said of taking an early lead. “You have the lead now, keep taking good at-bats and you are not trying make up any ground. It makes it a lot easier on the guys.”
Pepiot, who allowed three hits, walked one and struck out five, appreciated the 2-0 lead Lowe provided before the floodgates opened four innings later.
“It’s very fun pitching with the lead,” he said. “Go out there and attack the zone, not nibble as much. Let them put the ball in play, which is what they were doing and the guys were making plays behind me.”
The Rays continue the homestand Memorial Day when they open a three-game series against the Twins. They seek to get on the sunny side of .500 for the first time since April 7 when they lost at Texas to slip to 4-3. Minnesota (29-23) recently won 13 straight and is tied with Cleveland for second place in the American League Central, four games behind Kansas City.
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“This could be a strong homestand for us,” said Cash, whose team is 5-1. “Certainly, a Minnesota team that is coming here is very talented. They have done some good things this year with winning (13 in a row), but I think our guys are feeling better about themselves and the look of our club than maybe a week ago.”
Zack Littell (3-5, 4.25), who made his MLB debut with the Twins in 2018, takes the mound for the Rays. He will be opposed by righthander Chris Paddock (2-4, 3.98). First pitch Monday and Tuesday are 7:05 and Wednesday is 1:05.
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