Many words can be utilized to sum up the last two baseball games for the Tampa Bay Rays, but one word that would never come to mind would be boring. Tampa Bay defeated the Oakland Athletics 6-5 earlier today thanks to a walk-off single by Second Baseman Richie Palacios. Thursday was the second straight game the Tampa Bay Rays won via a walk-off. The Rays defeated the Athletics 4-3 following a game-winning single by Center Fielder Jose Siri on Wednesday.
In today’s game, Tampa had to come back multiple times, including in the bottom of the 10th inning. Wednesday’s ballgame followed a similar script as Tampa Bay also came back multiple times and won the game after coughing up the lead in the top of the eighth inning.
Thanks to two comeback wins, the Tampa Bay Rays took two of three games at home against the Oakland Athletics. Will the Rays be able to carry this momentum into their next games?
Tampa Bay Rays Season Summary
It's a @RaysBaseball #walkoff for the second straight day! pic.twitter.com/Ylvp78IAbb
— MLB (@MLB) May 30, 2024
It has been a disappointing 2024 season for the perennial playoff contenders. The Rays have qualified for the MLB Playoffs in each of the last five seasons. Tampa Bay(28-29) is fourth in the American League East, 10 games behind the New York Yankees, and is also 3.5 GB of the third and final AL Wild Card spot. The Rays offense has a massive disappointment nearly a third of the way through the 2024 MLB regular season. They are 25th in runs scored, 29th in home runs, and 21st in batting average.
Their offense is paced by Third Baseman Isaac Paredes. He leads the club in nearly every important offensive category and is 15th in the league with a batting average of .295. The Tampa Bay Rays pitching staff has been better this season, albeit slightly. They are 22nd in ERA, have surrendered the second-most home runs, and are 18th in opposing batting average.
The pitching staff is led by Relief Pitcher Garrett Cleavinger and Starting Pitcher Zack Littell. Cleavinger is 4-0 this season with a whopping 1.52 ERA. Littell is 2-3 with a 3.03 ERA and leads the team in strikeouts. Ironically, Littell had the best game of his season on Tuesday against the Oakland Athletics in the only game that Tampa Bay lost in the three-game set. He surrendered three unearned runs over seven innings and struck out a season-high nine batters.
Tampa Bay’s Upcoming Schedule
The Rays look to build on two great victories when they go on the road against the Baltimore Orioles for a three-game series beginning on Friday. Following a trip to the “Charm City,” the Tampa Bay Rays face fellow “Sunshine State” inhabitant, the Miami Marlins, on the road for a quick two-game set. This weekends series in Baltimore will be an important one as the Orioles currently occupy the top spot in the American League Wild Card race.
This will be the first time that Baltimore and Tampa Bay will face one another this season. There is still a great deal of season left, but the 2024 Tampa Bay Rays will have an uphill battle to make the MLB Playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.
About The Author
Justin has always loved sports. He has previously written for Sports Illustrated and 247Sports. He is always willing to talk football (NFL or college) and basketball, whether it’s on the women’s or men’s side, college or pro! Check out all of the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy
