ST. PETERSBURG -- Ryan Vilade was hardly a known commodity before this season. The 27-year-old had played in only 28 Major League games for four teams over parts of three seasons, with nine hits and a single home run to his name. The Rays acquired him from the Reds in a manner that rarely yields big league impact: in an early November trade for cash considerations.
But the Rays brought him in for a reason. He hits left-handed pitching. He’s a versatile defender. And he plays the kind of game he admittedly brings up in every interview: “winning baseball.”
On Sunday afternoon, that meant playing first base and dropping a game-tying bunt in the eighth inning of the Rays’ walk-off win over the Giants. On Monday night, it meant starting in right field and blasting a three-run homer off Eric Lauer in the first inning of the Rays’ 5-1 victory over the Blue Jays at Tropicana Field.
Whatever it takes to win.
“That's what it's about. It's about winning here,” Vilade said. “Whenever you can get the mindset of doing whatever you can for the team to get that win that day, I think that's when everyone kind of collectively comes together. It's something special here.”
It has been a special start for the Rays, who have won four straight games, 10 of their last 11 and 20 of 27 since April 4, improving their overall record to 22-12. As usual, pitching has been the key.
Monday’s series opener was the 11th straight game in which the staff allowed three runs or fewer, one shy of matching the longest such streak in franchise history set in 2016. During that stretch, the Rays have only allowed 14 runs.
“They're out there fearless,” said shortstop Taylor Walls, who hit a two-run single in the sixth inning on Monday. “They're trusting their stuff. They're getting ahead early. They're putting guys away late. They're trusting the defense to make a play behind them, and we're doing exactly that.”
Nick Martinez set the tone on the mound against Toronto. Pitching without his best stuff or command after covering 15 innings over his previous two starts, he competed well enough to hold the Jays to five hits and a walk while striking out four over five innings.
How good has Martinez been for the Rays? He allowed just one run on Monday, and his ERA actually ticked up to 1.71, the fifth-best mark in the Majors and third-best in the American League. He’s made seven starts this season, and Tampa Bay has won six of them.
He was given an early lead thanks to Vilade, who jumped on a first-pitch curveball from Lauer and launched it a Statcast-projected 413 feet out to left field. Vilade said he was looking for a fastball to hit back up the middle, but he reacted to the low breaking ball and swatted it out.
It was Vilade’s first home run of the season and only the second of his career, joining the solo shot he hit for the Tigers off the Dodgers’ Justin Wrobleski on July 13, 2024.
“I was happy for him,” manager Kevin Cash said. “He was pumped. The dugout was pumped.”
Especially Martinez, who goes way back with Vilade. When he was coming up through the Rangers’ Minor League system, Vilade’s father, James, was an assistant coach for their Double-A Frisco affiliate. One of the team’s bat boys was a future big leaguer: Ryan Vilade.
Fast-forward a dozen or so years, and Martinez is casually referring to his bat boy-turned-teammate as “The Big Rig,” a nickname he picked up from coaches and teammates while playing for Triple-A Toledo in 2024.
“It's awesome. Good for him to get his first one in a big moment for us to give us an early lead and make my life a little bit easier,” Martinez said. “Rig’s the man. He comes in and does what he can and works hard every day and is ready when his name is called.”
Vilade has played first and second base, right and left field and been used as a pinch-hitter. Against left-handed starters, he’s hit in the top half of the lineup. When the Blue Jays turned to right-handed reliever Spencer Miles in the fifth inning, Vilade was replaced by left-handed pinch-hitter Cedric Mullins.
For a player in Vilade’s situation, opportunity could come at any time, in any role. It could mean dropping a bunt from one knee, like he did Sunday. It could mean swinging for the fences, like he did Monday.
Whatever it takes to win, right?
“It's been an awesome time, and to get the opportunity is awesome,” Vilade said. “But at the end of the day, it's just being yourself and playing winning baseball.”