ST. PETERSBURG -- Needing only a little bit of run support behind another strong start from converted reliever Griffin Jax, Yandy Díaz flexed his substantial muscle in two big spots for the Rays on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field.
Díaz ripped an RBI double in the first inning and demolished a tiebreaking homer in the sixth off starter Kyle Bradish, sending the Rays to a 4-1 victory over the Orioles and clinching Tampa Bay’s eighth consecutive series win.
The Rays have won 20 of their past 24 games and own the best record in the Majors at 32-15. That is tied with the 2010 team for the second-best start in franchise history, trailing only the ‘23 club that won 34 of its first 47 games.
A night after the Rays set season-high marks for runs, hits and extra-base hits, Díaz powered the lineup himself.
With two outs in the first inning, Jonathan Aranda worked a 10-pitch walk off Bradish. Up came Díaz, fresh off his second four-hit game of the season. The veteran DH saw six pitches before smashing a 113.7 mph double that rolled to the wall in center field, giving Aranda time to score the tying run from first.
Leading off the sixth, Díaz jumped on a hanging slider from Bradish and blasted it out to center, well over the spot where his double wound up earlier in the night. His eighth homer of the season traveled a Statcast-projected 439 feet, tied for the third longest of his career behind a pair of 440-foot shots.
The night ended in painful fashion for Díaz, however, as he appeared to be hit on the fingers of both hands by a 93.9 mph fastball from Yennier Cano in the eighth inning. Díaz walked down the first-base line in obvious discomfort and was replaced by speedy pinch-runner Carson Williams.
Whether the move was related to his injury or speed, it wound up paying off. Richie Palacios pounded a double to the right-field wall, and Williams sped around the bases to score.
It was a pure pitchers’ duel between Díaz’s two big hits. Bradish held the Rays to two walks and a pair of hits until the sixth, and Jax continued to shine in his transition into Tampa Bay’s rotation.
Leaning more on his changeup and sinker, Jax allowed only three hits and one walk while striking out six over five efficient innings. The lone run he allowed came on a leadoff homer by Taylor Ward, then he cruised through Baltimore’s batting order twice on only 62 pitches (41 strikes).
Since joining the staff as a full-time starter, Jax has posted a 1.42 ERA in five outings.