ST. PETERSBURG -- The final three weeks of the regular season were supposed to be a test for the Rays. A grind. A slog. A real challenge to their position atop the American League standings.
So far, they’re making it look easy.
After winning a three-game series in Atlanta against the National League East-leading Braves, the Rays came home, clinched a spot in the postseason and rolled to a weekend sweep of the AL West-leading Astros with a 14-4 rout on Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field. It was Tampa Bay’s Major League-leading and franchise record-setting 15th sweep of the season.
“We're a division leader as well, so it just kind of goes to show the team that we are,” first baseman Jonathan Aranda said through interpreter Kevin Vera. “The Braves and Houston are teams that are fighting for a playoff spot, too, so they're teams that we might be able to see in the future or similar teams that we'll face in the postseason.”
The lopsided victory made the Rays the first team in the AL to record 90 wins, pushed their record to a season-high 31 games over .500 at 90-59, improved them to 50-25 at the Trop this season and maintained their four-game lead over the Yankees (86-63) in the AL East with 13 to play.
The Rays said all the right things during a rowdy, post-clinching celebration inside their clubhouse on Friday night, pointing out that it was merely the first step toward their ultimate goal of winning the division.
The way they played in Saturday’s narrow victory and Sunday’s romp was a good indication that they meant it.
“We're not done,” second baseman Richie Palacios said. “We got to celebrate and all, but that's not where this road ends.”
The outcome of the series finale was never really in question, as the Rays jumped out to a three-run lead in the first inning and never looked back. The only drama was whether there might be some history made before Houston left town.
Starter Freddy Peralta continued his incredible turnaround with Tampa Bay, firing five hitless innings. He walked three batters in the third inning, but third baseman Junior Caminero made a nice play and throw on a grounder by Isaac Paredes to leave the bases loaded.
Peralta said he told catcher Nick Fortes beforehand he was going to throw a pitch in the strike zone and trust that “somebody’s gonna make the play for me.” Caminero came through, just as Peralta predicted.
“I've mentioned how great all the defense has been behind me, and I've just been trusting on that,” Peralta said. “Just credit for them, and I'm very grateful to have the defense that I get to have here.”
With an 11-run lead and 86 pitches (49 strikes) to his name, Peralta was pulled after five innings, and Paredes ended the Rays’ no-hit bid with a two-run homer off hard-throwing prospect Brody Hopkins. Hopkins bounced back by logging his first big league strikeout, another memorable moment in a game full of them.
Meanwhile, the red-hot Victor Mesa Jr. took a run at the record books at the plate. Mesa got things started with a two-run triple off starter Hayden Wesneski in the first inning, reached on a single during Tampa Bay’s four-run third then legged out a hustle double and scored in a two-run fourth.
Seeking the third cycle in franchise history, and the first since Evan Longoria accomplished the feat against the Astros in 2017, Mesa flied out to right field in the sixth and struck out swinging in the eighth.
Yes, of course a home run was on his mind.
“I’m not gonna lie,” Mesa said. “Since I hit the double, I knew that that was the missing one.”
Even without a cycle, it was yet another impactful performance for the unheralded but incredibly valuable Mesa. He has been at his best lately, putting together a nine-game hitting streak and slashing .377/.427/.739 in 21 games since Aug. 5.
“I feel really good at home plate right now, so hopefully keep going, keep feeling good, keep swinging and keep helping the team get wins,” Mesa said.
It was hardly a one-man show, though. Every starter recorded a hit, and three of them went deep.
Palacios continued his power surge by launching a three-run shot in the third, his 10th of the year. Fortes ripped a two-run shot to left in the fifth. And Aranda enjoyed his second career multi-homer game, giving him 21 on the season.
What’s next? More of the same, they hope.
“Very pleased, and we’ve got more good teams coming into play, for sure,” manager Kevin Cash said. “But I think these guys have a knack for making sure that they kind of rise up to the better teams.”