MILLER’S WALK PLATE SMITH, RAYS WIN IN 11

Brad Miller came to the plate in the 11th inning with the bases loaded and two out. He worked the count full and drew a walk to score Mallex Smith and give the Rays a 3-2 victory.

The win gives the Rays their first winning home stand of 2017, something they were unable to do last season until August 6. It was also the first Rays walk-off win since August 24, 2016 against the Boston Red Sox.

Erasmo Ramirez picks up the win (1-0, 0.00 ERA) for the Rays who improve to 4-2. Casey Lawrence (0-1, 13.50 ERA), making his major league debut, picks up the loss.

Getting To Extras:

Aaron Sanchez and Chris Archer each worked deep into the game. Archer worked to two outs in the seventh and Sanchez worked seven. Both outings were greatly needed as the two teams bullpens combined to deliver 238 pitches on Friday night.

Corey Dickerson singled home Derek Norris in the second inning to give the Rays the 1-0 lead. The Blue Jays tied the game in the top of the 7th on a 2-out Troy Tulowitzki single and took the lead in the top of the eighth on a 2-out Josh Donaldson single. The Rays answered back in the bottom of the eighth on a Steven Souza single to tie the game at 2-2.

Despite the solid start by both pitchers the bullpens played a prominent role as the game remained tied into extra innings.

Intentional Walk Side Effect:

Mallex Smith led off the bottom of the 11th with a double. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons elected to intentionally walk both Corey Dickerson and Kevin Kiermaier. With the new rule the four pitches are not required, and both players immediately took their bases.

This sped up the game, not just in saving a few seconds, but Evan Longoria was not quite prepared to hit. Neither was Brad Miller who stepped in the tunnel to watch video of Lawrence. He was told that Longo was up and raced to the on-deck circle.

Miller ended up drawing the walk to give the Rays the walk-off win. It was his first career walk-off plate appearances. It was also his third walk of the game tying a career high.

Smith’s Big Night, Scores Winning Run

Mallex Smith ended the night reaching base all five times he came to the plate. He finished the night 2-for-2 with a double and a trio of walks. He also came home to cross home plate with the winning run after Brad Miller walked in the bottom of the 11th.

“Get on base. I kept my approach very simple for the whole game. Get on base and when I get on you know, run like the wind. I kept the same approach all day whether it’s a seasoned vet or a new guy you know. I just genuinely wanted to get on base.”

For Starters, Archie Trending In The Right Direction:

Last season the first inning was a treacherous spot for Chris Archer. In 33 starts he posted a 6.82 ERA (25-ER/33-IP) and the opposition hit .273/.386/.402 (36-for-132).

On Opening Day he held the New York Yankees hitless (walked one) and retired the Blue Jays in order striking out a pair.

Archie And The Jays:

Chris Archer entered tonight’s start with a lifetime mark of 6-4 with a 3.23 ERA (41-ER/114.1-IP) spanning 19 career appearances (all starts).

He finished the game delivering 7 2/3 innings allowing a pair of runs on five hits while striking out eight and walking three. Two of the three walks came around to score. He threw 114 pitches with 72 for strikes.

He had yielded two runs or fewer in six straight starts against the Jays and in 11 of his last 12.

On the win Archer said, “It shows a lot about our team. Last night we had to put up a ton of runs to win. Tonight we had to really pitch and play great defense and score timely runs so it shows the dynamic of our team.”

Rays’ ‘Pen:

Tommy Hunter entered with runners at first and second and two out in the eighth inning and struck out Jose Bautista looking on three pitches.

Alex Colome kept the game tied after working a scoreless ninth.

Xavier Cedeno recorded one out in the 10th, but walked the leadoff hitter and departed with a man in scoring position.

Erasmo Ramirez worked 1 2/3 innings to pick up the win. He did so on just 17 pitches, 12 for strikes.

Cash On Rays Win:

“That’s two in a row. Two games that we’ve won and had a tough time finding ways to win. We found a way to win tonight. That was an outstanding pitching performance by Arch and their guy. It was fun to watch early on if your’re a fan of good pitching. That was electric stuff. Location, everything was going on. Two good lineups. Just excited that we were able to pull it off.”

Nothing New For Sanchez:

Aaron Sanchez delivered seven strong innings allowing just one run on four hits while striking out six and walking three.

The outing, his first of the year, picks up where he left last year when he led the AL in ERA (3.00). He allowed one run or less in 15 of his 30 starts last season. Also, in 2016 he went 8-0 with a 2.66 ERA against AL East competition.

Home Sweet Home:

Last season the Rays had a 36-45 record at Tropicana Field. Remarkably, it wasn’t until August 6th before they clinched their first winning homestand.

They also struggled against the AL East posting a miserable 32-44 mark. The only team in the East that they had a winning mark against was the Toronto Blue Jays (11-8).

Access A Ray:

Prior to the game, Mallex Smith spoke to about 30-students from the Tampa Junior League. Tickets, food, and transportation were provided by the Rays.

Odo Ready To Take On Jays:

The Rays finish their homestand against the Jays on Sunday afternoon and will send Jake Odorizzi (0-1, 6.00 ERA) up against Marco Estrada (0-0, 3.00 ERA).