The Tampa Bay Rays are making a statement through two games of their weekend set against the AL-leading Detroit Tigers.
Following a second blowout win, the Rays look like a team that can challenge the Tigers — and the rest of the American League — for the league’s pennant this fall.
On Saturday, the Rays (43-34) handled the Tigers (48-30), 8-3, less than 24 hours after taking Game 1 of the three-game series, 14-8.
Over the first two games, Tampa Bay batters are 24-of-72 (.333), including 9-of-18 (.500) with runners in scoring position, and have five home runs.
The top of the order has been outstanding of late and has remained hot against Detroit. This
series, Rays batters Nos. 1-4 in the lineup are 11-of-35 (.314) with nine runs scored.
After falling five games below .500 on May 19 (21-26), the Rays have been the best team in baseball, going 22-8 over their last 30 games.
The Rays trail the New York Yankees (43-32) by a game in the AL East, but the division foes are headed in opposite directions. Tampa is 7-3 in its last 10 games. New York, meanwhile, is 3-7.
First baseman Yandy Diaz has taken one of the first three spots in the batting order all season but struggled initially, slashing .249/.297/.401 through Tampa’s first 47 games, per FanGraphs data.
During the team’s 22-8 span, Diaz has a .324/.378/.556 slash line.
The splits are even more drastic for second baseman Brandon Lowe, who got out of the gate slashing .218/.274/.358 before turning his season around in mid-May (.336/.379/.636).
Since May 20, the Rays have led the majors with a .279 team batting average. Their 178 runs over their last 29 games (6.1 runs per game) entering Saturday were 29 more than the Los Angeles Dodgers, who ranked second in runs scored during that span. (h/t FanGraphs)
Before becoming the hottest team in baseball, Tampa hitters ranked 20th in team batting average (.241) and 23rd in runs scored (182), averaging 3.9 runs per game.
The offense’s revival has been the headliner, but Tampa’s pitching staff has held up its end of the bargain.
Entering Saturday, Rays pitchers led MLB with a 2.97 earned run average (ERA) since May 20. Ryan Pepiot, who started Saturday, has been the best pitcher in Tampa’s opening rotation. Over his last six starts (including Saturday), Pepiot has a 1.65 ERA, allowing seven earned runs with 44 strikeouts in 38.1 innings.
The Rays have proved incredibly difficult to beat over the past month. If the Tigers can’t slow their roll, few likely can.
