Rays Get Back in Home Run Column With 7-0 Rout of Twins

The Tampa Bay Rays, the team with the most home runs in baseball, won its last series without hitting a single ball out of the yard.

Tuesday night, however, they got back on track as both Luke Raley and Jose Siri hit 450+ foot blasts en route to the Rays beating the Twins 7-0.

Ope! Sorry, didn't see ya there pic.twitter.com/KfFe1vtLpA

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 7, 2023

Better Late Than Never

Early on, this game had all the markings of being a classic pitching duel. Both starting pitchers — Tampa Bay’s Zach Eflin and Minnesota’s Louie Varland — were dealing heat. The first three innings were home to just two hits for both teams combined.

However, in the bottom of the fourth, the Rays got the ball rolling.

To lead off the frame, right fielder Luke Raley scorched the ball down the first base line for a triple.

After a couple of timely singles, a walk and a Vidal Brujan squeeze bunt, Tampa Bay had tacked on some run support for Eflin. The Rays led 3-0.

https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/1666226888602181636?s=20

No Doubt About It

Following a 1-2-3 inning from Eflin in the top of the fifth, the Rays got right back to it in the bottom half.

Impressive plate discipline from Wander Franco led to a one-out walk, and it was time for Luke Raley to step in again.

An 0-1 changeup caught a little too much plate, and Raley put a dent in the batter’s eye in dead center field. Tampa led 5-0.

LAUNCHED by Luke 🚀 pic.twitter.com/rwkC34pzzV

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 6, 2023

A five-run lead late in a game is close to insurmountable, but the Rays wanted to put it out of reach.

In the seventh, they posted two more runs to widen the gap.

One of these runs was accompanied by a brutal bat flip and stare-down after being sent rocketed 457 feet by Jose Siri.

Hey Siri, play Stop and Stare pic.twitter.com/hHb4Hs0oHc

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 7, 2023

Eflin’s Eighth

While seven runs is usually plenty of run support for a win, Zach Eflin pitched a gem for the Rays.

That’ll play 😤 pic.twitter.com/bK3okGfm4c

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 7, 2023

Through 6.2 innings of work, Eflin pitched shutout ball, striking out nine and allowing just three hits.

He recorded his eighth win of the season, improving his record to 8-1 (7-0 at home).