St. Petersburg, Fla – Rene Pinto homered twice and drove in four runs as the Tampa Bay Rays won the rubber match of their three game set with the San Francisco Giants 9-3. Amed Rosario and Isaac Paredes each had multi-hit games and each hit a home run in the win.
Tyler Alexander (1-0, 6.91 ERA) picks up the win as he allowed a pair of runs on five hits while striking out four and walking one over six innings of work. He made 86 pitches with 60 for strikes. The six innings marked the longest relief outing since his six inning sting September 25, 2022 versus the Chicago White Sox while a member of the Detroit Tigers.
Alexander did a nice job mitching his pitches and getting ahead in the count. “We talked about how that’s his strength. Mixing.” Kevin Cash said. “He did that really well. Got ahead, executed and got a lot of soft contact. That’s probably the best we’ve seen to start the year. Did that a couple times in spring training. I feel like that’s the best outing, really got us deep as the bullpen was a little beat up.”
With the win the Rays improve to 9-7 on the season and win their third straight series, their first such streak since September 4-13, 2023. It was also their third straight series win over the San Francisco Giants. The Rays also pick up their first series victory at Tropicana Field since September 19 through 21, 2023 against the Los Angeles Angels.
Blake Snell (0-2, 12.86 ERA) takes the loss for the Giants. He allowed seven earned run in four innings of work while striking out four walking two and allowing a pair of homers. Snell made 78 pitches with 48 for strikes.
Snell was making his first appearance at Tropicana Field since he was traded to the San Diego Padres in December, 2020. It was the second time facing his former team. Last season on June 17th as a member of the Padres, Snell shutout the Rays for six innings, limited them to two hits, struck out a dozen, while walking three.
In his career at Tropicana Field, Snell entered the game with a career mark of 23-12 with a 2.51 ERA in 50 career starts. His 330 strikeouts at Tropicana Field rank sixth all-time in ballpark history while his 2.51 ERA ranks fourth.
Kevin Cash was glad the Rays got Blake Snell in start number two. “We know how talented he is. It was good for us, he’s a really talented pitcher one of our games best.” He said. “The command might not have been there but the stuff certainly looked about the same.”
Randy Arozarena delivered an RBI single to score Yandy Diaz in the bottom of the first giving the Rays a prompt response to the Giants who also scored in the top of the first. Arozarena had entered the game mired in a 5-for-38 skid spanning back to April 1st. Diaz had reached base with a double and moved to third when Harold Ramirez sent a slow roller to short.
The Rays pushed the lead to 3-1 a batter later when Amed Rosario delivered a 2-out 2-run homer on a full count. It was Rosario’s first homer of the season and first with the Rays. The Rays entered the game with just three home runs in their past nine games . They hadn’t homered in any of their preceding three home games, the first drought of that duration since April 24 through 26, 2023 against the Houston Astros.
Shawn Armstrong opened for Tampa Bay and allowed an earned run on two hits in the first, but struckout the side in the second. Tyler Alexander, back from bereavement leave, entered the game to open the third inning with Tampa Bay holding a 3-1 lead.
Isaac Paredes delivered a 2-out RBI single in the bottom of the third inning scoring Harold Ramirez and extending the Rays lead to 4-1. Ramirez had reached base on yet another infield hustle hit and moved to second on a run and hit grounder to second off the bat of Randy Arozarena.
Rene Pinto delivered a three run homer in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead to 7-1. It was Pinto’s first homer of the season. Pinto hit his second homer of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, his first career multi-homer game. He became the first Rays player to hit two home runs in a game since Jose Siri on August 9, 2023 versus the St. Louis Cardinals. The run answered the Giants run in the top of the sixth and put the Rays back up by six at 8-3.
Michael Conforto cut the Rays lead to five with a leadoff homer in the top of the seventh. The Rays answered right back again as Isaac Paredes homered in the bottom of the inning pushing the Rays lead back out to 9-3. It was Paredes fifth homer of the season.
Kevin Kelly worked the ninth to secure the Rays win. He allowed an infield single and then a RBI triple on a soft fly ball that eluded a diving Amed Rosario butting the Rays lead to 9-4.
The Rays four home runs were a season high and marked their first multi-homer game since April 1st against the Rangers where they homered twice.
Amed Rosario finished the game 3-for-4 with a homer. It was the second time this season that Rosario had three hits in a game. Entering play today, his 45 games with 3+ hits since the beginning of 2021 ranked third in the majors behind Freddie Freeman (57 games) and Luis Arraez (48 games).
Wills Inducted Into Rays Hall of Fame:
Rays broadcast legend Dave Wills, who passed away last year at the age of 58, was inducted into the Rays Hall of Fame prior to the game. Wills spent 18 season (2005-2023) on the Rays Radio crew alongside partner Andy Freed. Wills joins Don Zimmer, Wade Boggs, and Carl Crawford in the Rays Hall of Fame. Fred McGriff will join the quartet later this season.
Up Next:
The Rays will welcome in the Los Angeles Angels for their only trip to St. Petersburg in 2024. The Rays and Angels will finish their season series starting Monday night at 6:50 p.m. The Angels will send Patrick Sandoval (1-2, 6.57 ERA) to the mound and the Rays are expected to start Zach Eflin (1-2, 6.35 ERA).
The Giants will stay in the Sunshine State and travel south to Miami to take on the Marlins for three starting Monday night at 6:40 p.m.