By TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays continued to look every bit like a championship contender over the weekend, completing a commanding three-game sweep of the Cleveland Guardians behind dominant pitching, timely hitting and another stellar performance from one of baseball’s best teams.
The Rays outscored Cleveland 15-3 during the series, winning by scores of 11-3, 3-0 and 1-0 to improve to 62-43 and maintain their grip atop the American League East.
Tampa Bay’s pitching staff was the story all weekend with two shutouts in two of the three wins.
Shane McClanahan opened the series Friday by allowing just one run on two hits over five innings, earning his ninth victory of the season.
The Rays’ offense backed him with a season-high 15-hit attack as Ryan Vilade and Richie Palacios homered while Nick Fortes enjoyed one of the finest games of his career, going 4-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Cedric Mullins, Chandler Simpson and Jonny DeLuca also collected multiple hits as the Rays broke the game open with a three-run fourth inning before adding four insurance runs in the eighth.
Saturday belonged to veteran right-hander Nick Martinez.
Martinez improved to 10-2 after throwing six scoreless innings, scattering four hits without issuing a walk.
The veteran continues to be one of the American League’s most reliable starters, lowering his ERA to 2.45 while giving the Rays another quality outing at the front of the rotation.
“Nick just continues to give us exactly what we need,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He attacks the strike zone, keeps hitters off balance and gives us a chance to win every time he takes the ball.”
The offense supplied all the support Martinez would need in a 3-0 victory.
Yandy Díaz reached another milestone in his outstanding Rays career, recording the 1,000th hit of his Tampa Bay tenure to become just the fourth player in franchise history to reach the mark, joining Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist.
Junior Caminero delivered an RBI double, while Mullins and Hunter Feduccia added insurance runs.
Sunday’s series finale featured perhaps the most impressive pitching performance of the weekend.
Drew Rasmussen flirted with history, carrying a no-hit bid into the late innings before finishing with seven scoreless innings of one-hit baseball. The right-hander struck out nine while walking one to earn his ninth victory as Tampa Bay completed the sweep with a 1-0 victory.
The Rays manufactured the game’s only run in the fifth inning. Chandler Simpson singled, advanced on a wild pitch and a groundout before scoring on Cedric Mullins’ perfectly executed bunt single.
Garrett Cleavinger handled the eighth inning before Bryan Baker recorded his 28th save of the season.
Over the three-game series, McClanahan, Martinez and Rasmussen combined to allow just one earned run over 18 innings, while Tampa Bay’s bullpen continued its recent dominance by locking down the late innings.
Cleveland managed only three runs during the series and was shut out over the final 18 innings.
The balanced effort showcased exactly why the Rays remain one of the American League’s elite teams.
Their starting rotation continues to give the club a chance to win every night, the bullpen has become one of baseball’s most dependable units, and the offense continues to receive contributions throughout the lineup rather than relying on one or two stars.
With six wins in their last seven games and momentum continuing to build as the trade deadline approaches, the Rays head into the final week of July playing some of their best baseball of the season.
The Rays are off until Tuesday Night when they open up a three-game series with the Texas Rangers.
