The 2020 Major League Baseball postseason has been a fine one for the Tampa Bay Rays. They swept the Toronto Blue Jays, went the distance against the New York Yankees before winning in five games, and then won game one of the American League Championship Series Sunday night at Petco Park in San Diego, CA.
On Sunday, the Rays beat the very controversial Houston Astros organization 2-1 in a low scoring contest. The Astros jumped out early with a 1-0 lead on a home run by Jose Altuve, who took Rays starting pitcher Blake Snell deep with a 388-foot blast to left field.
However, this would be the only run that Snell would give up in five innings of work. The native of Seattle, WA was simply brilliant on the mound as the southpaw threw 105 pitches against an Astros team loaded with offensive talent, and only gave up six hits and two walks, to go along with two strikeouts.
From there, the Rays bullpen did their job. John Curtiss of Dallas, TX, sidearmer Ryan Thompson of Turner, OR and former Toronto Blue Jays southpaw Aaron Loup of Raceland, LA each picked up a postseason hold. In the bottom of the eighth, Rays reliever Diego Castillo came into the game in a tricky situation with the bases loaded and one out. However the native of Cabrera, Dominican Republic only had to throw one pitch, as he forced Yuli Gurriel to hit into a double play.
Offensively, the Rays got a fourth inning, solo home run from designated hitter Randy Arozarena of Havana, Cuba, who has had a tremendous postseason. For Arozarena, it was his fourth home run of the playoffs. In eight postseason games, he is now batting .419. At the time Arozarena tied the game at one run apiece. The Rays then won on a game-winning RBI single by catcher Mike Zunino, which scored Willy Adames, who led off the fifth inning with a walk. Game two of the American League Championship Series is Monday afternoon.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
