ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Rays needed something to get over their hot and miserable weekend in Baltimore, getting walked off twice in extra innings, while looking bad in doing so.
Worse, they had to live with it until taking the field again Tuesday night against the Marlins.
But Kevin Kiermaier got them off to an exciting start, with an inside-the-park home run (on the first pitch) leading off the home first inning. Harold Ramirez and Ji-Man Choi provided support later with homers that left the park.
Shane McClanahan gave the Rays the strong start they needed, striking out nine over six shutout innings. The bullpen didn’t blow anything. And the Tropicana Field air conditioning worked well.
By night’s end, they had a 4-0 win, a 25-17 record, and a better feeling about themselves.
Kiermaier, now leading the team with six home runs, scorched a line drive to centerfield that Jesus Sanchez, the former Rays prospect, dived for and missed.
Ramirez tucked a ball just inside the rightfield foul pole leading off the second for his first homer of the season.
Choi blasted a ball 412 feet at 106.8 mph deep into the rightfield seats for a two-run shot in the sixth.
McClanahan was his usual sharp self, pitching out of whatever slight jams he got into, allowing four hits and two walks. His only flaw was throwing too many pitches, as 96 over the six innings was enough to end his night.
Dusten Knight worked two innings, and Ryan Thompson finished.
