Jake Odorizzi entered Wednesday’s game with the lowest amount of run support in the American League. However, he was given run support in spades last night, as the Tampa Bay Rays (68-71) tied a season-high, hitting four homers en route to an 8-0 win over the Detroit Tigers, completing a 4-5 road trip. With the win, Tampa Bay split the season series with Detroit at three games apiece.
Source: FanGraphs
Tampa Bay took a three-run lead in the fourth inning against lefty Kyle Lobstein. Mikie Mahtook walked with one out, and moved to second on an Evan Longoria single to left. Logan Forsythe lined an opposite field double to right, scoring Mahtook, then Asdrubal Cabrera slashed a double to left-center, plating a pair of runs for a 3-0 advantage.
The Rays extended their lead in the sixth after Forsythe and Tim Beckham hit a pair of homers, chasing Lobstein from the game. For Beckham, 49% of his hits this season have gone for extra bases.
Not one to be left out from the hit show, J.P. Arencibia belted a solo shot an inning later off reliever Buck Farmer for a six run lead. It was the 18th homer by a Rays’ catcher this year ― two shy of a club record. Finally, Mahtook capped the long ball fiesta when he homered off Jeff Ferrell in the seventh.
Do you wanna know the terrifying truth…or do you wanna see us sock a few dingers? pic.twitter.com/xBT6V80g9S
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 10, 2015
The four home runs tied their season high for a game, set on August 4 against the White Sox, in Chicago. Mahtook’s blast may have been the most impressive. Not only did he connect with a fastball that was down and away, his shot was measured at 427 feet by MLB Statcast, with a bat speed of 106 mph.
Beckham singled home another run in the seventh after both Longoria and Forsythe worked a couple of free passes, pushing the margin to 8-0.
Odorizzi clearly did the devils work against Miggy and company by tossing six shutout innings, scattering six hits and fanning six along the way. And though he got himself into a man at third and one-out situation in the third inning ― after Anthony Gose converted a double into three bases ― and a first and second with none-out rally in the fifth, Odorizzi made a couple of big pitches to force a popper out of J.D. Martinez, and a swinging strikeout of Miguel Cabrera (respectively) to get out of both unscathed.
C.J. Riefenhauser worked around a leadoff walk for a scoreless seventh, Enny Romero worked around a two-out double for another zero an inning later, and Kirby Yates worked a perfect ninth to preserve the combined shutout.
Tampa Bay’s hurlers held Detroit to 0-7 wRISP while racking up a sum total of 10 strikeouts.
The Rays have an off-day Thursday ahead of a 10-game home-stand beginning Friday, when they will welcome the Massholes into the Trop for three.
Noteworthiness
― The Rays improved to 25-16 (.610) when facing LH starters; the second best in the majors behind the Toronto Blue Jays (20-12).
― Steven Souza Jr. completed his secondary rehabilitation stint with the Charlotte Stone Crabs and will head back to St. Petersburg Thursday for a re-evaluation. He will likely to rejoin the team on Friday.
― Manager Kevin Cash said it was “very likely” RHP Nathan Karns would get another start this season, though the “when” will be predicated on the match-up.