The Rays picked up a new ballboy on Sunday. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays ended the 2017 season on a hight note, handily defeating the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday, 6-0. They collected just their second series sweep of the 2017 campaign, while finishing the year in the midst of a four-game win streak. Blake Snell set a single-game career high in strikeouts at 13, and Tampa Bay’s hurlers fanned a combined 18 batters.

Prior to his start on Sunday, Snell hadn’t struck out more than nine batters in a Major League game. However, that all changed during his matinee masterpiece, as the southpaw fanned at least two batters in every inning but the sixth. Snell didn’t allow a single free pass and struck out 13 — the most by a Rays pitcher this year.

Snell put down the first 12 batters before Trey Mancini led off the fifth inning with a single to right-center. After wild pitching Mancini into scoring position, Snell struck out Mark Trumbo and Chris Davis before he got J.J. Hardy to pop out to left, ending that threat.

Mancini was the only base runner until the seventh inning, when he reached on a strikeout wild pitch. Trumbo moved him up to second on an infield hit before Davis grounded out to second, ending the frame and the day for Snell at 100 pitches.

This outing could be seen as his arrival. It clearly was the best start of Snell’s young career, and it’s exciting to think what he can do moving forward, especially without the services of Alex Cobb and potentially Jake Odorizzi. The southpaw’s talent is there in spades, and contrary to his early season numbers, he has shown how well his stuff plays at the big league level, especially of late.

Curt Casali put Snell on the winning of the ledger with a solo homer to left in the fifth off Orioles’ starter Kevin Gausman.

It was the catcher’s first homer of the season, and — as Neil Solondz (Rays Radio) noted — came in just his eighth at-bat with the Rays.

Tampa Bay extended the lead with a five-run eighth after Brad Boxberger collected a perfect top of the inning, including a pair of strikeouts. Corey Dickerson got the rally started with a one-out single to left off Brad Brach. Lucas Duda followed with a base hit to right-center, putting runners at the corners. Evan Longoria joined in on the fun with a double to right, before Logan Morrison pushed the lead to three runs with a single to center. Brach allowed a pair of free passes to Steven Souza Jr. and Trevor Plouffe, which forced home a run to the Rays up by four, spelling the end of his night.

Mike Wright entered the ball game and promptly walked Casali for another run, then Mallex Smith hit a sacrifice-fly to center, pushing the lead to 6-0.

Finally, Chaz Roe worked around a two-out single to complete the team’s second shutout in the final three games of the season, and the ninth overall.

All in all it was bittersweet ending to a season overflowing with promise, because the Rays fell shy of a postseason berth by just four games. Sadly we also must to say our goodbyes to one of the best pitchers in franchise history, Alex Cobb … although we saw that coming months ago. That doesn’t make it any easier, as he undoubtedly would be the one starting Tuesday night against the Yankees in the AL Wildcard game. Sour grapes.

Then again, the Rays outscored the Orioles 17-3 over the span of the weekend. And if you believe in moral victories of any sort — and if BaseRuns was a determining factor in the postseason — the Rays should have ended the year with an 86-76 record, while the Twins should be sitting at 82-80.

As it was written elsewhere, here’s to hoping for an offseason of progress in player development and personnel.

Noteworthiness

— We’ll be rooting on the Minnesota Twins in the Wildcard game on Tuesday (preview to come), as well as moving forward throughout the postseason. From there, we’ve got Cleveland, assuming the Twins fade away. Expect coverage of either team (or both) after a quick breather on Monday.

— Aside from the fact that Sergio Romo had a dominant second half, performing to a 1.47 ERA/2.96 FIP over 30-2/3 innings of work, the Rays should re-sign him for another reason: He’s a damn good ballboy.

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