After the Rays dropped a weekend sweep to the Yankees, then failed to turn around a masterful Chris Archer performance in a loss to Boston on an unearned run, hopes were not high. That's the nature of baseball, you live and die on the 162 Game roller coaster.
One of the strengths of Joe Maddon was ability to keep a neutral clubhouse, and the stone-cold Kevin Cash may be just as capable. The Rays put up seven runs last night, waiting on Joe Kelly to eventually implode. He would in the sixth inning.
The Rays hit four consecutive singles -- Asdrubal Cabrera, Evan Longoria, Desmond Jennings, and Allan Dykstra (finally!