TAMPA -- The challenge, at this point, might be finding something the Rays aren’t doing well.
The Rays continued their nearly monthlong surge with a 7-1 win over the Orioles on Monday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field, their MLB-best 19th victory in their last 25 games since May 20.
Tampa Bay has outscored its opponents, 150-72, during that stretch. It might seem like an exaggeration or an oversimplification to say that everything has been clicking for the Rays as they’ve soared up the standings, but it’s true.
Take it from Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino: "It's as advertised. It's contact. It's speed. There's some home runs in there, too. It's pitching. It's defense. It's a really good team right now. They're playing great."
The Rays’ lineup is averaging six runs while their pitching staff has permitted 2.88 per game. They’ve scored at least seven runs in four straight games. Even their losses have been close, with all six coming by a combined eight runs.
It was all on display against an Orioles club that had won 11 of 15 prior to Monday’s series opener, the two clubs’ first matchup of the season.
While their lineup battered former Ray Zach Eflin for a career-high 12 hits and seven runs in his five innings of work, starter Ryan Pepiot struck out 11 over a career-high eight innings.
"He was incredible,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Pepiot. "I mean, as good of stuff as I've seen him have, and he's had a lot of really solid outings this year. That one probably tops it."
And as has often been the case lately, Tampa Bay came at Eflin with a varied attack. They hit for power. They applied pressure with tough at-bats and infield singles. They kept adding on.
In other words, they did what they’ve been doing for the past month or so. Josh Lowe used the word "contagious" to describe their lineup. Cash and Brandon Lowe used another word that starts with the same two letters.
"Complete, in a sense. You're not dependent on one way to score," the second baseman said. "You're not living and dying by the home run ball. You're not living and dying by having four hits in an inning.
"We can hit the home run. We can have four hits in an inning. We can bunt a guy in, can have good baserunning that scores runs. It's a dangerous thing to have as an offense when you have so many ways that you can score."
The power came from the top of the order. Josh Lowe launched a leadoff homer to right field in the first inning, his first career leadoff homer, and Brandon Lowe added some thump with a two-run shot to right-center in the fourth.
In between, they scored by putting the ball in play and creating havoc.
In the second, they used an infield single by Jake Mangum, a single to center by Danny Jansen and a surprising bunt single by Christopher Morel to put up one run. They scored again in the third on an infield single by Yandy Díaz, a walk, a double-play grounder and another infield single by Mangum, his 14th of the season.
Mangum tacked on two more runs in the fifth, following another single by Jonathan Aranda and a double to left by Junior Caminero.
"Some nights you don't have one thing, you need to have something else, so we just keep trying to find different ways to win," Mangum said. "We have a lot of faith in each other. If I don't get the job done, the guy behind me is gonna get it done, the guy in front of me is gonna get it done."
And they got it done on the mound, with Pepiot’s brilliance supported by strong defense. Thanks to a trio of double plays, the right-hander only faced 27 batters in eight innings. The lone run he permitted came on an Adley Rutschman homer with a 49-degree launch angle, and 10 of his 11 strikeouts were swinging.
"Danny [Jansen] called a phenomenal game," Pepiot said. "We were just executing pitches left and right, just mixing speeds and keeping them off-balance."
Pepiot racked up 18 swinging strikes on the night. He finished with five strikeouts with his fastball, five with his changeup and his last one of the night with a slider. As elite as all his stuff may have been, Pepiot was most pleased with his efficiency.
"It was nice to go out for the eighth. [Zack] Littell finished a CG last [month], and he's holding it over all of our heads," he said, smiling. "We're all trying to be efficient and trying to have that old-school mentality of, when it's our start day, it's our game."