TAMPA -- Since a midseason skid dropped them out of the postseason picture, the Rays have made a handful of decisions with their future in mind. The most notable example came Monday afternoon, when they handed the starting shortstop job to top prospect Carson Williams.
But they’re not exactly giving up on this season, either. There’s still an opportunity right in front of them. It’s the team they’re facing and chasing.
Starting pitcher Shane Baz picked up his first win since June 26, four hitters drove in multiple runs and the Rays rolled to a series-opening 10-2 win over the Mariners on Monday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field. With their fourth straight victory, the Rays (68-69) pulled within 4 1/2 games of the Mariners (73-65) for the final American League Wild Card spot.
“They are a good team. We just have to take advantage of the way we're playing right now, and hopefully we'll take the series,” first baseman Yandy Díaz said through interpreter Eddie Rodriguez. “Until the 30th of September … nothing is written.”
The Rays’ playoff odds have fallen precipitously -- they were at 1.7% on Monday morning, according to FanGraphs -- and there are only 25 games left to play. But the Rays will still have a say this month as they face a series of AL contenders, including the Mariners, Guardians, Red Sox and Blue Jays. If nothing else, they can make it interesting.
“I think we need to focus on tonight’s game and see what we can do to win that game,” manager Kevin Cash said Monday afternoon. “We’ve got a long way to go, but there’s no doubt this is a team that is ahead of us and we’ve got to find ways to beat them.”
Excellent pitching has been the way lately, and that continued Monday night against a Mariners club that swept the Rays in Seattle just over three weeks ago. Tampa Bay shut out Seattle until Leo Rivas hit a two-run homer off Brian Van Belle with one out in the ninth inning.
Overall, Rays pitchers have put together a 2.01 ERA with 94 strikeouts and 26 walks over their last nine games. The Rays have won seven of those games, and they’ve now strung together four consecutive wins for the first time since June 13-16.
Building on the way he finished his last outing in Cleveland on Tuesday (six innings, three runs), Baz struck out six over six innings in his first scoreless start since June 26. The right-hander had been 0-8 with a 6.99 ERA over his last nine starts, a losing streak that was tied for the fifth-longest in franchise history.
“I think [pitcher wins are] not maybe the most important thing, but it feels good to get them,” Baz said. “It just means that you gave your team a chance to win and let the offense, obviously, do what they did today.
“I think I'm just lucky and blessed to be in this organization, where they've continued to believe in me and give me the ball. I've just tried to stay the course and keep getting better every outing and not let stuff get to me.
“I think I've done a good job of that and just being the same guy every outing and having the same mentality of trying to be aggressive and not being passive and stuff like that, even when the ball doesn't bounce my way. But, yeah, I'm very thankful for that.”
Baz held Seattle to five hits and two walks as he leaned equally on a curveball that generated five whiffs on 14 swings, a fastball that topped out at 100.2 mph and a cutter that featured increased velocity in his 27th start of the season.
Catcher Nick Fortes complimented Baz’s execution with two strikes, and Cash said the curveball was key to Baz’s success.
It was a big step in the right direction for Baz to begin the final month of his first full season in the Majors.
“To get through that sixth inning had to have been a good boost of confidence and positivity for him,” Cash said. “He’s had some really, really strong consecutive performances. He's had some performances that haven't gone his way. Want nothing more for him to continue the run that he's been on now for [11] innings.”
Baz received plenty of support from his teammates. Fortes hit a three-run home run off Mariners starter Luis Castillo in the second inning, and the Rays kept piling on with multi-RBI performances from Díaz, Junior Caminero and Tristan Gray (two-run homer).
“To start pitching with a lead for Baz, and give him a little bit of comfort and room to work with, was huge,” Fortes said.