Wander Franco has 3 hits, Rays win opener over Orioles 2-1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Budding star Wander Franco had three hits, Francisco Mejía snapped an eighth-inning tie with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly and the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 of their season opener Friday.
Franco began the successful rally with a single to proper off reliever Dillon Tate. It was the 21-year-old’s first sport since signing a $182 million, 11-year contract within the offseason. He batted .288 with seven homers and 39 RBIs in 70 video games as a rookie.
Pinch hitter Ji-Man Choi drew a stroll and reigning AL Rookie of the 12 months Randy Arozarena beat out an infield single to load the bases towards right-hander Jorge Perez (0-1). After Brandon Lowe hit right into a pressure play on the plate that took Franco off the bases, Mejía lifted his sacrifice fly to left subject.
Andrew Kittredge (1-0), the fifth of seven Tampa Bay pitchers, labored one inning. Lowe drove within the Rays’ different run with a third-inning sacrifice fly, and offseason addition Brooks Raley received the ultimate out within the ninth for the save.
Taking over the place they left off final season, once they gained a franchise-record 100 video games and their second straight AL East crown, the Rays unveiled one other championship banner and prolonged their dominance over the Orioles.
Baltimore misplaced 110 video games in 2021, together with 18 of 19 towards Tampa Bay, which completed 48 video games forward of the Orioles.
The Rays’s season ended on a bitter notice with a loss to Boston within the AL Division Collection, however Franco’s long-term deal and the addition of former Cy Younger Award winner Corey Kluber has Tampa Bay eyeing an October return.
Lowe delivered his sacrifice fly after Yandy Díaz, Franco and Arozarena singled to load the bases towards starter John Means within the third. Baltimore tied it on Anthony Santander’s one-out, solo homer off Matt Wisler within the sixth.
Means made his second straight opening day begin, throwing 84 pitches whereas permitting one run, six hits, a stroll and placing out 5 over 4 innings.
Lefty Shane McClanahan departed his first profession opening day begin with a 1-0 lead after escaping a bases-loaded jam within the first inning and limiting Baltimore to 4 hits, strolling two and fanning seven in a 68-pitch, 4 1/3 inning stint earlier than 25,025, which the Rays declared a sellout, though tickets weren’t offered for the higher deck.
Excluding 2020, when followers weren’t allowed inside Tropicana Discipline as a result of coronavirus pandemic, it’s the sixteenth consecutive season the Rays say they’ve offered out their house opener.
TRAINER’S ROOM
The Rays open the season with right-hander Shane Baz, who was projected to be a part of the beginning rotation, on the 10-day injured listing after present process arthroscopic surgical procedure on his pitching elbow throughout spring coaching. The workforce additionally positioned right-handed reliever Pete Fairbanks (proper lat pressure) on the 60-day IL whereas finalizing the opening day roster.
UP NEXT
Center sport of the three-game weekend sequence, with right-hander Drew Rasmussen beginning for the Rays and the Orioles countering with right-hander Jordan Lyles, who was 10-13 with a 5.15 ERA with the Texas Rangers final season. Rasmussen was 4-0 with a 2.44 ERA in 20 appearances, together with 10 begins, after Tampa Bay obtained him from Milwaukee in a commerce that despatched Willy Adames to the Brewers final Could.
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