The Tampa Bay Rays used a productive offensive day by Randy Arozarena to defeat the Boston Red Sox 8-4 at Tropicana Field on Tuesday.
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The outfielder didn’t take long to make his presence felt. In his team’s first round of batting, he rebuffed an offer from pitcher Rich Hill while teammates Yandy Diaz and Manuel Margot were on the trails. Arozarena quickly gave his team a 3-0 lead.
The 27-year-old then had two more goals, but didn’t produce any more runs. He was still completing his laps of the trails after each of his hits.
On the visitors’ mound, Hill (6-6) finally resigned after four innings in a particularly difficult start in which he allowed five runs with nine shots from safe position and one walk.
For their part, the winners favored a multi-helper strategy. None of the deployed gunners was therefore longer than two laps on the hill. Garrett Cleavinger (1-1) is the one who inherited the win. He also had the most strikeouts, with three of 10 from the Massachusetts team.
Overall, the Rays clinched a half game from the New York Yankees, who still lead the American East Division. Four and a half games separate the two teams. The Big Apple formation was also unable to play their match of the day against the Minnesota Twins because of the rain.
Leblanc can’t drive the Marlins
In Philadelphia, Quebecer Charles Leblanc had a great opportunity to help the Miami Marlins triumph but failed to do so and his team lost 2-3 to the Phillies.
Leblanc, used as a pinch hitter by the Florida team early in the eighth inning, was hit first by a pitch from Gunner Brad Hand. He then moved up to second base on Jon Berti’s single, then to third base on Joey Wendle’s Sacrifice Bunt. Brian Anderson eventually allowed him to end his lap of the trails with a sacrificial balloon. Leblanc equalized the game 2-2.
In the ninth inning, the Quebecer had a golden opportunity to put the Marlins ahead. He then came on the plate with runners at first and second base and two outs already recorded. However, Leblanc was unable to capitalize on a three-ball count and no shot as he was wiped out by a fly-ball into midfield.
Jean Segura eventually gave the crowd favorites the win with a prolific single in the ninth inning.