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The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox 9-7 on Wednesday night to win their 12th straight game to start the season. The Rays are one game short of one of the best major league starts since 1900. Both the 1982 Atlanta Braves and the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers had 13-0 starts. The 12-game winning streak by Tampa Bay is equal to the mark achieved by the squad in June 2004.
Wednesday’s game was also the Rays’ 12th consecutive win over Boston at Tropicana Field, a period of domination dating back to last year.
Another day, another win.
Tomorrow, we chase history.
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 13, 2023
| TEAM | YEAR | WIN STREAK TO BEGIN SEASON | FINAL RECORD | FINAL RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | 1982 | 13 | 89-73 | Lost NLCS |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 1987 | 13 | 91-71 | Missed postseason |
| Oakland Athletics | 1981 | 11 | 64-45* | Lost ALCS |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 2023 | 12 (and counting) | TBD | TBD |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 1955 | 10 | 98-55-1 | Won World Series |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 1962 | 10 | 93-68 | Missed postseason |
| Cleveland Indians | 1966 | 10 | 81-81 | Missed postseason |
(Table courtesy of CBS Sports)
Nine in Three
- The Rays got off to a flying start off Randy Arozarena‘s WBC-hot bat. Arozarena made it 3-0 with an opposite-field homer off Chris Sale (1-1) in the first. Tampa Bay leads the majors with 30 home runs, joining the 2019 Seattle Mariners (32) and the 2000 St. Louis Cardinals (31) as the only teams to hit at least 30 homers in their first 12 games of a campaign. Shortstop Wander Franco was 3-for-5 with two runs batted in and two runs scored, upping his batting average to .340. Franco has four home runs.
Do your thing, Taj. This offense will handle the rest. pic.twitter.com/wKucqYYg6x
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 12, 2023
- Rafael Devers, who had been hitless in 10 at-bats with six strikeouts in the series, pulled Boston to 8-7 on a three-run homer off Colin Poche in the seventh.
Raffy for 3! pic.twitter.com/ofR2wPUzvv
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 13, 2023
- Arozarena’s sacrifice fly made it 9-7 in the eighth.
Rays’ Keys to Success
With their most expensive free-agent signing in club history, starter Zach Eflin, sidelined with a back injury, the club unveiled top prospect Taj Bradley to keep their unbeaten start to the 2023 season alive. And after Bradley and a potent lineup staked them to a five-run lead, Tampa Bay never looked back.
Bradley allowed three runs on five hits in five innings of work with eight strikeouts and one walk.
The Rays lead the majors in runs scored, total bases (230), and on-base plus slugging percentage (.945). Despite the absence of Tyler Glasnow the Rays pitchers have the lowest batting average against (.194) and the lowest earned run average (2.17) in MLB, tied with the Minnesota Twins.
Tampa Bay Looks Ahead
As for Tampa Bay’s road ahead, they have one more game against the Red Sox at home, and then their biggest test of the season comes with a three-game road series against the Blue Jays that starts on Friday. Potentially that series opener against the Jays will occasion the Rays’ attempt to break the record shared by the ’82 Braves and ’87 Brewers.
If there was ever a time to skip work/school, tomorrow is it. https://t.co/Ll3H4gCtH5 pic.twitter.com/KMAbco2IQD
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 13, 2023
