The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Atlanta Braves 7-2 to clinch the series and maintain a four-game AL East lead over the New York Yankees. Griffin Jax delivered five strong innings while Tampa Bay's offense produced 10 hits in another key win in the MLB playoff race.
It was another big win for the Tampa Bay Rays as they clinched the series early against the Atlanta Braves, 7-2, at Truist Park.
The team won the first two games of a three-game series and continues to hold a four-game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East standings.
Here's what you need to know from the contest.
Pitching continues to dominate.
Despite the pitching injuries and some inconsistency over the last few games, the Rays' pitching staff continues to find ways to be successful.
Griffin Jax had a fantastic start for Tampa Bay as he picked up his seventh win of the season, only allowing one earned run on five innings of work. That run came off a home run from Braves catcher Drake Baldwin.
But it wasn't just him who was successful on the mound. The entire arsenal Kevin Cash brought out of the bullpen shined in the outing. Ty Johnson allowed one earned run in his appearance but still shows signs of being a very serviceable pitcher in the big leagues.
Following Johnson, Cam Booser, Cole Sulser, and Steven Matz all put up scoreless appearances.
Offense wins in a new way.
In game one of the series on Tuesday, it was the home run that won Tampa Bay the contest. In game two, that wasn't the case.
The Rays had to work harder for this win, as only one home run came in the top of the second inning when Victor Mesa Jr. hit one off Reynaldo Lopez. Instead, the Rays picked up 10 hits and only 6 strikeouts in the contest and utilized their base traffic in a more efficient way.
The team went 4 for 9 with runners in scoring position, and everyone in the Rays' starting lineup, with the exception of Jonathan Aranda, recorded a hit in the game.
Big wins against good teams.
This is a very important stat to have for Tampa Bay as they end the season with 16 of their final 19 games against teams with a winning record, including this series here at Atlanta.
With Aaron Judge returning for the Yankees and them also on a two-game winning streak. It will certainly be a rally to the end of the year to determine who will take the top spot in the American League for the MLB postseason.
Thankfully, Tampa Bay controls its own destiny, and as long as they keep winning, they can't lose the AL East lead. They must keep their foot on the pedal for the series finale against the Braves on Thursday. Nick Martinez will get the start, and he'll look for his 15th win of the season. He'll take on left-hander Martin Perez for the Braves. First pitch is scheduled for 12:15 pm Eastern.
