The Tampa Bay Rays crushed the Houston Astros 14-4 to extend their AL East lead over the New York Yankees to four games. Jonathan Aranda hit two home runs, Victor Mesa Jr. stayed hot and Freddy Peralta threw five no-hit innings as the MLB playoffs approach.
The Tampa Bay Rays took care of business in a big way on Sunday at Tropicana Field. The team defeated the Houston Astros 14-4 in the series finale and extended their lead in the American League East by 4 games over the New York Yankees.
Everything seems to be working the way it should be for Tampa Bay as they continue to get right for the postseason in just a few weeks.
Here's what you need to know for the contest.
Offense goes off.
It was another great night for the Tampa Bay Rays' batting order, as the team recorded 15 hits, including four home runs, and only struck out five against Astros pitching in the contest.
Jonathan Aranda had a big day at the plate, going 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs and 2 home runs, both coming against different Astros relievers. Richie Palacios and Nick Fortes also hit home runs for the Rays. Every player in the Tampa Bay starting lineup recorded at least one hit in their 10-run victory.
It was another three-hit performance for Victor Mesa Jr. on Sunday as he continues to shine and show he can be a trusted member of the lineup heading into the postseason. Not only has he solidified a roster spot, but he likely has secured himself in the starting nine.
Freddy Peralta keeps getting better.
It was another great night on the mound for Freddy Peralta, and maybe his best since arriving in Tampa Bay.
Peralta picked up his ninth win after recording four strikeouts in five innings of work, allowing no runs and no hits against the Astros' offense. Houston struggled mightily in this series and is now battling with the rest of their division for the lead as they move to 75-75 on the season. A lot of that is due to Tampa Bay's pitching staff.
Four relievers followed Peralta, each getting one inning of work.
No more Mondays.
Tampa Bay will be off tomorrow before hosting the Athletics for a three-game series at Tropicana Field. In fact, they will no longer play on Mondays for the rest of the regular season, with only 2.5 weeks remaining.
The Rays have 13 games left in the regular season, including seven against their AL East rivals. The Athletics are the only team remaining on Tampa Bay's schedule that possesses a losing record. The team currently sits 61-89 and is in fourth place in the American League West.
Griffin Jax is set to get the start on Tuesday against right-hander Jack Perkins of the Athletics. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 pm Eastern at Tropicana Field.
