Randy Arozarena had three hits and drove in a pair, and Luis Patino worked two scoreless innings in his Grapefruit League debut, as the Tampa Bay Rays again defeated the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves 5-1 at CoolToday Park Thursday.
Patino allowed just one hit, a second-inning single by Ozzie Albies, and walked one in his two innings, and was aided by a pair of double plays.
Tampa Bay took the lead in the top of the first against Kyle Muller, who allowed four hits but only one run on a single by Austin Meadows thanks to a double play of his own.
The Rays extended their lead to 2-0 on a base hit by Arozarena in the second, pushed it to 3-0 in the third on Ji-Man Choi’s sacrifice fly against Sean Newcomb, to 4-0 after a pair of wild pitches plates Meadows, and finally to 5-0 on Arozarena’s second RBI single in as many innings.
Atlanta’s only run came in the fourth on a solo homer by Matt Olson off JT Chargois.
Tampa Bay also got scoreless outings from Matt Wisler and Ryan Thompson before pitchers from minor-league camp took over.
The Boston Red Sox will come to Charlotte Sports Park for a Grapefruit League matchup, with Ryan Yarbrough taking on Rich Hill. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
