Randy Arozarena homered and drove in all four runs for the Tampa Bay Rays, including Vidal Brujan with the winning run in the bottom of the tenth inning, defeating the Chicago White Sox 4-3.
Arozarena started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning, mashing his sixth home run of the year to left off White Sox starter Dylan Cease to make it a 2-0 game. The home run allowed the Rays to establish a new Major League record by hitting a home run in the first 21 consecutive games of a season.
POSE FOR US RANDY!
And yes, another record broken ✅ pic.twitter.com/Nx2c50Q4di
— Rays Radio (@RaysRadio) April 22, 2023
Chicago would eventually tie the game back up on solo home runs by Eloy Jimenez and Yasmani Grandal, but Arozarena would strike again in the bottom of the fifth, as his single off Keynan Middleton gave Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead.
The White Sox would again even up the game in the eighth, when pinch-hitter Gavin Sheets connected on a Jason Adam pitch and deposited it in the seats in right for his first home run of the year.
Pete Fairbanks worked a scoreless ninth, establishing a new Rays franchise record with his 28th consecutive scoreless inning, and Garrett Cleavinger kept the White Sox off the board in the top of the tenth with the placed runner. But Jimmy Lambert would not be able to follow suit, as after Isaac Paredes flew out for the first out of the inning, Chicago decided to intentionally walk Wander Franco to face Arozarena. The Rays outfielder took the first pitch he saw and lined it to right for a single, allowing Brujan, who pinch-ran for catcher Francisco Mejia, to score the game-winner.
RAYS WIN! RAYS WIN! RAYS WIN! pic.twitter.com/gNNhecle4m
— Rays Radio (@RaysRadio) April 22, 2023
Shane McClanahan would not earn his fifth win of the year, but struck out ten in six innings of work, and had a franchise record 32 swings and misses.
Tampa Bay will look to finish off a three-game sweep, with Zach Eflin (2-0, 3.27 ERA) coming off the injured list to start against Lucas Giolito (1-1, 4.29 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:40.
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.
