The Tampa Bay Rays remain the only undefeated team in baseball after Shane McClanahan pitched six innings and Wander Franco and Harold Ramirez each homered to finish off a three-game sweep in Washington, DC, taking Wednesday afternoon’s finale 7-2.
McClanahan didn’t have the same sort of ease that he did on Opening Day against Detroit, but was able to limit the damage to just a RBI double by Victor Robles in the second, which came after Jose Siri had given Tampa Bay the lead in the top of the inning, and a RBI single by Michael Chavis in the fourth that allowed Washington to cut the lead back to a single run.
Franco’s home run in the third off Patrick Corbin gave the Rays the lead for good, as his liner got into the visiting bullpen for his second homer of the year.
Wander leaves the yard!
WATCH ➡️ https://t.co/OQDnBlU3Yn#MLB | #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/rdjt3hUKik
— Bally Sports Sun: Rays (@BallyRays) April 5, 2023
Harold Ramirez came into the game hitless on the season, but got his first base hit in the second, and in the sixth, he would connect off Corbin for his first home run of the year.
Taylor Walls would make it 5-2 when Robles lost his fly ball in the sun and it fell for a double that scored Manuel Margot, and Siri’s base hit brought in Walls for the third run of the frame.
Randy Arozarena‘s RBI single off Thaddeus Ward set the score at 7-2.
Colin Poche, Garret Cleavinger, and Ryan Thompson each morked a scoreless inning of relief to finish off the sweep.
Tampa Bay will have Thursday off before returning back to Tropicana Field to start a three-game series with the Oakland Athletics. Zach Eflin (1-0, 1.80 ERA) gets the start, taking on Ken Waldichuk (0-1, 9.53 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:40.
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.
