Jeffrey Springs struck out a career-high 12 in six no-hit innings, and Randy Arozarena hit his first home run of the year as the Tampa Bay Rays improved to 3-0 on the young season with a 5-1 win over the Detroit Tigers, capping a three-game series sweep to start the year.
Springs struck out a pair of batters in both the first and second, then struck out the side in the third. He added two more strikeouts in the fourth, one in the fifth, and two in the sixth in his 81-pitch performance. The only blemish to his record was a second-inning walk to Nick Maton.
The game remained scoreless until the home half of the fourth, when Arozarena connected off Tigers starter Joey Wentz, sending an offering from the left-hander deep into the seats in left.
Welcome back to a segment we like to call ‘Randy Rakes!’
With a blast to left field, Randy Arozarena makes it 1-0 #Rays here in the 4th! pic.twitter.com/nAppdUHFwo
— RaysRadio (@RaysRadio) April 2, 2023
Tampa Bay added on in the sixth with a one-out double by Wander Franco, who reached safely three more times Sunday, followed by an RBI single by Isaac Paredes. The Rays loaded the bases thanks to Arozarena getting hit by a pitch and pinch-hitter Brandon Lowe drawing a walk. Josh Lowe struck out, but Jose Siri picked up his teammate with a two-run single to make it 4-0.
Jose Siri rips one into left field, 2 more runs score and it’s 4-0 #Rays here in the 6th! pic.twitter.com/ctBjHDrSJt
— RaysRadio (@RaysRadio) April 2, 2023
Brandon Lowe would make it 5-0 in the eighth with a single off Chasen Shreve, moving to third on a Josh Lowe double, and scoring on a wild pitch.
Tampa Bay’s no-hit bid came to an end in the seventh on Riley Greene‘s infield single off Colin Poche, and the Tigers’ only other hit came in the ninth, a solo homer by Jake Rogers off Jalen Beeks.
Tampa Bay will look to start 4-0 for the first time in franchise history Monday, when they travel to Washington to begin a three-game series against the Nationals. Drew Rasmussen (11-7, 2.84 ERA in 2022) will get the start, taking on Trevor Williams (3-5, 3.21 ERA in 2022). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05.
NOTES
- The Rays have now swept the opening series of the year for the second consecutive season, as they swept Baltimore to begin 2022, and the fourth time in franchise history, also coming in 2012 against the Yankees and 2002 against Detroit.
- Springs joins Jose Berrios as the only pitchers in MLB history to strike out 12 or more hitters in six or fewer no-hit innings.
HIGHLIGHTS
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.
