ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays took on the Baltimore Orioles in a sold-out home opener at Tropicana Field. It's the 16th straight year that the Rays have had a sold-out home opener — not including the 2020 season when fans were barred from stadiums due to the coronavirus pandemic.
2022 is a make-or-break year for the Rays. Despite back-to-back AL East crowns, the team hasn't been able to capture that elusive World Series championship. And with the rest of the division only stacking up their roster with more All-Star talent this offseason, the road is not going to get any smoother.
Luckily, Tampa Bay didn't face one of those contenders on Friday.
Wander Franco, Randy Arozarena and the young, exciting Tampa Bay Rays were off and running again.
Franco had three hits, reigning AL Rookie of the Year Arozarena singled twice, and Francisco Mejía snapped an eighth-inning tie with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly that gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 victory.
“Pretty exciting,” manager Kevin Cash said after using seven pitchers and 12 of 13 position players on the opening day roster to get win No. 1.
“I mean, there’s a lot of different characters and they can all get there differently, but there is a lot of athleticism out there,” Cash added. “Whether it’s throwing across the infield, running down the line or hitting the ball 450 feet, it’s fun to watch them.”
Franco started the winning rally with his third hit, a single to right off reliever Dillon Tate. It was the 21-year-old budding star's first game since signing his monster extension
“I was able to make the adjustment, and at the time that was something we needed,” Franco said through an interpreter. “Luckily, we got the victory out of it.”
Pinch-hitter Ji-Man Choi drew a walk and Arozarena beat out an infield single to load the bases against right-hander Jorge Perez (0-1). After Brandon Lowe hit into a force play at the plate that took Franco off the bases, Mejía lifted his sacrifice fly to left field.
“They got a swinging bunt single, safe at first base, cost us the game," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said of the speedy Arozarena's second hit. "Bad luck on our part.”
Andrew Kittredge (1-0), the fifth of seven Tampa Bay pitchers, worked one inning. Lowe drove in the Rays’ other run with a third-inning sacrifice fly, and offseason addition Brooks Raley got the final out in the ninth for the save.
Taking up where they left off last season, when they won a franchise-record 100 games and their second straight AL East crown, the Rays unveiled another championship banner and extended their dominance over the Orioles.
The Orioles have spent the last five seasons comfortably sitting at the bottom of the standings. While the team has some young bright spots in outfielder Cedric Mullins and pitcher John Means, they won't be enough to keep up with divisional powerhouses like the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays.
However, that didn't make Friday a cakewalk for the Rays. Even though Tampa Bay is rolling out a somewhat similar squad to last season's 100-win team, there are still some questions surrounding the Rays. For starters, the starters — starting pitchers that is.
The Rays have never been ones to adhere to conventional baseball rules. For four straight years, a smorgasbord of Tampa Bay relievers have pieced their way through team lineups. However, during that time there's always been at least one or two reliable starters in the lineup. Former CY-Young winner Blake Snell, Charlie Morton and most recently Tyler Glasnow. Snell and Morton left the team in 2021, and Glasnow is currently out for the year due to Tommy John surgery.
So who's left? Veteran CY-Young winner Corey Kluber who's trying to recapture his past success and sophomore starter Shane McClanahan — who was the team's Opening Day starter. The rest of the Opening Day roster of pitchers is quintessential Rays with a mixture of guys who can come in for one or two innings.
What isn't being questioned is the talent of the Rays' lineup. The young core of Brandon Lowe, Randy Arozarena and Wander Franco is sure to deliver all season. Throw in Ji-Man Choi, Kevin Kermaier, Manuel Margot and Mike Zunino, and the Rays have an exciting group of guys who can go toe to toe with any team.
Prior to the start of the game at Tropicana Field. FHP Trooper Toni Schuck threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Last month, Schuck stopped an accused drunk driver during the Skyway 10K race.
For ticket information, visit the team website.