SEATTLE, Wash. — Every time the Tampa Bay Rays had to play American League East rival Toronto last year, there was Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray, staring them down.
He was in the rotation every time, for every series. The Rays had to face him six times a year ago.
Ray went 2-2 and struck out 51 Tampa Bay hitters in 38 2/3 innings. He finished the year with 248 strikeouts and a 2.84 earned run average, both the best in the league. He won the Cy Young Award easily, claiming 29 of 30 votes.
Tampa Bay hitters were thrilled when he signed a five-year, $115 million free-agent deal with the Seattle Mariners in the offseason, glad to have him out of their division. But who was the first person the Rays saw on Thursday night, when they arrived in Seattle to start a four-game series?
Robbie Ray, of course.
The Rays got to him, though, with catcher Mike Zunino hitting a huge three-run homer in the fifth inning to take a four-run lead, and then hanging on to win 4-3. It was the fourth-straight win on the 10-day, 10-game road trip, and the Rays are now 16-10, six games over .500 for the first time all season.
“We finally got to Robbie Ray,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He’s super talented, really, really good, and he had his way with us last year. We had enough to have a crooked number, a big inning.
“We saw Robbie more than we would have liked last year, so we're happy that we’re only going to see him once.''
The Rays won two of three games against Seattle last month in St. Petersburg, and were luck enough to avoid Ray in the series, something that never happened a year ago.
Zunino, who was 4-for-16 against Ray with two homers a year ago, was thrilled to have a big blast against Ray and keep this navy-jersey hot streak going for Tampa Bay.
“(He’s) the same guy,” Zunino said. “He’s got such great stuff. He doesn’t let you breathe much. The fastball is always in. The slider is right under it. You’ve just got to pick a spot and try to hunt it.”
Since last Friday, Zunino has hit three home runs and driven in eight runs. Prior to that, he was hitting .083 with no homers and just one RBI in 36 at-bats.
Rays ace Shane McClanahan got the win for Tampa Bay. He pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs. He had five strikeouts. He talked to reporters after the the game about matching up with Ray.
“He’s pretty good,” McClanahan said. “I was really looking forward to this matchup. The guy won the Cy Young for a reason. He’s a very good pitcher, a competitor, and he wants it. So it was cool to compete against him, watch him work before the game and everything.”
McClanahan said he struggled to get comfortable, but it took time. The 24-year-old lefty battled through it, though, and pitched well enough to win.
“I felt good,” McClanahan said. “It was tough for me to get in a rhythm. I had to battle That’s a good team, a really good-hitting team. They made it tough. They did their homework. They came out ready.”
Zunino loves catching McClanahan, and the pairs works well together. He knew this was a big night for his young pitcher, considering the opponent he was sharing a mound with.
"He didn’t mention it, I don’t think anybody mentioned it,” Zunino said. "But I think as competitors, that’s how you see it. You want to go up against the best of the best, and I think he did that and answered the call.
“I think he was maybe battling himself a little bit more than some of his starts, but I think — as I’ve said before, and I feel like I’m saying it every start — (it’s) his maturation process of him becoming the guy that you want to take the ball every fifth day,” Zunino said.
Zunino said he's impressed with how McClanahan deals with adversity, not letting him get down.
"I just think he’s not letting little things get to him. He very well could have, and he’s just turning the page real quick. He filled the strike zone up with all four pitches. The (velocity) was there. When he’s throwing three other pitches for strikes, 99-100 (mph) plays even better. It’s a tough lineup over there, and he did a good job navigating them.”
The Rays played another error-free game — they haven't made an error yet on this road trip — and they are 12-3 this season when they don't make an error. There were several standout plays, with third baseman Isaac Paredes making the best play of the game in the third inning, with two on from McClanahan walks with two out.
"I owe those guys a drink or two,” McClanahan said. ”Isaac saved the game.”
Jason Adam, Colin Poche and Brooks Raley closed out the game for the Rays. Raley pitched a perfect ninth inning to pick up his second save of the season.
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