ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Rookie Taj Bradley gained his 3rd consecutive begin to start his obese league profession, and the Tampa Bay Rays prepared a modern-era MLB file with their 14th consecutive house win to start a season, beating the Houston Astros 8-3 on Monday night time.
Tampa Bay had shared the mark courting to 1901 with the 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers.
It were first idea that the trendy file was once 15, held by means of the 1907 Fresh York Giants. Analysis by means of the Elias Sports activities Bureau discovered that the Giants forfeited their first house competition prior to the 15-game streak. The forfeit formally counted as a loss.
The longest streak in MLB historical past was once 21 in a row, prepared the 1880 Chicago White Stockings, who changed into the Cubs, in keeping with Elias.
The Rays are 20-3 general. Handiest the 1911 Detroit Tigers and 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers had higher begins at 21-2 since 1901.
“You look on the scoreboard, it seems like there’s a new record broke every day,” Bradley mentioned. “It means a lot. So, it’s like, what’s tomorrow?”
The 22-year-old Bradley (3-0) allowed 3 runs and 4 hits with six strikeouts and disagree walks in 5 innings at Tropicana Grassland. In 15⅓ innings this season, the right-hander has struck out 23 and walked two.
Rays shortstop Wander Franco had 4 hits and made an excellent healing catch on Martin Maldonado‘s fifth-inning foul ball unwell the left-field order when he overran the ball however was once ready to manufacture the clutch together with his naked hand.
“The last time I’d seen it, it was when Kevin Mitchell did it when I was in San Francisco,” Astros supervisor Dusty Baker mentioned. “That was a real tough play even to catch it and get out to it. And then when he overran it, I guess that’s just a natural reaction to put your other hand out.”
Franco, via an interpreter, mentioned he couldn’t achieve the ball together with his glove and his hand simply came about to be there, and the ball fell valid into it.
“I couldn’t believe it until I caught it,” Franco mentioned.
Alex Bregman and Jeremy Pena homered for the Astros, who had a four-game successful streak halted. Mauricio Dubon prolonged his hitting streak to 18 video games.
“It was a rough night,” Baker mentioned.
The Astros have been with out slugger Yordan Alvarez, who returned to Houston to be tested for neck discomfort. Baker is hopeful Alvarez can keep away from the injured listing.
Houston 2nd baseman Jose Altuve (fractured valid thumb), and outfielders Michael Brantley (valid shoulder) and Chas McCormick (decrease again) are at the IL.
Then Pena had a solo shot within the 3rd, the Rays chased Houston starter Jose Urquidy (1-2) with a four-run outburst within the base part to travel forward 6-3.
Randy Arozarena were given his 2nd RBI of the sport and twenty fourth general with a sacrifice fly. Urquidy walked two consecutive batters with two outs to load the bases prior to Josh Lowe had a run-scoring infield unmarried and Christian Bethancourt accident a two-run unmarried.
Urquidy gave up six runs and 7 hits in 2⅔ innings.
Dubon tripled on Bradley’s first tone of the sport and scored on Kyle Tucker‘s sacrifice fly. Bregman made it 2-0 then within the first with a solo homer.
Tampa Bay attach it within the base part when Arozarena had an RBI triple upcoming got here house as Harold Ramirez driven his hitting streak to ten video games with a double.
Franco and Isaac Paredes each and every had an RBI unmarried.
