Sparkplugs Paredes, Arozarena lift Rays to hustle win
CHICAGO — Given the best way Isaac Paredes has swung the bat in latest days, it felt like he was due for an additional huge swing within the ninth inning Friday towards the White Sox.
Sure sufficient, Paredes delivered, crushing a go-ahead residence run to left area off Kendall Graveman that proved to be a game-winner within the Rays’ 3-2 win at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“That was a big home run,” supervisor Kevin Cash mentioned. “Isaac was ready to go. He had a big night.”
Indeed. Here are three key performs from Friday’s win, beginning with Paredes.
Paredes’ huge swing
To perceive how a lot the Rays like what they’ve in Paredes, simply have a look at what Cash needed to say in regards to the 24-year-old on Friday.
“He’s a really good player. We knew that we were getting a good player,” mentioned Cash of Paredes, whom the Rays acquired from the Tigers final April for Austin Meadows. “I think he’s exceeded even whatever expectations were — whether it’s power, the defense. He’s put on a clinic over at third base defensively here, as of late. [He’s] just a solid baseball player, and we’re fortunate to have him.”
And Cash mentioned that earlier than Friday’s recreation — wherein Paredes went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a house run and two runs scored.
The Rays and White Sox had been locked in a 2-2 tie when Paredes stepped as much as lead off the ninth. He was searching for a sinker from Graveman, and bought one up within the strike zone in a 1-0 rely. He launched it 102.7 mph and 375 toes to left area.
“[It felt] very good,” Paredes mentioned via interpreter Manny Navarro. “It makes me happy — and the fact that I was able to help the team win is what makes me happy.”
Paredes has a number of hits in three of his final 4 video games, together with Thursday’s 2-for-5 night time wherein he registered a career-high 5 RBIs.
“I know it’s going to be a little-by-little type of process,” Paredes mentioned. “I know I didn’t start the way I wanted to start. But I’m just going to continue and work and keep that hard work going, and hopefully see some success with it.”
Randy’s catch
Paredes pointed to at least one second late in Friday’s recreation, instantly earlier than his homer, that motivated him and the Rays: Randy Arozarena‘s home-run-robbing catch within the backside of the eighth.
“It gave us a lot of hope,” Paredes mentioned.
It regarded like Jake Burger had given the White Sox a 3-2 lead when he despatched a fly ball to deep left area within the eighth. But Arozarena raced again to the wall, sized it up and leaped to rob Burger of glory.
The fly ball was deep sufficient to be a homer in 11 ballparks — together with Guaranteed Rate Field — based on Statcast. It was projected at 378 toes — three toes farther than Paredes’ ninth-inning homer.
“Off the bat, all I did was to try to be explosive with my first step and just go to the wall as fast as I could,” Arozarena mentioned via Navarro. “Luckily, I was able to locate it pretty quick. I knew that I could make the play, but luckily, I was able to.”
Arozarena and residential run robberies are beginning to turn into routine of kinds. He additionally pulled one off for Team Mexico within the World Baseball Classic.
And that arguably wasn’t Arozarena’s largest spotlight of the night time…
Arozarena’s heads-up baserunning
It’s not typically you see a baserunner tag up from third on a popup to the second baseman. But that’s precisely what Yandy Díaz did within the first inning, because of the savvy Arozarena.
With Díaz on third and Arozarena on first with one out, Brandon Lowe hit a 207-foot popup to shallow heart that second baseman Lenyn Sosa simply flagged down. But White Sox shortstop Elvis Andrus additionally drifted out to trace the ball, leaving second base unoccupied.
Sosa regarded Díaz again to 3rd, however Arozarena took off for second. Sosa lobbed a throw to first baseman Andrew Vaughn, who had taken off to cowl second, opening the door for Díaz to attain simply. Arozarena slid into second properly forward of Vaughn’s tag.
“I knew I was going to be there after the middle infielders took off and I went and tagged,” Arozarena mentioned. “I knew I would be able to beat him to the base.”
Arozarena didn’t hesitate when requested which play — the catch or baserunning — was his favourite of the night time.
“That [catch] would change the game a little bit,” Arozarena mentioned. “That could have easily been a home run. We go into the ninth and we’re losing, and it makes the situation a lot more difficult. So I think that play was a lot better.”
