The loss on Opening Day certainly put an initial damper on Rays fans high hopes for 2019. But then they won game two. And three. And now the fourth game of the four-game series against AL West projected champions the Houston Astros.
The 2019 Rays are good.
Yonny Chirinos, who was not expected to go more than a handful of innings on a bullpenning day, went seven innings and gave up a solitary home run to Jake Marisnick in the third innings. Other than that he was mixing his pitches to great effect, and Mike Zunino is already looking like a tremendous partner for these pitchers in his place behind the bag.