When I saw today’s lineup I figured we were headed for another game in which the Rays offense was AWOL.
Against the tough righty Sonny Gray, Logan Morrison and Kevin Kiermaier were resting. The outfield was Puello-Bourjos-Smith, not the trio you were imagining watching in late September.
So of course the Rays hitters exploded. They batted around in a seven-run fifth inning. Cesar Puello and Peter Bourjos knocked in runs. The much-maligned and seldom used Trevor Plouffe even hit a pinch hit home run.