ST. PETERSBURG — After the Rays’ Travis d’Arnaud hit a walk-off homer against the Yankees Saturday, Tampa Bay fans could only wonder if the dramatic finish would prove to be spark or sputter, aberration or motivation.
Certainly, they needed a lift that would carry beyond one victory and provide momentum going into this week’s All-Star Game break. Sure, they won Saturday, but that only served to snap a six-game losing streak against New York. The Rays entered Sunday 3-9 against the AL East leaders.
Tampa Bay’s postseason hopes required a boost that would validate its confidence against the league’s best.