The start of the season Big leagues (MLB) goes at the speed of manta rays and also with a Mexican touch. Until Sunday, April 9, the Tampa Bay Rays, where national players Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes play, added a record of nine wins for zero losses that places them as the team with the best start to the MLB campaign in the last 20 years.
The Rays’ 9-0 matched the mark for the Kansas City Royals at the start of the 2003 season, which was the most recent record of a good start in the MLB, although both are still below the all-time record held by both the Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers, who went 13-0 in 1982 and 1987, respectively.
The positive streak of Tampa Bay began on Opening Day (March 30) with a 4-0 win over the Detroit Tigers, to later finish the series against the same rival with a 12-2 and 5-1 win. Then they beat the Washington Nationals 6-2, 10-6 and 7-2 and, finally, they beat the Oakland Athletics 9-5, 11-0 and 11-0.
If this pace continues, the Rays could match the all-time record held by the Braves and Brewers in the series against the Boston Red Sox that begins Monday. They could even set a new record with one more win against the Toronto Blue Jays starting Friday, which could stretch to 14-0.
“Everything is clicking, I mean setting the pace back to back, we’re off to a very good start,” reflected Rays manager Kevin Cash after the 9-0 win against Oakland. Cash has been Tampa Bay’s head coach since 2015 and, nearly a decade later, he’s off to an unbeatable start that he takes in stride.
Within those nine victories, the Mexican seal is also impregnated thanks to the performances of players Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes, who were part of the Tri’s roster in the World Classic last month and are now revalidating their level in the Major Leagues. Both drove in seven runs in the latest win against the A’s.
The form of the wins is what also has an impact for the Rays, since they have won every game by four or more runs, so their streak is already behind only one of 13 that the St. Louis Maroons achieved in 1884. the longest for a season start. Tampa Bay also already owns the longest streak for any point in a season since the Yankees’ 10-win streak in 1939.
The Tampa Bay Rays They have never been World Series champions, however, in 2023 they seek to reach five consecutive seasons qualifying for the playoffs, which would be the longest streak in their history and under the command of Kevin Cash. In that period they played the 2020 Fall Classic against the Los Angeles Dodgers, although they lost the MLB title 4-2.
Despite that, they do have a history with titles, since they won the American League in 2008 and 2020, as well as four division titles in 2008, 2010, 2020 and 2021, respectively, so their intention is to continue surprising the supers. powers of the MLB with good results.
As of Sunday’s close (April 9), the team closest to the Tampa Bay Rays in terms of wins is the Milwaukee Brewers, 7-2 in the National League Central; the rest of the division leaders have six wins or fewer.
