Randy Arzarena delivers as the Rays walk off the White Sox again

street. PETERSBURG – Saturday’s game took an odd turn for the Rays early in the eighth inning.

First Yandy Diaz, who caught three hits and scored two runs in his first three innings, walked off the field during the warm-up and had to be helped into the dugout as he left the game, treated for what the team later said was dehydration. Four pitches later, reliever Jason Adam gave up a homer to Gavin Sheets which erased the lead.

But it turned out to be okay in the end, in front of a Tropicana Field crowd of 22,333 as the Rays knocked out the White Sox for the second day in a row with a 4-3 victory.

Randy Aruzzarena capped off the big day by singleting into Vidal Brogan, who was a pinch runner and started the inning at number two. After Isaac Paredes flew out, the Sox intentionally walked Wanderer Franco for Jimmy Lambert to face Arozarena, and it failed miserably.

At an MLB-leading 18-3, the Rays matched the second best 21 games in modern era history. Only three teams started better: the 1984 Tigers, 1955 Dodgers and 1911 Tigers, all of whom were 19-2. The Rays joined six other teams at 18-3: the 2003 Yankees, 1987 Brewers, 1981 A’s, 1946 Red Sox, 1938 Giants and 1918 Giants.

The Rays grabbed an early lead and two records. Diaz put up a leadoff single, then Arozarena drove in with a Dylan Cease lead over the left field wall.

This extended the Rays’ streak of homers to all 21 games, surpassing the record for starting a season of 20 set by the 2019 Mariners. Going back to the last game of last season, the Rays also set a franchise record by deepening 22 in a row.

Shane McClanahan pitched another solid six-inning start for the Rays, striking out a season-high 10 and allowing only three hits. The problem was, two were singles—a massive 434-foot putt that left Eloy Jimenez ahead of the second, and another by Yasmani Grandal to open the fifth.

The Rays rallied to take the lead on their fifth side.

Diaz started them off with a leadoff single, and a well-executed hit-and-run single by Franco put the runners into the corners and hit the stoppage. After Franco was caught stealing, Arozarena reliever Keenan Middleton caught with a bouncing single across the left side to make it 3-2.

Sox hooked on Homer Sheets.

Pete Fairbanks homered in the ninth, and in the process broke J.P. Howell’s team record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched as he now has 28. Howell had 27 1/3 in 2012.

This story will be updated.

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