Meadows scorches triple, adds HR in win

Before Thursday’s game at Tropicana Field, Austin Meadows had hit fourth in the order just twice this season. Manager Kevin Cash spoke pregame of mixing and matching his outfielders, giving them different opportunities at the plate and resting them when he can.

Batting order didn’t matter to Meadows, but making the most of his plate appearances in Thursday’s eventual 7-2 win did.

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As Meadows approached the plate in the bottom of the first, the Rays had two on with one out. Meadows smacked the third-hardest-hit ball of the game, 101.7 mph, for a two-run triple -- his first three-bagger of the year.

The second time through the order, Meadows ripped a 366-foot homer that put two more runs on the board for the Rays.

“Austin's been swinging the bat really well lately,” said starting pitcher Shane McClanahan. “I told him like when I first came up, ‘Dude, it's gonna come for you. You're hitting the ball really hard. Just trust it.’ And sure enough, he's been destroying baseballs.”

Meadows drove in four of the Rays’ seven runs, tied for the second-most RBIs in one game for the outfielder.

“He picked us up in a big way, setting a tone really early offensively,” Cash said. "We did a lot of good things [today] ... I think that [hitting] becomes contagious, and you know you're taking advantage and making the most of opportunities that are presented.”

The lack of extra-base hits in the first two games of the Royals series is uncharacteristic of the Rays. Meadows broke the two-game streak with his triple. Cash knows that it is unrealistic to expect every guy to be the guy every night. He’s encouraged that the mixing and matching is doing exactly what he needs it to -- allowing a different person to have the big at-bats leading to team success.

The offense clicking and putting up seven runs is why this team is leading MLB in wins in May (19-6).

When the team is on a run like the one it is on now, winning 13 of its past 14 games, the question becomes, how can you sustain this momentum? Meadows’ answer is continue to have fun.

“I think when things are clicking on both sides, I think it could be a lot of fun in the dugout,” said Meadows. “Especially with the run we've been on, we know the ups and downs of the game, and we know how hard it can be. You just try to enjoy the highs and learn from the lows. It's been a fun streak we've been on, and we just continue to try to have fun each and every day.”

Neither Meadows nor McClanahan wanted to take any personal credit for the win Thursday, though they both easily could have, both attributing the win to the entire team. McClanahan’s five shutout innings and Meadows’ performance were the standout moments from the series-clinching win, but their attitudes toward the win is what is leading to their larger success.

“They don't take this for granted,” said Cash on his team's recent success. “They know that they have got to come to the ballpark and work and perform. Fortunately, we've got a group of guys that take that mindset every day.”