Rays cap half by calling back to historic start

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays headed into the All-Star break on a high note Sunday afternoon, halting their season-long seven-game losing streak with a 10-4 win over the Braves that occasionally played out like a best-of montage from the first half of their season.

• Wade Boggs inducted into Rays Hall of Fame

With a mix of power and speed, Tampa Bay’s lineup scored early and often. Isaac Paredes and All-Star Yandy Díaz each homered. Zach Eflin delivered a solid start, although it was limited to five innings because his lineup had built such a big lead. And the Rays got back in the win column for the first time this month before a third consecutive sellout crowd of 25,025 at Tropicana Field.

With that, the Rays maintained their two-game lead over the Orioles in the American League East, making this the first time they have led the division heading into the All-Star break in team history. They also secured the best first-half record (58-35) in club history.

“We had reason to be frustrated the last week or so. Felt we were still doing some things OK, just not to the standard that we had maybe set,” manager Kevin Cash said. “But to win a ballgame and go into the break like that feels that much better.”

The Rays stumbled into their first-half finale having lost 10 of 15 and 16 of their past 26 games. Their lineup had been particularly vulnerable lately, as Tampa Bay was held to just one run in each of the past three games and four of the past five. And Sunday did not present an easy matchup with Atlanta’s indomitable lineup behind starter Bryce Elder (7-1, 2.45 ERA going in).

But the Rays struck quickly to score first, as they did in 44 of their first 57 wins this year. Díaz hit a leadoff single, Randy Arozarena worked a two-out walk, then Jonathan Aranda -- called up from Triple-A Durham Saturday afternoon -- slapped a two-run double to left field. Paredes then tagged a two-run homer, his team-high-tying 16th of the season, to give the Rays more runs in one inning than they had in their previous three games combined.

“Simply said, we just had a few days that we weren't able to produce, but I think we came back to real life today,” Díaz said through interpreter Manny Navarro. “We were able to do what we're used to doing.”

Tampa Bay tacked on three more runs in the fourth inning. Taylor Walls walked and hustled to third on a groundout by Jose Siri, putting him in position to score on Christian Bethancourt’s single to left field. Up came Díaz, who blasted a two-run shot to the deepest part of the ballpark, his 13th homer of the year but his first since May 26.

“I felt good,” said Díaz, who snapped a 34-game homerless drought to move within one of his career-high mark set in 2019. “I think it felt like it'd been four months since I hit a homer, but I felt good.”

Díaz finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs, and he has a couple more big days ahead. He will fly out to his first All-Star Game on Monday night, start at first base for the American League in Seattle on Tuesday then return home Wednesday for the birth of his first child. Díaz had considered not attending the Midsummer Classic, but with his wife’s encouragement -- and a rescheduled delivery -- he’s now in for a busy week.

“You can say I'm pretty excited for the baby to come out,” he said, smiling.

Walls doubled in another run in the fifth -- capping a day that saw him walk three times and turn a key double play in the fourth inning -- to break open a six-run lead. That allowed the Rays to pull Eflin after five innings of two-run ball and 77 pitches (58 strikes), content that he had done enough to earn his 10th win.

The right-hander became the 10th pitcher in franchise history to record at least 10 wins before the All-Star break, and he set career-high marks for first-half innings (102 1/3) and strikeouts (105) while logging a 3.25 ERA in 17 starts.

“Felt good. I knew today was a day we kind of needed to win, get right back on track, take that momentum into the break,” said Eflin, who allowed only four hits and struck out five. “Man, it was just a fun game to be at the yard today.

“We're heading into the break with our spirits high. Everybody’s great in the clubhouse. We had an awesome first half, but I think it could even be better. … So we're excited to get to the second half, enjoy these next four days and then come out swinging.”