As Yandy goes, Rays go: 1B's turnaround key to TB's surge

BOSTON -- Of all the unexpected things the Rays have already seen this season, perhaps nothing was more surprising than the way All-Star leadoff man Yandy Díaz scuffled through the first month of the season.

Throughout his career, and especially since joining Tampa Bay, all Díaz has done is hit. Yet there the reigning American League batting champion was on May 1, more than a month into the season, batting .211 with a .556 OPS.

But the muscular infielder has turned things around over the last two weeks, and he delivered more proof with another big hit Wednesday night at Fenway Park. The bottom of the Rays’ lineup started their come-from-behind rally in the sixth inning of their 4-3 win against the Red Sox, but Díaz finished it with a tiebreaking, two-run single.

“He's a good hitter,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “It was just a matter of time for him to get going.”

He seems to be going now, even after an 0-for-5 performance on Tuesday and an 0-for-2 start to Wednesday’s game. Díaz has hit safely in 10 of his last 12 games since May 3, batting .353 (18-for-51) with a .949 OPS and 10 RBIs during that stretch.

And he still doesn’t even think he’s all the way back.

“I'm not exactly where I need to be yet,” he said through interpreter Manny Navarro. “We still need to work, little by little, with all the work in the cage, and I think things are going to start turning around.”

The start of his turnaround has coincided with improved play overall by the Rays, who have won eight of their last 12 games. They’ve averaged five runs per game during that stretch, compared to 3.8 over the first 32 games of the season.

The Rays were down, 2-1, after five innings on Wednesday. That had starter Taj Bradley in line for a second straight tough-luck loss despite another impressive outing.

The right-hander limited the Red Sox to two runs and struck out six over five innings. Bradley’s two biggest highlights came in the fifth, when he snared a comebacker for the first out, then whiffed Wilyer Abreu on three pitches with the bases loaded to get out of the inning.

“I don't play run control or damage control. I'm just out there thinking they don't have to score at all,” Bradley said. “Like, with the bases loaded, that doesn’t mean they have to score, doesn't mean one run has to come in. They don’t have to score at all.”

But the Rays did find a way to score after that.

Richie Palacios started the rally with a one-out single to center, then José Caballero knocked another base hit to left against Red Sox starter Tanner Houck. Houck remained in the game to strike out Ben Rortvedt with his career-high 112th pitch of the night before giving way to reliever Greg Weissert, whose funky delivery makes him a tough matchup for right-handed hitters.

Jose Siri immediately tied the game with a single to left. His first multihit game since April 7 was a confidence-boosting moment during a tough stretch in which he has lost some playing time to outfielder Jonny DeLuca.

“I feel good,” Siri said through Navarro. “Everyone wants to feel good so that they can help the team and be part of the game.”

With Díaz at the plate, Caballero took off for third base. He would have been caught stealing, ending the inning, but Rafael Devers dropped the throw. That error allowed Siri to scramble for second base and put two runners in scoring position for Díaz.

Díaz capitalized on Boston’s mistake. Díaz pounded a 2-1 sweeper from Weissert past diving shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela and into left field with an exit velocity of 110.4 mph, matching his fourth-hardest-hit ball of the season. Caballero and Siri scored to put the Rays ahead by two, and both runs proved to be important when reliever Phil Maton gave up a solo homer to Devers in the sixth.

“Hung in there on some at-bats,” Cash said. “Certainly, Yandy's was the biggest one.”

The bullpen hung on the rest of the way. After Shawn Armstrong pitched the seventh, Cash asked Pete Fairbanks to handle the heart of the Red Sox order in the eighth, and he answered with two strikeouts in a seven-pitch inning. Kevin Kelly stepped up in the ninth, earning his second career save.

“Trying to get the best matchup, felt like [Fairbanks] was definitely the right guy to come in and face right in the middle of their lineup. Pretty selfless by him,” Cash said. “Then KK finished it off. He hasn't been in that role very often, but he certainly looked comfortable out there.”