Rays beat Red Sox, extend season-opening win streak to 12 games

On Apr 13, 2023

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ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays beat the Red Sox 9-7 Wednesday, riding a strong debut by pitcher Taj Bradley and another offensive onslaught to extend their remarkable season-starting win streak to 12 games,

The victory puts the Rays in position to tie the modern-day, major-league record of 13 straight wins shared by the 1987 Brewers and 1982 Braves in Thursday afternoon’s series finale against Boston.

Wednesday, though, was more of a matter of family business, as the Rays tied the franchise record for a winning streak at any point in a season.

It wasn’t set by the 2008 breakthrough team, the 2021 100-win team, or any of the other six that made the postseason; rather, a squad from the dark (green) days of the franchise, the 2004 Devil Rays.

Bradley, a 22-year-old called up from Triple-A to fill in for injured Zach Eflin, was understandably amped at the start but settled in to work five strong innings, allowing three runs, five hits and a walk while striking out eight.

Rays starting pitcher Taj Bradley throws in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox Wednesday at Tropicana Field.

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Randy Arozarena jump-started the majors-leading offense with a three-run homer in the first. The Rays then added on, with Wander Franco, who had three doubles, leading the way.

Down 6-1 and 8-3, the Sox made it interesting, closing to within 8-7 when Rafael Devers, who Bradley struck out twice, homered in the seventh off Colin Poche. But the Rays added a run in their half of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Arozarena, who delivered with much of the Tropicana Field crowd of 17,136 chanting his name.

The 2004 record-setting team was managed by fiery Lou Piniella, in the second of his three years.

It had a roster with an odd mix of rising young homegrown players like Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli, Aubrey Huff and Toby Hall; and declining veterans such as Hall of Famer Fred McGriff (who hit his 493rd and final homer during the streak), Tino Martinez, Eduardo Perez and Jose Cruz. Jr. (Also, briefly, a relatively unknown Jose Bautista, who would turn into a star with Toronto.)

It opened the season with a trek to Japan, and in mid-May had a majors-worst 10-28 record.

But on June 9, two days after the Lightning won their first Stanley Cup, the Devil Rays blew a ninth-inning lead before rallying in the 10th to beat the Giants. They didn’t lose for nearly two weeks, improving to 33-34 before the streak ended with a June 23 walkoff loss at Toronto.

But there was another streak ahead, as they lost 12 straight from Aug. 27-Sept. 10, becoming the second team to have winning and losing streaks of at least 12 games in the same season. Still, they finished with 70 wins, the most in their seven seasons, and Piniella led a champagne toast the final weekend in Detroit.