Blue Jays American League East Recap: Stumbling out of the Gate

Apr 9, 2017; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Peter Bourjos (18), right fielder Steven Souza Jr. (20) and left fielder Mallex Smith (0) celebrate after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field. The Rays won 7-2. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Stunning Tampa Bay
5-2

The Tampa Bay Rays quickly got off to a bad start last year and was never able to recover. Coming into the season it was expected they’d more or less do the same. The Rays did just the opposite handing both the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays series losses. This success is due largely to their rotation being the force it was supposed to be a season ago. The Rays got outstanding outings from Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi. With a good bullpen behind them, the Rays look like a team that can compete.

Tampa’s big issue last season was consistency. When their rotation was on fire, their bats were on ice, and vice versa. The Rays will need their rotation to continue to perform at the level their young arms are capable of. As well as receiving the offense to put up enough support to get their rotation late into the game. From there, the relief corps can do the rest.

Final Takeaway:

The Rays may have begun the season the odd man out in a tight division, but with stuff they put up this week, it might be the Rays to watch out for.

Schedule