Arozarena strikes again for Rays
Rookie belts homer, steals home, foils Red Sox in Game 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Randy Arozarena is off and running in October again.
The do-it-all rookie became the first player to hit a home run and steal home in a postseason game, propelling the Tampa Bay Rays past the Boston Red Sox 5-0 in their American League first-round opener Thursday.
The breakout star of October last year, Arozarena made a breathtaking dash to the plate in the seventh inning for the first straight steal of home in the postseason since Jackie Robinson did it for the Brooklyn Dodgers against Yogi Berra and the New York Yankees in the 1955 World Series.
“I noticed the pitcher wasn’t really keeping his attention to me. So I was able to take a big enough lead,” Arozarena said through a translator. “That’s the first time I’ve ever stolen home.”
Nelson Cruz also homered, and rookie Shane Mcclanahan allowed five hits and no walks in five shutout innings for the AL East champion Rays. Wander Franco also sparkled in his playoff debut, delivering a first-inning RBI double that sent Arozarena home from first base.
Arozarena, a 26-year-old Cuban who’s still a rookie despite setting postseason records with 10 homers and 29 hits in 20 games a year ago, capped another exhilarating performance by stealing home on lefty reliever Josh Taylor to make it 5-0 in the seventh.
“I just focus a little bit more,” Arozarena said about his postseason prowess. “Luckily, it’s happening in October. That means it’s closer to the World Series.”
It was the first steal of home of any kind in a playoff game since Javier Baez did it for the Chicago Cubs against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the 2016 National League Championship Series.
If not for Arozarena’s flashy play and the hitting of the 20-year-old Franco, who was promoted to the majors in June, then Mcclanahan’s pitching might have been the night’s top story.
Cruz, acquired in July, hit his 18th postseason homer for a 3-0 lead in the third. Arozarena also went deep against right-hander Nick Pivetta with the bases empty in the fifth for his 11th homer in 21 postseason games.
With one of the majors’ lowest payrolls and a roster lacking household names, the Rays are in the playoffs for a third straight year after winning a franchise-record 100 games and their second straight AL East title.
Boston lefty Eduardo Rodriguez lost, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks in 1⅔ innings. Pivetta spared manager Alex Cora from having to expend the bullpen by working 4⅔ innings in relief.
■ Astros 6, White Sox 1: At Houston, Yordan Alvarez hit a solo home run and an RBI double to back Lance Mccullers Jr., who allowed four hits over 6⅔ shutout innings in the series opener.
Michael Brantley had two hits and two RBIS, and rookie Jake Meyers had two hits and drove in a run for Houston, which is in the postseason for a fifth straight season.
Chicago starter Lance Lynn, who had a career-low 2.69 ERA this season, was tagged for five runs on six hits in 3⅔ innings. Five of the six hits came off his cut fastball.