ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Manager Kevin Cash was talking before Thursday’s matinee game about how much better the Rays lineup has been with the addition of David Peralta and the return of injured Manuel Margot and Harold Ramirez.
The Rays showed it again Thursday in completing a four-game sweep of the Angels with an 8-3 win.
Margot took the leading role this time with four hits, including a two-run triple that sparked a five-run third inning.
It was more than enough, as Drew Rasmussen posted another impressive start, allowing one run and six hits while working into the sixth, striking out a career-high-tying nine, including seven of the first 10 hitters.
The Rays won their sixth straight game, matching their season high, and 11th in their last 13, improving to 69-55, a season-best 14 games over .500. Pending later action, they will at least keep the top spot in the three-team American League wild-card field and stayed within 7½ games of the East-leading Yankees.
With the three veterans back in the lineup, Cash said there is not only more depth but also more of confidence that balls will be put in play and good things will happen.
“That’s kind of a product of maybe some of the guys we’ve gotten back,” Cash said. “Whether it’s Peralta coming in, Manny being back, Harold being back, they have really complemented our lineup where, we had a good lineup, we just had some swing-and-miss in there.
“I think there’s probably a little bit more trust in there now that we’ve got guys that there’s a lot of confidence that they can put the bat on the ball. And then you take Randy (Arozarena), the way he’s swung the bat here as of late, that gives you confidence.”
The Rays took charge in the third, with help from the Angels. After Jose Siri led off with a single, second baseman David Fletcher gloved a ball hit by Yandy Diaz but didn’t get an out as he made an errant toss. Margot, who returned to active duty Saturday, followed with the triple to right.
One out later, Margot raced home on Ramirez’s a grounder to shortstop Andrew Velazquez, an ex-Ray, and beat the throw.
Isaac Paredes, who had gone 71 at-bats and nearly a month without a homer, then hit his second in three days to make it 5-1.
Margot’s fourth hit of the day was a double in the seventh as the Rays mounted another rally. Ramirez’s one-out single delivered two runs and extended his streak of hits to all 10 games since he returned to the lineup on Aug. 16.
