ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Rays had a pretty good Saturday afternoon.
First they found a veteran hitter to potentially bolster their offense, acquiring lefty-hitting outfielder David Peralta from Arizona.
Then they completed a much needed win, given their rough start to post-All-Star break play, beating the Guardians, 6-4.
Peralta, 34, has spent his nine-year, big league career with Arizona. This year he is hitting .248 with 12 homers, 41 RBIs and a .777 OPS. He is making $7.5 million and is in the final year of his contract. The Rays gave up minor league catcher Christian Cerda to get him.
On the field, the Rays grabbed a lead in the first inning, on a two-run homer by Brandon Lowe, and built it to 5-1 by the fifth. Rene Pinto doubled in Taylor Walls for a run in the second. Yandy Diaz hit a two-run homer in the fifth against his former Cleveland mates. And Brett Phillips, already in the spotlight with a basketball jersey giveaway, delivered a key insurance run with a two-out single in the eighth.
Corey Kluber, another former Clevelander, delivered a strong start and had allowed only one run through five innings. But he made a mess to start the sixth, allowing a leadoff double to Jose Ramirez, hitting Owen Miller and giving up a three-run home run to All-Star Andres Gimenez.
The trade and the win added to the upbeat feeling of the day for the Rays, who improved to 54-47.
With the Rays winning only two of their first eight games after the All-Star break and the offense again in a miserable slump, the team was trying to find ways to stay positive and keep smiling.
That certainly seemed to be the case Saturday morning.
Most of the Rays players and some staff pulled on the Phillips basketball jersey that was being given away to fans in the near-sellout crowd, and started talking hoops.
Who would be their starting five? Who could dunk? Who looked the best — and worst — in the tank top-style shirts?
The distraction, ace Shane McClanahan said, was a good way to cope.
“I think just kind of doing what we’re doing now, keeping it light and keeping it fun, not putting too much pressure on ourselves and just enjoying the day and taking it for what it is,” he said. “Every day is a new day for us to come out here and win a new ballgame, so just treat it like that.”
Phillips, the Seminole native who relishes playing for his hometown team, was beyond honored to have his own giveaway item. And even more this one, which was modeled after a Devil Rays basketball jersey he wore for his 4th birthday and was shown in a photo that had made its way to social media.
“This is very exciting for me to, first of all, to have a giveaway of something in the big leagues. What an honor to be able to make it to this point in my in my career,” he said, then showed the childhood picture on his phone. “Inspired by this dude right here — 24 years ago he wore around his favorite Devil Rays basketball jersey. ... Here we are, in my hometown, a giveaway. Crazy. Just absolutely crazy.”
Phillips said he didn’t know anything about the team’s plans until spring training, when a friend sent him a screenshot of a mention of it. He was even more humbled when he learned the details.
“It’s hard to put my emotions into words, because of how excited I am about this,” he said. “And this is probably the coolest thing they could have done. Because it actually means so much to me.”
The large turnout of 22,756 also meant a lot to Phillips, who also agreed to spend up to an hour postgame signing autographs to thank the fans.
