ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — All the traditional signs of opening day were in place at Tropicana Field on Friday afternoon. The bunting was hung, the seats were full, and optimism, even about a new stadium, was in the air.
And though it took a while, the Rays eventually turned it into a party.
Pinch-hitter Francisco Mejia scored Ji-Man Choi with an eighth-inning sac fly to give the Rays a 2-1 win over the Orioles.
The Rays’ rally started with a single by Wander Franco, his third hit of the day. The lefty-swinging Choi pinch hit for Harold Ramirez, with the O’s changing right-handers to Jorge Lopez. Choi battled through eight pitches for a walk. Then Randy Arozarena hustled down the line to beat out a bouncer to third for an infield single that loaded the bases.
After Brandon Lowe’s grounder to second forced Franco, manager Kevin Cash sat down Mike Zunino, who hit 33 homers last year but was much better against lefties, in favor of the switch-hitting Mejia, and it worked. J.P. Feyereisen got the first two outs of the ninth, then Brooks Raley closed it out for the Rays.
The Rays beat the Orioles 18 times in 19 games last season, but Cash tried to throw up a caution sign during his pre-game media session, saying the O’s were “a much improved team” and that his club “should have our challenges here opening day.”
Starter Shane McClanahan, who insisted Thursday that pitching the opener wouldn’t be unnerving, looked a bit out of sorts at the start.
He hit Cedric Mullins with the first pitch of the game, then loaded the bases before escaping, needing 22 pitches. He started the second allowing a single, then got in a groove, striking out four of the next six. There was another blip in the fourth, when he allowed a one-out double and a walk, and his day was done after a strikeout and a single to start the fifth.
He ended up with a decent outing, allowing four hits and no runs, striking out seven, having thrown 68 pitches.
Attendance was announced at 25,025, which is the Trop capacity when the upper deck is closed.
The teams play the second game of the series on Saturday at 1:10 p.m. Drew Rasmussen is slated to start for the Rays, Jordan Lyles for the Orioles.
