Yandy Díaz tied a career high with five hits and four RBIs to power the Tampa Bay Rays to an 11-7 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday at Busch Stadium. The performance capped a strong opening series for the Rays, who tallied an MLB-leading 41 hits across three games. Díaz's outburst helped the team avoid a sweep despite two blown leads.
Tampa Bay's leadoff hitter Yandy Díaz anchored the Rays' offensive display, recording nine hits over the three-game series to tie a franchise record shared by Randy Arozarena, Logan Forsythe, Brendan Harris, and Carl Crawford. He reached base safely 10 times in the opening set, another team mark. Díaz became the third Rays player to notch five hits and four RBIs in a single game, joining Matt Joyce and B.J. Upton, Rays manager Kevin Cash called him 'pretty locked in' after the game, praising his talent as a hitter. Hitting coach Chad Mottola had noted Díaz looked sharp entering Spring Training about a month earlier, a preview of his early-season form. Díaz credited adjustments like raising his hands and reviewing his 2023 at-bats, when he batted .330 to claim the American League batting title. 'I kind of want to replicate the same thing,' he said through interpreter Kevin Vera. The Rays lineup produced 17 hits in the finale, scoring 23 runs over the series with just one home run from Jonathan Aranda. Aranda went 3-for-6 with two RBIs on Sunday and emphasized the team's contact-oriented style: 'If we just keep doing what we do, this is how we're going to win games.' Starter Steven Matz allowed four runs in five innings during his Rays debut, describing the lineup as 'scrappy' and fun to watch. The win provided momentum heading to Milwaukee, even after dropping the first two games.
