With their 9-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, the Tampa Bay Rays have tied the record for the best start to an MLB season (since 1900) with 13 consecutive wins to begin the 2023 campaign.
The Rays (13-0) had to come from behind with a seven-run fifth inning to tie the mark set by the 1982 Atlanta Braves and the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers. They are seven wins shy of tying the 1884 St. Louis Maroons for the best start in professional baseball history at 20-0.
“I’m glad we did it at home because we had tremendous fan support throughout this entire homestand,” manager Kevin Cash said as he spoke with the media after the game. “They really got loud when we needed them to, and it seemed like our guys were energized by that. No doubt, when you do something like that, you’re playing really well, and there’s not one part of our game right now that we don’t feel good about.”
Outfielder Josh Lowe added: “It’s incredible. To a part of history, to be a part of this team right now, everybody’s having fun. Obviously, the vibes are high in the clubhouse, and it’s showing on the field. We’re just having so much fun doing it.”
While the Rays have played four of the worst teams in baseball to start the season, most of their game have not been close.
“It’s good team baseball, and we’re having fun,” outfielder Luke Raley told reporters. “We haven’t been feeling the pressure. It’s just been loose and relaxed in here. We’re not naive. We know what’s going on, and it just hasn’t changed anything. We feel confident and ready to go.”
Tampa leads the major leagues in most offensive statistics, has hit more home runs than the total number of runs they have allowed to their opponents, and is the only team to have scored 100 runs so far this season.
“That’s one of the coolest aspects of it,” Lowe said. “Everyone on the roster is contributing in some way. … Everybody’s just doing a great job right now of picking each other up and just playing good team baseball.”
Plus, the starting pitching has been stellar.
Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs, and Shane McClanahan are all among the top 15 pitchers in ERA two weeks into the season. As a collective pitching staff, the Rays lead the majors with a 2.23 ERA and have already thrown four shutouts this season while allowing opponents to hit just .189.
The team may be without Springs, who started Thursday’s contest, as he left the outing with an injury in the fourth inning.
“It’s unfortunate, no doubt,” Cash said of the injury after Thursday’s win. “That’s the only damper that was put on today.”
The Rays continue their historic start against the Toronto Blue Jays (8-5) at 6:07 p.m. CT Friday.