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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Randy Arozarena homered in the first inning as the Tampa Bay Rays set a major league record by going deep in each of their first 21 games, then he hit a 10th-inning single for his fourth RBI that lifted his club to a 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.

Tampa Bay is 18-3, the best start in the major leagues since the 2003 New York Yankees. The Rays are 12-0 at Tropicana Field, the best start at home since the 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers won their first 13 games.

Arozarena hit a two-run homer in the first off Dylan Cease, and the Rays surpassed the previous mark of homers in the first 20 games by the 2019 Seattle Mariners. Arozarena’s RBI single against Keynan Middleton put Tampa Bay ahead 3-2 in the fifth, but pinch hitter Gavin Sheets tied the score with a eighth-inning homer against Jason Adam.

“Randy’s been so clutch for us all year,” Rays starter Shane McClanahan said. “It’s been fun to watch.”

With the score 3-3 in the 10th, Jimmy Lambert (1-1) intentionally walked Wander Franco with one out and a runner on second, and Arozarena lined a first-pitch single to right for his team-high 22nd RBI.

“We liked the matchup,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “We liked the Lambert-Arozarena matchup. We were good with it.”

Garrett Cleavinger (1-0) worked a perfect 10th before a crowd of 22,333, the largest at the Trop since Opening Day.

It was the second straight walk-off win for Tampa Bay, and in this year of early headlines, that was another one. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, the last time the Rays had walk-off wins in back-to-back games was June 24-25, 2022, against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Eloy Jimenez and Yasmani Grandal also homered for the White Sox, who have lost eight of 10. Chicago, at 7-14, dropped to its most games under .500 since ending the 2019 season at 72-89.

“We’re playing hard, we’re competing, we had a chance to win both games,” Grifol said. “We’ve got a good team. We’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing.”

The White Sox dropped the series opener 8-7 Friday night when the Rays scored three times in the ninth.

McClanahan, who had won his first four starts, allowed two runs, three hits and struck out 10 in six innings as his ERA rose from 1.57 to 1.86. He got 32 misses on 49 swings, at 65.3% the highest whiff rate for a minimum 25 swings since pitch tracking started in 2008, according to MLB Statcast.

Tampa Bay first baseman Yandy Díaz walked off the field as Adam was warming up to start the eighth and needed assistance to get down the dugout steps. The Rays announced that Díaz departed because of dehydration.

“I felt like I had a little tightness in the chest, but I think it was just more I needed some water,” Díaz said through an interpreter. “I was a little worried just because I’ve never really felt any kind of pain like that before, but I feel a lot better now.”

Diaz said he thinks he will be able to play on Sunday.

Cease gave up three runs and six hits in four-plus innings. The 101-pitch outing ended a 24-game streak in which the right-hander went five or more innings.

Jimenez homered for the second straight game, a second-inning leadoff drive to left-center estimated at 434 feet with an exit velocity of 107.5 mph.

Grandal tied it at 2 with his homer leading off the fifth. It was his first home run since March 30, a span of 16 games.

McClanahan had not allowed a homer in his previous five starts, dating to his final outing last year.

Chicago center fielder Luis Robert Jr. struck out in all four plate appearances and is 0-for-10 with six strikeouts in the series.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Rays option Bradley to minors after rough start

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Rays option Bradley to minors after rough start

The Tampa Bay Rays optioned Taj Bradley to Triple-A Durham following a poor start for the inconsistent right-hander Wednesday night.

Handed a 4-0 lead against the Chicago White Sox, Bradley gave up four runs in the second and didn’t get through the inning as Chicago went on to an 11-9 victory in Tampa, Florida. He allowed four runs, four hits and three walks in the frame.

Bradley, once a top pitching prospect, didn’t factor into the decision and his record on the season remained 6-6, while his ERA moved to 4.61. The 24-year-old has struggled with consistency; he entered Wednesday’s start having allowed just one run in his previous two starts but had surrendered at least five runs in four of his six starts before that.

“Tough decision certainly, but felt like it’s best for him to get down there right now,” Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters after the game. “It’s probably a better environment (in Triple A) for him to work, rather than compete every single pitch.

“But know that Taj Bradley is massive to our success, and we need to get him back to the form we know he’s capable of.”

Cash said Bradley handled the news “like a pro” and will work to regain command of his secondary pitches such as his changeup and slider at Durham.

“I just talked to him and said there’s been a lot of good and there has been some not-so good,” Cash said. “Inconsistencies are tough to do at this level at any time of the season, but certainly with where we’re at right now.”

The Rays have scuffled over the last month and sit at 53-50, good for fourth place in the AL East.

Bradley has been mentioned as a potential trade target ahead of the July 31 deadline. The Rays have room to move at least one starting pitcher, and teams have identified the righty — who doesn’t reach free agency until after the 2029 season — as the likeliest of those with team control to go.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Ohtani ties Dodgers’ mark with HR in 5th straight

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Ohtani ties Dodgers' mark with HR in 5th straight

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani homered for the fifth consecutive game on Wednesday, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record.

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge was the last player to homer in five consecutive games, accomplishing that feat last year.

Ohtani, who leads the National League with 37 home runs, homered off Minnesota starter Chris Paddack in the first inning of a 4-3 victory against the Twins. Ohtani hit a slow curveball 441 feet to center, carrying the bat midway down the first-base line before doing a bat flip.

It was Ohtani’s MLB-leading 46th career home of at least 440 feet since entering the majors in 2018. Three of those have come in the past week.

This is the seventh time in Dodgers history that a player has homered in five consecutive games. Ohtani joins Max Muncy, Joc Pederson, Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp, Shawn Green and Roy Campanella in that club.

Ohtani extended his franchise record for the most home runs before Aug. 1. It’s also the most home runs by any National League player before that date since 2001, when the Giants‘ Barry Bonds (45) and the Diamondbacks‘ Luis Gonzalez (41) had each surpassed 40.

Ohtani, a three-time MVP, is batting .276 with 70 RBIs. He has also pitched well in six games and is scheduled to throw four innings on Monday in Cincinnati as he is getting close in his buildup as a starter, coming back from his second right UCL repair surgery.

With an off day on Thursday, Ohtani’s next chance to see if he can homer in six consecutive games will be against the Red Sox in Boston.

The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report.

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Pasquantino: Want Lugo to stay in Royals blue

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Pasquantino: Want Lugo to stay in Royals blue

CHICAGO — Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino started pointing toward the locker of teammate Seth Lugo after their 8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. Lugo, 35, had just pitched six solid innings in sweltering heat, leading Kansas City to its 50th win of the season.

“I’d like to see him pitch for us again,” Pasquantino said while pointing. “I’d really like to see him in a Royals jersey in his next start. We’re trying to make that happen. That’s up to us.”

The Royals are one of the bubble teams in the American League, having picked up some ground on the wild-card leaders after taking two of three from the Cubs. But they are still three games under .500 as the MLB trade deadline approaches next week. Lugo would be an attractive player for another team, as he is set to become a free agent, assuming he turns down his player option for next season.

Kansas City should do well in a trade if it chooses to move him. Lugo’s ERA sits at 2.95 after he gave up two runs in his six innings Wednesday.

“His name is prevalent, especially here [Chicago],” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said before the game. “I’m aware of that. We talked about it openly, understanding we like what we have here. We believe if we can string some good games together, we can get back in this thing.”

If they can’t get back in it, the Cubs are among the teams expected to be interested in Lugo’s services. Their starting pitching after top guys Shota Imanaga and All-Star Matthew Boyd is suspect. Righty Colin Rea gave up three home runs Wednesday, two to Pasquantino. Lugo easily outpitched him, giving up four hits and two walks while striking out six on an extremely hitter-friendly day at Wrigley Field. The wind was blowing out, but Lugo kept the ball in the park.

Afterward, he was asked how he keeps his mind focused considering the rumors swirling around him.

“You don’t think about it,” he said. “You worry about the start. That’s it.”

Lugo was pleased to hear Pasquantino go to bat for him. He said he’d rather stay and win with the Royals than be shipped out.

“I want to be here through the thick and thin,” he said. “It’s a good team. We just have to be more consistent and we’ll be all right.”

Kansas City has hovered around the .500 mark all season but hasn’t been able to get over the hump in the wild-card race. The win Wednesday drew the Royals within four games of the final wild-card spot but with four teams to overcome.

Quatraro waved off the trade talk, citing the unpredictability of the season after the deadline. No matter what his front office does, he wants his team to continue to push.

“You can add to your team and not play as well,” he said. “You can subtract from your team and play better. Or you can stay status quo and get hot.”

Pasquantino added: “It’s a business. Teams have to make business decisions, but as far as I’m concerned, I want [Lugo] in Royals blue for the rest of the season.”

After a day off Thursday, the Royals begin a homestand that will take them through the deadline on July 31. Lugo would be in line to start against the Atlanta Braves next week before the deadline, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll take the mound as scheduled.

“Start today,” he said. “Off day tomorrow, and it’s back to work after that. Control what I can control. Go about my routine. Go about my business.”

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