2024 Sunburst Awards: Texas Rangers games 5-7
Rays fall under .500 at 3-4 after three games against Rangers
“Sunburst Awards” is a series-by-series evaluation of player performance, where four different awards are given out after each series: Offensive player of the series, defensive player of the series, pitcher of the series, and highlight play of the series. This edition will be covering the second series of the season, where the Tampa Bay Rays took on the Texas Rangers from April first through April third, a three game series in Tropicana Field.
The Rays follow up their series split against the Toronto Blue Jays with another home series against the defending World Series Champion Texas Rangers.
Game 1: Rangers - 9, Rays - 3 (recap)
Game 2: Rangers - 2, Rays - 5 (recap)
Game 3: Rangers - 4, Rays - 1 (recap)
Offensive Sunburst Award: Isaac Paredes
Yikes, this was not an impressive offensive display for the Rays over the last three days.
Just three players had multiple hits in these battles against the Rangers, however Paredes earns the nod this series with his three-run home run in game two of the series. The bomb (shockingly hit to left field) made the game 5-0 and put Tampa Bay comfortably ahead entering the sixth inning.
Paredes also was a contributor in game three of the series, with a hit and a run scored.
— Rays Metrics (@RaysMetrics) April 3, 2024
Pitching Sunburst Award: Aaron Civale
Civale wins his first ever Sunburst award this series with a wonderful performance in game three. Though he was given a loss for the outing, the 28-year-old went six innings allowing just one run and four hits. He also added eight strikeouts to go along with it.
Defensive Sunburst Award: Isaac Paredes
Paredes becomes the first player in this segment to win two Sunburst Awards in the same series, with his dazzling play at third base earning him the Defensive nod as well.
In game two of the series, with the Rays up four but in a bit of a jam, Paredes fielded a ground ball at 94 mph, and made a solid throw to first to eliminate any threat the Rangers tried to bring in that frame.
In the following game, Paredes fielded a tough groundball in the second to get out a bases-loaded jam and started a double play in the fifth inning.
Isaac Paredes has been fantastic defensively to start the season #Raysup
— RaysTracker (@raystracker) April 3, 2024
Highlight Sunburst Award: Ryan Pepiot
A very standard 5-3-1 double play. This is almost an amazing play by Wyatt Langford, but Ryan Pepiot beats him to the plate. #Rays pic.twitter.com/85QOsdjnnP
— Brian Murphy (@Spokes_Murphy) April 1, 2024
Pepiot may not have had a very impressive appearance on the mound, however he is going to win this editions Highlight award for this rather unusual double play in the fourth inning of game one of the series.
With a runner on first, Jared Walsh hits a routine groundball to Curtis Mead who makes the throw to first. However, in an attempt to make a heads-up play, Wyatt Langford bolts around third from first on an attempt to sneak a run.
Pepiot sees this and runs back to the plate, catching the ball and lunging towards Langford to just get the tag on in time and make an impressive play.
Conclusion
While the Rays fall under .500 with this series loss putting them at 3-4 on the young campaign, things may finally be turning around for them as their schedule lightens up after these two difficult series.
The Rays will take Thursday off before traveling to Colorado for their first road series against the 1-5 Rockies, first pitch on Friday is set for 4:10 eastern time!
And as a reminder, follow along with this series, as we’ll be asking the community to vote for the top award in each category on a monthly basis.