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Revisiting the 2020 Tampa Bays and their magical postseason run to the World Series
It's time to take a trip down memory lane to recall the wild ride of the 2020 Tampa Bay Rays.
The 2020 MLB season was one of the most interesting in league history. During some of the most unprecedented times in history, the league delayed the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, starting in late July. Many changes were needed to complete the season, shortening the schedule to 60 games, keeping matchups regional, and not allowing fans into the stadiums to limit the spread of the virus and keep the players safe.
The 2019 Tampa Bay Rays were coming off a 96-win season and a five-game series loss to the Houston Astros in the ALDS. The highlights of the offseason were on the trade market. They made two separate deals with the Padres. First, they traded Tommy Pham and Jake Cronenworth for Hunter Renfroe and Xavier Edwards in December. Then, they traded Emilio Pagan for Manuel Margot and Logan Driscoll in February. Between those deals, they made an equally eye-opening move with the Cardinals. The Rays moved top pitching prospect Matthew Liberatore to St. Louis for Jose Martinez and Randy Arozarena.
The 2020 Regular Season
When the season finally kicked off near the end of July, the Rays started slow before picking up steam in early August. After a 6-8 start, they finished August by going 19-3 to sit atop the AL East by 4.5 games. Meanwhile, the Rays were quietly making small deals. The most consequential of these trades came on Aug/ 27, when they acquired outfield Brett Phillips from the Royals for prospect Lucius Fox. On Sept. 17, the Rays swept a doubleheader in Baltimore to clinch a playoff spot. Six days later, they captured the division crown with an 8-5 win over the Mets, their first AL East title since 2010. The Rays ended the season with a 40-20 record, the best in the AL and the second-best in the league.
The Rays rode their pitching staff to a strong regular season. Tampa Bay finished with the third-best team ERA (3.56) and led the league with 23 saves while also finishing in the Top 10 in strikeouts, WHIP, hits allowed, and several other categories. Offensively, the Rays' team numbers were average, but there were plenty of standouts. Brandon Lowe slugged a team-high 14 home runs and 37 RBI. Yandy Diaz hit .307. Mid-season call-up Randy Arozarena knocked seven home runs in 23 games, setting the stage for the postseason excellence we'd see over the next month.
The Road to the Pennant
One of the other significant changes made concerned the format of the postseason. A shortened season meant more teams would make the postseason. Eight teams from each league would earn the chance to battle for the World Series. The top two in each division automatically qualified, with the next two teams earning Wild Card spots. With the Rays claiming the AL's best record, they'd be paired against the 2nd Wild Card team, the Toronto Blue Jays. The Rays moved through Toronto in short order at Tropicana Field. Blake Snell was brilliant in Game 1, leading the team to a 3-1 win. The offense sealed the series in Game 2, getting early eight runs in the first three innings, including a grand slam by Hunter Renfroe, to win 8-2 and sweep the series.
Advancing to the ALDS, things moved West for the Rays. To avoid home-field advantage and prevent travel back and forth, the league set up a neutral site series for the rest of the postseason. The Rays were stationed in San Diego to face another AL East rival, the New York Yankees. After the Rays took a 2-1 series lead, the Yankees forced a winner-take-all Game 5. Aaron Judge and Austin Meadows traded solo home runs, and the game remained 1-1 until the bottom of the eighth inning. With one out, Mike Brosseau stepped to the plate to face Aroldis Chapman. Earlier in the season, there was an incident where Chapman buzzed Brosseau's head with a 101 mph fastball. Brosseau got his revenge with one swing. On the tenth pitch of the at-bat, Brosseau smacked a ball into the left-field bleachers to take a 2-1 lead. Diego Castillo finished the job in the ninth inning, sending the Rays to the ALCS.
In the ALCS, the Rays got their rematch against the Houston Astros. One year after the Astros ended the Rays' season, it was time for Tampa Bay to return the favor. They got off to a great start, winning the first three games of the series. The Rays had taken complete control and were one game away from winning their second American League pennant. Unfortunately, things wouldn't be that simple. Houston rattled off three straight wins to force another winner-take-all game. The offense started the job early. Randy Arozarena and Mike Zunino each homered, and Pete Fairbanks shut the door for good in the ninth. With Manuel Margot catching the final out, the Rays won their second AL pennant, marching their way to the World Series.
The Rays Fall Short, But Win an Epic Game
The Rays flew to Arlington, Texas, for the World Series to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles was a juggernaut. They were the only team in the league to finish with a better record than the Rays during the regular season, going 43-17. They had several All-Stars, led by a trio of former MVPs in Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, and reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger. This team was going to be a tough team to beat. The Dodgers took Game 1, but the Rays fought back in Game 2 to even the series. Los Angeles responded with a win in Game 3, setting the stage for a wild Game 4.
The ball was flying out of Globe Life Field in Game 4. Justin Turner and Corey Seager hit early homers to take a 2-0 lead. Randy Arozarena responded with his record-setting ninth home run of the postseason to cut the deficit in half. An RBI single by Max Muncy regained the two-run lead, but Hunter Renfroe hit a bomb to get it back. After the Dodgers extended the lead to two runs again, Brandon Lowe smacked an opposite-field three-run home run to give the Rays their first lead of the night in the bottom of the sixth. Joc Pederson's two-run single would give the Dodgers back the lead in the top of the seventh. Kevin Kiermaier knotting things up again, hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh. With two strikes and two outs in the top of the eighth, Seager blooped a single into left field to bring home the go-ahead run, giving the Dodgers a 7-6 advantage.
Needing three outs to close the game, the Dodgers turned to Kenley Jansen to finish the game. A one-out single by Kevin Kiermaier and a two-out walk by Randy Arozarena put runners on first and second base. Kevin Cash opted for pinch-hitter Brett Phillips to come up clutch. With two strikes on him, Phillips lined the pitch into center field. The ball was guaranteed to score Kiermaier, but Chris Taylor could not field it cleanly. As the ball rolled away, Arozarena kept running. Taylor retrieved the ball, hit his cutoff man, and it looked as if Arozarena was dead at the plate after he'd fallen coming down the line. Will Smith missed the catch, allowing Arozarena to slide into home and slap it several times. The team chased Phillips into the outfield to celebrate the walk-off, capping one of the best World Series games of the modern era.
Unfortunately, that's as close as the Rays would get to the World Series. After winning Game 5, the Dodgers closed the series in six games to claim the title. It was a bitter end to an otherwise excellent season. Despite falling short, the memories made during this run will last us a lifetime. This run also highlights the front office's magnificent work in creating this team, especially through trades. The deal for Randy Arozarena might be one of the most important trades in team history, not just for this run. He'd follow up this postseason performance by winning the AL Rookie of the Year in 2021, and he continues to be a heralded figure for this franchise.