Rays annihilate Red Sox in their first inter-divisional matchup of the season

Wow. We're speechless honestly. Yesterday's contest was an insane combination of very poor defense from the Red Sox and ridiculously consistent hitting from the Rays. Both fanbases were asking for a mercy rule by the end of the 27-minute third inning. It was definitely not something we should expect on a daily or even monthly basis, but an incredible start to AL East play nonetheless.

What if we told you back in spring training that the Rays would be leading the American League in team batting average on April 15th. You'd probably think we'd lost our minds. However, here we are and Tampa Bay is currently atop the AL with a .276 team average. It's an incredible stat that can't entirely be credited to their new home field because opposing clubs are hitting a measly .234 at Steinbrenner Field.

Also, the Rays home run totals aren't even eye-popping at the moment as they've notched only 18 homers in 16 games which is middle of the pack in the American League and nearly half as many as the Bronx Bombers. They've relied on hard-fought singles and a lot of doubles. The most surprising aspect of all this success though, is the players that are leading the charge.

Of the five Rays hitters with above a .300 AVG to this point, three of them spent the majority
(or the entirety) of last season in Triple-A. This speaks to the amazing development that this organization can provide for their young players.

For example, Kameron Misner (.400 AVG) and Jake Mangum (.311 AVG) are two of the most productive sluggers on the team and they weren't even considered for the Opening Day roster out of the gate. The only reason they joined the club was due to the injuries of Richie Palacios and Josh Lowe.

The production from the top seeped into every player in last night's lineup as each one collected at least one run and one RBI. Six hitters recorded at least two hits led by Misner's 3-hit, 2-homer game. The entire lineup also played a part in that tumultuous third inning. They added 8 hits and 9 runs in the bottom of the third to extend their lead to 14-1. The Red Sox had no answer for the timely hitting and incredible bat-to-ball show.

Amid the offensive uproar, fans may have forgotten to check Shane Baz in the loaded box score. The former first round pick is off to an ace-like start to the season and proved that again last night. He tossed six innings of one-run baseball, allowing only two hits and striking out 11 Red Sox hitters.

Baz is currently second on the rotation with a fantastic 1.42 ERA. Rays starters are still pitching with fervor as they are second in the AL in ERA behind only the Kansas City Royals. If this impressive combination of pitching and hitting continues, then this team could play deep into October.