Arozarena And The Rays Show Off During All-Star Week

By Lily Belcher

Rays' fan-favorite Randy Arozarena posed his way through the All-Star festivities, launching homeruns over the fence and flashing leather in Seattle. Despite the Rays’ power, the American League lost to the National League for the first time since 2012 with a narrow 3-2 score.

The team-RBI leader out-hit his daughter’s godfather, Rangers’ Adolis Garcia, with 24 in the first round. He smacked 35 homers into the stands of T-Mobile Park in the second round and was the only quarterfinalist to hit more runs in the second round compared to the first. Arozarena was just two shots short of Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the final round, becoming the first Rays’ slugger to make it to the championship of the Derby.

In Tuesday’s Mid-Summer Classic, Arozarena snagged a hit from Braves’ Freddie Freeman for the second out of the game, continuing his impressive performance. The Rays’ star crossed his arms, his celebratory pose that earned worldwide attention in the World Baseball Classic, and earned a nod from American League Starter and Yankee Garret Cole.

He got the first hit of the All-Star game on a line drive to left-centerfield in the bottom of the first, but was caught stealing on an attempt to second for the final out of the inning.

Yandy Diaz, who leads the team in batting average, added his own homerun to the All-Star week, knocking the first run into left field to put the American League on the board first. His first career All-Star run came just hours before the birth of his first child, who was scheduled to be delivered on Wednesday.

Despite the Rays’ being snubbed by FOX’s broadcast of the All-Star reserves, Wander Franco and Shane McClanahan made the team. Franco was selected after Yankee’s right fielder, Aaron Judge, was injured, preventing him from playing. The 22-year-old shortstop played the final three innings, but only got one at bat, where he sent a fly ball to the warning track in right field for the first out in the bottom of the ninth.

Shane McClanahan was also elected to the American League pitching staff after an outstanding 11-1 first half. The left hander would have been a likely choice to make his second consecutive start (since Angels’ superstar Shohei Ohtani didn’t pitch due to a cracked middle finger nail), but forfeited the start after being placed on the injured list with a mid-back tightness.

After the exciting trip to Seattle, the Rays will take a few days to rest before kicking off the second half of the season with a short road trip to Kansas City and Arlington, Texas.