- Kevin Tall
- Stock photo
The Tampa Bay Rays needed a win Friday night to help wash away back-to-back losses to the Boston Red Sox earlier this week. With the in-state rival Florida Marlins in town for some inter-league action over the weekend, the Rays got exactly what they needed from one of South Florida's own.
Miami native Sean Rodriguez knocked in four runs in the Rays' 5-1 win over the Fish. The first two came early-on, in the second inning; with Evan Longoria aboard after reaching on error, Rodriguez took the 1-1 pitch from Florida starting pitcher Brad Hand into the left field seats for an early 2-0 lead. Rays catcher Kelly Shoppach notched a solo homer of his own to lead off the bottom of the third.
“I was fortunate enough to be able to get the opportunity to do something and I came through…It’s always good," Rodriguez said. "You just want to find a way to produce every night.”
Rodriguez's homer—his third of the season—was his first since May 30 against the Texas Rangers; his only other RBI this month came Sunday, June 12 at Baltimore.
Rodriguez drove in two more in the bottom of the eighth inning; Matt Joyce and Evan Longoria each had singled to lead off the frame. Rodriguez's one-out double scored both men and capped a big night at the plate for the Tampa Bay utility man; Friday's output accounts for almost one-third of his RBI on the year.
“Sean’s one of those guys that puts today down and will come back out tomorrow and play good or bad and he had good today," said Rays manager Joe Maddon.
This article appears in Jun 16-22, 2011.