Jonathan

Aranda

Entering the ninth inning trailing 6-2, Aranda would single to drive home Taylor Walls and Richie Palacios to cut the O’s lead to 6-4. Aranda has enjoyed a hot start to August and is now slashing .306/.358/.388 with two extra-base hits and 10 RBI.

Aranda seems to have pulled out of his slump with homers the last two days. He’s 11-for-27 with two homers and eight RBI in six games this month.

Seems like a routine day off for Díaz. Liam Hicks will play first base and Jonathan Aranda will DH. Victor Mesa Jr. will shift into the leadoff spot.

Facing Rockies pitching at Coors Field was just what the slumping Aranda needed. He was 11-for-60 with one RBI and 21 strikeouts in his previous 15 games.

Ryan Vilade gets an opportunity to face lefty Noah Schultz once opener Jordan Hicks departs. Aranda has been struggling recently, hitting .182 (10-for-55) with one extra-base hit in 14 games since the All-Star break. It’ll be a different-looking Tampa Bay lineup in this one with speedster Chandler Simpson hitting second behind Yandy Díaz.

It’s nothing more than a routine day of rest for the 28-year-old slugger with tough left-hander Parker Messick toeing the slab for the Guardians. Ryan Vilade will cover first base in his absence and will bat second for the Rays on Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field.

Aranda drew a walk in the third inning, then took Jose Cabrera deep for a two-run homer in the fifth to give the Rays the lead. Aranda would reach for a third time with a walk in the seventh. The 28-year-old first baseman is having a solid season, hitting .289/.391/.470 with 13 homers, 42 runs scored, and 57 RBI across 345 plate appearances.

Aranda has hit in nine straight games and driven in a run in three in a row. He’s 10th in the majors with his 54 RBI on the season.

Aranda came up big for the Rays in the third inning. He stepped up to the plate with runners on first and second and got just enough of a Miles Mikolas changeup to slice it down the left field line and bounce it off the foul pole for a 313-foot homer, giving the Rays a 3-2 lead. It was the 12th homer of the season for Aranda, who continues to put together a career year in his fifth big league season.

Most likely, if a Rays first baseman/DH is going to make the All-Star team, it’ll be Yandy Díaz. Aranda, though, has a case; he’s tied for the 11th in the majors with his 48 RBI, and he’s 21st with his .377 OBP. Interestingly, he’s come in at .376 there against lefties, but all of his power has come versus righties; he’s slugging .503 against them and .329 versus lefties.