Arozarena remains electric for Rays

He did it again.

Randy Arozarena homered for the fourth time this postseason, smacking a solo shot that put Tampa Bay on the board en route to a 2-1 victory over the Astros in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.

"He’s having a lot of fun right now,’’ Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters. “And we’re having a lot of fun with everything that he’s doing on and off the field. High-energy guy that really likes to play, and he’s showing it to the world.’’

Randy Arozarena said adios to this baseball!

The #Rays No. 19 prospect smacked this solo homer, his fourth of the playoffs, to tie Game 1.pic.twitter.com/iZcAnRauMS

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) October 12, 2020

With one out in the fourth inning, the Rays' No. 19 prospect stepped in for the second time against southpaw Framber Valdez. After striking out on four pitches, swinging over a couple of sinkers, in the first, Arozarena did not get fooled twice. The toolsy outfielder took a first-pitch curveball low before falling behind, 1-2, on a curveball in the middle of the zone and a fastball. Arozarena spoiled the next two offerings from Valdez, then connected on a 92.7 mph sinker on the outer half of the plate.

"He made a nice adjustment off of Valdez, who was very very tough against us. Got a pitch he could handle and shot it out to right," Cash said. "Randy has been as bright as any spot or any player in this entire postseason in MLB."

The blast soared over the right-center field wall at PETCO Park in San Diego for his fourth postseason tater, putting Arozarena in elite company. He became the fifth rookie in Major League history to hit at least four homers in a single postseason. Evan Longoria set the rookie record with six roundtrippers in 2008, when the Rays won the American League pennant.

In eight playoff games, Arozarena is hitting .419 (13-for-31) with four homers, a triple and two doubles. He's walked twice, scored nine runs and driven in five.

"Pretty remarkable how, you know, we talk about how he doesn’t have any familiarity, he doesn’t know any of these guys that he’s facing, but he’s locked in at the plate. He’s timed up," Cash said. "And for a guy that swings as aggressive as he does, he’s not trying to sit there and pull everything. Some of his best shots have been to right-center and right field."

The Havana native was acquired by the Rays on Jan. 9 as part of a four-player deal that sent highly touted southpaw Matthew Liberatore to St. Louis. After spending most of the first month of the truncated regular season at Tampa Bay's alternate training site, Arozarena was called up on Aug. 30 and made an immediate impact by homering four times in his first seven games. He finished with a .281/.382/.641 slash line, seven homers, four stolen bases, 11 RBIs and 15 runs scored as the Rays won their third AL East title and first since 2010.

Hitting out of the No. 9 spot in the lineup, former Northwest League All-Star Mike Zunino put Tampa Bay ahead for good with a two-out RBI single in the fifth off Valdez.