2024 Sunburst Awards: Los Angeles Angels games 17-20

Rays advance to 11-9 after four game series in Tropicana Field

“Sunburst Awards” is a series-by-series evaluation of player performance, where four different awards are given out after each series: Offensive player of the series, defensive player of the series, pitcher of the series, and highlight play of the series. This edition will be covering the sixth series of the season, where the Tampa Bay Rays took on the Los Angeles Angels from April fifteenth through April eighteenth, a four game series in Tropicana Field.

Rays follow up their third straight series win with a four game stint at home against the Angels.

Game 1: Angels - 7 Rays - 3 (recap)

Game 2: Angels - 6 Rays - 7 (recap)

Game 3: Angels - 5 Rays - 4 (recap)

Game 4: Angels - 1 Rays 2 (recap)

Offensive Sunburst Award: Amed Rosario

Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

Rosario continued his red hot hitting in this series against the Angels, extending his hitting streak to 10 games.

Those hits came at important times too, coming up in clutch moments and displaying both speed and power to contribute offensively.

His first clutch moment came in game two, in the bottom of the 13th inning. Rosario hits a groundball to third basemen Anthony Rendon in what seemed like a difficult but manageable third out to send the game to the 14th, until Rosario uses his blazing speed to beat the throw and walk it off for the Rays.

The following game, in the bottom of the eighth, the Rays found themselves in another unfortunate situation down 3-2 with two outs and a runner on first.

Rosario would once again step up big for Tampa Bay, crushing a go-ahead home run to left field to give the Rays a 4-3 lead late in the game. Though the Rays would go on to lose the game, Rosarios offensive impact is still felt, and worthy of this edition’s Sunburst Award.

Pitching Sunburst Award: Zack Eflin

Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images

Eflin finally broke through this series and won his first Sunburst Award of the season, starting the series off strong with a lights out performance in game one.

The ace went 6 ¹⁄₃ shutout innings allowing just six hits and striking out five in the Rays frustrating 7-3 loss on Monday.

Though it didn’t end in victory, Eflin left fans optimistic about his ability this season with a premier performance on Jackie Robinson Day.

Defensive Sunburst Award: Jose Siri

Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images

Despite his error in game four of the series, Siri wins this edition’s Sunburst Award with his array of clutch catches in center field this week.

Most notably, a leaping catch at the wall in game two of the series prevented the Angels from breaking the game open in the 11th inning.

The catch turned what could’ve been three runs into just one and kept the Rays into the game, where they would eventually walk it off in the 13th inning.

Siri becomes the first Ray to win back-to-back awards in the same category in Sunburst history, and notches his second Sunburst award of the season.

Highlight Sunburst Award: Jose Caballero

Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

Caballero’s game-tying triple on Tuesday night was straight out of a baseball movie. Bottom of the ninth, tying run on base, down to your final out in a game in which your team had recorded just one hit going into this inning.

Caballero ripped a ball into the corner and sent everyone sprinting around the bases, with Harold Ramirez and Rosario (who would eventually walk it off in the 13th) coming around to score and tie what seemed like a doomed game.

With this Sunburst Award, Caballero becomes the first Ray to win three Sunburst Awards this season, as well as the first to win three different categories.

Conclusion

After splitting a four game series at Tropicana Field, the Rays now sit in third place in the AL East, 2.5 games behind the New York Yankees, who will be their next series opponent as they’re set to face off against the divisional rival from Friday to Sunday.

First pitch on Friday is set for 7:05, where it is expected be a refreshing and damp 50 degrees at first pitch.