Rays' Yandy Diaz joins an exclusive club by rapping his 1,000th hit
BOSTON - Just getting to the major leagues was an accomplishment for Yandy Diaz, who was caught and jailed four times trying to escape his native Cuba before reaching the Dominican Republic on a raft.
He signed with Cleveland in 2013 for $300,000 and made the majors in 2017, but his first two seasons weren't much. A December 2018 trade to the Rays provided an appreciation for his innate ability to make hard contact and an opportunity to play on a regular basis that he welcomed.
That all led to an unexpected milestone, as Diaz on Thursday logged his 999th and then 1,000th hit.
Though more than 1,000 big-league players have reached that mark, Diaz is only the 20th Cuban-born player to do so. He joined a list that includes Hall of Famers Tony Perez (whose son, Eduardo, called Thursday's game for ESPN), Minnie Minoso and Tony Oliva, plus other notables such as Rafael Palmeiro and former Rays Jose Canseco, Yunel Escobar and Alexei Ramirez.
"Very happy. Obviously, very, very happy. Thank God that I was able to get here," said Diaz via team interpreter Kevin Vera. "I really didn't think I was going to get to this point. So just to be in that list of guys, and obviously the Cuban names as well, is such a great honor. I'm very happy about everything."
Diaz, 34, said he had no way to know how his career would turn out. "Baseball is hard. You can have injuries. Sometimes you're not going to make the team," he said. "So it's just a matter of being in the big leagues. Thankfully, I've been able to succeed. And again, (I'm) very happy."
The milestone hit was a double into the Tampa Bay bullpen, so his teammates were able to retrieve the ball. Even better, they cheered him loudly during the postgame victory celebration.
"That was awesome," manager Kevin Cash said. "The guys erupted in (the clubhouse) after the game. We were pretty excited.
"We knew that was the hit, and the dugout knew it, but when the (players) came in, there was a lot of celebration for the win, and especially for Yandy. He put together just a really impressive career."
Pitching plans
With four relievers covering five innings in Thursday's 8-4 win, the Rays will be hoping Jesse Scholtens can work at least four-five innings Friday, starting in place of injured Steven Matz.
They will have a fresh arm to use when Scholtens is done, as Mason Englert is set to be activated from the injured list (right forearm tightness) and will join the bullpen in a multi-inning role. Rookie Chase Solesky, who was called up Tuesday, seems likely to be sent down to make room.
Living history
During an onfield ceremony prior to Thursday's game, the Red Sox honored the four new members of their team hall of fame: outfielder Johnny Damon, starter Jon Lester, reliever Mike Timlin and longtime PA announcer Sherm Feller. Damon spent the 2011 season with the Rays and is now a spokesman for the effort to bring a major-league team to Orlando, where he grew up and still lives.
The Red Sox will increase the star power Friday as they commemorate the 125th anniversary of their first home game played May 8, 1901, at the Huntington Avenue Grounds.
To mark the occasion, six Red Sox Hall of Famers whose numbers have been retired will throw out first pitches: Tampa product Wade Boggs, Carlton Fisk, Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, Jim Rice and Carl Yastrzemski.
Miscellany
Cash had no update on the status of second baseman Gavin Lux, who is a candidate to join the team this weekend from Triple-A Durham, where he has been rehabbing shoulder and ankle injuries. ... Reliever Hunter Bigge earned his first career win. ... Though their streak of games of giving up three or fewer runs ended at 13, the 21 runs the Rays have allowed over the last 14 games is a franchise record. ... The Rays are 7-0 versus AL East opponents.
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