Tampa Bay Rays finding their stride as April comes to end

After a rough start to the season, the Tampa Bay Rays have found their stride at the perfect time.

There were bound to be growing pains with the Tampa Bay Rays heading into the 2018 campaign. They were relying on a young, and still relatively untested rotation, with Blake Snell and Jake Faria expected to be a key part of their success. The four man rotation that the Rays had expected dropped down to three when Nathan Eovaldi was lost at the start of the season. With a hodgepodge of veterans and youth on offense, the Rays season had the potential to derail quickly.

That appeared to be the case at the start of the season. As of April 17, Tampa Bay sat at 4-13, a team that appeared to have only just begun their rebuild. It was easy to wonder which players would be sent away next, especially given the trade rumors that swirled around Chris Archer and Alex Colome during the offseason. The starting rotation, in particular, struggled at the start of the year, as they were unable to find a groove.

However, as the month of April is coming to a close, the Rays appear to finally be hitting their stride. Since their 7-2 defeat at the hands of the Rangers, and former Ray Matt Moore, they have been on fire. The Rays have won eight consecutive games, sweeping the Minnesota Twins and taking their most recent series from the Red Sox.

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In this recent run of success, the Rays have gotten some of that growth they needed. Blake Snell appears to have taken that next step to being a future top of the rotation starter for Tampa Bay, as he has dominated in his past four outings. In that time, he has allowed only five runs on 16 hits and six walks in 26.2 innings, while striking out 34 batters. Faria has also shown improvement, his rough outing against Boston notwithstanding. In his past three outings, he has allowed six runs on 11 hits and six walks, striking out 18 batters in 15.2 innings.

Tampa Bay has also found that elusive fourth starter, helping reduce some of the wear on the bullpen. After a strong start to the season, Yonny Chirinos pitched his way into the rotation, giving the Rays a stabilizing option. Once Chris Archer finds his own way, the rotation could be what the Rays hoped for.

For the Rays to succeed, it really comes down to how well the pitching staff performs. The offense has potential, especially as players get healthy and return to the lineup. The bullpen has been solid, albeit a bit overworked in the early going. It is up to the starting rotation to do their part.

Next: Rays made the right move with Kiermaier

The Tampa Bay Rays are starting to find their stride. This eight game winning streak may be a sign of things to come.