ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Randy Arozarena had three hits and four RBIs against his original team to help the Tampa Bay Rays beat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-3.
Arozarena, the 2021 AL Rookie of the Year, was a St. Louis prospect with 19 games of major league experience when he was obtained from the Cardinals in a January 2020 trade.
He had an RBI double in the first inning and a two-run single in the seventh to pace an 18-hit outburst for the Rays. Veteran catcher Yadier Molina pitched a scoreless eighth for St. Louis, entering to cheers from red-clad Cardinals fans in a crowd of 12,906.
He received a standing ovation when he struck out pinch-hitter Isaac Paredes. Corey Kluber was the winning pitcher. Packy Naughton took the loss.