As we finish the decade, let's take a look back at some of the most memorable moments that Rays players experienced between 2010 and 2019.
#10: Rays Nearly Drop 20 On The Twins - July 24, 2018
The Rays offense was no better than they were in Minnesota on a July afternoon in 2018, when they rallied from down 6-4 in the seventh inning to score 15 runs in the final three innings to put up the most runs in a game this decade.
#9: Sam Fuld Becomes "Super" - April 9, 2011
The Rays had just broken their six-game losing streak to begin the 2011 season, and were still figuring out what they were going to do with Manny Ramirez retiring after being suspended for a second positive PED test. But the departure of the slugger meant Sam Fuld, who was acquired in the offseason in the deal that sent Matt Garza to the Cubs, would get more playing time. And while Fuld started out hitting everything he saw, he'll always be remembered for his legendary defensive prowess, which began with this amazing catch in right field at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago to rob Juan Pierre of extra bases.
#8: Longo And The Cycle That Almost Wasn't - August 1, 2017
By the 2017 season, third baseman Evan Longoria led the Rays franchise in almost every offensive category, but had one event allude his grasp: hitting for the cycle. Longoria finally marked off that achievement in 2017, but it wasn't without controversy, as he was initially called out on his ninth-inning double, but video review overturned the call and Longoria became the second player in franchise history, following B.J. Upton in 2009, to hit for the cycle.
#7: The Last Shutout - May 14, 2016
When Matt Andriese blanked the Oakland A's 6-0 at Tropicana Field, it seemed like just a normal Saturday evening. But little did we know is that would be the final time in the decade the Rays would see a starter go the distance. Tampa Bay had 18 complete-game shutouts in the 2010s, with James Shields leading the way with six. Chris Archer (3) and David Price (2) were the only other Rays pitchers to record multiple complete game shutouts during the decade.
#6: A Crazy Night On South Beach - July 3, 2018
The Rays were hoping a bullpen day would be enough to leave Miami splitting the front half of the Citrus Series, but after blowing a 4-0 second inning lead, the two teams would go more than ten innings before scoring again. This game saw Rays reliever Vidal Nuno hit a pair of singles, but pull his hamstring running out the second. Tampa Bay scored five runs in the top of the 16th, but catcher Jesus Sucre could not get the final three outs of the game on the hill, and Kevin Cash was forced to use Jose Alvarado to finish off a 9-6 game.
#5: The Longest Game - September 20, 2013
There are long games, there are really long games, then there was this marathon at Tropicana Field. Lasting 18 innings and going nearly seven hours (both franchise records), it featured 21 different pitchers, including 11 Rays. Tampa Bay had to use three different starters in the game, with David Price going the first five, Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Hellickson also appeared in the game, with the latter tossing the final 2 1/3 innings and picking up the win thanks to a David DeJesus RBI single, one of his four hits on the night.
#4: A Wild Win - October 2, 2019
The Rays hadn't made the playoffs since 2013, but a 96-win campaign in 2019 allowed Kevin Cash and crew to earn a berth in the Wild Card game, traveling to Oakland to take on Sean Manaea and the Athletics. Yandy Diaz had a monster game, and Tampa Bay would leave the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum having sprayed more champagne.
#3: Mr. Game 163 - September 30, 2013
The Rays had their work cut out for them to try and get into the postseason in 2013, as they needed to win in Toronto on the final day of the season to force a one-game tiebreaker with the Texas Rangers for the right to go on to the Wild Card game in Cleveland. That game would take place in Arlington, and David Price was called upon to try and keep the Rays from going home. He responded with a 118-pitch gem, going the distance and allowing just a pair of runs on seven hits in a 5-2 victory. The Rays would go on to Cleveland, win the Wild Card game over the Indians, and then travel to Boston for the ALDS, losing to the Red Sox in four games.
#2: Near Perfection - July 26, 2010
It had occurred against the Rays four previous times in franchise history, including three times in the prior 12 months by Mark Buehrle, Dallas Braden, and former Ray Edwin Jackson, but finally a no-hitter would go the way of Tampa Bay, as Matt Garza faced the minimum and allowed just a second-inning walk to Brennan Boesch. Matt Joyce hit a grand slam off Detroit's Max Scherzer, and the Rays would go on to a 5-0 win over the Tigers for what is still the team's only no-hitter.
#1: Could It Be Anything Else? - September 28, 2011
It's been described as the greatest night in MLB regular season history, and is now known by just two words: Game 162. That night finished off with one of the most amazing comebacks ever seen, and sent the Boston Red Sox (who you may remember signed Carl Crawford away from the Rays for over $140 million the previous offseason) home for the winter.