ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WWSB) – It was a memorable day at the ballpark at Tropicana Field on Sunday, as the Rays bestowed an honor on a franchise icon that was \u201cLongo-verdue.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Rays\u2019 three-game series with Seattle was special for three big reasons.<\/p>\n
For one, it was the final stretch of the first half of the season leading into the All-Star Break.<\/p>\n
The second was that Tampa Bay had a chance to sweep the visiting Mariners and extend its lead in the American League East division over the Yankees.<\/p>\n
And reason number three – a celebration of the Rays\u2019 legendary number three, former third baseman Evan Longoria.<\/p>\n
On Saturday evening, the team inducted Longoria into the Rays Hall of Fame with a special on field ceremony.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, \u2018Longo-Weekend\u2019 continued, as the team retired the iconic number three in the upper deck section of the stadium, next to the numbers of Don Zimmer, Wade Boggs and Jackie Robinson.<\/p>\n
As for the game, that left a little something to be desired for Rays\u2019 fans.<\/p>\n
The Mariners had a big three-run second inning to take the early lead, then added a solo homer in the fourth inning from Weston Wilson to go up 4-0. They followed that up with a three-run blast from another former Tampa Bay Ray in the house, Randy Arozarena, giving the Mariners a commanding 7-0 advantage.<\/p>\n
The Rays would add two runs in the eighth inning on a two-run shot from Jonathan Aranda, but the Mariners would go on to win this one 8-2.<\/p>\n
The real highlight of the night and the weekend didn\u2019t come off the bats of Aranda or Arozarena, but rather in recognizing one of the greatest to ever put on a Rays uniform, and now knowing that no one else who ever suits up for the Rays will ever wear the iconic number three again.<\/p>\n
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