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Rays journal: Steven Souza Jr. laughing right along after comical dive

 
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Published May 28, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS — Souza being Souza.

That seemed to be the best way to describe the entertaining — and comically bad — dive Rays RF Steven Souza Jr. attempted in Friday's game, and the good humor he showed in handling the fallout, including a standing ovation his next at-bat from the Minnesota nice fans and the Internet buzz it created.

"It was a funny moment," Souza said Saturday. "You play this game long enough, you're going to do something foolish. I was raised, if you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at."

Souza came charging in for the ball, then, inexplicably, dove 20-plus feet short, claiming later that he was protecting himself after losing the ball in the lights, nevertheless creating a moment some Rays say is the funniest thing they've ever seen on the field.

"I can't really think of one that tops that," CF Kevin Kiermaier said. "I was just hysterically laughing out there."

Souza said he heard from so many people he had to turn off the messaging on his phone, but he also engaged, sending a tweet to the folks running MLB's StatCast asking for a breakdown, which it said was that he came up 23 feet short and had "0% catch probability but a five-star effort."

Souza's play ended up all over the Internet in various forms and atop ESPN's "Not Top 10" list. Having made the legit SportsCenter Top 10 list in 2014 with a diving catch to end Jordan Zimmermann's no-hitter with Washington, Souza was proud of his double-dip.

"I had No. 1 for a while, and now I'll have Not No. 1 for a while," he said. "Not many people can say that."

No, they can't.

"You never know what to expect when he's out there," Kiermaier said. "Just another notch in his belt for having the reputation he has. Souza being Souza, being himself."

Number of the day

16 Times Rays have been at .500 since opening day, now 26-26.

Quote of the day

"Probably the most important holiday we have."

RHP Alex Cobb, whose brother served in the Army, on Memorial Day

Miscellany

. The Rays wore camo-green hats and trimmed uniforms as part of MLB's three-day salute to Memorial Day.

. Friday's 11 strikeouts gave RHP Chris Archer 51 for the month, breaking RHP James Shields' team May record (46) and three shy of LHP David Price's any-month mark.