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Marc Topkin’s takeaways from Wednesday’s Rays-Rangers game

Rays manager Kevin Cash, left, pulls Ryan Yarbrough as catcher Nick Ciuffo and first baseman Jake Bauers look on during the sixth inning Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018. Yarbrough goes four innings to pick up his majors-leading 15th win for rookies. [Associated Press]
Rays manager Kevin Cash, left, pulls Ryan Yarbrough as catcher Nick Ciuffo and first baseman Jake Bauers look on during the sixth inning Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018. Yarbrough goes four innings to pick up his majors-leading 15th win for rookies. [Associated Press]
Published Sept. 20, 2018

OF Tommy Pham is playing with a sore groin and a sorer right ring finger, but he is determined, in his words, to "salvage" his season, and his two home runs Wednesday give him 19 total, five in 28 games with the Rays since the trade to go with a .327 average and 14 RBIs.

You could look at LHP Ryan Yarbrough as the game's biggest opportunist, scoring 13 of his rookies-most 15 wins in relief, benefiting from working behind an opener. Or you could say he has earned them pitching in difficult situations. Either way, he has them.

INF/OF Joey Wendle figured to come back to reality at some point, right? But the nice little story of the unheralded rookie grabbed off the discard pile has turned into a feature-length film, and a blockbuster: .302, 7 homers, 53 RBIs, .789 OPS, 3.8 WAR (second on the team).