2024 Sunburst Awards: Milwaukee Brewers games 30-32

Raysfall to 14-18 after three game series at American Family Field

“Sunburst Awards” is a series-by-series evaluation of player performance, where four different awards are given out after each series: Offensive player of the series, defensive player of the series, pitcher of the series, and highlight play of the series. This edition will be covering the tenth series of the season, where the Tampa Bay Rays took on the Milwaukee Brewers from April 29th through May first, a three game series at American Family Field.

The Rays try desperately to get a series win after three straight series losses with a three game affair with the 17-11 Brewers

Game 1: Rays - 1 Brewers - 0 (recap)

Game 2: Rays - 2 Brewers - 8 (recap)

Game 3: Rays - 1 Brewers 7 (recap)

Offensive Sunburst Award: Jose Siri

Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images

You know it’s a terrible offensive series when the best offensive performance goes to someone with just two hits in two games.

Siri had a mediocre game two of this series, which is good enough to earn him the nod! The centerfielder scored two runs including a solo home run in the third inning, one of just two RBI the whole series.

Siri’s aggressive swing at the plate (and at some Brewers players) earns him his first Offensive Sunburst nod of the season.

Pitching Sunburst Award: Ryan Pepiot

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Pepiot had an elite day on the mound in game one of the series, going six scoreless innings allowing just two hits and striking out seven in the process.

The right-handers performances is exactly what the Rays needed, skating by with a 1-0 victory on Monday.

Pepiot now has just two earned runs in his last 18 innings pitched, and has lowered his season ERA to 3.12.

Defensive Sunburst Award: Richie Palacios

Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images

Palacios earns his second Defensive Sunburst nod with an impressive leaping catch at the outfield wall to steal an extra base hit from Rhys Hoskins.

Palacios has had a solid season in the outfield so far in 2024, having not recorded an error yet in his performances in left and right field.

Highlight Sunburst Award: Jose Siri

Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images

Siri wins this edition’s Highlight Sunburst after his scuffle with relief pitcher Abner Uribe in game two of the series.

Now are fights immature and unnecessary? Yes. Do they set a bad example for young kids watching? Absolutely. Are there better ways to settle disagreements other than fighting and hitting people with pitches? Of course.

But you can’t genuinely say you don’t get a burst of excitement watching two players start swinging at each other and the benches start to clear. Human instinct takes over and everyone wants to see these two clash.

This beef started way back in the third inning when Siri crushed a 452-foot home run to left center. Brewers players didn’t appreciate his hesitation to leave the batters box and his showmanship around the bases.

The response was a (either intentional or unintentional) hit by pitch from the hands of starter Freddy Peralta in Siri’s next at-bat facing a 3-0 count. This resulted in both Peralta and manager Pat Murphy receiving ejections.

Mix that in with a jawing match between Uribe and Siri, and you get a benches-clearing punches-throwing brawl in the eighth inning. Kevin Cash had this to say after the game.

Conclusion