Two New England arms have been rays of sunshine for the surprising, first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
Charlie Morton (Redding, Conn.) has been the ace of the Rays' rotation after signing as a free agent in December, while Oliver Drake (Worcester, Mass.) has been a reliable reliever since being recalled from Triple-A Durham on May 26.
Together, they've helped keep the Rays — who won three of four games against the Red Sox at Fenway last weekend — in a first-place tie with the Yankees after bolting to an early lead.
Morton and Drake are just two pitchers with New England roots making an impact in the major leagues this season. And they are among more than two dozen players from New England (birthplace, hometown or college) who have played in the big leagues so far season. Last year, a total of 32 New England players appeared in at least one MLB game.
