TAMPA, Fla. — For the third straight day, the Tampa Bay Rays couldn't get a timely hit on Sunday. And it led to a third straight loss to the Cleveland Guardians.
The Rays had nine hits, but were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. And because of it, they lost 2-1 at Steinbrenner Field and fell back under .500 at 71-72. They are four games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final American League wild-card spot.
It's been a tough go offensively during this three-game skid, scoring only four runs in three days. That's a rapid departure from the firepower they displayed during their seven-game winning streak, where they averaged more than six runs per game.
So with just 19 games to go, the timing of this hitting slump is terrible. They aren't out of the playoff race by any means, but they are running out of time.
“We’re fortunate to have put ourselves in a position where we are within striking distance, but obviously these last three days weren’t great,” said Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen, who pitched five scoreless innings. “But if we go out and we play hard and we take care of our business, we are fortunate enough to be in the position that good things can still happen.”
The Rays' only run came in the fifth inning when rookie shortstop Carson Williams hit a home run, the second of his career. They had other chances and couldn't deliver, and mental mistakes played a factor as well.
In the first inning, star third baseman Junior Caminero was on first base and Brandon Lowe hit a fly ball down the right field line that appeared to be going foul. But the swirling winds at Steinbrenner Field caught it, and it landed fair. Neither Caminero nor Lowe ran hard, and it would up just being a single.
With two outs, Caminero should have scored. He didn't, and it played a big factor in a one-run loss.
“I think everybody is pretty much in the same boat there. We’re at 70 (games) and some change here at this park, and I’ve never seen a ball in that bullpen come back,” Lowe said. “We’ve seen it in the left-field bullpen come back. But, I mean, I thought somebody in the bullpen was going to catch it, it was so far over there.
“To say that (Caminero’s) at fault there, obviously, in hindsight, everyone can say that. And we can say that honestly both of us should have been running there. It was just a crappy situation right there.”
Caminero said he apologized to Cash for the mental mistake.
“Nobody feels worse than them. I understand that it's uncharacteristic for both of them,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “They're both extremely talented players. Mistakes happen.”
Rasmussen didn't have his best stuff, but still didn't give up a run. He pitched five innings, and this was the 10th start of the year where he pitched at least five innings and didn't allow a run. That's never happened before in franchise history.
The Guardians scored twice in the sixth inning off of left-handed reliever Garrett Cleavinger, who had a 20-inning scoreless streak alive coming into the game, most in the majors among relievers. But pinch-hitter Angel Martinez singled to start the inning and Jose Ramirez tripled down the left-field line on a ball that are barely fair to tie the game at 1-1.
With two outs, Kevin Kelly came in to face Gabriel Arias, but he singled to give Cleveland the lead. And the Rays never threatened from there, getting only two hits over the final four innings.
It was the first time since July 5 that Cleavinger had given up a run. He's been that good. But he's also pitched a lot lately, making five appearances in the last seven days.
“I see a guy that I’ve asked a lot of, and he’s gassed. And that’s on me,” Cash said. “I appreciate Cleav’s efforts quite a bit, and we’ve leaned on him heavy, certainly.
“We know how important these games were right here, and Ielt like he’s been as good as anybody in our bullpen. But I feel bad about Cleav, because he’s given us everything he could have, and still threw the ball pretty well.''
The Rays are off on Monday, then spend a week in Chicago. They play the White Sox Tuesday through Thursday, then play three day games with the Cubs at Wrigley Field over the weekend. Needless to say, they need a successful week there to trim the Mariners' lead. And there's also the matter of passing the Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals and Guardians, who are all between the Rays and Mariners.
Texas is 1.5 games back, the Royals are 2.0, and the Guardians 2.5. So there's going to be a lot of scoreboard watching these final three weeks.
“Every single game matters,'' Rasmussen said. 'If we go out and we play hard and we take care of our business, we are fortunate enough to be in the position that good things can still happen.
“We’re fortunate to have put ourselves in a position where we are within striking distance, but obviously these last three days weren’t great.”
Cleveland starter Parker Messick, a Plant City native who played collegiately at Florida State, beat the Rays for the second time in two weeks. He pitched six innings and scattered eight hits, with no walks. He pitched in front of a couple hundred friends and family members. He's now 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in four career starts.
“More of the same that we saw in Cleveland,” Cash said of Messick, who grew up as a Rays fan. “That guy likes to pitch, he likes to compete, and he’s very confident on the mound with the way that he trusts his stuff and throws it in the zone. He is on attack. For a young pitcher, it’s pretty impressive the run that he’s been on.”