Brad Miller had three hits to get above .200./JEFFREY S. KING
Monday, 2 a.m.
For Chris Archer, the disappointment was more than six decades in the making.
Archer was 62 seasons worth of bad Monday night in an 8-7 loss to the Cleveland Indians. It was Archer's sixth loss in six starts against the Indians, a beginning unmatched since Frank Sullivan pitched for the Red Sox back in 1954-55. Sullivan died a year ago at age 85.
Archer took the field with a 1-0 lead, but gave up five runs in the bottom of the first inning. For the night
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Archer ran into trouble in the bottom of the first./JEFFREY S. KING
Archer gave up seven runs (six earned), five hits and six walks.
The Rays scrapped back to come within a run, but eight runs was one too many to overcome.
“Arch just never quite found his rhythm,” Rays' manager Kevin Cash said. “His first-inning struggles were uncharacteristic. He couldn't quite locate his pitches. He just lost his command. We just weren't able to get the shutdown inning at any point.
“You could tell, it wasn't coming easy. There wasn't really an adjustment or a correction he was able to make tonight.”
Archer was haunted by a couple of old enemies, the walk and the home run ball.
The Rays squandered a good night offensively. Tampa Bay had 11 hits and two homers.
But Archer gave up a three-run homer to Lonnie Chisenhall.
“I think in the first inning, I came out a little too passive,” Archer said. “After the first, I was closer to what I typically am. We couldn't win due to me not being good. It was the worst game I've had in a while. Since spring training.”
.Second baseman Brad Miller finally had a good game, getting three hits to drive his season average to .205. Evan Longoria, Kevin Kiermaier and Derek Norris all had two hits.
The Rays play the Indians again tonight with Jake Odorizzi opposing the Tribe's Danny Salazar.
Norris finished the scoring with another homer../JEFFREY S. KING
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