Arcia slides underneath Longoria for a triple in the third./JEFFREY S. KING.
Saturday, 2 a.m.
It was late when the Rays got home Friday morning.
So late, in fact, that it may have prevented them from getting home on Friday night.
The Rays, fresh off winning three of four against a strong Houston team, stumbled and fell, 2-0, to Milwaukee Friday night. The Rays had 14 runners reach first, but 11 were left on base and three others were thrown out. As a team, the Rays were oh-for-seven with runners in scoring position.
Much of the game was a pitchers duel, with Brandon Woodruff making his major
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Faria had a quality start, but the Rays didn't get him any runs./JEFFREY S. KING
league debut. Woodruff, a former Brewers' minor league pitcher of the year, escaped jams early, but settled in for his first win. He beat Jake Faria, who lost when he gave up a triple to Orlando Arcia, who then scored on a single by Eric Thames.
“It was a well-pitched ballgame on both sides,” said Rays' manager Kevin Cash. “Their guy (Woodruff) was impressive. He got in some jams early, and we couldn't get the big hit for whatever reason. He seemed to settle in and he was tough.
“Faria was a similar thing. I don't think he was very sharp early on, but he battled. It
Sergio Romo gave up a home run for the Rays./JEFFREY S. KING
was nice to see. The only run he gave up was a ball that, in theory, if we (centerfielder Mallex Smith) hit the cutoff man we have a chance to get him out at third.”
The Rays loaded the bases in the first two innings, and had runners on first-and-third in the third. Perhaps that led to frustration for the weary Rays, who lost three runners on the basepaths. Mallex Smith was picked off of first, Steven Souza Jr. was thrown out going to second and Corey Dickerson was out at the plate in the seventh.
“I thought it was dead-on the right call in that situation that late in the ballgame,” Cash said. “We forced the issues a little bit. It took a perfect bounce off the wall the to the left fielder, who made a perfect throw to the shortstop. We knew (shortstop) Arcia has a cannon for an arm, but you have to challenge it. A lot of things have to go right (for the out). No-brainer. I fully support that send. I even high-fived him (Charlie Montoya) afterward.”
Alvarez struck out the side in the ninth./JEFFREY S. KING
The throw-out of Souza was a bit different. The Rays had runners on the corners when Souza broke for second. Slowly. Catcher Manny Pina pump-faked to third to chase Logan Morrison back, then threw to second to get Souza in plenty of time.
“I think Souza assumed that they were not going to throw to second base or that he wasn't going to go all the way,” Cash said. “I'm not really sure. They were giving us the bag by not throwing through. The catcher stood up and looked at third. He saw we were not going as fast as we were capable and threw it down to second.”
Souza said he was trying to draw the throw so Morrison could advance to home.
Cash gives the thumb's-up on a thumb's-down kind of night./JEFFREY S. KING
“I was obviously trying to draw a throw there so Lomo could go home,” Souza said. “He pump-faked and threw to second base, which you don't ever really see. I wasn't going 100 percent, and I got in a rundown that didn't work in our favor.”
Faria wasn't pleased with his effort, even though it was his sixth quality start. That ties him with Alex Cobb, who has double the starts of Faria.
“It's hard because we came out with an L,” Faria said. “Ultimately, it doesn't matter how I did. They were able to shut down a really, really good lineup.”
Faria said it was good for him to pitch in a close game.
“It keeps me on my game a little better,” he said. “When you get a big lead, you feel too comfortable. The game being so close kept me on edge a little bit and kept me focused a little better.”
The Rays and Brewers play again today at 6:10 p.m. Alex Cobb pitches for the Rays against Zack Davies.
Mallex Smith gets a hit to left./JEFFREY S. KING
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