Smith squeezes in a run for the Rays./JEFFREY S. KING
Saturday, 3 a.m.
Have you heard this one before?
Once again, the Tampa Bay Rays have lost by a run. Once again, they lost when holding their opponent to three runs or less. Once again, they let a pretty good pitching performance go to waste.
It added up to a 3-2 loss in 10 innings by the Rays to the Chicago White Sox. The Rays now have played 44 one-run games, and lost 24 of them, both the most in the major leagues. They have lost 18 times when holding their opponent to three runs or less, also most the majors.
Tampa Bay rallied from two runs down to tie it in the eighth, only to falter in the 10th.
Wendle scores on Smith's bunt./JEFFREY S. KING
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Stanek struck out all five batters he faced./JEFFREY S. KING
“I thought we battled really, really well,"' said Rays' manager Kevin Cash. "(Lucas) Giolito, their guy, quieted our offense for seven innings. He had a really good changeup that we didn’t recognize. Out of the zone, we couldn’t lay off, but he did a tremendous job of pitching, mixing his pitches and making it difficult for our hitters.
"I thought we pitched really well. One pitch you’d like to have back — the two-run homer. But everybody that we pieced together did a good job. The
Robertson seems headed to the disabled list./JEFFREY S. KING
part you really like is they find a way to make it interesting, get there and ultimately tie the game and get us into extra innings. We just came up a hair short.”
The Rays fell behind on a two-run homer by Jose Abreu, then tied it in the eighth on a single by Joey Wendle and a squeeze bunt by Mallex Smith. Tampa Bay had runners on first and third in the ninth, but Jesus Sucre struck out to end the threat.
"Mallex did a tremendous job of executing (the squeeze bunt)," Cash said. "He works on his bunting a lot. It’s nice for it to come into play and have a situation where we can get a big run at the time.”
Bauers after hitting a double./JEFFREY S. KING
Tampa Bay opened the game with Ryne Stanek, who struck out the five batters he faced. He was the first starter since Baseball Reference data is available (1908) to go longer than 1 IP and strike out every batter faced.
“It felt pretty good. I was throwing the ball pretty much where I wanted it for the most part except for the longer at-bat to (Yoan) Moncada. Everything felt pretty good today.”
It was Stanek at his most dominating.
“Probably," Stanek said. "I don’t know I felt pretty good. I felt like I was in a good rhythm and was able to use all three of my pitches and throw them in and out of the zone so that made it a lot easier on me to do what I wanted to do per each at-bat.”
Jamie Schultz gave up two runs for the Rays./JEFFREY S KING
The White Sox got their winning run when Moncada doubled over the head of Jake Bauers in left.
“I didn’t get a great first step," Bauers said. "Tried to recover. (It) was hit pretty hard, but once I got back there, it was well over my head. I don’t know if I get a better run at it and I get a better first step, maybe I catch it, maybe I don’t. It is what it is.”
Giolito tamed the Rays through seven innings.
"At least for me, he was kind of effectively wild,"" Bauers said. "He didn’t really seem to know exactly where it was going and it was working for him. He hit a few spots when he had to and then when he missed he was somewhere awkwardly in the zone. He had a good night.”
KiermaIer makes a catch in center./JEFFREY S. KING
The Rays lost two players on the night. Outfielder Tommy Pham has a fracture in his foot and will be out a month. Infielder Daniel Robertson hurt is thumb and seems headed to the disabled list.
“There is no word yet, but in all fairness he’ll likely be heading to the DL," Cash said. "He will get checked out by the doctor tomorrow and then I’ll wait to hear from Joe (Benge), head athletic trainer] or the doctor and see what goes on. I think it’s fair and safe to say that he’s going to miss some time.”
Said Robertson: “Initially my thumb was sore, but I could still use my legs to run so I didn’t want them to bring in someone off the bench. Took a look at it after I scored and I wasn’t able to make a grip so took me out. I’ll get an MRI tomorrow morning to see the severity of it and go from there. I don’t have any other info right now."
Tampa Bay's Blake Snell returns to the mound today to start for the Rays at 6:10 p.m. He faces Carlos Rodon of the White Sox at the Trop.
Sucre tags out Chicago's Anderson at home./JEFFREY S. KING
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