Sunday, 3 a.m.
For the Tampa Bay Rays, the bullpen has been perhaps their strongest weapon. Until Saturday.
For the Toronto Blue Jays, the bullpen had been beaten up by opponents and by critics. Until Saturday.
The Blue Jays, in a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, won the game by out-relieving the Rays. The Blue Jays scored their final four runs off the pen (in particular, Ryan Thompson). The Rays, meanwhile, managed just two hits -- and no runs -- off the Jays' pen.
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It is common knowledge, of course, that the Rays' offense seems to sputter at times. But after Yandy Diaz' leadoff homer, the Rays never scored again. They were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
"We didn’t do too much offensively," said Rays' manager Kevin Cash. "We need to bounce back tomorrow and see if we can get the bats going. "
It didn't help the bullpen that starter Ryan Yarbrough struggled early and threw 80 pitches in 3 2/3 innings. That caused the Rays to use five relievers.
"We’ve got to find a way to get a little more efficient pitching wise," Cash said. "We’ve really taxed our bullpen. Eighty-to-eighty one pitches through 3 2/3 is challenging."
The Rays play the Jays again today at 1:40 p.m. at Tropicana Field. Jeffrey Springs starts for the Rays against the Jays' Alek Manoah.