Friday, 4 a.m.
Say hello to the second-place Tampa Bay Rays.
After 99 days in first place, including a 6 1/2-game lead on July 1, the Rays are finally looking up at someone. else. The Rays lost their fifth straight game, 4-3 to Baltimore in 10 innings, and for the 12th time in their last 15.
The Rays failed in all the big moments Thursday night. They were just two-of-14 with runners in scoring
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position. They failed to make a cutaway pitch to Colton Cowser in the 10th. They made a sloppy defensive play to let Gunnar Henderson turn a double into a triple. They dropped a ball while tagging out a runner at the plate.
And they lost.
Again.
The Rays continue to struggle. One thing that is hurting them are the performances of their stars.
For instance, Randy Arozarena had a dreadful night. At the plate, he was 0-for-5 with a double play and four strikeouts. His average in July fell to .212. Three times, he failed to get home a runner in scoring position.
Wander Franco was a little better, going two-for-five. But even with that, his July average is .204.
One star who isn't struggling is Yandy Diaz, who had a. two-run double in the seventh to tie the game at 3.
The Rays had fallen behind with a disastrous fourth inning, in which the Orioles got four hits, a sacrifice fly, a wild pitch and an error (originally scored as two errors, but the second was ruled to be a mental gaffe.
The Rays and Orioles play again at 6:40 p.m. at Tropicana Field tonight. Zach Eflin will start for the Rays against Kyle Bradish.