Mangum caught in a rundown./KIM HUKARI
Sunday, 4 a.m.
Perhaps it was inevitable. There have been games, too many of them, when the Tampa Bay Rays have been challenged offensively. And there have been games, more than you want to remember, when they did not pitch.
And now?
Evidently, the Rays have forgotten how to play defense.
For the second straight night, the Rays committed three errors in a loss to the Boston Red Sox. For the second straight night, those errors helped contribute to a late-inning meltdown.
Six errors in two games will get a team beaten most nights. especially if you combine it with wild pitches and baserunning gaffes. Saturday night, Junior Caminero committed two and Carson Williams one. On Friday night, Tristan Gray, Richie Palacios and Williams were the culprits.
The Rays fell behind 3-1 through six innings, but came back to tie in the seventh on a double by Nick Fortes and a single by Yandy Diaz.
Instead of playing matchup with their bullpen, however, the Rays chose to give the final three innings to Jesse Scholtens, who gave up three runs (two earned) in the ninth inning.
Adrian Houser started and went six innings. He gave up five hits and three earned runs. On the first Boston run, he gave up back-to-back wild pitches.
The Rays fell to 40-40 at home and 75-80 overall.
The Rays and Red Sox play again tonight at 7:35 p.m. Joe Boyle will start for the Rays against Connelly Early..
