Thursday, 4 a.m.
The days go by, and they sink lower. They look worse and worse. The beatings get more and more convincing.
They are the Tampa Bay Rays, and they are playing dreadful baseball.
The Rays were clobbered again Wednesday afternoon. Once again, it was an awful Detroit team that laid an awful beating on the Rays.
The score was 7-2 this time. The Tigers, who entered as one of the worst offenses in the majors, scored 25 runs on 37 hits in the three games.
The Rays' lead in the AL East was down to a half-game after their latest loss.
It has been the ugliest 10 game span for the Rays. They've given up an average of 7.4 runs and 11 hits a game as they've gone 2-8.
Troy Melton, starting his third game, handcuffed the Rays. He threw eight innings of four-hit baseball. All four of the hits were in the first two innings. The Rays were no-hit for the last seven innings.
The Rays' Nick Martinez, who had been off to a superb start, gave up six earned runs in just four innings.
Cedric Mullins had a solo homer and Yandy Diaz drove in a run with a single for the Rays.
The Rays are off today and are in Miami to face the Marlins at loneDepot park. Drew Rasmussen will start for the Rays against Tyler Phillips.