Thursday, 4 a.m.
Well, hello Baltimore.
And how are things going for you guys?
Here in Tampa Bay? Well, the Rays are kind of lost in the desert these days. They can’t score, they can run the bases and, in the key moments, they can’t keep the baseball inside the park.
The Rays lost for the fourth straight game Wednesday afternoon, falling 5-1 despite getting 10 hits. The Rays have won only three of 14 games in July, and since May 1, the team’s record is a pedestrian 38-34.
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And, for the first time since early April, the Rays are not in first place alone.
The Orioles finally beat Los Angeles Wednesday to pull into a tie with the Rays. They have won two fewer games and lost two fewer, but for a team that was 6 1/2 games back at the start of July, it’s acceptable.
The Rays, meanwhile, are falling and flailing all of the sudden. They’re hitting just .210 in July, and they have a paltry .184 average with runners on base. That includes an 0-for-4 on Wednesday.
The Rays used their opener strategy in the game, which left them behind only 2-0 until Jonah Heim launched a three-run homer off of Kevin Kelly in the eighth inning.
Jose Siri’s home run in the ninth was the only run for the Rays.
The Rays lost a half-inning’s worth of outs on the base paths. Josh Lowe was thrown out at home. Taylor Walls was picked off second and Manuel Margot was caught stealing in the game. For a team struggling to score, it didn’t help.
Yandy Diaz, Siri and Margot each had two hits of the Rays.
The Rays return home to Tropicana Field tonight hoping to find themselves against Baltimore. The teams play at 6:40 p.m. Tyler Glasnow will start for the Rays. The Orioles have not named a starter.