Plenty of blame to go around in Rays’ loss

by Gary Shelton on August 11, 2022

in general

Thursday, 4 a.m.

As the Tampa Bay Rays threaten to fall out of a wild card berth, you might be looking for someone to blame.

Certainly, there are suspects.

-- You can blame Ryan Thompson, who didn't get anyone out in the 10th inning and gave up the winning run in a 4-3 loss to Milwaukee on a single to former Ray Willy Adames.


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-- You can blame Colin Poche, who had a save situation and gave up a tying home run to Rowdy Tellez in the ninth inning.

-- You can blame the hitters, who managed only five hits in the loss.

Or, if you're really looking for a culprit, you can go back to the top of the eighth inning, where the Rays watched strikes soar past them with an opportunity to ice the game.

Two walks and a single had loaded the bases for the Rays with one out, but both Brandon Lowe and Isaac Paredes looked at strike threes. Lowe struck out on four pitches and Paredes on five. It capped a game where the Rays were one-for-seven with runners in scoring position.

"(Hoby) Milners’s tough," said Rays' manager Kevin Cash. "He keeps the ball down, but I would like to think we can put a little pressure on the defense right there with some contact. We weren’t able to do that."

The Rays are now 11-41 this season in games in which they've scored three runs or fewer.

The Rays stumbled out of the gate, giving up two early runs to the Brewers. The Rays came back on a single by David Peralta and solo homers by Yu Chang and Randy Arozarena.

Still, the inability to add runs would haunt the Rays. That, and the inability to close the door in the ninth.

For Poche, it was the eighth home run he has allowed this season.

"I know Thompson gets the loss, but I put that one on me," Poche said.

The Rays loss left them tied with Baltimore for the third wild-card spot.

The Rays are off today. They play Baltimore in a series beginning Friday night at Tropicana Field. Corey Kluber will start for the Rays against a yet-to-be-named Oriole.


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