Thursday, 4 a.m.
If you are wondering why the Tampa Bay Rays have had an up-and-down season, their latest blown effort should just about sum it up.
The Rays blew a lead and lost a 4-3, 10-inning game to Cleveland. The Guardians won their last two in a row against Tampa Bay after losing nine of 10 straight.
This game had a lot of the hallmarks of defeat.
-- A failure to add onto their lead. The Rays led 3-1 in the third, and had amassed six hits. They got only one run, and didn't score, the rest of the way.
-- A failure from their bullpen. The Rays led 3-2 going into the ninth, but Pete Fairbanks gave up the tying home run to Nolan Jones. In the 10th, Griffin Jax allowed in the winning run when Kyle Manzardo singled with two strikes in the 10th.
--- The Rays were 1-9 with runners in scoring position. They had a runner picked off first and centerfielder Everson Pereira had a ball fall in front of him after a bad break on a fly ball.
-- The Rays struck out 10 times.
It all cost drew Rasmussen, who gave up just four hits and two runs in six innings.
It was the fifth blown save of the year for Fairbanks.
Yandy Diaz and Jake Mangum each had two hits for the Rays. Brandon Lowe had his 26th home run.
The Rays are off today and open a series in Washington on Friday night. Adrian Houser will start for the Rays against Mitchell Parker.