Friday, 4 a.m.
It wasn't just that the Rays blew a lead Thursday afternoon. Heck, they've done that 36 times in this disappointing season.
This time, it was the quickness with which it happened.
At one point, the Rays led 5-2. In an eight-pitch span, however, they turned it into a 6-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
The culprit was Kevin Kelly, who faced four batters and gave up two home runs and a triple to grab defeat in dizzying fashion.
Kelly entered the game after Jesse Scholtens' wild pitch allowed the Orioles to score to make the score 5-3. That brought on Kelly, a reliever who came in with a 4.78 ERA.
It would go up. Consider:
-- On Kelly's first pitch, he gave up a game-tying three-run homer to Coby Mayo.
-- On his second pitch, he gave up a triple to pinch-hitter Adley Rutsnman.
-- On his third batter, he struck out Dylan Carlson on five pitches.
-- That got him to the bottom of the ninth. On his first pitch, he gave up the game-winning homer to Dylan Beavers.
Game over.
It was a game the Rays controlled until the end. Tampa Bay had 15 hits.
The Rays jumped to a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Christoper Morel doubled in Bob Seymour and Yandy Diaz and Richie Palacios drove in Junior Caminero with a sacrifice fly.
The O's climbed back to within 3-2, but a double by Tristan Gray and a single by Seymour restored the Rays' three-run lead in the sixth.
In that inning, however, Carson Williams was thrown out at the plate.