Friday, 4 a.m.
How did the Tampa Bay Rays lose this game?
Their starting pitcher, Ryan Pepiote, allowed just two hits to a hot-hitting Philadelphia Phillies team.
Their offense, which has struggled as of late, had 14 hits and built a 5-1 lead through seven innings.
Usually, either of those statistics adds to success for a baseball team. On the other hand, you could ask it this way:
How did the Rays come close to winning this game?
They lost because, lately, that’s what they do. The Rays have now been swept in their last two home series.
They lost because they gave up 22 runs to the Phillies in the three-game series.
They lost because the stars of their bullpen blew up, giving up six run in the last three at-bats. Edwin Uceta gave up a three run homer in the eighth, Pete Fairbanks threw away a pickoff attempt and gave up the tying run in the ninth and Manny Rodriguez gave up the losing two runs in the 10th.
In all, it was one of the ugliest losses of a season that has had too many of them. The Rays are 16-21 on the season.
The Phillies had seven of their nine hits against the bullpen.
The Rays were on the verge of scoring all night. They left eight men on base and were just three for 12 with runners in scoring position.
The Rays begin a three-game series tonight against the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:05 p.m. Zack Littell will start for the Rays against Jose Quintana.