Thursday, 4 a.m.
For Taj Bradley, the bad news is that it isn’t July anymore.
For the Tampa Bay Rays, the worse news is that it’s still 2024.
Bradley’s second straight pedestrian start doomed the Rays Wednesday night in a 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Bradley was roughed up, giving up five runs and nine hits in only 4 2/3 innings. It is a drop back to reality for Bradley, who was the American League Pitcher of the Month for July. However, in his last two starts, he’s lasted only 9.2 innings and has given up nine runs.
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Of course, Bradley would have had to be very good against the Cardinals. The Rays were 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. In their last 10 games, they’re 11-for-92. They’re the second-worst offense in baseball with runners in scoring position.
In three separate innings, they put the first two men on base but did not score. In the sixth, they loaded the bases with no one out and scored only once (sacrifice fly).
The best news for the Rays was that pitcher Drew Rasmussen returned to the mound after Tommy John surgery. He threw two hitless, kshutout innings.
For the Cardinals, Nolan Arenado and Alec Burleson each drove in two runs.
The Rays try to salvage a game of the series tonight at 7:15 p.m. Tampa Bay will start Shane Baz against Kyle Gibson.