Tuesday, 4 a.m.
There for a while, they had you interested.
There for a while, the Tampa Bay Rays were on a hot streak, and their offense was humming, and their pitching had teeth, and they were close enough to the AL East lead to make you think “maybe.”
And then, as if dizzy from their own heights, they weren’t.
The Rays lost again Monday night, their fifth defeat in their last seven games. This time, it was a routine, I’m-better-than-you thumping. The Detroit Tigers, the best team in baseball, handed them a convincing 5-1 win.
The Tigers hit three home runs — Javier Baez, Colt Keith and Zach McKinstry — to cruise to their win. Keith and McKinstry hit their homers back-to-back in the seventh off of Paul Gervase. Keith had two doubles and a home run.
Tampa Bay had just five hits — two by Chandler Simpson. Jonathan Aranda, headed for the all-star game, singled in the Rays’ only run.
Shane Baz started and went six innings. He gave up three runs, including the two-run homer to Baez.
The Rays trail Toronto by four games in the AL East.
The Rays play Detroit again today at 6:40 p.m. Ryan Pepoit will start for Tampa Bay against Jack Flaherty.