Monday, 4 a.m.
If a team ever needed a break, it is this one.
The only question is whether it will be long enough.
The reeling Tampa Bay Rays, falling a bit more by the day, lost again Sunday. Of course they did. This one was to the Boston Red Sox, 4-1, and it was the fourth straight day. It was the first time the Rays have been swept in a four-game series for 19 years.n
The Rays have lost 12 of 16 games and slid to fourth place in the AL East.
This time, they managed just one run against Brayan Bello, their only run in 24 innings.
Boston has now won 10 straight games.
The Rays were one for six with runners in scoring position. In the series, they were just three for 22.
The Rays had a freakish third inning. In the third inning, with two runners on, Yandy Diaz singled to center field. But Chandler Simpson slowed down as he approached home, and didn’t cross the plate before Jonathan Aranda was thrown out at third. No run scored.
Then, in the bottom of the inning, catcher Matt Thaiss picked Marcelo Mayer off of third. But Junior Caminero was called for interference, which not only made Mayer safe but awarded him home.
The Rays got the run back in the fourth when Jake Mangum — who had doubled — scored on a sacrifice fly by Josh Lowe.
That was it, however. Boston scored three in the sixth inning, two of them on a home run by Ceddanne Rafaela.
The Rays got two hits each from Diaz and Mangum.
Ryan Pepiot went six innings for the Rays and allowed three earned runs.
Because of the All-Stat break, the team is off until Friday when they are home at Steinbrenner Field against the Baltimore Orioles.