Wednesday, 4 a.m.
Perhaps they should build a moat around home plate.
Perhaps they should keep guard dogs around third.
Perhaps they should built speed bumps around second.
Whatever it takes, the Tampa Bay Rays need to slow down the traffic on the bases if they're going be a team that matters.
The Rays were drubbed by the Chicago Cubs Tuesday night, 9-2. In the 11 games the Rays have played this season, they've given up six runs or more in seven of them.
Perhaps the Rays had a slim chance when they had to pull Drew Rasmussen. Rasmussen's wife is late in her pregnancy.
That left Mason Englert as the starter, and he gave up seven hits and four runs (three earned) in 3 2/3 innnings. Relivers Cole Susler (one run in 2 13 innings) and Yoendrys Gomes (four runs in three innings) added to the implosion.
Cubs starter Javier Asasad, a fill-in starter himself, allowed just one hit and no runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Chandler Simpson got the first hit, a borderline call on a grounder the Cubs' fumbled. Simpson and Jonathan Aranda each had two of the Rays' six hits.
The Rays and Cubs play again today at 6:40 p.m. at Tropicana Field. Joe Boyle will start for the Rays against Colin Rea.