Wednesday, 4 a.m.
You can talk about coming close if you want.
You can talk about climbing out of a hole, about making a game of it, about losing close instead of being clobbered.
Or you can talk about a team that has lost its stranglehold on the American League.
The slumping Tampa Bay Rays lost again Tuesday night, falling 8-6 to Baltimore. It was their third straight loss,
Content beyond this point is for members only.
Already a member? To view the rest of this column, sign in using the handy "Sign In" button located in the upper right corner of the GarySheltonSports.com blog (it's at the far right of the navigation bar under Gary's photo). Not a member? It's easy to subscribe so you can view the rest of this column and all other premium content on GarySheltonSports.com.
and their fifth in the last eight games. Their lead over the Orioles has shrunk to four games in the American League East.
The Rays never gave themselves a chance Tuesday night, with Tyler Glasnow giving up four runs in the first inning and two in the sixth. He gave up a three-run homer to Aaron Hicks and a two-run to Anthony Santander in the second
The Rays came back to narrow the deficit to one run at 7-6 but could get no closer.
For Glasnow, it was his worst start since his return from rotator cuff surgery and it left him acknowledging feeling out of sync and searching for velocity, neither good signs for a pitcher who once was thought to be among the league’s best.
“He was a little out of sorts,” said Rays’ manager Kevin Cash. “He couldn’t get in that rhythm. Baltimore did a good job. Every time they got a pitch they could handle, they handled it.”
On the other hand, despite the six runs and nine hits, the Rays are playing like a team that is sliding backward. Consider their last eight games. ¥andy Diaz is hitting .207. Wander Franco is hiding .225. Randy Arozarena is hitting .241. Josh Lowe is hitting .136.
The power seems to be game. The danger seems to be on hold. And the Orioles, just behind the Rays, are playing well.
The Rays got two hits from both Luke Raley and Isaac Paredes. Their biggest hit was a two-run pinch single by Manny Margot that whittled the score to 7-5.
The Rays try to right the ship again today at 12:10 p.m. at Tropicana Field. Taj Bradley will start for the Rays against Tyler Wells.