Saturday, 4 a.m.
Right about now, the Tampa Bay Rays need someone to make a play.
They need someone to be slick. They need someone to be fast. They need someone to be bold, daring and smart.
You can say that about the team in the dugout.
And you can say it about the guys in the team offices.
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The Rays had a tough time of it Friday. They lost a game. They lost a popular play. They lost the guy who was supposed to be their ace. What else? Well, stay tuned.
The Rays dropped a 3-2 game to the Cincinnati Reds in 10 innings, a punchless effort in which they only scored two runs in the second and threw up zeroes the rest of the way. Maybe Randy Arozarena would have helped, but he was in the stands after being traded to Seattle. Zach Eflin, the teams opening day starter, was traded to Baltimore.
This is the way it is around here. It’s always difficult to be a Rays fan, to see players go for minor league prospects, the lottery tickets of baseball. Granted, the Rays have made some great trades in their history, but right now, the five players they got in return are just names and numbers. Ah, but the Rays shed the contracts of Arozarena and Eflin (plus Aaron Civale and Andrew Maton earlier), which is always a big deal with the Rays.
Likewise, it was hards to get excited about Friday night’s game. The Rays went one-for-nine with runners in scoring position and wasted a six-inning, two-hit effort from Shane Baz. Receiver Manuel Rodriguez gave a double to Stuart Fairchild in the 10th to drive in ghost runner Austin Slater for the win.
The Rays. 52-52 on the year, play the Reds again today at 4:10 p.m. at Tropicana Field. The Rays will start Zack Littell against Andrew Abbott.