Tuesday, 4 a.m.
Did Adrian Houser really think he was going to a team with a better offense?
After all, he had spent the season with the Chicago White Sox, a dreadful team. Still, he was 6-2 while throwing for a team with the second-worst batting average in major league baseball.
These days, the White Sox look like Murderer’s Row compared to the Rays.
After being shut out in two of the previous three games, the Rays were held to one run by the Los Angeles Angels in a 5-1 win. The Rays scored in the first inning and were blanked afterward. They finished with just five hits — just two after the second inning — and were one-for-eight with runners in scoring position.
Granted, Houser didn’t help himself. In 5 2/3 innings, he gave up 11 hits and five earned runs, both season worsts. He gave up two runs in both the second and the third inning. It was Houser’s first loss since June 13.
In the third inning, the Rays put runners on second and third base with one out. But Christopher Morel and Jonny DeLuca both struck out.
The Rays are now four games under .500. They’ve lost 25 of their last 36 games. They have now fallen behind the Angels in the wild-card standings.
The teams play again tonight in Anaheim at 9:38 p.m. Ryan Pepiot will start for the Rays against Jose Soriano.