Monday, 4 a.m.
You know a team is going badly when it keeps getting mugged on Easy Street.
The Tampa Bay Rays continued its struggles against losing teams Sunday afternoon, losing a 4-1 game to the Florida Marlins at loanDepot Park.
In their last four series, the Rays have been swept by Baltimore (playing .477 baseball), lost one of three games to the Angels (.369), been swept by Detroit (.400) and lost two of three to the Marlins (.462).
The Rays have now lost nine of their last 13 games. They are in a tie with the Yankees for the lead in the AL East after leading by 5 1/2 games on May 22.
The Rays managed just six hits in their loss. In their last two games, the Rays have gone three-for-14 with men in scoring position.
Rays' starter Griffin Jax threw a three-hit shutout for five innings. Tampa Bay squandered that, however, when relievers Garrett Cleavinger and Steven Matz gave up four runs in the sixth and seventh to allow the game to slip away. Three of the four runs reached base on walks.
In all, the Rays walked six and allowed four steals.
The key play was a two-base error by catcher Hunter Feduccia that allowed the third and fourth runs to score.
Yandy Diaz drove in the Rays' only run with a single in the third inning.
The Rays return to Tropicana Field tonight at 6:40 p.m. to face the Boston Red Sox. The Rays haven't announced a starter. Connelly Early (5-3) will start for the Red Sox.