Tigers Roar Late, Blow Out Rays 9-1 in Weird Loss
DETROIT, Mich. — Shane McClanahan was back to dealing, even if it was off a different script. The Tampa Bay ace mowed through the Detroit Tigers inning after inning. So it makes no sense at all to know that the Rays lost 9-1 to the Tigers on Saturday night at Comerica Park in Detroit.
He pitched a perfect first, ended the second with a double play, then was perfect again in the third and fourth. It was a sight to see, especially after giving up a career-high five runs last Sunday in a loss to Cleveland.
He entered the bottom of the fifth with a 1-0 lead, and got the first out before Detroit right fielder Willi Castro doubled to left. McClanahan got the second out, but then Harold Castro, the Tigers' first baseman, blooped a single to left, scoring a run much like the Guardians did on Sunday, with soft contact that found a hole. Left fielder Victor Reyes did hit the ball hard though, doubling into the gap, with Castro scoring from first to give the Tigers a 2-1. lead.
It was still a one-run game in the seventh, and McClanahan, who had thrown 80 pitches through six innings, came back out for the seventh. But Detroit third baseman Jeimer Candelario opened the inning with a single and Willi Castro followed with a double. Candelario scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1, and McClanahan's day was done.
That's when Rays manager Kevin Cash made a surprising move. This was still a tight game, but Cash brought in Jimmy Yacabonis to pitch, despite the fact that he had just been picked up by the Rays after struggling with a 6.75 during his month-plus with the Miami Marlins.
Yacabonis was brutal, giving up five runs, one that was charged to McClanahan. he hit a batter and gave up two doubles and a single in his two-thirds of an inning, with the Tigers roaring ahead 7-1. They added two more in the eighth off of infielder turned pitcher Yu Chang, who allowed a two-run homer Jonathan Schoop on a 40-mph pitch.
A good, close game turned into a laugher.
It was another difficult day for the Tampa Bay offense. The Rays had nine hits and drew three walks, but scored only once. But they were just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base. David Peralta, Christian Bethancourt and former Tiger Isaac Paredes all had two hits.
It was Tampa Bay's 50th loss of the season, and at 57-50, they remain percentage points ahead of the Seattle Mariners for the No. 5 spot in the playoffs. But now the Baltimore Orioles are only one game behind, with the Cleveland Guardians two back.
McClanahan is now 10-5 on the season and his ERA is up to 2.24. It was 1.76, the lowest in the majors, this time a week ago.
The two teams will wrap up this four-game series on Sunday at 1:40 p.m. ET. Drew Rasmussen (6-4) will start for the Rays.
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Tom Brew is the publisher of Inside The Rays, and has been with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation network for three years. He is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent most of his four-decade career at the Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has written four books.