Rays Finally Score, But Lose Lead Late, Get Swept by Astros
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It's been so long since the Tampa Bay Rays have scored any runs that it seemed like they didn't know what to do with a lead on Wednesday when they finally had one.
It's been a tough series against the Houston Astros, the best team in the American League. And after going 25 consecutive innings without a run, the Rays scored in the sixth inning Wednesday night and then took the lead with another run in the seventh.
The joy was short-lived.
In the top of the eighth inning, Tampa native Kyle Tucker smashed a two-run homer off of reliever Brooks Raley, giving the Astros a 5-2 win and a sweep in this much-anticipated late-season series that turned out to be a real dud. It was the first time the Rays had been swept at home in a series of three games or more since April 19-21, 2019 against the Boston Red Sox, ending the longest active home series streak in the majors.
“You have to give them credit. There's a reason why they're pushing 100 wins and clinched the [AL West],” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “They're a very talented team. I feel like we're a talented team, but we do need to do some things a little bit better.”
It was just the second home run that Raley had allowed all season, and he's been Tampay Bay's best lefty out of the bullpen all season. The former Astro was hadn't been scored on in 10 straight games, and had an 0.74 ERA dating back to July 10. begin the eighth inning against the heart of Houston’s lineup. Raley was on a 10-game scoreless streak, with a 0.74 ERA over his past 25 appearances, and
Houston, now with 99 wins, jumped on Raley quickly. Jeremy Pena opened the inning with a first-pitch double and then Yordan Alvarez lined out, also on the first pitch. Diaz singled on a 1-2 pitch to tie the game, but then Tucker, a 25-year-old left-handed hitter, smashed the first pitch he saw — an 81-mph slider that caught far too much of the plate — far over the wall in right-center. It was his 29th homer of the year.
Seven pitches, three runs. And a sweep.
“They're obviously a very good team,” Raley said. “They found some barrels there, and Tucker obviously did the damage on a bad pitch and made me pay for it. … That’s kind of their M.O. They do their damage early in counts.”
It was the third straight loss for the Rays, who are just 4-9 since Sept. 10. And it was the first bullpen bungle in a while. Tampa Bay’s bullpen has allowed just one run over the past 28 inning prior to Raley's blow-up.
Thankfully, the Rays got some help in the wild-card race, because Toronto and Seattle both lost on Wednesday. The Baltimore Orioles did win, though, and they are now four games behind the No. 6 seed Mariners, and 4 1/2 games behind the Rays. Tampa Bay's magic number remains at nine heading into this weekend's huge four-game series against the Blue Jays.
For the third straight night, Houston leadoff hitter Jose Altuve scored in the first inning, but that was all Tampa Bay starter Corey Kluber gave up through seven innings of solid work. He allowed just that one run and only six hits, a nice bounce-back after two shaky starts.
“He was outstanding,” Cash said. “It was awesome, and good to see that from ‘Klubes.’”
Kluber kept the Rays in the game, and they finally tied it up in the sixth off of Houston start Lance McCullers, who's also a Tampa native.. Shortstop Wander Franco had a one-out double and went to third on a single by Randy Arozarena. He then scored on a groundout by David Peralta that tied the game at 1-1.
Isaac Parades led off the bottom of the seventh with a towering home run down the left-field line on a 3-2 pitch. It was his 20th home run of the season, putting him one ahead of Arozarena for the team lead.
Isaac leaves no doubt!
— Bally Sports Sun: Rays (@BallyRays) September 22, 2022
WATCH ➡️ https://t.co/Jvrnke7GAW#MLB | #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/789gfjMWow
The Rays as a group aren't interested in making a big deal about getting swept by the Astros. Houston has never swept the Rays in St. Petersburg before and they play each other again next weekend in Houston and their focus now quickly shifts to this four-game series with Toronto, which is huge.
It's all about looking forward, not looking back.
“I would assume the view we’ll take is that unfortunately we lost three games and regardless of the opponent that’s never a good feeling to have,'' said Kluber. "We’ll come back (Thursday), we’ve got a big series coming up and start over with that one. I don’t think these three games mean anything for that one.”
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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.