Jake Mangum might have been mic’d up for the tv broadcast, however the Tampa Bay Rays’ offense was muted. After scoring at the least 4 runs in every of their final 5 video games, they may solely handle 5 hits in a 1-0 loss to the Boston Pink Sox. The loss handed the sequence to Boston within the battle of two groups making an attempt to get again to .500 on the season.
Zack Littell pitched the Rays six innings of stable pitching that deserved a greater end result. The suitable-hander gave up 5 hits, walked three, and struck out 5 within the loss. It was the type of outing that doesn’t gentle up a field rating however retains you within the recreation. Nevertheless, in a low-scoring duel like this one, it solely took one pitch to find out the ending.
The lone run got here early for the Pink Sox. Within the prime of the third, David Hamilton jumped on a pitch from Zack Littell and hit a solo homer to proper discipline, his first of the season, and that proved to be all Boston would want. It was a troublesome break for the Rays, provided that the 2-2 pitch seems like it could have been within the zone to be strike three, and Steinbrenner Discipline is the one ballpark the place it’s a house run.
Issues might’ve unraveled within the fourth, however Littell stood tall. After a leadoff stroll to Trevor Story, a ground-rule double from Romy Gonzalez, and an intentional stroll to Triston Casas, the Pink Sox loaded the bases with one out. He went to work to get Carlos Narváez to come out and took care of enterprise himself by fielding a pointy comebacker from Hamilton, tossing it to first to strand all three runners.
The Rays’ bullpen stored the sport shut with three scoreless innings in aid, permitting no hits and hanging out two.
Finally and clearly, you continue to have to have the ability to rating at the least one run to win a recreation.
Boston’s pitchers mixed to silence the Rays’ bats, hanging out 13 and strolling simply two. Garrett Whitlock entered within the seventh and was notably sharp, hanging out the aspect to keep up the one-run lead after which handing it off to Slaten, who closed the door within the ninth.
The Rays had their probabilities, together with a leadoff stroll within the first and one other within the fifth, however couldn’t string collectively sufficient offense. Christopher Morel, Jake Mangum, and Junior Caminero every picked up hits, however well timed contact eluded the lineup all evening like a lacking sock within the laundry.
Generally, defensive battles are low on pleasure, however tonight’s recreation supplied its fair proportion of highlights.
Within the backside half of the fourth, Trevor Story turned in a highlight-reel play of his personal, spinning to rob Junior Caminero of a single and protect Boston’s slim lead. It was simply considered one of a number of sharp defensive performs that stored the Rays off the board.
Then the highest of the fifth had a sequence you would not script. Taylor Partitions confirmed off his vary to remove successful from Ceddanne Rafaela, just for José Caballero to lose a fly ball within the lights, gifting Jarren Duran a double. Duran then tried to make one thing occur by swiping third, however was reduce down by Danny Jansen.
Mangum added some aptitude within the prime of the ninth, monitoring down a deep fly ball in heart discipline earlier than crashing into the wall and getting his batting gloves caught within the padding.
The Rays should shake this one off rapidly as they welcome division rival and their landlord, the New York Yankees, come to city for a weekend sequence. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., with RHP Taj Bradley scheduled to start out for the Rays reverse. RHP Will Warren.
.
