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Art Deco · 11-02-2024, 01:54 PM

After starting 15-3 the Rays lost their last two in Minnesota. How would they fare returning home for 4? Not well at all as the Jays shockingly swept the series from the Rays whose offense went AWOL, scoring only 7 runs in the four games.

Joe Marlette pitched well but the bats took a holiday as they dropped the opener to Toronto 3-1 in 11 innings. Marlette went 6 3 1 1 3 5 but the team only scratched out two hits, one of which was Justin Blackwell's 5th-inning triple on which he scored but that was it and Tony Alicea (0-1) gave up a couple of runs in the 11th to which the offense had no answer of course.

Danny Morales did not have it, putting the Rays into a 5-0 hole from which they tried to climb back before falling short 5-3. Morales (3-1) went 3 8 5 4 1 2 with most of the damage coming in a 4-run 4th where he couldn't retire anyone. Billy Doughty had a 2-run homer (#4) to get them on the board and they loaded the bases in the 9th with one out but a fly ball and Danny Rivera's third strikeout of the game ended it.

More misery at the plate in third game as the pitching was brilliant but the bats were silent as they lost 1-0 in another 11-inning game. Gabe Bryant pitched perhaps his best game as a Ray (6.2 3 0 0 1 11) but it went for naught and Ken Battle (0-1) coughed up a run in the 11th. Again they had a chance to win or tie at the death with runners on 2nd and 3rd and two out but Danny Rivera whiffed for the fifth time in as many at-bats and second time in two games to make the final out.

Filling in for the injured Leo Gutierrez, rookie starter Sergio Espinoza wasn't ready for prime time in his MLB debut and the Rays concluded a miserable series by losing 8-3 to the Jays in the finale. Justin Blackwell had a 2-run double in the 2nd to put the Rays up 2-0 but Espinoza could not get the third out in the 3rd and allowed 4 runs to score, then put 2 more on in the 5th who were also later plated in the inning to finish with an ugly 4 4 6 6 4 4 line.

Team record: 15-9. Still a very good record but not what one would want after starting 15-3 and they're still barely in first place (1/2 game up on the Yankees and 1 on Baltimore). Next up: Back on for road for 3 in Anaheim against the Angels. This starts a 9-game road trip meaning they'll have played 22 of 26 on the road before they return home again.

11-02-2024, 01:54 PM	#1450
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,636	April 26-29, 2038: vs Toronto (4) After starting 15-3 the Rays lost their last two in Minnesota. How would they fare returning home for 4? Not well at all as the Jays shockingly swept the series from the Rays whose offense went AWOL, scoring only 7 runs in the four games. Joe Marlette pitched well but the bats took a holiday as they dropped the opener to Toronto 3-1 in 11 innings. Marlette went 6 3 1 1 3 5 but the team only scratched out two hits, one of which was Justin Blackwell's 5th-inning triple on which he scored but that was it and Tony Alicea (0-1) gave up a couple of runs in the 11th to which the offense had no answer of course. Danny Morales did not have it, putting the Rays into a 5-0 hole from which they tried to climb back before falling short 5-3. Morales (3-1) went 3 8 5 4 1 2 with most of the damage coming in a 4-run 4th where he couldn't retire anyone. Billy Doughty had a 2-run homer (#4) to get them on the board and they loaded the bases in the 9th with one out but a fly ball and Danny Rivera's third strikeout of the game ended it. More misery at the plate in third game as the pitching was brilliant but the bats were silent as they lost 1-0 in another 11-inning game. Gabe Bryant pitched perhaps his best game as a Ray (6.2 3 0 0 1 11) but it went for naught and Ken Battle (0-1) coughed up a run in the 11th. Again they had a chance to win or tie at the death with runners on 2nd and 3rd and two out but Danny Rivera whiffed for the fifth time in as many at-bats and second time in two games to make the final out. Filling in for the injured Leo Gutierrez, rookie starter Sergio Espinoza wasn't ready for prime time in his MLB debut and the Rays concluded a miserable series by losing 8-3 to the Jays in the finale. Justin Blackwell had a 2-run double in the 2nd to put the Rays up 2-0 but Espinoza could not get the third out in the 3rd and allowed 4 runs to score, then put 2 more on in the 5th who were also later plated in the inning to finish with an ugly 4 4 6 6 4 4 line. Team record: 15-9. Still a very good record but not what one would want after starting 15-3 and they're still barely in first place (1/2 game up on the Yankees and 1 on Baltimore). Next up: Back on for road for 3 in Anaheim against the Angels. This starts a 9-game road trip meaning they'll have played 22 of 26 on the road before they return home again.