In the area of things that don’t surprise you, good teams give the Tampa Bay Rays, last in the AL East, fits.
Take, for instance, Friday night’s 6-2 loss to the Texas Rangers.
The Rays have an AL-worst record of 31-56. Worse news? The Rays will also play their next 35 games against teams with winning records.
Tampa Bay broke up Cole Hamels‘ no-hitter when Corey Dickerson singled with two outs in the sixth (one of two hits he had). Steven Souza broke up the shutout with a home run in the eighth.
“Pretty disappointing game to say the least,” said Rays’ manager Kevin Cash. “We got outpitched, outhit, out-defended. They didn’t make any mental mistakes; we made a handful. So a pretty disappointing effort.”
In the fifth inning, the Rays gave up a run when Ian Desmond singled. Elvis Andrus scored from first base when centerfielder Mikie Mahtook lobbed the ball back into the infield.
“Yeah, we had a few lapses and defensive miscues. … It’s not the type of team we are,” Mahtook said. “Obviously, the play in center field was all on me and one of those things where he just got me. I got to the ball and he wasn’t at third base yet, and I didn’t throw the ball in as hard as I should have, and he got me. He baited me into it and I lobbed it to Beck at second, and he took the extra base. That won’t ever happen again, and it’s something that’s not a good feeling to happen to you.”
The Rays’ Matt Andriese took his fifth straight loss for the Rays.
Adrian Beltre hit two home runs for the Rangers and went four-for-four.
The Rangers scored two in the fifth and three in the sixth to break the game open.
Tonight, Jake Odorizzi of the Rays faces A.J. Griffin of the Rangers.
