The Tampa Bay Rays can’t wait to get home.
The Rays limped through the final game of their homestand, losing six of the seven games to ruin a good start. The Rays lost to the Boston Red Sox 4-2 Saturday with a familiar pattern: A good start, loose defense, a lost chance at a comeback and too many strikeouts.
Tampa Bay started out the season 5-2, but in six of the seven games since, the Rays have had at least 11 strikeouts.
The Rays made a key error in the second inning when second baseman Brad Miller dropped a throw from shortstop Tim Beckham that would have ended the inning. The Red Sox followed with two single and two walks and scored three times.
“I didn’t catch the ball,” Miller said. “It cost us three runs and ended up being the difference in the game.”
The Rays loaded the bases in the seventh inning with one out, but a strikeout by Miller and a flyout by Logan Morrison ended the threat. Five of the last six Rays’ batters struck out.
“Frustrating loss,” said Kevin Cash. “For us to have our best chance to win, we have to play clean baseball. You can go back to a couple of plays on this road trip that it just didn’t go our way. It’s very tough for us to overcome.”
Boston’s Andrew Benintendi had three hits for the Red Sox. Corey Dickerson, Kevin Kiermaier and Steven Souza Jr. all had two hits for Tampa Bay.
The Rays are now in fourth place in AL East. They play the Tigers tonight with Matt Andriese pitching agianst Michael Fulmer.
