At any moment, a perfect game may break out against them.
On any night, they stand a chance of being no-hit.
Ah, the poor Tampa Bay Rays. The hitless wonders.
It happened again in Tuesday night’s 6-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians. The Rays simply couldn’t mount enough offense to score anyone. For the third time in six games, the other team carried a perfect game into the sixth inning. The Rays fell to 2-6 on their current homestand, and once again, scored only long after the game had been decided.
The Rays had only two hits, and frankly, no explanations for an offense that has suddenly turned inept.
“Well, obviously, we’re not getting any hits,” said Evan Longoria, whose average fell to .275. “It’s frustrating, it’s a frustrating time right now. We’re making it tough on the pitching staff right now. But we haven’t buried ourselves. We have the ballclub to win. We have all the pieces. Offensively, we’ll figure out a way.”
It would be easier, pointed out outfielder Steven Souza Jr. if Steven Souza Jr. would come through a little more often.
“A lot of the responsibility falls on me,” said Souza, who is hitting .212. “It’s unacceptable the way I’ve been at the dish. It seems like I’m not coming through in situations. I’m going to get better. I don’t think the losses all fall on me, but I do think I’m supposed to drive in runs, and that’s not happening now.”
The Indians managed only seven hits themselves, and they only got two of them against Rays’ starter Erasmo Ramirez. But Ramirez left the game in the sixth, although he had given up only a home run to Jason Kipness. However, the Indians broke the game open with three runs in the seventh and two in the eighth.
The Rays will send Alex Colome to the mound tonight to face Cleveland’s Carlos Carrasco, who goes for his 10th win.
