James Shields had days like this. David Price went through a few, too. And now, Chris Archer.
This is what being an ace pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays is all about. It is making one mistake, and having it beat you. It is watching zeroes go up when your team is at bat. It is a losing streak with little support.
This time, it was 4-0, Toronto Blue Jays.
Archer failed to win his 10th game for the fourth time this season. The Rays have lost all four of those starts, and Archer has lost three of them.
It was the fourth time this season Tampa Bay has been shut out in an Archer start. Not that the Rays score a lot for anyone. The Rays have won 17 games this season while scoring three runs or less, the most in the American League.
Marco Estrada, who was perfect for eight innings in an an earlier start against the Rays, pitched eight innings of three-hit baseball for the Jays. He pitched to the minimum through seven innings.
Archer allowed only an infield hit for the first four innings, but in the fifth, he gave up a two-run homer to Chris Colabello. Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Brandon Gomes.
Today, the Rays visit Philadelphia. They will start Matt Moore against David Buchanan, who is 0-5.
