RAYS POSTCAST: The Tampa Bay Rays suffer a HEARTBREAKING loss to the Seattle Mariners

RAYS POSTCAST: The Tampa Bay Rays suffer a HEARTBREAKING loss to the Seattle Mariners

[Music] This is the Rays Postcast, your instant game reaction for the Tampa Bay Rays, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. Hello and welcome to the Tampa Bay Rays Postcast, your spot for instant race reaction after every single game. My name is Jonathan Shields. Make sure you guys go follow me on Twitter, Johnny10 Shields. Um, not much more to say about this one, guys. I mean, just excruciating, heartbreaking, insert, awful adjective here. I mean, it was I mean, that that was one of the the toughest games that the Rays have lost this year. And, you know, we’re going to talk about how good Raspersonson was, talk how you can’t win scoring two runs, how just a lot of flashes of July, uh, need a bounce back tomorrow. We’re going to look ahead, but first, we got to talk about this heartbreak. This is what you’ll be talking about. The Rays were one out from being three and a half back for a wild card, one out from having a win streak, one out from, you know, being back. You know, these were the type of games they won in June. They dominated this game. They were ahead for the entire game. They were in control. Rafson was as best as he’s been all year. Clevenger was dominant. And then Griffin Jax, man, I don’t even know if he necessarily did anything wrong. Crawford, great at bat. You know, the the nine hole, it was just hit in the right spot. You know, he did he made good pitches on Randy. And you know, that that one he even threw to to Cal Raleigh wasn’t even like an awful pitch. It was a guy that’s been the best one of the best two hitters in the American League this season making a play and doing what MVP candidates do and that’s that’s what he did. So you can fault Griffin Jackson. You know it’s of course you know he’s before this he gave up um before this he gave up four home runs in 58 innings or something and you know he gives up one tonight and one of the biggest moments of the game. But, you know, there’s there’s not much more to say than heartbreak cuz the Rays were an outway um and out of way just from gaining some real momentum, gaining momentum that they haven’t had in over two months. And that that’s what makes even more heartbreaking. This would be, you know, kind of just another game for July. But the Rays were an out away from being right there, being back, being competitive in this wild card again. Now, uh, it just feels like it it just feels like, um, you know, you take a step backwards. All that momentum you gain you gained in Anaheim, it just takes a step back because you ruined probably the best start of the year from Drew Raspersonson. You know, you you had a chance to not have to worry about beating Woo on Sunday to go win a series. And, you know, it puts immense pressure on the game tomorrow and for Joe Bole. But, you know, when you have an offense as good as the Mariners with the moves they made at the deadline, um, you know, it it it allows them to have more margin of error than the Rays have. And, you know, the Rays didn’t capitalize on mistakes. And that’s where we get to our turning point. Time to reveal where the game was won or lost. It’s the turning point. So, the obvious turning point is, you know, the Cal Raleigh home run. So, we already talked about that. We’re going to say that’s the turning point. The other turning point was in the top of the fifth when the Rays had a chance to um to to to add on and they have first and second one out walls um and the nine in the nine hole up. That’s your chance to add on. You know, I eventually Junior did in the six, but I felt like that was such a big miss. You know, the Mariners did not get a runner into scoring position until the eighth inning. They went one for two with runners in scoring position. One of them yielded three RBI’s. It’s as simple as that. The Rays went 0 for two. You’re not going to win most of the time only getting two runners in a scoring position. You’re not going to win when you only score two runs. And I understand the splits on on Castillo and how he’s lefty sit like 280 against him, but man, you paid some Kim $15 million. He doesn’t need to be sitting against every single right-handed pitcher you face. You know, Yahi’s played a bunch. It’s fine if you want to give him an extra day, but man, it’s just excruciating. Of course, you know, Josh Low absolutely rips one in the bottom of the ninth or top of the ninth and it was three inches foul. You know, it’s just kind of been the Rays way so far this year. And it’s tough, man. There’s been a a lot of gut rate wrenching losses. The one to Boston, the one to Philly where the Rays led the whole game when when Junior was at first, the Raphael home run against Boston. I mean, this is one of the four toughest losses of the season for the Rays just because of the momentum that the Rays could have gotten if they would have won. And now it’s just a what if. Now, the Rays got to go win tomorrow. Got to go win a game tomorrow. It’s as simple as that. The Rays have the pitching advantage. The Rays have the starting have the should have the lineup advantage going up against a a righty. But, you know, in these games, you really start to miss Jonathan Rhonda. You you really do. It’s going to be really tough for the Rays to kind of mount that comeback if he’s not there. And everything’s set up perfectly for the race. They wanted their 789 guys are Clevenger, Jackson, Fairbanks. They wanted it set up like this. This is how they wanted it. Get it to our bullpen because this is a guy we traded, a guy we still have a a ton of um a ton of a ton of confidence in. We traded a highle guy for him. So, um you know, it’s not it’s not I again I don’t really think it’s even on Griffin Jackson. I thought he made good pitches. I really think thought he did. I thought Cal Raleigh was just a little bit better in that moment. And you know, to 99% of batters, that pitch probably isn’t a home run. And that that’s just, you know, it’s unfortunate because I really thought the Rays controlled the game. I thought the Rays had, you know, more hard hit balls. I thought the Rays um, you know, put more, you know, the dominated uh, the pitching dominated more. So, I don’t, you know, I don’t I don’t know what to say, guys. It’s tough. This is one of the tougher ones this season because again the Rays the Rays were an out away from um an out away from from being out of it. So it’s as simple as that. 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Download Prize Picks app today and use code locked on LB to get $50 off in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That’s code locked on be $50 in lineups after your first $5 play price picks. Run your game. So, you know, I have to put um you know, shades of July because that’s what it was, man. I mean, the bullpin was so bad in July and the bullpen, you know, whether you what do you think about Griffin Jacks or not, the the bullpen has lost this team more games than it’s won it. It won them a game in Anaheim. It won them the game on on Wednesday in Anaheim. But, you know, you can just go down the list and how many on how many times they’ve lost. I thought we were out of it. I thought we were through it. And it’s just tough, man, because again, I really thought if the Rays won this game, they’re just they’re right there, man. And, you know, um it’s just a gut punch. A lot of teams ahead of them lost. Almost every team that the Rays needed to lose today lost. And it’s just again big opportunity miss to um you know, gain some ground right there to to say the very least. But, you know, beautiful thing about baseball, the Rays got to go win a game tomorrow. So, let’s talk about that game tomorrow. It will be Joe Bole going for the Rays against Logan Evans. Logan Evans probably um the least strong starting pitcher for the Mariners and he’s still really good. That just shows I think the Mariners have the best starting staff in baseball. Just shows kind of how good uh the Mariners is. Logan Evans this year five and four, four-3 RA. Uh 53 strikeouts on the season. His last time out, five innings, five five hits, three runs. uh he’s given up nine runs combined his last two two outings. So, um he’s shown some chinks in the armor. So, again, I think the Rays can really really get on him. And the key has been scoring first. The Rays have scored first uh almost every single game this road trip. Last three games, they’ve scored first. They need to to continue uh to score first. Simple as that. And then for Joe Bole, we know how good he’s been lately. He needs to continue to be good. Um last time out against the best lineup in baseball, the Dodgers, five innings, three hits, no runs. uh need that again tomorrow. We’d like to see him maybe even get pushed for six inning. Uh but you know, the bullpen the bullpin’s in good shape. You shape. You said it can go two innings tomorrow. Angler can go two innings. Montgomery can throw, you know, you name it besides Jacks, they can probably throw tomorrow. I even think that if they needed Clevenger in a in a pinch, he could throw. But um let’s get to your guys’ comments as we go to Gary. And this was a perfect way to put. He said that was an excruciating loss. It really was. When the team isn’t in playoff position at this time of the year, every loss is brutal. But this one even more because Rays came so close to shutting Seattle out. It’s not about, you know, shutting Seattle out, shutting them out. It’s it’s, you know, the the way um that that that they lost. As we go to 99 over 22, who is um a Yankees fan in here. So, really appreciate all your comments. He says, “You can win by scoring two runs. You’re not going to win often by scoring two runs.” Obviously, you have not been following the Rays a lot this season because the Rays have been in this position a million times before. So, um he says like, “Bro, just blame Jacks. Why are you talking about the Rays offense?” Because Ray’s offense was bad today. It’s as simple as that. You can’t only get two chances with runners to score position. And that was all in one inning and expect to win. You know, you can’t score two runs and expect to win. And he says, “I can’t always blame the offense bullpen to do his job.” Again, you obviously have not watched any Rays baseball this second half of the year because the Rays bullpen has not done their job. So, if there’s any uneducated fans like 99 over 22 that are also in here, um yeah, the Rays since July have had one of the worst bullpens in baseball. Since July, the Braves bullpen has probably blown them at least 12, 13 games. So, yeah. Um the offense needs to score more than two runs. I It’s as simple as that. And Gary brings up a good point. Had the right guys in the ninth. Brandon Low Jr. and Josh Low cannot get it done. Um really disappointed that Brandan Laauo took 3-1 and 3-2 looking. He’s a guy that is that’s so good when he’s in attack mode and he basically, you know, maybe he was looking for the slider. Yeah, but I I thought he was more banking on the walk than, you know, trying to be aggressive there, which is tough to see. Let’s go to Ray says, “Why is Gray playing over Kim? Kim hasn’t played all season. Has enough time off.” Yeah, it’s something I talked about earlier. is because Castile is two is average against lefties is 280 against righties it’s like 200. So, but I I agree with you. It’s it’s ridiculous, you know. Um if you’re paying a guy $15 million, he needs to play every day. It’s as simple as that. It’s awful, awful, awful, awful. Um as we go to Matt Blingship, something I actually disagree with. He says Jacks could have just walked rally. He was down two on the count anyway. But then you move the tying run into scoring position, which where a base hit scores two. In that spot there, it had to be an extra base hit to score the two. So again, I didn’t think Jax made that bad of pitches. The first two pitches to Raleigh weren’t good, which got him behind, but you know, again, that that sweeper, yeah, hung a little bit, but then it was at the bottom of the zone. It, you know, kind of simple as that. But this is the big ske of the game. You know, it’s on jacks. Alexander says on jacks, you give a piss to the A9 hitter. you put yourself in those situations. Often scored only to only scored two, but you got to win close games. Yes, when when you put your eight when you give your eight nine guys a two-run lead, you should win. I understand that. But you got to score more than two runs to win. It’s kind of as simple as that. And then their their eight hitters is Crawford, who was their leadoff guy for over 100 games this year. So that’s not your traditional eight-hole guy. And then the nine-hole was um what, six inches away from being out. Again, it was soft contact. I can go get that exact uh mile per hour off his single. He hit it. Oh, never mind. He hit it 102. What am I talking about? But, you know, it was one of those 102s where it’s kind of when Yandi hits it right into the ground and it’s 102 right when it hits the ground. By the time it gets to Christian Gray, it’s going like 80. So, uh again, he was positioned where statistically he’s supposed to be positioned and he came up six inches short. So, I you know, I don’t expect, you know, Tristan Peters, I don’t expect Tristan Gray to play tomorrow. I expect highkim Brandon Laauo Yandi Jr. um Fiducia and then normal outfield with you know Magnum Simpson and Josh Low. So I think the Rays even against the stats you you got to roll out your best guys this time of the year. You know you’re four and a half back in the wild card a lot of the teams that you needed to lose today lost. So, just to look the teams ahead of the race today that lost include Kansas City lost, New York lost. You know, those are the two big ones that are right there with them. Cleveland, who’s ahead of them, lost, Anaheim, who’s right behind them, lost, Texas, who’s ahead of them, lost. I mean, um, really big missed opportunity for the Rays to get a game on everyone. And again, there’s a lot of time left. you know, the Rays, if we’re taking the 10 game sample size from starting two from starting two games ago, you know, the Rays can still win seven out of 10. And that’s what it’s going to take to to get back in this. Right now, they are two and one. Got to go win tomorrow. So, it’s as simple as that. Got to go win a ball game tomorrow. So, uh we preview that game already. A lot’s going to be on Joe Bole’s Joe Bole’s shoulders, but if he’s in the zone, I’m really confident in his stuff that that he’ll be able to, you know, get it done. So, if you guys have any more comments, make sure you get them in. And if you guys are in the live, make sure you leave a like and comment as well. Um, again, I fully expect the Rays to to come out. It’s going to be interesting how how they how they come out, man. I mean, this was this was such a gut punch. They did everything right except, you know, capitalizing sometimes on offense, but they do everything right and you give it to your eight nine guys with a two-run lead and you should win that game almost every time and, you know, they they couldn’t get it done. Not only that, you go you you go to the eighth, seven, eight, nine coming up. So, yeah, I agree with you guys. You know, 89 getting on. I don’t know what else you expect. And you know, the Rays 89 hitters. And when the Rays were really going, the bottom of the lineup was a four. 7 89 was scoring runs and driving runs in at an elite level. And they have not been doing that lately. Really outside of Taylor Walls, ironically enough. But, you know, simple as that. Rays have to go win a game tomorrow. Again, it’s Joe Bole versus Logan Evans. Um, Logan Evans. This is his first year in the big leagues. Um, so you know, again, the the Rays should have they have a strong pitching advantage. The Rays should, you know, be be able to get on to be able to get on Evans a little bit. So, uh, again, lefties hit 28 against him, righties hit 266 against him. Uh, you know, he’s a guy that I think has kind of escaped some other big, uh, kind of big games. He pitches better at home. He’s three and0 at home with a three RA. struggles on the road a little bit, but um you know, again, I think this is a guy that uh is is kind of due for for another big game. As you know, he’s allowed nine runs his last two games. As we go to Skip Brow, he says, “Do you think the Rays bullpen needs to make improvements?” I think uh I think um no, I think they made the improvements. This is just about guys succeeding in in those spots. And Griffin Jacks got in a sticky situation on Wednesday and got out of it. Today, he couldn’t get out of it. I expect next time for him to get out of it. But you know the Rays bullpen still in a good spot and it’s tough today when you know they go to Brash because um their closer who has been the best closer in baseball and his name is escaping my mind right now was down because he he’s pitched a lot lately but Muno. Um so I have to face him tomorrow if the Rays are down in the ninth. Let’s hope let’s hope the Rays uh are not down in the ninth tomorrow. Again uh the good thing about baseball rays get to flush this and go out there and play tomorrow. If they win tomorrow, everything’s back on track. lose tomorrow. You know, he really starting to run out of time with everything to get back going. But, um, we’ll talk about that tomorrow night, same time as tonight. So, again, another 9:40 Eastern game, which is brutal. I thought the Saturday game we could get an afternoon game, but uh, no, we could not. But again, if you guys have watched the whole live, really appreciate you. Make sure you guys hit the like button on the way out, and we will see you tomorrow night.

The Tampa Bay Rays lose a tough one to the Seattle Mariners 3-2. The Rays led for the first 8 and a half innings of this game but a 3 run homer by Cal Raleigh in the bottom of the 8th with 2 outs was the difference. The Rays got out to a hot start after Brandon Lowe hit a first inning home run to make it 1-0. No one would score for the next 5 innings until Junior Caminero hit a tall home run in the 6th to make it 2-0. Drew Rasmussen started for the Rays and was fantastic. He went 6 IP only allowed 4 hits and 0 runs. Everything was going great for the Rays until the 8th inning. After 2 hits were allowed by Griffin Jax Cal Raleigh hit the go ahead home run. The Rays will look to get back in the series tomorrow night.

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