The Rays took the lead just two batters into game and held on to it two outs into the bottom of the eighth inning. Then, as has been the case too many times this season, the lead vanished in a span of just a few hitters. Again, the blown lead came late and courtesy of the Rays bullpen. This time, the Rays’ prized addition at the deadline, Griffin Jax, was called upon to toss a scoreless eighth and maintain a 2-0 Rays lead. By the end of the eighth, Jax had surrendered three hits, the last of which put the Mariners ahead by a run. It was a go-ahead, two-out, three-run blast off the bat of the league’s leading home run hitter.
Cal Raleigh, ahead 2-0 in the count, sat on a sweeper that caught too much of the plate and pummeled it to deep right-center field. Just like that, the Rays were down to the final three outs trailing by a run.
Matt Brash and his sub-2.00 ERA came on for the ninth and made quick work of Brandon Lowe, Junior Caminero, and Josh Lowe, striking out the side and handing the Rays yet another crushing loss.
This was a game you couldn’t lose. The Rays got a masterful start out of Drew Rasmussen who cruised through six scoreless innings. He punched out four, walked none, and scattered just four singles. Again, Rasmussen was in and around the zone all night, making quick work of the Mariners lineup. Randy Arozarena and Donovan Solano both tagged him for a pair of singles, but that was it. Kevin Cash and the Rays could not have asked for anything more out of him.
Opposite Rasmussen was Luis Castillo who was also very good across seven innings. Castillo made two mistakes and both left the yard. Brandon Lowe’s solo shot, his 21st of the year, came in the first inning and quickly gave the Rays a 1-0 lead. Caminero got out ahead of a high fastball in the sixth inning and launched his 31st blast of the year, and third in his last two games. In total, the Rays only mustered five hits on the night and just the two runs. Castillo surrendered all five of the hits, struck out five and walked none.
Bottom line, as is typically the case in one run games, is that five hits and two runs just simply won’t cut it. Rasmussen did his job. Cleavinger did too. Jax did not and neither did the offense.
Maybe Yandy Diaz or Ha-Seong Kim could have made a difference tonight. We can’t and won’t know as they never got the chance despite coming off an off day. But, what is clear is that without Aranda, this lineup is too thin when Yandy and Kim are absent. Too thin when you are trying to make up ground in the Wild Card race after a dismal July. Too thin against this Mariners staff.
On a positive note to end the night, Tristan Peters made his debut and looked comfortable in center. He went 0-3 at the plate but worked a couple of good at-bats.