This is not the way the Rays wanted the season so start.
With 20 percent of the season completed, the Rays are 5-7 and have lost six of their last season.
The toughest losses were the three in Baltimore last weekend.
When the Miami Marlins can go into Baltimore and sweep the birds, it only magnifies how bad the Rays played.
The Rays have not played well in any phase of the game. Offense, defense, and pitching. The Bullpen couldn’t keep the Orioles bats in check last weekend which contributed to the sweep.
If the season were to end today, the Rays would miss the playoffs. That is how bad the Rays have played and how important every game is.
With 48 games to go, the Rays have all ten games remaining against the New York Yankees.
The Yankees are in Tampa this weekend for a four-game series. If the Rays have their sights set on the playoffs, they are going to have to at least split the series with the Yankees.
The Yankees are 10-3 and have the second-best record in the American League. Its beginning to look like the road to the World Series will be going through New York.
The Rays will be a bit short-handed this weekend as pitcher Yonny Chirinos is on the 10-day disabled list with what they are calling triceps inflammation.
Chirinos was scheduled to pitch on Saturday, that will not happen now.
The Rays recalled pitcher Trevor Richards from their Port Charlotte camp after being sent down earlier in the week.
The Rays will play a doubleheader on Saturday. Richards could start one of those games. Tyler Glasnow will start the other game.
The Rays also optioned pitcher Ryan Thompson to their Port Charlotte camp.
The Rays put outfielder Manuel Margot on the bereavement list. Margot is in Puerto Rico and could be gone up to a week.
Kevin Keirmaier courtesy of Bleacher Report
One of the biggest disappointments about this Rays team has been the defense.
Gold glove center fielder Kevin Keirmaier has misplayed several balls in the outfield. We have seen more bad defense from Keirmaier in 12 games this season than we saw most of last season.
Shortstop Wily Adames had a great second half of 2019 defensively but has struggled this season in the field. Adames name has come up as a possible Gold Glove candidate this season, but he has four errors in 34 chances.
The catching duo of Mike Zunino and Michael Perez has not been very good at throwing out base runners. The Rays have a 22 percent success rate as a team on throwing out base runners and have thrown out one runner in seven attempts.
As a team, the Rays have 12 errors, which are next to last in the American League.
Hitting with runners on base continues to be the Achilles heel for the Rays offensively. The Rays are leaving an average of 6.33 men on base per game. Of those men left on base, 3.08 are runners in scoring position.
With Austin Meadows and his bat back in the lineup, that should be a big boost for the offense.
There is still time for the Rays to get on a roll and start playing good baseball in all three phases of the game.
After this four-game series with the Yankees, the Rays will start their longest road trip of the season. A trip that will take them to Boston, Buffalo( to play the Blue Jays), and New York to play the Yankees.
Rays offensively. The Rays are leaving an average of 6.33 men on base per game. Of those men left on base, 3.08 are runners in scoring position.
With Austin Meadows and his bat back in the lineup, that should be a big boost for the offense.
There is still time for the Rays to get on a roll and start playing good baseball in all three phases of the game.
After this four-game series with the Yankees, the Rays will start their longest road trip of the season. A trip that will take them to Boston, Buffalo( to play the Blue Jays), and New York to play the Yankees.
