The Tampa Bay Rays are in a spot where the alarm bells aren’t blaring yet, but they’re definitely ringing.
Three straight losses have put a sharper focus on the same issue that keeps popping up: the offense isn’t steady enough. Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles was a good example. Tampa Bay collected eight hits, but went just 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, and outside of Liam Hicks’ 17th home run of the season, the lineup never really found a rhythm.
That’s the problem. This group has already shown it can score in a lot of different ways.
The Rays have leaned on small ball, timely hits with two outs and production in clutch spots all season long. But when a couple of the top bats go quiet, the whole operation starts to look thinner.
Jonathan Aranda has been one of Tampa Bay’s best hitters this year, but he has cooled off lately. Junior Caminero, after carrying a massive workload across the season, hasn’t been giving the same steady output either. When that happens, the pressure shifts fast to the rest of the order.
On Saturday, Cedric Mullins, Richie Palacios and Taylor Walls combined for just one hit. That kind of production puts even more strain on the lineup’s depth, especially when the middle of the order isn’t doing enough to keep innings alive.
There are still some bright spots. Chandler Simpson is riding a 13-game hitting streak, and Hicks, who was recently acquired from the Miami Marlins, keeps flashing the kind of power improvement Tampa Bay wants to see from the catching spot in the lineup.
Even the bullpen’s rough finish shouldn’t be the main takeaway from this one. Kevin Kelly came in after not allowing an earned run since July 7, then gave up the game-tying two-run homer to Samuel Basallo. Bryan Baker, one of baseball’s best closers this season, was finally touched in extra innings, though the run that scored was the extra runner.
Still, the larger question hangs over everything: can the Rays score enough when the pitching staff isn’t close to perfect?
They’re still sitting atop the American League East and have earned some breathing room with the way they’ve played for most of the season. A three-game skid doesn’t change that. But October doesn’t leave much margin for an offense that comes and goes.
And with the New York Yankees closing in, the Rays need the full lineup to wake back up.
In Other News...
Rays May Already Be Moving On From A Recent Bullpen Addition
The Rays bullpen picture shifted again with Manuel Rodrguez back from the 60-day injured list, giving Tampa Bay another experienced right-hander as the stretch run gets closer. To create room on both the active roster and the 40-man, the club designated Chris Roycroft for assignment, a move that quickly changed the outlook for a pitcher who had only been in the organization for two months after a minor trade.
Roycroft now goes on outright waivers, and with the trade deadline already gone, Tampa Bay no longer has the option of moving him elsewhere. For a team that churns through relief arms as often as the Rays do, the decision is another reminder of how quickly a recent bullpen addition can move from depth piece to roster casualty when a healthier arm is ready to return. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Let Another Winnable Game Slip Away In Painful Fashion
The Rays had a chance to turn a tense, low-scoring game into a needed road win at Camden Yards, but the night slipped away in the kind of sequence that can linger. Tampa Bay fell 3-2 to the Orioles in walk-off fashion, a game that felt very much there for the taking before the pressure tightened in extras.
Taylor Walls tried to put the Rays in front in the 10th with a bunt play, but Baltimore handled it cleanly and cut down Richie Palacios at the plate for a huge out. The Orioles then finished the job with a pinch-hit double from Dylan Beavers, leaving Tampa Bay to wonder about another winnable one that got away. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Deadline Addition Is Already Creating An October Rotation Problem
The Rays went into the deadline looking for help that could hold up over the seasons final stretch, and several of their new additions have already fit that bill. Liam Hicks and Tyler Wells have both given Tampa Bay useful production in their own ways, which is exactly what the club needed while trying to sharpen the roster for a playoff push.
Freddy Peralta, though, has complicated the picture on the mound. He has not matched the standard the Rays want from a postseason starter, with a high ERA and uneven outings leaving him behind other arms on the depth chart. That creates an October decision the Rays may not have expected this soon, especially if they continue sorting out which pitchers give them the best chance to navigate a short series. [Read more 🡒]