Blake Snell was inconsistent in his first start after being recalled from Durham, allowing four two-out runs in the first inning. The Tampa Bay Rays ultimately fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, 6-2.
The Tampa Bay Rays took an early lead after Corey Dickerson scored on Evan Longoria’s double in the top of the first against Ivan Nova. Yet the Pirates responded in the bottom of the frame against Snell, who put down the first two batters on just five pitches.
The Rays’ southpaw followed by walking both Andrew McCutchen and David Freese, and allowing an RBI ground-rule double to Jose Osuna, tying the game at one. After Josh Bell walked, loading the bases, Snell uncorked a wild pitch which put the Pirates ahead by a run. Elias Diaz capped the first inning rally on a two-RBI single to right, putting the Bucs up by three.
After a relatively quick and quiet top half of the second, Snell collected himself and retired the next six batters. He, however, lapsed again in the fourth and fifth innings, allowing a run on Josh Bell’s solo shot, and another in the fifth on Osuna’s double with two outs, following McCutchen’s walk.
Snell — who showed moments of dominance — walked five over five innings, and gave up all six runs on just four hits … although he did collect six strikeouts.
The Rays plated their second run in the third inning on a bases-loaded sacrifice-fly by Wilson Ramos. However, in spite of more scoring opportunities than I have toes, they left 11 runners on base in all but the ninth inning, going 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Tim Beckham’s second inning base running gaffe certainly didn’t help the cause.
Bucs get Beckham in a rundown
David Freese fields a soft ground ball, then throws home to catch Tim Beckham in a rundown for the second out of the inning
Granted multi-hit games from Corey Dickerson, Evan Longoria, Beckham and Adeiny Hechavarria are great, but when you only plate two runs, well…
After Snell’s departure, Danny Farquahar, Jose Jumbo Diaz and Erasmo Ramirez threw scoreless innings, but the damage was done.
The New What Next
Tampa Bay will try for meatloaf on Thursday when Chris Archer (6-4, 3.88 ERA, 2.89 FIP) takes the mound in the series finale, opposite Jameson Taillon (3-2, 3.33 ERA, 3.79 FIP).
Archer received plenty of run support in a 15-5 win over the Orioles, which is good because he wasn’t particularly great. Archer gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits over six innings on Friday. He also fanned a season-low four batters. The Rays hope their ace can bounce back in the series finale on Thursday.
Taillon hurled six strong innings and struck out seven on Friday, holding the Cardinals to two runs on four hits. This season Taillon has relied upon a mid-90s fastball (both two and four seam), and an upper 80s changeup. The 25 year-old right-hander isn’t a strikeout machine, rather he gets by by coaxing ground balls and slowing down the pace of the game if/when runners get aboard. That approach has its virtues and disadvantages, as Taillon has posted three starts without an earned run, and three starts with at least four. Key Matchup: Adeiny Hechavarria (1-2)
You can read more about the series in our preview.
Rays 6/29/17 Starting Lineup
Souza Jr. CF
Dickerson LF
Longoria 3B
Morrison 1B
Beckham 2B
Peterson RF
Hechavarria SS
Sucre C
Archer RHP
Noteworthiness
— RHP Brad Boxberger will be activated before Thursday’s ball game, having rehabbed his right shoulder flexor and gotten over some oblique soreness. To make room for Boxberger, Danny Farquhar was designated for assignment. The Rays opted to instead keep RHP Jumbo Diaz.
— RHP Austin Pruitt was optioned back to Triple-A Durham with plans of being slotted back into the starting rotation, which would provide depth with right-handers Jose De Leon and Taylor Guerrieri on the DL.
— LHP Jose Alvarado was optioned to Triple-A Durham “with a message,” from Rays skipper Kevin Cash: work on throwing the curveball for strikes more often, and experiment with a cutter/slider to get hitters off the triple digit fastball.
— While OF Colby Rasmus (hip) is eligible to come off the DL, he reportedly isn’t ready, as a rehab assignment has yet to be scheduled.
— I just voted (again) for the current AL DH vote leader. There’s still a little time left to keep Corey Dickerson atop the pack…#VoteCorey now!
