Jake Odorizzi squandered a pair of one-run leads on Saturday, as the Tampa Bay Rays fell to the Minnesota Twins, 5–3. The loss snapped a three-game win streak for the Rays, who fell back to .500 at 26-26 on the season.
The Rays took the first lead of the game in the second inning against Twins starter Adalberto Mejia. Logan Morrison doubled to centerfield, then moved up to third on a passed ball. Morrison eventually scored on Derek Norris’ single to left with the bases loaded. Yet they couldn’t collect more than a one-run lead even though the golden opportunity to do so presented itself.
Steven Souza Jr. was thrown out at the plate on a close play when he tried to score from third on a ball in the dirt that bounded away from former Ray Chris Gimenez. Souza’s hesitation before breaking from third had a lot to do with his inability to slide in safely.
Following the game, Rays manager Kevin Cash said that it was probably better for Souza to stay at third after his moment of hesitation.
Once you hesitate it’s best to lay up there and see if we can piece something together at the plate.
A few pitches later, Peter Bourjos grounded out to shortstop to end the inning with just one run on the board. Let it sink in, the Rays scored just one run on a double, single, two walks, a passed ball, and another errant pitch.
The inability to plate more than one run proved costly, as Minnesota answered in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases against Odorizzi on two singles and a walk. To his credit, Jake was able to limit the damage to a run on a sacrifice-fly to center by Ehire Adrianza.
Tampa Bay took its second (and final lead) of the contest in the top of the fourth, when Kevin Kiermaier and Rickie Weeks Jr. went back-to-back with a pair of base hits — putting runners at first and third with one out. Norris, who drove in Tampa Bay’s first run, came up big when he hit a sacrifice-fly to center field. Yet Bourjos again put the kibosh on the rally when he went down swinging in a nine pitch at-bat.
Up by one, Odorizzi gave up the lead on Eddie Rosario’s solo-shot to right in the bottom of the frame, tying the game at two. It was the ninth homer that Odorizzi has allowed this year.
Odorizzi battled through lapses of fastball command, leaving the game in the sixth inning with the score tied at two. The right-hander ran his pitch count up to 118 (74 strikes) over 5-2/3 innings, forcing the ‘pen into extended action, which eventually bit the Rays in the backside.
He (Odorizzi) showed some glimpses with the good fastball, but it was a battle for him, Cash said in his post game presser.
Jose Alvarado entered the game two outs into the sixth, and coaxed an inning ending fly-ball out to left from Joe Mauer. Yet Alvarado pitched himself into trouble in the seventh inning when he started the frame by walking Robbie Grossman. The southpaw was able to pop-up Max Kepler for the first out before Cash called upon Danny Farquhar.
Farquhar quickly allowed Grossman advance to third on an error, but got out of the frame unscathed. The Rays wouldn’t be so lucky in the bottom of the eighth.
Farquhar walked the .184 hitting Gimenez on four pitches to start the the frame. After Rosario sacrificed Gimenez to second, Adrianza grounded to first allowing Gimenez to move to third. Farq’s day was done. Tommy Hunter replaced the right-handed LOOGY.
Making his second appearance since returning from the DL, Hunter promptly gave up an opposite-field homer to Brian Dozier after falling behind 2-1 in the count.
Though the pitch wasn’t bad, the real mistake was falling behind in the count.
You’ve got to get strike one in that situation, Hunter said. I fell behind, he put the barrel on the ball. That’s what happens with guys like him.
Yet the Twins weren’t done. Mauer doubled to left, and Byron Buxton hit a seeing-eye single to center, scoring Mauer for a three-run lead.
For his part, Farquhar did accept responsibility for the leadoff walk, although culpability only goes so far.
Absolutely not, especially to a bottom-of-the-order guy, Farquhar said. And four pitches. It wasn’t even a competitive at-bat. … After the first ball, I was trying to throw it right down the middle and couldn’t do it.
And while Colby Rasmus hit a two-out solo homer in the ninth, Brandon Kintzler struck out Tim Beckham to end the game and earn the save.
Colby wasn’t going to leave without a final word today. pic.twitter.com/S4gUpMy0im
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 27, 2017
The New What Next
After the loss, the Rays are looking to bounce back today and win a series against the Twins. Alex Cobb (4-4, 3.82 ERA, 4.26 FIP) will get the ball for Tampa Bay, and will pitch opposite of right-hander Kyle Gibson (7-2, 1.80 ERA, 4.10 FIP).
Cobb has made consecutive starts of at least seven innings, totaling four such outings this season. He, however, has allowed four runs or more in eight of his 15 post Tommy John surgery starts, compared to 20 of 81 prior to going under the knife. He allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks across 7-1/3 innings in Tuesday’s loss to the Angels. He struck out five.
Gibson allowed six runs on seven hits through five innings against the Orioles in his first outing since being recalled from Triple-A. Five of those runs came in the second inning alone. So far this season he is 1-4 with an 8.62 ERA over seven starts, with just 21 strikeouts. He is also 1-4 with a 7.82 ERA in five starts against Tampa Bay. Gibson has relied on a 92 mph ground ball inducing sinker (that he throws with a two-seam fastball grip), and a fly ball heavy 92 mph four-seam fastball this season. He has also mixed in a ground ball coaxing 84 mph slider and 83 mph changeup, and a whiffy 79 mph curveball. Key matchups: Tim Beckham (1-1, BB), Peter Bourjos (2-5, 2B), Kevin Kiermaier (3-5, 2B, BB), Evan Longoria (4-13, 2B, 4 RBI, BB), Colby Rasmus (2-6), Steven Souza Jr. (1-2)
You can read about the series in our preview.
Rays 5/28/17 Starting Lineup
Dickerson DH
Kiermaier CF
Longoria 3B
Morrison 1B
Souza RF
Rasmus LF
Beckham SS
Martinez 2B
Sucre C
Cobb RHP