The Rays took a one run lead in the third inning after James Loney plated John Jaso from second on an RBI single to right field. Jaso initially reached on a base-hit to right, then was wild pitched 90 feet with Evan Longoria at the plate. However, Archer couldn’t put together a shutdown inning and Royals took a one run lead in the bottom of the inning after Lorenzo Cain hit a two-run moon shot to center.
Yet the Rays built a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning on an inside-the-park homer by Logan Forsythe, and a bases-loaded single by Rene Rivera.
With the bases still loaded and none out, Jaso hit a liner to left — but right at Jarrod Dyson, who was in the game because Alex Gordon was hurt on the Forsythe homer. Dyson turned the liner into a 7-2 double play, as Brandon Guyer was thrown out at the plate on the left-fielder’s bullet home. Tampa Bay didn’t put another runner on the base paths until the seventh inning. Yet the Royals held a commanding six-run lead by that point.
Kansas City took a commanding lead in the fifth inning with a five-run rally. Archer walked Cheslor Cuthbert, the number nine hitter, with one out, and Alcides Escobar — who went 4-4 against the Rays ace — blasted an infield hit off the Rays starter to put two on. Archer was able to put Dyson down (swinging) on a nasty slider in the dirt, but Cain hit a ground ball toward the middle that Forsythe fielded with his momentum going toward center field. The second baseman threw the relay to Archer, who then fired home to Rivera, but the play was late and Cuthbert scored to knot the game at three. Eric Hosmer followed with a bloop hit single to center for a one run lead. Kendrys Morales was next in on the fun, blasting a two-run double to center, while Salvador Perez capped the five-run rally with a single to right.
For whatever reason, Rays manager Kevin Cash allowed Archer to take the mound again in the sixth, and the Royals responded by scoring two more. Escobar blooped a two-out single to center, and Dyson followed with a liner to left. David DeJesus tried to make a diving grab on the play, but the ball glanced off his glove and rolled behind him for another inside the park homer. The effort on the play should be commended, however, DeJesus never should have let that ball get behind him.
Per the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first MLB game with two inside the park homers since May 26, 1997 (Cubs Sammy Sosa and Pirates Tony Womack). The Royals have now scored 18 two-out runs (of 25 total) in the series.
Cash called upon the recently activated Andrew Bellatti for the seventh and eighth innings, and the righty was excellent. Bellatti posted two innings of one hit ball on 19 pitches (12 strikes). And while hindsight is 20/20, Bellatti was fresh and ended the night with a low pitch count — he should have entered the game the inning prior.
The Rays were able to collect 14 hits, and the team actually did okay wRISP. The .178 hitting Rivera had three hits including a ninth inning homer (which sparked a three-run rally), and Jaso collected three hits a walk. Rivera’s solo shot began a string of five straight hits. Greg Holland, the Royals closer, allowed two of them, including a two-run single by Evan Longoria. But with two on and one out Forsythe flew out. Holland wild pitched the runners to second and third, but pinch-hitter Grady Sizemore struck out (swinging) to end the game.
To me, the blame for the loss should be placed on two people:
- Archer, for allowing nine runs.
- Cash, for allowing Archer to retake the mound after a five run fifth inning.
Unfortunately Cash aired on the side of caution and stuck with Archer in the sixth — although in retrospect, his decision to stick with Archer looked reckless, not cautious. In light of the ninth inning rally, the decision to stick with the striped one cost the team the opportunity to win the game in extra innings.
For his part, Archer was none to happy about his performance, saying after the game:
Just disappointing in the fact that I didn’t give my team hardly a chance to win. We put up seven runs and usually when we can do that we win. …I really was hoping to walk away with a split series here and go home and be in a good position at the break.
The New What Next
The Rays will try to avoid being swept in Kansas City on Thursday, when Nathan Karns pitches opposite of Yordano Ventura. In his last two starts, Karns has demonstrated an ability to pitch out of trouble — the righty came away with a quality start in both. Ventura last started for the Royals on June 12 before he was placed on the DL for the better part of a month. He has faced the Rays twice with two no-decisions and a 3.27 ERA. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.
Rays 7/9/15 Starting Lineup
Jaso LF
Sizemore RF
Longoria 3B
Loney 1B
Forsythe 2B
DeJesus DH
Cabrera SS
Kiermaier CF
Rivera C
Karns RHP
Noteworthiness
— Kevin Cash made it official, Jake Odorizzi will be activated from the DL on Saturday, when he is slated to take the mound for the first time since June 9. Matt Moore will get the start on Sunday.
— Per ESPN, Matt Silverman doesn’t plan to make any major moves at the trade deadline despite Tampa Bay’s recent 3-14 skid: “We’re in the hunt, and given all the injuries that have taken place, it’s a good spot to be in. We’re going to get healthier in the second half and have a club that resembles, or more closely resembles, the club we thought out of spring training.” Silverman also lauded the Rays coaching staff, including Derek Shelton. Silverman added that having James Loney, John Jaso and Steven Souza Jr. together in lineup (after the All-Star break) will lead to more runs.
— After reviewing video of Tuesday’s walk off loss with pitching coach Jim Hickey, Brad Boxberger said it was obvious he was tipping his pitches:
It was pretty obvious, looking at the video, so I’ll definitely make some changes with that and get back to not telling every hitter what’s coming.
Boxberger acknowledged that he needs to make adjustments against the opposing batters, who seem to have adjusted to the reliever:
It’s a combination of me not making my pitches along with a hitter’s different approach. (Tuesday’s game) definitely made me look at the video and see how I was attacking hitters and probably getting a little too happy with the changeup when they’re going to be looking for it. So I’ll definitely change my approach.
— Marc Topkin wrote about the return of Drew Smyly in the forthcoming months:
Baseball operations president Matt Silverman said the team is optimistic LHP Drew Smyly can return in August from shoulder issues, based on his response to a throwing program that has included several bullpen sessions. “He’s been getting his work in, he’s been pain free, and he’s starting to build up,” Silverman said, though live batting practices and rehabilitation games will be a truer test. Smyly has been sidelined since early May due to a torn labrum. It is possible the tear had been there and his discomfort was related to other issues.