MIAMI -- With their dynamic lineup scuffling over the last two weeks, the Rays have found themselves with little margin for error. Every missed opportunity at the plate, every walk on the mound and every mistake in the field is magnified when runs are scarce and wins feel scarcer.
That was the case again Sunday afternoon at loanDepot park, where the Rays’ slide continued with a 4-1 loss to the Marlins. Tampa Bay dropped the series, the first time the club has lost back-to-back series since April 17-22, and fell to 3-10 over the last 13 games.
As a result, the Rays’ once-comfortable lead in the American League standings has evaporated. They are now 37-25, and the Yankees are mere percentage points behind with a 38-26 record.
“I think it's just kind of how baseball goes sometimes. You go through little stretches here and there,” lefty reliever Garrett Cleavinger said. “I know our guys in this room will get it turned around, and we'll be just fine. We got off to a good start, so we all know it's in there.”
It’s just been hard to see it over the past two weeks. The Rays have scored three runs or fewer in eight of their last 10 losses, including Sunday’s mostly punchless defeat.
Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara was on top of his game, cruising through seven innings with seven strikeouts while allowing just one run on five hits and a walk. The Rays managed to strike first, scoring in the third inning on an RBI single by Yandy Díaz, but that was their lone hit in only four at-bats with runners in scoring position on the day.
As a team, the Rays are hitting just .232 with a .684 OPS during this 13-game stretch, compared to .261 with a .724 OPS over their first 49 games. Some of that is due to personnel, as they’ve been without outfielders Jake Fraley and Jonny DeLuca and had to manage Chandler Simpson’s playing time this weekend due to a bruised left thumb.
But even their stars haven’t been immune from this team-wide slump, as Junior Caminero went 0-for-9 the past two days and Jonathan Aranda is off to a 2-for-22 start in June.
“We've got some guys that are going through it right now. We've got them on the pitching side, on the offensive side, and we're just not clicking for whatever reason,” manager Kevin Cash said. “But we're going to continue to work to get going. I don't think anybody in there feels too good about themselves at the plate right now and certainly what's gone on the last 10 days or so.”
With their lineup scoring just one run in the series finale, the Rays’ pitching and defense had to be nearly perfect to win. Starter Griffin Jax did his part, efficiently pitching five scoreless innings, and the defense was excellent behind him.
But the bullpen provided no relief, and one defensive mistake effectively put the game out of reach.
In the sixth, Cleavinger issued a one-out walk to left-handed-hitting DH Liam Hicks then left a two-strike fastball over the plate to Otto Lopez. Miami’s shortstop ripped a game-tying RBI triple to right-center and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Stowers.
“Anytime I go in and walk a lefty, it's not going to be a good situation. Got to be better there,” Cleavinger said. “That kind of led to some other things that took us down a bad path that inning, for sure.”
Still down by a run in the seventh, Cash turned to veteran lefty Steven Matz, who made his first appearance since being moved from the rotation to the bullpen.
Matz said he felt good physically, an encouraging sign after his fastball velocity dipped in his last start. But his command wasn’t quite there, as he walked Esteury Ruiz and Jakob Marsee with one out.
“Part of my identity is to be a strike-thrower and having command,” Matz said. “I just can't walk guys, that's the bottom line, and that's really what's getting me in trouble.”
Ruiz stole third, and Marsee stole second. That put both in position to score on an odd play. Joe Mack hit a grounder to shortstop Taylor Walls, who quickly fired a throw home to Hunter Feduccia. The catcher tried to tag Ruiz before he had secured the ball, which rolled to the backstop, allowing Marsee to score from second and put the Marlins ahead by three.
“I think it was a good throw. I think I was just being too quick, tried to put the tag on too quick,” Feduccia said. “As I went to go swipe, just missed the ball. … I've got to catch the ball in that situation. No excuse.”
And no margin for error.