Following a historic start, the Rays are suddenly playing catch-up in the AL East

Baseball

Published 24.07.2023

Following a historic start, the Rays are suddenly playing catch-up in the AL East

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The slumping Tampa Bay Rays imagine in themselves.

Baseball’s finest workforce for a lot of this season has seen a historic begin give technique to a July swoon that’s loosened its maintain on the highest file within the American League.

The surging Baltimore Orioles gained three of 4 between the division rivals over the weekend, taking up first place within the AL East and dropping the reeling Rays, who opened the 12 months with 13 consecutive victories, two video games off the tempo.

.acf-block-preview .instagram-twitter-container {
width: 340px;
margin: 0 auto;
}

Tampa Bay entered July with a season-high 6 1/2-game division lead however has stumbled to an AL-worst 4-14 file this month whereas sputtering offensively and weathering accidents which are testing the depth of their beginning pitching.

The Rays haven’t compiled top-of-the-line marks within the majors over the past decade with out being resourceful and resilient, although, which is one cause supervisor Kevin Cash is assured his workforce will rebound and end robust because it goals for a fifth straight playoff look.

“We’re just a very talented team that is going through a tough spot right now,” Cash mentioned.

“I’m guessing every guy in there right now is feeling a sense of urgency of wanting to contribute and wanting to be that big swing or have that big swing that gets us going,” Cash added after Sunday’s 5-3 loss to the Orioles. “It’s just not coming right now.”

Since profitable two straight towards last-place Kansas City popping out of the All-Star break, the Rays have dropped seven of eight to fall behind the Orioles. They’ve scored three or fewer runs 11 occasions in July, together with 5 video games with one run.

“The hardest part of this game is hitting. … Our job is to just keep on working, try to stay positive,” All-Star first baseman Yandy Diaz mentioned by way of a translator.

“And we still have a lot of time. We still have about two months or so to go,” Diaz added. “We’re going to stay focused and stay positive, and I think we’re gonna come out of it.”

With a projected rotation of Shane McClanahan, Tyler Glasnow, Zach Eflin, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs, the Rays entered spring coaching with expectations of getting one of many deepest pitching staffs within the majors.

All 5 have served stints on the injured listing, forcing Cash to continuously alter pitching plans.

While McClanahan (11-1, 2.89 ERA) and Eflin (11-5, 3.36) have been excellent, Glasnow (left indirect pressure) started the season on the injured listing and didn’t make his first begin till May 27.

Springs (left elbow) was positioned on IL after going 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA in three April begins, and Rasmussen (proper elbow) was pitching properly (4-2, 2.62 in eight begins) when he went down in May. Both will miss the rest of the 12 months, that means the Rays could also be out there for some assist on the commerce deadline.

McClanahan, an All-Star for the second straight season, spent 17 days on the IL resulting from mid-back tightness earlier than rejoining the rotation on July 17. Eflin missed time in April resulting from low again tightness however has been every thing the Rays hoped they had been getting when the previous Phillies pitcher signed a $40 million, three-year contract that’s the biggest deal for a free agent in Rays historical past.

“You always hate losing people and having people go down. … But at the end of the day we’re focused on the game that’s in front of us, the game today,” Eflin mentioned. “Nobody is down in the dumps or anything.”

With a potent lineup that includes Diaz and fellow All-Stars Randy Arozarena and Wander Franco, Cash mentioned it’s solely a matter of time earlier than the offense will get again on observe.

The workforce’s skid comes on the heels of Cash benching Franco two video games for the best way the 22-year-old shortstop has dealt with some irritating conditions, at occasions not working onerous on the bases or being teammate.

Although the offensive struggles are hardly all on Franco, the first-time All-Star’s manufacturing on the plate has tailed off.

Before the benching, the younger star was batting .287 with an .804 OPS and eight dwelling runs in 72 video games. Since returning to the lineup, he’s hit .207 with a .655 OPS and three homers in 24 video games.

Arozarena has been slumping currently, too, hitting .147 (5 of 34) with one homer, three RBIs and 9 strikeouts in 9 video games for the reason that All-Star break.

“We’d like to snap our fingers and get out of it, but we’re going to have to work,” Cash mentioned.

Arozarena, through a translator, agreed.

“I feel good and trust this team,” the outfielder mentioned. “I think we’re a really good team. … It’s a long season. We just got to keep on going and battling.”