This game thankfully was probably not watched by many in the Tampa Bay media market, with the Bucs launching their season at around the same time. After the Rays roared back into the Wild Card race, this series ends any dwindling hopes, and after another big high profile blown game by a key reliever last night, there wasn’t going to be many who were going to pick this one over the Bucs.
However, if you did watch, you would see a fairly perfect example of how this years Rays club built such an impressive
run differential, have a Pythag expected win-loss record of 77-65, and also why they are 6 wins below that in actual results. It’s all the little things.
Today they faced former Seminole Parker Messick again, and yet again the Rays did not do much better than the last time they saw him, continuing to be baffled by a left hander who can throw strikes.
In the 1st inning, with 2 outs, Junior Caminero hit a rocket shot that stayed in the park and ended up being a very long and loud single. Next batter up, Brandon Lowe hit a towering fly ball that got swirled all around in the wind, eventually landing in fair territory. Unfortunately, Caminero did not run, stayed at 2nd, then slowly started up again, and was unable to score on a ball that probably stayed in the air for around 5 seconds and didn’t get back to the infield until 10 seconds off the bat. A free gift of a run given away.
Later on, after a bad bounce and worse misplay by Chandler Simpson in LF, the Guardians had tied the game at 1-1 and ended up with a triple. Garrett Cleavinger impressively worked his way mostly out of the jam, including an impressive play at the plate to nab Jose Ramirez trying to score on the safety squeeze bunt.
After the hard work was done, Kevin Kelly came in and immediately gives up the 2 out base hit to score the go ahead and ultimately winning run. Of course, even that could go differently, as the ball gets to Josh Lowe in RF with plenty of time and a slower runner just arriving at 3rd. Unforuntately, Josh Lowe is well off line with his throw and Fortes unable to make a great catch and sweep tag just a half beat late.
Simple, easy, small things. All about execution, all about what the Rays can do themselves and not what Cleveland did to beat them. All too often, all season, in most losses, it was the Rays and the Rays alone that were responsible for why that ended up being a loss.
This game also shwoed why the Rays should be fighting for a higher WC seed and not well out of the race for the last spot. They generated base runners in almost every single inning of this game. The were a pitch away from keeping the game tied, much like they were last night. Back to back games where there is an inch, a pitch, a play, an at bat away from turning a series loss, back to back losses, into a series win. It’s what makes this season so frustrating, but what also showcased what can and hopefully will go right in 2026.
Carson Williams is maybe one of those potential bright spots. He showed off some of the talents that made him the Rays number 1 prospect and a top prospect around the league. Carson is known for two big positive weapons: power and glove
The power came with the Rays only run, turning Messick’s only real mistake pitch into a gorgeous bomb.
Carson showed off the glove, well really the fielding instincts, with a perfect relay throw to Fortes to erase a potential run earlier.
The bad news for that is they wildly underperformed what they should have been. Even this series starts strong, then unable to even get the series split and instead lose back to back series v Cleveland one at home one away this time a 3-1 series loss, and completely ruin any hopes you could have and that you worked so hard earlier in the week to build.
The good news? These are about execution. About doing these little things right. It’s not about being overwhelmed because you aren’t good enough. It’s not about needing to replace half the team.
Neander has some ahrd decisions and work to do this offseason, but this team even with it’s flaws was a playoff team this year if they didn’t get out of their own way.
