The Tampa Bay Rays face a 2-0 deficit in the World Series because they haven’t played the smart, crisp, small-ball brand of baseball that helped them win 105 games to this point.
They’ve made mistakes on the bases, committed errors in the field and struck out more than usual at the plate.
The ball just hasn’t bounced Tampa Bay’s way in a pair of grueling one-run losses to the Milwaukee Brewers. Game 3 is Monday night at Tropicana Field.
“Yeah, it’s frustrating,”
second baseman Richie Palacios said on a video conference Sunday. “Those are baseball plays — that’s where luck is involved in it.”
Palacios broke to cover second base on a hit-and-run in the first inning of Game 2 with runners on first and third and one out. William Contreras hit a bouncer that could’ve potentially been an inning-ending double play but it rolled into center field because Palacios was out of position going to the base, which is the right decision in that spot.
The RBI single helped the Brewers cut a 4-0 deficit in half that inning and they went on to win 5-4.
Contreras should’ve been retired earlier in the at-bat on a foul pop but first baseman Jonathan Aranda dropped the ball.
Aranda later allowed David Hamilton’s grounder to slip between his legs for an error that brought home Milwaukee’s third run in the fourth inning.
In the sixth, left fielder Chandler Simpson misplayed a fly ball by Christian Yelich and it caromed off his glove for a single. That misplay didn't cost Tampa Bay any runs, however.
“We didn’t play our cleanest baseball game by any stretch,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “We pride ourselves on doing everything we can to support the pitchers and making plays behind them. (Saturday) was probably not our best day.”
Situational hitting, a staple of Tampa Bay’s offense that led the majors in bunting, hasn’t been effective.
Down 5-4 in the ninth, Jonny DeLuca led off with a double. Victor Mesa Jr. failed to advance him, striking out swinging. DeLuca went to third on a groundout but Yandy Diaz struck out on 3-2 pitch, though it appeared on video replay that he checked his swing.
“We’ve lost two ballgames. Not in the position we want to be in,” Cash said. “We’ve also been in two ballgames where we’re one swing of the bat from tying it or taking the lead.
"It hasn’t happened. We’re waiting for that to happen. Hopefully it happens (Monday).”
The Rays are running into too many outs, too.
Up 4-3 in the sixth inning in Game 2, Tampa Bay’s Liam Hicks was thrown out trying to score from second base on a single to left field by Mesa. The not-so-fleet Hicks had just touched third when Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio fielded the ball in shallow left but third base coach Brady Williams was waving him home the entire way and he was easily out at the plate.
Cash defended Williams for that one, saying the Rays have been aggressive all season and want to put pressure on defenses to make plays.
In the series opener Friday night, Mesa was thrown out trying to steal third base to end the top of the third. The Rays were trailing 2-1 when Mesa broke for third on an 0-2 pitch to Díaz. Mesa apologized for what he called “not the smartest move.”
An inning later, Aranda was caught trying to steal second for the third out as Simpson struck out. Cash took the blame for that one, saying he had confidence Simpson would put the ball in play. Simpson only struck out 48 times in the regular season.
Overall, the Rays have fanned 19 times in two games. They averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game in the regular season.
Despite the team’s uncharacteristic performance in the first two games, Cash gave the players off Sunday while the Brewers worked out at the Trop.
“I think our guys are good,” he said. “Knowing that we have an off day, let’s appreciate the off day for what it was. Come in and get your treatment, do that, and keep it simple.”
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