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Rays journal: Ugly first inning dooms Andriese, Rays against Orioles (w/video)

 
Matt Andriese has a tough first: hits to four of first five batters, leading to three runs, the only ones he gives up in six innings
Matt Andriese has a tough first: hits to four of first five batters, leading to three runs, the only ones he gives up in six innings
Published Sept. 22, 2017

BALTIMORE — Rays manager Kevin Cash said before Thursday's game that RHP Matt Andriese was among the pitchers who would most benefit from a strong finish to the season.

And then Andriese nearly didn't make it out of the first.

But after allowing hits to four of the first five Orioles, and three runs in the process, Andriese settled down and settled in to work six solid innings. The Rays, though, could not get out of that hole and lost 3-1, dropping to 74-79 and all but out of the crowded race for the final American League playoff spot.

"Just threw too many pitches in the first over the plate. Mistake pitches, trying to get settled in. But you can't be settling in against an aggressive team like this,'' he said. "At that point I wanted to turn that into a quality start, and I was able to do that.''

RELATED: Former Ray Tim Beckham's over being traded, or is he?

The lack of offense has been a problem at times throughout the season, especially down the stretch. Thursday was even more frustrating as the Rays got their first three batters on against Orioles RHP Gabriel Ynoa and didn't get a run.

After leading off with a bloop double, Mallex Smith made a bad decision to try to steal third on ball four to No. 2 hitter Lucas Duda and got thrown out. Evan Longoria followed with a single, but Logan Morrison grounded into a double play.

"I think we probably would all agree that's not the situation to go,'' Cash said the steal attempt.

And why did Smith try?

"I was hoping that (Orioles 3B Manny) Machado was a little bit further off the bag than he was,'' he said. "Delayed steal, catch him off guard. But he got back in good time, and it was a good throw. The plan just didn't succeed.''

They had a shot with two on in the ninth, but pinch-hitter Kevin Kiermaier flied out for the Rays' ninth loss in 12 games.

RELATED: Beat writer Marc Topkin's takeaways from Thursday's Rays-Orioles game.

Better for the experience

When rookie INF Daniel Robertson was sent back to Triple A on Aug. 25, he was understandably disappointed, mostly in himself for not playing better. But the experience of getting everyday action for the final 11 games of the season (hitting .372) then playing in — and winning — two rounds of playoffs and the Triple-A national championship game made it all worthwhile, he said upon rejoining the Rays on Thursday. "At the time, I was like, 'I did this to myself,' " he said. "But once I got down there I sat back and realized the plan the team had for me and how valuable it was for me to get those at-bats every day, and to go on the run that we did down in Triple A, that stuff you can't compare it. Now that I look back, it was awesome for me." Robertson started at shortstop Thursday and got two hits, upping his average to .219, and Cash said he will play most of the Rays' last nine games.

Number of the day

214 Homers hit by Rays this season; two shy of their franchise record set in 2016, including 112 on the road, one shy of their previous most, also set in 2016.

Otani of interest

The Rays, like most of the other 29 teams, have serious interest in Japanese two-way standout Shohei Otani, serious enough that senior VP/general manager Erik Neander went to Japan this week to scout him personally. Under revised MLB rules, it would cost no more than about $10 million to sign him.

Miscellany

• CF Kevin Kiermaier and SS Adeiny Hechavarria were not in the lineup, Cash saying they had been playing a lot and he wanted to get them off their feet for a day. Kiermaier had started every game since coming off the disabled list on Aug. 18.

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• The Rays got SS Osmy Gregorio from Seattle to complete a three-player return in the Aug. 6 trade that sent RHP Ryan Garton and C Mike Marjama west. Gregorio, 19, spent most of 2017 with the Mariners' Arizona rookie-league team, hitting .220 with 80 strikeouts in 209 at-bats.

• LHP Xavier Cedeno, who was completing a five-month rehab from an elbow issue, and RHP Chih-Wei Hu also joined the team from Durham.

• By choosing to play a night game against the Cubs (and thus having a bigger crowd), the Rays didn't get to their Baltimore hotel until around 3 a.m. They hadn't put themselves in that position of a home getaway night game since June 2016.