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Injury-plagued Rays lose to Mariners (w/video)

 
Kevin Kiermaier swings well over strike three with two runners on in the fourth inning, one of several wasted opportunities.
Kevin Kiermaier swings well over strike three with two runners on in the fourth inning, one of several wasted opportunities.
Published May 26, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays have done an impressive job surviving a series of injuries to key players to get to Memorial Day atop the American League East, but staying there will be even tougher having to play without James Loney the next four to six weeks.

That leaves them with the remnants of a lineup that on some nights, to put it politely, doesn't provide much support around Evan Longoria. Consider Monday's 4-1 loss to the Mariners, when not one of the other eight players had a full season as a big-league regular.

And given that the Rays had already been struggling to score, the challenge — and the pressure — is even greater.

"At times, guys might press a little," said former second baseman, and now first baseman, Logan Forsythe. "We work on it day in and day out. Even in BP we talk about getting runners over and getting them in.

"We have a solid plan in place, but it doesn't happen 100 percent of the time. And questions rise up when the offense does struggle and we don't take advantage of those opportunities. I think it's just a little rough patch we're going through. We'll see."

Monday, before a quiet Memorial Day night crowd of 10,401, was definitely rough. Even worse, they wasted yet another solid start by Jake Odorizzi, the least supported pitcher in the majors.

Between eight hits and three walks, the Rays managed to leave 11 men on and go 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, their worst showing in nearly a year. In each inning from the second on they stranded at least one. Their only run came on Forsythe's homer leading off the sixth.

"Right now obviously we're in a little bit of a tailspin here," manager Kevin Cash said. "One big hit can knock you out of that I think, and we're just not getting it right now."

They've been struggling for a few days now, with just three runs total over their past three games, all losses of course.

"It happens during the season, offensive struggles," Forsythe said. "We've been doing well up to this point. I think we're just trying to get back to where we were, trying to get in there and have good at-bats and do the things we were successful with."

Odorizzi, once again, did what he could. Monday, he overcame a rough start, allowing two runs before getting his first out (with a Tim Beckham error factoring in) yet still managing to work a solid seven innings, the first starter to get that deep since May 12. It was the ninth time in his 10 starts he got into the seventh.

But once again, he didn't get any help. Monday also was the ninth time in his 10 starts the Rays (24-22) scored two or fewer runs for him, as his support of 1.70 runs per start is lowest in the majors.

"I can't really think about it, to be honest with you," Odorizzi said. "It's something that's out of my control. I can just control what I do out there and make pitches and go from there. Hopefully the runs will come. At some point, it's got to change right? It is what it is."

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Contact Marc Topkin at mtopkin@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Rays.