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Rays journal: Mistakes lead to loss to Braves

 
Published Aug. 29, 2018|Updated Aug. 29, 2018

ATLANTA — The Rays' eight-game winning streak ended at their own hands Tuesday in a mess of a 9-5 loss to the Braves.

As if two errors the Rays made on a sac bunt by Atlanta starter Julio Teheran that led to four fifth-inning runs wasn't bad enough, they botched an infield grounder in the eighth that allowed the Braves to take the lead for good.

Rookie 1B Jake Bauers, who is struggling mightily at the plate (3-for-his-last-47) had his hand in both plays, the kind of mistakes the Rays had not been making during their streak.

"Quirky bunt play, quirky infield play, two things we didn't execute," manager Kevin Cash said.

The eighth-inning sequence proved to be more damning, in part because the Rays had just battled back to tie (and against ex-mate Jonny Venters, who hadn't allowed a run as a Brave to that point), and because it seemed more of a mental error than physical mistake.

The Braves had pinch-runner Adam Duvall on third and Ozzie Albies on second after RHP Chaz Roe allowed a leadoff walk and a double.

Dansby Swanson hit a grounder that 2B Joey Wendle stopped and threw to first for the out as Duvall held at third though Albies broke hard off second. Bauers looked at Albies as he headed back to second, and Duvall took advantage, breaking for home and sliding in. The Rays challenged the call, but after a 1:45 review it stood, and the Braves were ahead 6-5. Two homers then made it 9-5.

On the bunt play, Cash said Bauers was "just a tick overaggressive in trying to make the play,'' though obviously they needed to get an out.

On the eighth-inning play. Bauers said he assumed by how Albies broke for third that Duvall had scored so he was going for the out at second and then threw home late after hearing 3B Matt Duffy yelling. "Just a weird play," he said.

"It was a pretty quirky play and you can't really fault anybody," Cash said.

The sloppiness in the fifth started when RHP Yonny Chirinos allowed a pair of singles. Teheran dropped a bunt that first Bauers mishandled and then Duffy picked it up and threw wildly past first. The Braves got one on the play, another on the ensuing sac fly and two more in the inning.

"We didn't play very clean and our mistakes hurt us more than theirs did,'' Duffy said.

"Definitely a tough loss especially after the way we battled back to tie it," Roe said. "Things just didn't go our way that inning."

The Rays (70-62 ) played some small ball to score early, got a two-run home from rookie Brandon Lowe and rapped three hits off Venters in the eighth.

For openers, NL style

The Rays feel there is somewhat of an added benefit in using the opener in DH-less NL rules games in that they can be more aggressive in pinch-hitting for the pitcher in the early innings than a team using a traditional starter they expect to carry them into sixth or seventh. "Sometimes you've got to wait it out because you value those innings from a starter so much,'' Cash said. The Rays indeed got that opportunity in the top of the second. After scoring one run on a bases loaded sac fly, they had C.J. Cron hit for opener Ryne Stanek, though he flied to deep right. RHP Yonny Chirinos took over from there. The Rays options are somewhat limited since they called up RHP Andrew Kittredge when OF Mallex Smith went on the DL and thus didn't have the extra position player, with four pinch-hit options on the bench, including second catcher Jesus Sucre.

Medical matters: Smith, Sucre

OF Mallex Smith was working out and running around at the Trop on Tuesday, another promising sign of improvement since he was released from the hospital Sunday following a weekend bout with a viral infection. "I think he was running some pass routes with a football so that's a big step in the right direction,'' Cash said. The Rays are not establishing a timetable but Cash said it's "fairly reasonable" to expect Smith back when they return home Sept. 7. "We don't know how he's going to respond day to day,' Cash said. "We'd love to get him in some rehab games.'' … C Jesus Sucre said his right wrist he injured in New York a few weeks ago remains sore and even though he is able to play he and his agent have discussed getting a second opinion.

Number of the day

75 Years old on Tuesday for Lou Piniella, who posted a 200-285 mark in his three seasons (2003-05) managing the Devil Rays, the only one of the five teams he managed that didn't have an overall winning record.

Musical interludes

Braves organist Mathew Kaminski is known for his creativity in playing songs that play off visiting players' names. For a guy who took to Twitter Tuesday morning admitting he didn't "know who any of these Rays players are" and solicited suggestions, he came up with some decent ones. Most creative was a haunting ticking clock for Jake Bauers as in the show 24 featuring Jack Bauer. Among the others, Kevin Kiermaier got the Oscar Meyer Weiner jingle, Tommy Pham Pinball Wizard, Willy Adames the theme for The Addams Family, Matt Duffy the Duff Beer song from The Simpsons show, and Joey Wendle the Friends show theme.

Miscellany

• RHP Yonny Chirinos' first professional at-bat was somewhat cruel, coming in the fourth inning against nasty Braves starter Julio Teheran, and ended as you'd expect, with a strikeout.

• The Rays have a 10-21 record against the Braves, surpassing their 5-10 mark vs. the Reds for their worst winning percentage against any opponent.

• Thirteen of the 25 players on the Rays active roster Tuesday were not on it the last time the teams played on May 9 at the Trop.

• The Rays fell to 6-13 in interleague play, 3-6 under NL rules.

• Triple-A Durham INF/OF Kean Wong was named to the International League postseason All-Star team.