Friday, May 31. Game 55: Two hit batters in 9th do Rays in

Rays 3,  Twins 5

Record: 35-20

Attendance:  14,375

It isn't especially surprising the Rays lost last night.  They didn't have two of their hottest hitters, Tommy Pham and Avisail Garcia (both out with what appear to be minor injuries), but they only managed four hits, after all. What is surprising is that they were right in the game, a 3-3 tie, going into the ninth inning.  Diego Castillo came in to get the last out in the top of the eighth, but then in the ninth he got into immediate trouble by hitting the leadoff hitter and then hitting the fifth hitter, squeezing two outs in between.  Lefty Adam Kolarek came in to face lefty Eddie Rosario, who promptly grounded a single inside third base, and suddenly the game was 5-3 Twins, which is how it ended.

Put the blame for this one on the closer tandem of Alvarado and Castillo.  This time it was Castillo who got  the loss and is now 1-4 (but 6-0 in saves).  Alvarado is 0-4 (but also 6-0 in saves).  It's the losses of course that are causing concern.  Those are eight games the Rays might have won if their closer situation was more rock solid.  Finding the strike zone has become an adventure.  Too many high velocity fastballs get spiked into the dirt and require acrobatic moves by the catcher to keep runners from advancing--or scoring.  And last night, Castillo plunked two men in the ninth inning of a tie game.

Let's be positive here:  The Rays are no doubt trying to work out a deal with one-time All Star closer Craig Kimbrel, who is still available on the free agent market.  And due to the language of MLB's rules and regs, after June 1, the signing team doesn't have to give up a draft pick to sign him.  It is possible that the tag team of Alvarado and Castillo will come back and be the steaming strike throwers they were in April, and there is no telling that Kimbrel will be up to the job.  But with everything else going so well for the Rays, it would be a terrible decision not to throw the dice.  Kimbrel could be the single piece of the puzzle that puts the Rays into the playoffs.  Deep into the playoffs.

As quiet as Rays bats were last night, Kevin Kiermaier hit his sixth homer of the year in the second, a towering fly ball to straightaway center with one man on.  And in the third inning, with Austin Meadows on third and Willy Adames on first, the Rays pulled off a double steal, Adames breaking for second and drawing a throw, which was enough distraction for Meadows to steal home.  But that was it for offense, which was apparently resting on its Thursday night laurels.

Today's day game pits Yonny Chirinos (6-1, 2.91) against Kyle Gibson (5-2, 4.08).