Rays 9, Blue Jays 10
Record 59-48
Attendance: 28,204
Willie Adames and Travis d'Arnaud hit three-run homers in the top of the second inning to give the Rays a 6-2 lead, which they stretched to 8-2 in the third and 9-2 in the sixth. The Blue Jays picked up their third run in the bottom of the sixth, then added two more in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 9-5 going into the bottom of the ninth, when they burst out with four runs to tie the game at 9 on a three-run homer by super-rookie Vladimir Guerrero and a solo shot by Brandon Drury, who went 4 for 6 on the night. Then in the tenth, Teoscar Hernandez won the game with a walk-off home run, his second of the night. In all the Blue Jays hit six home runs.
Who gave up all those home runs? Well, all the usual suspects. Opener Andrew Kittredge gave up one in three innings. Hunter Wood gave up two in his inning. Oliver Drake and Colin Poche each gave up one in the ninth. And Emilio Pagan served up the winning home run in the eleventh.
It was an enormous game for the Rays who had beaten the Red Sox on Wednesday and the Blue Jays on Friday, and were beginning to believe in themselves again. Then came a 9-2 lead in the sixth inning. They were thinking sweep when the bottom fell out and they allowed themselves to be beaten, allowed the Blue Jays to mount an improbable comeback that should never have happened.
What has to happen before manager Kevin Cash and the Rays' front office come to the conclusion that this bullpen they love so much is absolutely awful? They gave away a seven-run lead Saturday. Seven runs! Making matters even worse, after the sixth inning, the Rays did not get a single hit, going 0-21.
They play Toronto one more time on Sunday before a three-game set against the Red Sox in Boston starting on Tuesday the 30th. But Saturday's embarrassing loss is the last straw for this team that hasn't been able to get it right since April's excellent start. From this point to the end of this disappointing season, the Rays will be playing out the string. They should sell off some talent this week and build for next year. Let's see a few hopeful signs for 2020.
There is an upside, however, not even Montreal will want these guys.
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