Rays Game 16: David Price Hit Hard, No Luck for Offense

Lately it seems like we’re watching reruns of the same frustrating Rays game over and over again. For the third time in their last four games, the Rays played a game that can be accurately described like this: the Rays’ starting pitcher struggled and the offense could not do nearly enough. In this game, it was David Price who did not deliver the type of outing the Rays were hoping for.

Price allowed a Brian McCann RBI single in the first inning, but it was in the second inning that things actually started to come apart. A double by Scott Sizemore followed by triples by Brian Roberts and Jacoby Ellsbury gave the New York Yankees 3 runs before Derek Jeter drove home a fourth with a single. Price rebounded to retire 7 in a row from the 3rd inning to the 5th, but his outing wound up being a sandwich of struggling around that one bright spot as Alfonso Soriano and McCann drilled back-to-back home runs. David Price went 5 innings allowing 6 runs on 10 hits, and the timing of his rare bad outing could not have been worse. The Rays’ bullpen provided little relief behind him, allowing 4 runs in their 4 innings of work.

On the offensive side, it looked like the Rays were going to make the game into a slugfest after Price’s early struggles. In the second inning, Evan Longoria doubled before Wil Myers culminated a great at-bat with a walk. But then Sean Rodriguez grounded into a 5-4-3 triple play, and that set the tone for the night. The Rays stranded a couple of 2-out baserunners in the 3rd and saw a 4th inning rally fizzle after an outstanding double play executed by Derek Jeter and Brian Roberts, although they did come away with one run on a passed ball. The Rays had some chances against Sabathia, but the left-hander wound up going 7 innings allowing 2 runs, 1 earned, on 7 hits, striking out 6 while walking 2. Sean Rodriguez homered in the 7th for the second run. The Rays had some encouraging at-bats and hit the ball hard, but nothing ever came together as they were held to under 4 runs for the 8th time in their last 9 games. Longoria and Yunel Escobar did have multiple-hit games while Myers did draw 2 walks without striking out to provide the few highlights.

The Rays have now lost 4 in a row and will hope to finally get back on track tomorrow at 7:05 PM with Erik Bedard making his first Rays start opposite Hiroki Kuroda.