Rays lineup failed to show up for early wake up call vs Guardians in ALCS Game 3

It’s a feeling that’s become all too familiar for the Tampa Bay Rays’ bats. No, it’s not as bad as in years past, but the bar is so low. 

In the Game 3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, they scored the same number of runs as they did in the 2022 and 2023 postseasons combined. Previous performances have been way more frustrating, but what they’re delivering now still isn’t enough. 

It doesn't matter if the game is at 1 p.m. or the original time of 6 p.m. There's a game, and they need to be ready to go.

They had the tying run on in the eighth inning. He never made it home. They went 1-2-3 in six different innings. Their rally in the fourth inning was responsible for three of their four baserunners in the game. 

When a team allows just three runs, they should be able to win the game. The Rays just needed one more rally. It didn’t materialize. 

Game 3 is not the sole example. In six postseason games, they’ve scored three runs or fewer. It’s not a recipe for success. 

According to StatMuse, the Rays posted a 23-47 record when they scored at most three runs in a game this season. That’s a .329 winning percentage. It’s actually an improvement that they’re 2-2 in this same situation this season. 

It’s just harder to win games when the bats are quiet. 

The bullpen unraveling in Game 1 of the ALCS can get blame, too. It made a comeback in that game essentially insurmountable, whereas Game 3 was decided by one run. But even then, they wasted opportunities in the fifth and sixth innings of Game 1, which could have changed the scope of what followed.

Cleveland was given the chance to get back in it, and they simply did it in a big way. The same can be said for their win on Thursday without the piling on of late runs. They had the chance. They capitalized. They won. The Rays didn't capitalize enough. They lost.

So what’s the issue behind these lackluster Rays bats? 

Some of the Rays' most reliable bats have been inconsistent or quiet entirely.  

Junior Caminero, an MVP candidate in the American League, has been quiet in the ALCS, going 2-for-11 with one RBI. Jonathan Aranda hasn’t recorded a hit or a walk in this series, and Victor Mesa Jr. has reached base twice. 

Their deadline addition, Liam Hicks, has one solid game and two games with nothing to show for them. Chandler Simpson had a big moment in the Game 3 loss, but it's an outlier in his overall postseason performance.

All of them had strong regular seasons and are why the Rays are where they are. They may also be the reason the run ends sooner than they wanted.

Nothing is clicking consistently across the lineup. That has to change fast, starting with 6 p.m. on Friday in Cleveland. They’re still in it for now, but if they lose this series, regardless of how many games, there will be moments to look back on. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow