The Tampa Bay Rays and visiting Boston Red Sox will both be searching for more offense when they open a three-game series Monday night.
Tampa Bay was limited to six hits and struck out 10 times during Sunday’s 4-1 loss to Miami. It was Tampa Bay’s 10th loss in 13 games, and marked the eighth time during that stretch that the Rays have scored three or fewer runs. Tampa Bay failed to score more than one run in four of those 13 games.
“We got some guys who are going through it right now,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “We got them on the pitching side, on the offensive side and we’re just not clicking for whatever reason, but we’ll continue to work to get going. I don’t think anybody in there feels too good about themselves at the plate right now. Certainly not after what’s gone on in the last 10 days or so.”
The lone offensive highlight against Miami starter Sandy Alcantara on Sunday came in the third inning, when Yandy Diaz extended his on-base streak to 21 games with a two-out single that drove in Taylor Walls.
“I think Alcantara was really tough,” Cash said. “He had a good fastball going, mixed his fastball well between the two-seam and the four-seam. Kept us off-balance. A lot of power and proficiency.”
Despite their recent struggles at the plate, the Rays are still in a virtual tie atop of the American League East standings, 10 1/2 games ahead of the Red Sox, who are at the bottom of the division.
Boston is coming off Sunday’s 6-1 loss to the New York Yankees, and split two games in New York (Saturday’s contest was rained out). Boston was held to six hits, four of them singles, on Sunday.
The Red Sox have failed to score more than three runs in 35 of their 63 games this season, and have been limited to 10 total runs in their last five losses. Boston ranks last in the majors with 48 home runs.
“You still have to, in our position, look at it like we’re going to get on a plane, get to Tampa and try to win a series,” Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said. “And look at it like it’s a good road trip against a tough AL East stretch. That’s how you have to look at it. That’s what we’ll do.”
Boston will send left-hander Connelly Early (5-3, 3.26 ERA) to the mound Monday. Early is 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA in two career appearances against Tampa Bay. He has 12 strikeouts in 11 innings against the Rays.
Cash said left-hander Ian Seymour (3-0, 5.23) will be used as an opener for the Rays on Monday, but right-hander Mason Englert (0-1, 4.71) is expected to get the bulk of the innings out of the bullpen. Englert doesn’t have a decision in seven career appearances (12 innings) against Boston.
The Red Sox and Rays previously met in a three-game series in Boston May 7-8 and 10. The Red Sox won two of three games, with Early allowing four hits and one walk in seven shutout innings of the first Boston win. He struck out eight.
–Field Level Media
