The Tampa Bay Rays need both self-help and outside assistance to improve their flickering American League wild-card hopes.
Might third baseman Junior Caminero also suggest some metaphorical decapitation?
“We have 19 games left,” Caminero said. “We just have to come play hard and take everybody’s head off.”
The Rays will aim to regroup for the stretch run Tuesday when they begin a three-game road series against the Chicago White Sox (55-89).
Tampa Bay (71-72) lost the final three games of a four-game weekend set against the Cleveland Guardians and were four games behind the Seattle Mariners for the third AL wild card entering Monday. Texas, Kansas City and Cleveland are ahead of Tampa Bay in a crowded race.
“We’re fortunate to have put ourselves in a position where we are within striking distance, but obviously these last three days weren’t great,” Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen said. “… But if we go out and we play hard and we take care of our business, we are fortunate enough to be in the position that good things can still happen.”
Chicago (55-89) stunted Tampa Bay’s second-half start by winning two of three at Steinbrenner Field from July 21-23.
The White Sox won four of their first five series after the All-Star break before cooling considerably for most of August. Trying to fend off the franchise’s third consecutive 100-loss season, Chicago is back to playing improved ball.
Sunday’s 6-4 victory at American League Central-leading Detroit capped a 6-1 road trip while giving the White Sox seven victories in their past eight games overall.
Chicago welcomed an open date Monday after going 10-7 during a stretch of 17 games in as many days.
“We talked in the beginning of the month about finishing strong and we just wanted to do our thing and do it the right way, play hard and do the things we can control,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “For it to end in wins like this and a road trip where we win six out of seven at the end of a 17-game stretch, just tons of credit to our group for just grinding and fighting.”
Resilient pitching and power from new and unforeseen places have propelled Chicago.
Rookie shortstop Colson Montgomery homered in three games on the road trip, giving him 18 home runs in 53 games since joining the team in July.
Infielder Lenyn Sosa still holds the club lead with a career-high 20 round-trippers after delivering a solo shot Sunday.
“I definitely wasn’t expecting that this year,” Sosa said, “but now that I’ve reached that number, it feels good.”
Righty Adrian Houser (8-4, 3.01 ERA) is expected to get the call for the Rays against his former team. Houser went 6-2 with a 2.10 ERA in 11 starts with the White Sox before landing with Tampa Bay in a July 31 trade.
Houser has won two of his six starts with the Rays and is coming off Wednesday’s home win against Seattle, when he scattered four runs and four hits in seven innings.
Rookie right-hander Yoendrys Gomez, who spent time as a reliever with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers this season, is set to start for the White Sox.
Gomez (3-2, 4.79) is 2-1 with a 3.42 ERA in five outings as a starter since being recalled from Triple-A on Aug. 12. He scattered seven hits and two runs, one earned, in five innings in a no-decision at Minnesota on Wednesday.
–Field Level Media
