TAMPA Bay Rays Lose a Heartbreaker to the Red Sox

Cruel Baseball Realities

Let’s talk about how cruel baseball can be at times.

The Rays lost 1-0 to the Red Sox on Wednesday night. That’s not the cruel part. The rubber-match loss cost them the three-game series even though the Rays outscored Boston 20-9. That’s not too cruel, either.

If you want to know why this game will likely cause a restless night for a handful of Rays, consider these details:

The Details of the Loss

• The lone run came on a third-inning homer by David Hamilton, a 27-year-old with eight career home runs coming into that at-bat.
• On the two-strike pitch before the homer — a low fastball on the outside corner — the FanDuel strike zone graphic suggested Hamilton should have been rung up by home plate umpire Emil Jimenez.
• The 335-foot laser down the rightfield line would not have been a home run in any ballpark other than Steinbrenner Field. It had a hang time of 3.33 seconds, which is the shortest of any homer hit in the majors this season.
• There were seven other balls hit farther, and every single one was caught for an out.
• And it was the first time the Red Sox had won a 1-0 game on a home run in more than six years.

Reflections on the Loss

So, how do you feel about that loss now?

“That’s the game, right?” catcher Danny Jansen said. “Stuff like that happens and you just have to move on and go to the next at-bat, the next pitch. So, yeah, heartbreaking. No doubt.”

Zack Littell’s Performance

That probably goes for the entire series. The Rays pounded the Sox 16-1 in the opener, but did not lead a single inning in the next two games. They did not play poorly Wednesday, they just failed to capitalize on the few chances they had.

The Rays put two runners on with one out in both the first and fifth innings, and promptly went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. A leadoff single in the third was wiped out when Yandy Diaz hit into a double play, and Christopher Morel’s one-out single in the fourth ended with a caught stealing.

Conclusion

In the end, the Rays fell short despite a solid pitching performance from Zack Littell. The loss highlighted missed opportunities and the challenges of facing left-handed starters.

FAQs

Q: Why did the Rays lose despite outscoring the Red Sox?

A: The Rays struggled to capitalize on key moments and faced a strong bullpen from the Red Sox.

Q: What was the key moment in the game?

A: David Hamilton’s unlikely homer proved to be the deciding factor in the Rays’ loss.