TAMPA — The Rays’ home turf continues to be a tough battlefield.
In their latest outing on Tuesday, they suffered an 8-4 defeat against the Phillies at Steinbrenner Field.
With this loss, the Rays’ home record sunk to 9-14, marking a troubling trend with nine losses in their last ten games played at home. They stand at 7-5 on the road, pulling their overall record to 16-19.
Concerns grew when designated hitter Yandy Diaz left the game during a sixth-inning at-bat, seemingly injuring his right leg.
After celebrating consecutive wins at Yankee Stadium, the Rays fell behind early, unable to recover from a 3-0 deficit established in the second inning.
Kyle Schwarber kicked things off with a home run off Drew Rasmussen, extending his on-base streak to 41 games. Nick Castellanos followed with a hit that left centerfielder Kameron Misner scrambling.
Despite getting J.T. Realmuto to ground into a double play, Rasmussen’s struggles continued as he walked Max Kepler and allowed a two-run homer to Alec Bohm, marking Bohm’s first of the season.
The Phillies tacked on four additional runs in the eighth inning against Mason Englert.
Phillies ace Zack Wheeler demonstrated his skills by striking out nine Rays batters, giving up just two runs and four hits across seven innings.
The Rays managed a brief response, with Brandon Lowe hitting his first double of the season and Diaz following up with a homer, his fifth of the year.
Matchup of the Day
Wednesday promises an exciting matchup as Rays’ infielder Curtis Mead faces off against Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez. These two were traded for each other back in November 2019. Initially, it looked like the Rays came out on top as Mead has climbed the minor league ranks, making a splash in his August 2023 MLB debut. Sanchez, on the other hand, faced challenges through 2021-23 but broke out in 2024, earning All-Star honors with an 11-9 record and a 3.32 ERA.
Wednesday: vs. Phillies
Time: 7:05 PM, Steinbrenner Field, Tampa.
Pitchers: Rays — RH Shane Baz (3-1, 3.86); Phillies — LH Cristopher Sanchez (3-1, 3.45)
TV/Radio: FanDuel Sports Sun, 95.3-FM, 620-AM, 106.7-FM (Spanish)
Info: raysbaseball.com
On Deck
Thursday: vs. Phillies, 7:05 PM. Rays, RH Ryan Pepiot (2-4, 4.23); Phillies, LH Jesus Luzardo (3-0, 1.94)
Friday: vs. Brewers, 7:05 PM. Rays, RH Zack Littell (2-5, 4.61); Brewers, LH Jose Quintana (4-1, 2.83)
Saturday: vs. Brewers, 4:10 PM. Rays, RH Taj Bradley (3-2, 4.43); Brewers, RH Freddy Peralta (4-2, 2.18)
Sunday: vs. Brewers, 1:40 PM. Rays, RH Drew Rasmussen (1-3, 3.09); Brewers, RH Tobias Myers (1-0, 3.65)
Monday: Off
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