The longest successful streak to open a season in over three many years led to Canada on Friday because the Tampa Bay Rays fell to the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-3, at Rogers Centre. The Rays had received their first 13 video games of the season, tying the fashionable period document for finest begin to a season, which was set by the 1982 Atlanta Braves and matched by the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers.
The loss ensured that the 1884 St. Louis Maroons will proceed to face alone with the best begin in main league historical past, as they started the Union Affiliation’s solely season with a spotless 20-0 document.
The Rays had been so dominant that successful 20 straight nearly appeared attainable. After they received their thirteenth recreation on Thursday, Supervisor Kevin Money mentioned there was no a part of their recreation that they weren’t completely satisfied about.
However on Friday, the Rays seemed like a special workforce with sloppy protection, imprecise pitching and an lack of ability to get hits in crucial moments.
“Not a lot went our approach tonight,” Money advised reporters in Toronto.
Now Tampa Bay, which even after a loss has nonetheless outscored their opponents by a mixed 68 runs this season, has to ensure to not repeat the destiny that befell the ’87 Brewers. A month after successful their first 13 video games, the Brewers went on a 12-game dropping streak.
Any hope the Rays had of building a brand new fashionable period document disintegrated throughout a three-batter stretch within the fifth inning. Colin Poche, a reduction pitcher, walked two batters on 9 pitches with the bases loaded.
“One strike in your 9 pitches, it’s simply not aggressive,” Poche mentioned.
Then the second baseman Brandon Lowe made an error that price two extra runs. Poche induced a bouncer to quick, however Lowe did not catch a routine throw from the shortstop Wander Franco that would have resulted in an inning-ending double play.
Bo Bichette went 5 for five for the Blue Jays and his run-scoring double within the second inning was his five hundredth hit in 407 profession video games. No different Blue Jay participant has reached 500 hits in that few video games. George Springer hit a leadoff house run in opposition to Drew Rasmussen, who grew to become the primary Tampa Bay pitcher to lose this season.
It was Tampa Bay’s first common season loss since Oct. 5, 2022 at Boston, the final common season recreation of that season (the Rays went on to lose each video games of their wild-card collection in opposition to the Cleveland Guardians).
Lowe mentioned the defeat didn’t really feel worse than every other throughout the course of a season.
“Each win is nice,” he mentioned. “Each loss is horrible.”
