CINCINNATI — There were a few interesting battles around and within the Rays’ 7-2 loss Friday night.
Reds manager Terry Francona got in the first jab, having the stadium board crew play a video on loop of Rays counterpart Kevin Cash — a close friend and former coach and player for him — striking out in a 2010 at-bat, the latest in a series of pranks between the two.
Rays rookie outfielder Chandler Simpson got his first up-close look at, and chat with, Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz in a matchup of two of the game’s speediest players.
“He was like, man, ‘You too fast,’ and I was like, ‘No, that’s you,’” Simpson said. “I appreciate the love from him, so I had to give it right back.”
Two teams entered play with the same record (53-50) and similar scrappy styles as they compete against higher-salaried opponents.
But the most interesting battle — given their recent results and with Thursday’s trade deadline looming— might have been the Rays against themselves.
Friday, that didn’t work out too well.
“We were in that game to where I would say we’re kind of beating ourselves right now,” Rays starter Zack Littell said. “I don’t think it’s necessarily us playing poor. It’s just that we’ve got to capitalize on some of the stuff.
“They walked a good bit of guys early in that game, and I think everybody in here would agree that we probably need to push a few more (runs) across. Then as a starting pitcher, I’ve said it before, my job is to go out there and set the tone and keep us in the game. I just didn’t do that (Friday).”
At a time when every win matters in determining the direction Rays bosses take with deals at the deadline, and thus potentially how the rest of the season plays out, the Rays lost for the fourth time in seven games following the All-Star break.
The Rays dropped to 53-51, nine games back of first place in the American League East and behind the Rangers as they try to climb back into the AL wild-card field, sitting 1 ½ games out.
“At this point in the year, this game is about results and outcomes,” Rays shortstop Taylor Walls said. “And, to say the least, we need some better ones.”
Friday’s game had two key points.
One came after the Rays went ahead 2-1 in the top of the fourth, as Littell gave the lead back with some help.
After Austin Hays’ leadoff single, Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda dove to snare Gavin Lux’s grounder, but his throw to second hit Hays in the back. Though Walls made a snazzy grab of the carom, he couldn’t make the play, crediting Hays for the heads-up move of getting in the path of the throw.
Then Spencer Steer dropped a bunt that Littell didn’t field cleanly. Though he had a chance for the out at first, Littell didn’t feel good about making a potentially errant throw and held onto the ball.
“I kind of stumbled into it backhand and awkwardly,” Littell said. “Just felt like it wasn’t worth throwing that ball away, compounding a mistake to begin with.”
That loaded the bases and led to the Reds getting two runs that put them ahead to stay.
“We didn’t do many good things right there,” Cash said. “I know Jonny makes a nice play. (You’ve) got to find a way to clear yourself, to get the ball to ‘Wallsy.’ ‘Wallsy’ made a heck of a play to catch it off (Hays’) back.
“And then as far as ‘Litt,’ I’m assuming the ball, he didn’t get a grip on it or whatever, because there’s probably a play to be made. But sometimes when that happens, you don’t get the grip, the last thing you want to do is airmail it into the stands. So, I’m guessing he was thinking better judgment (was) just to eat it.”
The other key juncture came with two outs in the sixth, with the Reds leading 3-2.
Littell, who had allowed only three homers over his previous six starts (though he entered the game having permitted a majors-high 24), gave up a two-out double to No. 9 hitter Noelvi Marte, then his second homer of the night, a two-run shot by TJ Friedl that widened the margin to 5-2.
“Frustrating night,” Littell said. “Just didn’t have very good stuff. Didn’t execute well. To end it like that, super frustrating to get one pitch away from really keeping the game tight. I really do think that I fought (Friday) with the stuff that I had. Just frustrating to end it like that.”
Adding to the Rays’ frustration was another quiet night at the plate, as they were held to six hits and, despite drawing four walks, just the two runs.
Cash gave some credit to the five Reds pitchers his team faced but said, “we’ve got to have better at-bats than we did (Friday), for sure.”
Walls was even more direct.
“It’s a good ballclub over there, but I don’t think we’ve been clicking consistently offensively,” he said. “You can credit them if you want to, but I’m sure every guy in here thinks that there’s some things that they can control to be better.
“And there’s a lot of urgency to do that. It’s just one of those things where you can only control so much. You can control the work you put in, the intent and focus that you go about it, which everybody does the right way. But at the end of the day, results have got to happen, and we haven’t been doing that.”
Tonight
at Reds, 6:40 TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Sun; 95.3-FM, 620-AM
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