Feels like old times (in a bad way): Orioles 4, Rays 1

When the Rays were struggling earlier in the season, we saw many games like this one. A scuffling starter, a bullpen implosion, and hitters who could scatter a handful of singles but not do much else.

Before we get to the game, let’s also mention a very frightening moment that occurred off the field. A foul ball off the bat of an Orioles hitter went straight back into the dugout, and hit Rays reliever Hunter Bigge in the face.

In his post game presser, Kevin Cash shared good news about Bigge: he never lost consciousness, and the ball missed his eye. We’ll await more information while wishing Bigge a speedy recovery. For those of us in the ballpark it was horrifying to watch: immediately after the ball went into the dugout the Rays trainer came onto the field and whistled to bring the EMT squad to the dugout. Bigge was loaded onto a stretcher and carted off the field. A few minutes later we could hear the sirens of the ambulance pulling onto Dale Mabry Highway.

As for the game: Drew Rasmussen was not at his best. I know he only gave up two runs, but he wasn’t sharp. He walked three batters, threw almost as many balls as strikes. He seldom threw first pitch strikes, and if he did somehow manage to get to two strikes on hitters, he still had trouble putting them away. Thanks to that struggle he could not go beyond 5.1 innings, leaving with a 1-1 tie.

Of course, bringing in Uceta was the kiss of death. He came on with a runner on base in the sixth and promptly walked a batter before giving up a home run to Colton Cowser, three runs that determined the game.

The Rays meanwhile had numerous scoring opportunities but could not capitalize, apart from one run in the first inning, driven in by a Danny Jansen single. They had plenty of base runners — eight hits, three walks and a hit by pitch — but stranded nearly all of them. As I often found myself thinking during the dark early days of the season, it’s hard to score when your hits are all singles. In tonight’s game Yandy Diaz did manage a double but that was the only extra base hit they got all night.

They had runners on third with fewer than two outs in the seventh inning (but Caballero and Misner struck out). To me the most frustrating missed opportunity came in the eighth. Josh Lowe walked and moved to third with one out when Yandy Diaz singled. Next up was Jonathan Aranda, the Rays best hitter. Aranda may not hit for power, but he does make contact.

But no, Aranda was called back and Christopher Morel took his place, as Kevin Cash sought to gain the advantage against a left handed pitcher by using the right handed Morel. Here’s the problem though: Aranda’s OPS vs lefties is indeed slightly — very slightly — lower than Morel’s, but Morel is a strikeout machine. He strikes out in 38% of his at bats! Aranda strikes out far less frequently. In theory Morel has more power, but Aranda could at least make contact and bring home a run.

At any rate, Morel struck out on a pretty uncompetitive at bat — three swings, two on balls out of the zone. Jake Mangum, following him, did manage a deep fly out but by then there were two outs so it was of no value.

Looking for silver linings, the recently re-called Connor Seabold pitched three strong innings, which included a lengthy break as medics attended to Hunter Bigge.

Also, if the Rays were going to be dominated, at least Charlie Morton was doing the dominating. Morton has struggled with the Orioles, at one point relegated to the pen, and he carries an ERA over 6.0. But tonight was like watching Charlie Morton circa 2019. His curve ball was a work of art, he allowed no walks and seemed to breeze through most of the six innings he pitched (I assume he was pulled after six because of the long break due to the Bigge injury, because he seemed to have more in the tank.)

Let’s hope this return to the bad old days was an aberration, because this weekend the Rays will face the first place Detroit Tigers.