For the Tampa Bay Rays, much to learn and a critical time to step forward

TAMPA, Fla. – While production was clearly absent from the Tampa Bay Rays arsenal last season, that glaring weakness seems ever-present. Throughout the spring, manager Kevin Cash attempted to soften the pain by injecting a changed direction and new enthusiasm.

In attempt to get runners home when in scoring position, Cash emphasized the need to be aggressive, creative and patient. That meant waiting for pitches to hit and manufacturing opportunity to score runs in critical times.

Through the opening weeks of the season, that approach has been dormant. The way to create opportunities and capitalize on chances provide an important difference in which the direction the Rays move forward. Through the early weeks of the season, this club has shown little emotion, intensity, and motivation.

The comparison between what needs to be done and how this is accomplished was on full display April 17 in George Steinbrenner Field. In engaging the New York Yankees in the opening of a four-game series which could define the Rays “character” going forward, Tampa Bay’s inability to adhere to Cash’s direction, find ways to score and manufacture opportunities was largely absent.

In contrast, the Yankees showed the Rays how to take advantage of such opportunities with clutch hitting and came away with a 6-3 win before another sellout of 10,046. Lack of production times remains a concern. That’s because Tampa Bay collected 12 hits and left 10 runners on base.

In a sense of urgency and down by three runs in the middle of this game, the Rays managed one base runner, a one-out single in the eighth from catcher Danny Jansen, and 12 of the final 13 hitters did not reach base.

The poster child for the Rays’ latest bout with futility was shortstop Taylor Walls. Coming to the plate with the bases loaded in each of his first three times to plate, Walls left eight runners on base and the only one run produced was with a second-inning sacrifice fly.

“That’s part of the game,” said third baseman Junior Caminero in support of his teammate. “Those things will happen. I mean, we had bases loaded and did not really score. We have to just keep trying. It’s part of the game. It’s the name of the game and we just have to keep going. We’ll see what happens (tomorrow).”

For Walls, a career .188 hitter, those three at-bats mirrored the Rays’ inability to alter any game. In that match against the Yankees on April 17, Walls managed just that sacrifice fly in the second but grounded into a double play with one out in the third and bounced to the mound with the sacks jammed and two outs in the fifth.

Afterwards, Cash brushed aside the trajectory in which Walls and the Rays appear headed.

“(Walls) is working and he’s been having some better at-bats,” Cash acknowledged. “He lined out his last at-bat there (a fly ball to right in the eight). I think he is getting pitched tough a little bit. Even the at-bat he came through (the sacrifice fly), the ball went really quick on a borderline pitch. Just keep at it and he’s not the only one which seems to be getting a little but tied up in the runs-scoring opportunities.”

The defeat to New York was the third straight loss and the second longest streak of the season. The Rays dropped five in a row from April 2 through April 8.

Next … the series with New York continues Friday night. That’s when righty Drew Rasmussen (1-0, 0.60 ERA) draws lefty Carlos Rodon (1-3, 5.48) as his mound opponent, On Saturday, look for righty Shane Baz (2-0, 1.42) taking on righty Carlos Carrasco (2-1, 5.94). For the Sunday afternoon finale, it’s righty Ryan Pepiot (1-2, 4.91) taking on lefty Max Fried (3-0, 1.88). … After this series, the Yankees move on for three in Cleveland and the Rays begin a six-game trip out west and face the Diamondbacks and Padres.

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