Rays Suffer Painful Late Loss To Twins

MINNEAPOLIS – Things seemed to be going well for the Rays on Tuesday.

Thanks to a few key hits and another strong start from Zack Littell, they had a lead over the Twins. And the Orioles, trying to chase them for the lead in the American League East, lost to the weak Cardinals, giving the Rays a chance to pull within two games of a four-game series that begins Thursday to achieve.

But then they hit a bad patch.

Yandy Diaz, their most consistent hitter and most valuable player, was fouled off the field during a batting attack in the fifth inning, hitting him in the groin, causing obvious pain and forcing him from the game with an official diagnosis of “testicular contusion.” However, he is not expected to be out for long.

And then they had a bad breakthrough.

Littell again delivered an otherwise overall strong performance, giving up the lead in the seventh by allowing a one-out single to Max Kepler and then a two-out home run to Willi Castro on a good pitch that gave the Twins one A 3-2 lead gave us something that lasted.

The result was a bad day, as the Rays missed a rare chance to make up ground on the Orioles, falling to 89-57 and trailing by three games with 16 games to play.

“It sucks,” Littell said. “I thought I made a (good) pitch (a 90 mph slider). He made a really good swing. I went back and looked real quick, I think (the pitch) was below the zone.

“These things will happen. Obviously it sucks. It’s a shame that it happened there and lost the lead in the seventh round. It’s one of those that I might lose sleep over tonight, but come tomorrow I just know it was a good performance overall and I’ll take it with me into next week.”

Diaz was making the Rays’ 2-1 lead in the fifth when he fouled out a 1-2 pitch that hit him in a tender spot. He spent several minutes recovering, awkwardly in front of thousands of fans and television cameras, and managed to finish the punch. He landed back to the hill and ran – at less than full speed – to the first one. When the inning ended, he was removed from the game.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Diaz is being considered on a day-to-day basis but appears to be OK and there is a chance he could be in the lineup for Wednesday’s matinee series finale. “I think he should be fine,” Cash said.

Diaz was understandably unavailable for comment.

The loss wasn’t just due to Littell, who also allowed a solo home run in the third. The Rays’ hitters couldn’t do much against Joe Ryan, their former top starter who was traded to Minnesota in the Nelson Cruz deal in July 2021, or the three replacements that followed.

“We’re pretty familiar with him from playing with him in the minor leagues and at the alternate site (in 2020), so I knew what to expect,” Josh Lowe said. “But yes, I owe him thanks. He made the adjustment tonight. … He pushed down a little bit and their bullpen came in and made some good throws.”

The Rays got a run in the fourth when Brandon Lowe doubled for their first hit and scored on a sharp liner by Josh Lowe that went off the glove of shortstop Carlos Correa. They got another hit in the fifth when Rene Pinto, continuing his surprising power show, hit a home run for the fourth time in seven games, leading to Ryan retiring three batters later.

Stay up to date on the Tampa Bay sports scene

Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter

We’ll send you daily news and analysis on the Bucs, Lightning, Rays and Florida college football teams.

You are all registered!

Want more of our free weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s begin.

Discover all your options

“Joe Ryan was really, really tough,” Cash said.

“He had a good fastball going. I don’t think we ever made the adjustment. The good thing we did is we increased his pitch count to get him out of the game a little earlier, but their bullpen came in and did a heck of a job. Rene hits a home run and other than that we didn’t have much to show for it.”

Ryan said the first appearance against the Rays wasn’t the event he had in mind.

“I thought I could have more emotion or be more excited about it,” he said. “I think if it had been right when I was drafted, or even last year, it would feel different. There are only a few people left there that I know. The turnover is pretty drastic, I think.

“Definitely cool to see some of those guys up there. Honestly, it was almost more relaxing than thinking I want to take this guy out or do something here. It was cool. I finally got to face them, so it was good. I just wish I could have gotten a little deeper into the game.”

Cash said he felt bad for Littell, who suffered defeat after such a strong performance, scattering five hits, striking out eight and not getting a single hit while throwing 85 pitches, an impressive follow-up to his last outing when he had one Eighth pitched a career-best innings against the Mariners on Thursday, but ended up on the wrong end of a 1-0 score.

“He was great,” Cash said.

“Pretty unfortunate how it ended for him. I’m sorry. Even the pitch Castro hit was probably a ball, two balls below the zone. He went down, got it and hit it hard. I couldn’t be more impressed with the way Zack has thrown and continues to throw the ball. He backed up his best start with another, you could argue, just as good.”

It just wasn’t the Rays’ day.

• • •

Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter for daily coverage of the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.

Never miss the latest on your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our reporting on Twitter and Facebook.