ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Zach Eflin will take the mound for Sunday’s final game before the All-Star break saying there is no cause for concern.
No matter that Saturday’s 6-1 loss to the Braves extended the Rays’ season-high losing streak to seven games and dropped their record to 57-35.
That, since rolling to a 27-6 record on May 5, they are a very pedestrian 30-29.
Or that their once-comfortable American League East lead over the Orioles is down to two games (and a tie in the loss column).
“Stuff like this is going to happen in a 162-game season. We’ve given ourselves a good enough cushion in the first half to afford a little skid like this,” Eflin said. “So, we’re not changing anything in the clubhouse, on the field. Nobody’s down in the dumps or anything. We’re still focused on getting better every day and going out and winning.
“So, as long as we have that mindset throughout the rest of the year, we’re going to be perfectly fine.”
Things would be finer if they could rediscover their offense, as they were held to one or no runs for the fourth time in their last five games. Spencer Strider did most of the work against them Saturday, scattering four hits while striking out 11. They didn’t score until the eighth, when Wander Franco hustled to third and took advantage of an errant throw for an unearned run.
Without much help from his offense, Rays rookie starter Taj Bradley didn’t have any cushion. He zipped through the first three innings before allowing four runs in an ugly fourth.
The Rays are now the first team since 1991 to have a winning streak of 13 (or more) games and a losing streak of seven (or more) before the All-Star break. Both the Twins and Rangers did so in 1991.
The Rays didn’t have many opportunities to score.
One of their best may have been in the first, with Franco on first when Luke Raley laced a double to right. Franco was running on the pitch, so he didn’t have a good view of the ball and got deked into slowing down heading to second by shortstop Orlando Arcia and made it only to third. That stung when Randy Arozarena and Brandon Lowe struck out.
Bradley set the Braves down 1-2-3 in the first on 10 pitches, struck out the side in the second (on 20) and retired them in order again in the third (on 13).
But things changed dramatically in the fourth, as he quickly allowed four runs, most of the damage coming on a three-run homer by Sean Murphy.
Bradley gave up a leadoff double to Ronald Acuna Jr., then walked Ozzie Albies. After an Austin Riley pop up, Bradley allowed a run-scoring single to Matt Olson. Two pitches late, Murphy hit a 406-foot homer to left to make it 4-0.
By the time the inning was over, Bradley had allowed four hits and two walks, faced nine batters and thrown 31 pitches, forcing the bullpen into action.
He was able to get through the fifth, which at least saved the Rays from going too deep into their bullpen. Still, it was a third straight rough start for the 22-year-old rookie, who over that stretch is 0-2, with a 11.67 ERA, allowing 22 hits in 12 1/3 innings.
