MILWAUKEE — After Tuesday’s sloppy play and messy loss, the Rays played a much cleaner game Wednesday.
But they still lost again, 4-3.
Reliever Colin Poche gave away a one-run lead in the ninth inning, allowing a homer from Rowdy Tellez. Then Ryan Thompson lost in the 10th when ex-Ray Willy Adames delivered a walkoff single to score Tyrone Taylor.
In the 10th, the Rays had Thompson intentionally walk lefty Christian Yelich to face the right-handed Adames, who scored Taylor, the runner on second to start the inning.
The loss dropped the Rays to 58-52 and in danger of dropping out of the three-team American League wild-card field. By losing both games to the Brewers, they finished with a 3-3 record on their visits to Detroit and Milwaukee, making it seven of eight road trips with a .500 or losing record.
To that point, it looked to be a story of the Rays getting solid pitching and just enough offense, including homers by Yu Chang and Randy Arozarena.
The Rays were in a quick 2-0 hole, as four straight hitters reached against Jeffrey Springs in the first inning with two outs. A double by Andrew McCutchen and a single by ex-Ray Mike Brosseau got them one run. A balk, a walk to ex-Ray Hunter Renfroe and a single by Keston Hiura got them another.
The Rays did just enough against Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff to get even, then ahead.
In the third inning, Francisco Mejia led off with a double and scored on a two-out single by David Peralta, batting leadoff for the first time since 2018.
In the fifth, Chang continued his recent roll, extending his hitting streak to seven straight starts with a leadoff homer to tie it.
And in the seventh, Arozarena delivered a massive blast, measured at 431 feet — tied for fourth longest among Rays this season — with an exit velocity of 106.5 mph.
Springs settled in after the first to work five solid innings, followed by effective innings from Jason Adam (despite his first walk since June 9), Pete Fairbanks and Brooks Raley.
Poche had been better of late, with four scoreless outings, after a rough month-long run where in 13 appearances he had a 6.94 ERA and blew three saves.
