ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Rays lost five of six and allowed 36 runs in a late-April trip to Chicago where they were swept by the White Sox, and in Milwaukee where they lost two of three.
While the losing was bad enough, manager Kevin Cash did not like how his team was going about its business. A lack of energy was apparent during the two-city jaunt.
“When we got off the Chicago, Milwaukee trip, it was bad,” said Cash, prior to Sunday’s 2-0 win over Cleveland. “It was a bad dynamic. I didn’t like the culture, the way it was going. I didn’t like the vibe that we had.”
The Rays left Milwaukee with a record of 14-18. Though the winning percentage has not gotten much better in two-plus months since, Cash appreciates how things turned in the right direction as far as the attitude and effort.
“I like the way that they have kind of come together,” said the skipper, whose club heads into the all-star break 48-48 and 5.5 games behind Boston for the final wild-card spot, with Kansas City and Houston wedged in between. “To a man, give them a lot of credit. They kind of re-set that. Have things gone perfectly? No. But they have found ways to win together and that is really encouraging with (66) games left.”
Following the aforementioned trip, the Rays returned to Tropicana Field and swept the Mets and extended their win streak to five games by taking the first two games of a three-game series against the White Sox.
Read: Tampa Bay Rays Need To ‘Play Better Baseball’ With Yankees, Guardians Visiting Tropicana Field
While the response was what was needed, the five-game win streak is the Rays’ longest of the season in which there has been little deviation in their record through 96 games. Their high-water mark is three games over .500, which was achieved with a win at Toronto on May 18. The Rays have been five games below .500 on two occasions, both within a three-game span in June. Sunday marked the 21st time this season they have been right at .500.
At least Cash’s squad has won some series of late. They head into the break having won seven of eight, including five straight on the front end.
“We’ve done some good things and we’ve done some things that are not so good,” he said. “I like the way that we have played here in the last month. We are a better version of ourselves right now. I told the guys to go and enjoy the break. They are deserving of it.”
The Rays took two of three from the Guardians despite going an unsightly 1-for-33 with runners in scoring position. Not that Cleveland came through in the clutch as a 1-for-20 in such situations attests. The bottom line is Tampa Bay will have to start coming through with runners on second and third far more often beginning Friday at Yankee Stadium when the schedule resumes following the break.
“We have to kind of kick that trend,” said Cash. “You feel it in the dugout, you feel it throughout the game. We’re capable of getting those big hits. They’re not coming right now.”
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