Rays’ offense missing in action for second straight postseason
ST. PETERSBURG — When Curtis Mead singled home Josh Lowe in the seventh inning of the Rays’ 7-1, season-ending loss Wednesday, it was the only sign of life Tampa Bay’s once-explosive offense showed during its short postseason.
That one run snapped a 15-inning scoreless streak in this American League Wild Card Series, which the Rangers swept, and ended a 33-inning scoreless streak dating to last season’s wild-card series against the Guardians.
In the two losses to the Rangers, who advanced to meet the Orioles Saturday in the Division Series, the Rays hit .215 with a .246 OPS with just two extra-base hits — and 18 strikeouts. They went 2-for-11 (.181) with runners in scoring position over the two games.
It was a pretty dramatic dropoff from Tampa Bay’s regular season.
The Rays finished second to the Rangers in the American League in batting average (.260), OPS (.776), slugging percentage (.438) and runs scored (860). They hit .285 with runners in scoring position.
“Our bats just didn’t come to life,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
QB in the house
Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, a Texas native and admitted Rangers fan, took in the game but, playing to his current fan base, wore a Devil Rays jersey.
Specifically, a No. 49 Kevin Kelly jersey.
It was a fitting move, as Kelly took the field in a full Mayfield No. 6 uniform for the Rays’ final regular-season home game at the direction of his veteran teammates.
Mayfield posed for pictures with some Rays fans, and one made it to Kelly, who was aware of Mayfield’s attire.
“That was pretty cool,” Kelly said.
Hey, mate
Grant Balfour, a reliever on the Rays’ 2008 and 2010 playoff teams, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Infielder Curtis Mead, a fellow Australian, caught it.
“It was awesome,” Balfour said. “Anytime I can be a part of it, come back here and be on the field and be a part of the Rays. They gave me an opportunity a long time ago, and I felt I made the most of it.”
Mead said it was “super special” to have Balfour doing the honors.
Balfour took Mead to lunch a few weeks ago and noted it was the night Mead hit his first big-league homer. “So I said, ‘Hey, we need to go out to lunch more often.’”
Cuban connections
As Sandra Gonzalez threw out the first pitch on Tuesday and then hugged her son, Randy Arozarena, Rangers closer Aroldis Chapman couldn’t help but smile. The fellow Cuban understood all too well what it meant to the Rays slugger to have his mom see him play in the big leagues in person for the first time.
“It was nice, nice to see,” Chapman said. “It’s a big deal that she could come see him for the first time. I know it meant a lot to him. I remember when I could do it. It means a lot.”
Chapman and Arozarena are two of the four Cuban-born players who were competing in this Wild Card Series and understand the personal journeys just to get here.
“I don’t think any of us can really appreciate what Randy has gone through. Look, we’ve got four Cuban-born players playing here on a big stage, and they’re all playing massive roles for their teams,” Cash said. “I bet it was special for all of them.”
For Chapman, who defected while in the Netherlands with the national team in 2009, it took four years before he could get his family to the U.S. to see him play in the big leagues.
“I remember it 2013 in Cincinnati,” Chapman said. “They came to the game there. I was so happy. Both my mom and dad were there, and it means a lot. I understand how (Arozarena) felt (Tuesday).”
Arozarena’s mom, who lives in Mexico, had never seen him play a big-league game.
“It was a very special day for me. It was the first time she was able to see me play professional baseball in an MLB stadium,” Arozarena said. “Personally, I think I had a pretty good game (going 2-for-4), and I was very happy she was able to see that.”
Miscellany
The Rangers improved to 7-0 in postseason games at Tropicana Field (the second-longest such streak at an opponents’ stadium behind the Yankees’ eight at Minnesota) and eliminated the Rays for the third time (previously in the 2010 and 2011 AL Division Series). ... The Rays are 10-9 in postseason games facing elimination, 6-4 at the Trop. ... The Rangers won their first postseason series since the 2011 ALCS. ... Isaac Paredes has hits in all four postseason games he has played; only Akinori Iwamura had a longer hitting streak (seven) to start his postseason career.
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