For the first time in 69 contests, the Tampa Bay Rays failed to get on the scoreboard in a game, as Hyun Jin Ryu and five relievers combined to throw a five-hitter, lifting the Toronto Blue Jays by the Rays 1-0 Sunday at Tropicana Field.
“We couldn’t get anything going,” manager Kevin Cash said after the game. “We couldn’t manufacture anything. Their pitching did a nice job.”
The Rays opened with right-hander Luis Patiño making his Rays debut, and after a leadoff walk to Cavan Biggio, he retired the next eight men in order, finishing with three strikeouts.
Tampa Bay left runners on base against Ryu in the second and third, and Manuel Margot was on base when the left-hander was lifted after suffering a minor right glute strain. Tim Mayza came on and got Joey Wendle to fly out to end that inning.
The Blue Jays got the only run across in the fifth against Josh Fleming,who allowed back-to-back singles by Marcus Semien and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., the latter a bunt variety. Joe Panik grounded into a fielder’s choice, erasing Guerriel, but Santiago Espinal picked up his teammate with a single to center to plate Semien.
Tyler Chatwood escaped from a two on, no out situation in the fifth inherited from Mayza, which ended up being Tampa Bay’s best opportunity to score. The Rays stranded nine runners on base on the afternoon, and had runners on in every inning except the first and the ninth.
The whitewashing was the first against Tampa Bay since Martin Perez and the Boston Red Sox shut them out 5-0 at Tropicana Field on August 5, 2020.
Tampa Bay welcomes the Oakland Athletics to Tropicana Field on Monday to begin a four-game series. Rich Hill (1-0, 8.82 ERA) will get the start, taking on Sean Manaea (2-1, 3.04 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
