By Steve Keating
TORONTO (Reuters) – The Tampa Bay Rays perfect start to the season came to an ugly end with a 6-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday as the 1884 St. Louis Maroons all-time record remained out of reach.
The Rays arrived in Toronto 13-0 having equalled the 1982 Atlanta Braves and 1987 Milwaukee Brewers modern-era record for most consecutive wins to start a season and eyeing the Maroons 20-0 mark set 139 years ago in what was then the Union Association.
But Tampa’s record chase was undone in a horrific fifth inning that saw the Blue Jays bust open a tight 2-1 contest scoring four runs with much of the Tampa Bay damage self-inflicted.
With the bases loaded, reliever Colin Poche came in for starter Drew Rasmussen and immediately walked in a pair of runs.
Then what should have been an inning-ending double play turned into two more Toronto runs when Wander Franco’s throw to Brandon Lowe went off the second baseman’s glove rolling into right field putting the Rays in a 6-1 hole they could not climb out of.
“Everything just didn’t go our way that inning,” Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters. “Not much went our way today.
“But I’m really impressed by what I just watched for two weeks.
“You’re talking about a team from what year, 1884 you’re doing something pretty cool.”
The Rays were playing from the back foot from the very start with Rasmussen serving up a solo home run to Jays leadoff man George Springer. Bo Bichette, who had five hits on the night, brought across another run on a ground rule double in the second.
Tampa would get on the scoreboard in the fourth when Luke Raley singled to center cashing in Lowe before the fifth inning disaster.
The Rays would make it interesting with Josh Lowe and Christian Bethancourt slamming back-to-back solo home runs in seventh but could not sustain the rally on way to their first defeat.
“Losing still sucks,” said Rasmussen. “It’s just one of those things the way we lost.
“It’s a little bit frustrating but the streak was incredible to get off to such a good start.”
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
