The Tampa Bay Rays were absolutely destroyed and conquered by the Atlanta Braves in an inter-league game on Saturday. By the time the victimizing of the AL East team was done, the final score was 9-0.
Game Recap
Max Fried took to the mound for Atlanta and pitched excellently for the Georgia-based club. He went seven innings, giving up just four hits while striking out seven. Fried also did his part at the plate as he went 3-for-3 with two runs scored. He also hit a double and drove in two RBIs in an excellent day for the southpaw. On the other side for Tampa Bay, Josh Fleming went just four and a third awful innings. He gave up seven earned runs to his opponents in a very poor matchup.
JP Feyereisen came into relieve the struggling starter, but he did the opposite as he also surrendered two more runs to Atlanta. This gave them a final lead of 9-0, a lead never even close to being threatened. On the offensive side for Tampa Bay, they mustered just four hits across all nine frames against Fried and the Atlanta bullpen. Tyler Matzek slammed the door on a huge Braves win in the ninth. Overall, the Rays got nowhere close to a hint of a comeback.
The Consistency Problem
The Rays currently are on track for playoff contention, likely in a wild card spot. That is of course if the current standings hold and Boston hangs onto first place. However, the Rays’ playoff hopes look dimmer if this poor performance, like the one seen tonight persists. The Rays were dominated on both sides, on the mound and at the plate. To make the playoffs, Tampa Bay will need far more consistent good play from all areas of the ball club. Otherwise, the reigning, defending and undisputed AL pennant champions from 2020 may be watching the 2021 playoffs from their couches.
What’s Next?
Atlanta and Tampa Bay will close out their series on Sunday with a game at 1:20 PM EST. Former Rays pitcher Drew Smyly will take the mound for Atlanta while Tampa Bay will look to get the job done with veteran Rich Hill on the mound.