Boyle's scoreless start, Mangum's stellar defense among positives against LA

TAMPA -- Some days, the Rays’ margin for error fits neatly inside a thimble. Sunday afternoon was one of those days. An ill-timed bounce here, a bad angle there and the game gets away.

So despite an encouraging start from right-hander Joe Boyle, a series finale’s worth of defensive gems and largely keeping an imposing lineup at bay, the Rays were still saddled with a 3-0 loss to the Dodgers in the rubber game at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

“Obviously, we didn’t get the job done today,’’ Tampa Bay first baseman Brandon Lowe said after the team’s 10th shutout loss this season. “There has not been a lack of effort. No one is up there not trying to get the job done. It just didn’t go the way that we wanted it to.’’

Again.

The Rays (55-58), who have lost 23 of their last 32 games, put the potential tying runs on base during the ninth inning against Dodgers closer Blake Treinen. But one day after he hit two home runs in a victory, Yandy Diaz grounded out to end it against Ben Casparius, who came on after Treinen loaded the bases.

By then, though, the real story had already been told. It was 5 2/3 scoreless innings from Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, timely hitting and the Rays’ inability to get much going at the plate. Tampa Bay had seven hits (all singles) and only twice got a runner to third base.

You can’t blame the pitching. The Rays’ staff held the Dodgers to just eight runs in the series and had a stretch of 18 consecutive scoreless innings ... yet still lost two of three.

Boyle, acquired in the offseason from the Athletics, had one of his best starts as a Ray with five scoreless innings, three singles allowed, two walks and two strikeouts. The best part of all? Boyle was coming off a rough start against the Yankees (six runs in 3 1/3 innings), then he bounced back nicely.

“Really impressed with Joe,’’ manager Kevin Cash said. “It felt like he kind of reset himself coming off the Yankee outing.’’

“It’s huge to make the adjustments and give the team a chance to win, especially coming off the last one,’’ Boyle said.

Rays reliever Mason Englert, who entered during a scoreless game, had not allowed a run in 10 straight appearances dating to June 10. This time, though, things wobbled a bit. He issued walks in the sixth and seventh innings, helping to set up Dodgers runs in each frame.

Andy Pages logged an RBI single in the sixth. After a double steal in the seventh, Freddie Freeman drilled a run-scoring single just under the glove of a drawn-in Lowe, making it 2-0.

“Sometimes, it goes your way and sometimes, it doesn’t,’’ Englert said. “I didn't look at the walks or balls. I look at the intent that I chose with the pitch, the pitch type. I trust over the big course of the season, the walks will be the outliers. I’m not happy with them, but they happen. The walks are the outlier, but unfortunately they happened today.’’

Helping to keep the Rays in the game was left fielder Jake Mangum, who made three outstanding plays, including a ninth-inning leap in the left-field corner that took a potential two-run homer away from Freeman. Mangum, who came into the game in a 4-for-37 skid at the plate, also went 2-for-4, including a hustle single in the fifth.

“With [not hitting] at the plate, you’re dying to help defensively,’’ Mangum said. “I’ve been in a rut recently. But I’ve done this in high school, college, A-ball, Double-A, Triple-A, so to come to the big leagues and not go through something like that would be just dumb. I don’t care how I do it. But when they call on me, I want to run the bases, play defense, be a good teammate, try to hit the ball hard. Do my best every day.’’

Sometimes, the little things add up to bigger things. Mangum’s template would fit the Rays as a whole as they embark on a challenging four-city, 12-game West Coast road trip that begins on Monday night against the Angels in Anaheim.

“I was happy to see Jake get some hits,’’ Cash said. “He’s a young player who’s probably pressing right now. There aren’t many guys who come into the league at first opportunity and make the most of it. He was hitting .330, then the league adjusted. But he’s still [working hard].’’