TAMPA -- The calendar advanced on Friday. The Rays did not.
As July gave way to August, on a humid evening at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the Rays put up token resistance in a no-sweat performance by the Dodgers, who eased to a 5-0 victory.
The Rays managed six singles (and seven baserunners) against left-hander Clayton Kershaw (5-2) and three-inning reliever Justin Wrobleski. They had just four runners in scoring position, including two that reached second base on wild pitches, but there was never a serious threat (1-for-7 RISP). There were four harmless 1-2-3 innings.
Following a 7-18 record in July -- the worst calendar month in manager Kevin Cash’s 11-season tenure -- August is off to a slumbering start.
“We’re just at a point right now where we're not able to overcome [adversity],’’ Cash said. “[If] we don't make a play defensively, we don't overcome it. [If] we don’t make a pitch, we're not overcoming it. We've got guys on base and opportunities [and] we’re not getting a big hit. So it’s kind of a snowball effect. It’s the opposite of where we were [during a 25-9 stretch].’’
Right-hander Shane Baz (8-8), who hasn’t won since June 26, dropped his fifth straight decision by allowing eight hits and five earned runs over five innings, although he did have eight strikeouts.
In the first inning, Baz was stung by a two-run double from first baseman Freddie Freeman, who later lashed a 376-foot home run in the fifth inning that caromed off a right-field pavilion covering and bounced toward Dale Mabry Highway.
“I felt like my stuff was really good, but I also felt like I was behind in the count a lot,’’ Baz said. “We’re kind of in a little funk right now. It’s hard to put your finger on what it is, but it’s just pitching better on my end, getting timely hits when we need them, stuff like that. It’s the kind of thing that comes and goes.’’
The Rays (54-57), who have dropped eight of their last nine games, are amid a difficult part of the schedule. After the three-game homestand, the Rays begin a four-city, 12-game road trip to the West Coast. But right fielder Josh Lowe said a rugged schedule is part of baseball’s normal grind and refused to blame it for the team’s malaise.
“Show up to work, tie your cleats, put your jersey on, get out there and get after it,’’ Lowe said. “You know, the game doesn't feel bad for you. Nobody feels bad for you. You’ve got to go out there and compete and rely on our teammates to get each other going and give it our best every single day when you are losing a bunch. I think you need to take it one day at a time. I think I’m a broken record saying that, but it’s important.’’
Maybe there’s no easy solution to the Rays’ plight, but everyone agreed that the task was made more difficult by facing a refined version of Kershaw, who earned his 217th career victory after six scoreless innings with no walks and three strikeouts.
“[Kershaw] has had about as much pitchability as any pitcher in baseball over the last two decades,’’ Cash said. “He had it going on today. I know he’s a little different version of himself right now, but he still can really pitch and change eye levels, change speeds and just keep you off-balance. I felt like we got a little aggressive, expanding out of the zone. And we got guys on, he probably made some of his best pitches.’’
“Just the timing aspect [makes Kershaw difficult to hit],’’ Lowe said. “He’s throwing 90 [mph fastballs] and he’s throwing a curveball at 68. The leg lift, his motion, the delivery, everything … it’s iconic. He’s just able to locate and keep guys off-balance.’’
For the Rays, an off-balance stretch continued Friday night.