Is it me, or does it feel like the Rays almost never play well on holidays?
Your gut feeling would be right, as Tampa Bay is now *checks notes* 10-18 on Independence Day.
The Rays used some of their big pyrotechnics early, as the hottest bat in the sport, Junior Caminero, homered AGAIN in the first inning to make it his 11th home run in 11 games.
Fellow AL all-star starter Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run blast in the bottom half of the frame, but we’ll circle back to him momentarily.
Richie Palacios would put up a crooked number of his own, a two-run go-ahead homer in the second, making it 4-0.
Tampa bay would go on to plate three more in the third, with a Victor Mesa Jr. sacrifice fly, a Jonny DeLuca RBI single, and a Cedric Mullins steal of home to wrap up the frame.
A Caminero fielders choice and a Nick Allen throwing error would plate Taylor Walls, and Tampa Bay’s finest would have a five run lead in the fourth inning.
Houston would continue to chip away, as Yainer Diaz stroked a two-run homer and an Alvarez single brought it to 7-5.
A DeLuca homer in the seventh put the Rays up 8-5, and one would think that the B bullpen could rummage up nine outs to close this one out going into the bullpen day on Sunday, right?
An Alvarez sacrifice fly, and a couple RBI steaks served up to Isaac Paredes and Zach Dezenzo, by way of Garrett Cleavinger and Craig Kimbrel, and we are tied at eight from Daikin Park.
The Rays would go quietly in the ninth against Josh Hader, and as soon as the scorebug flashed to which Astros batter was looming, I think you can foreshadow the next series of events.
Tampa Bay loses a tough one, a game that they had a five-run lead in with their newly-elected two-time all-star ace on the mound in Drew Rasmussen. They also lose an opportunity to go up five games in the division, as the Twins won in the Bronx against the Yankees.
