Scores
Florida Sports Report
Home / MLB / Rays fail to support Odorizzi, fall to Braves

Rays fail to support Odorizzi, fall to Braves

The two runs Rays starter Jake Odorizzi allowed over an overall solid six innings against the Braves on Wednesday night didn’t seem like much.

But given Tampa Bay’s inability to score more than one despite a series of opportunities against a first-time starter, the two turned out to be too much to overcome as the Rays headed home stung by a 2-1 loss.

“It’s tough to win ball games when you’re leaving that many guys on and only getting one run,” manager Kevin Cash said.

The nine stranded was bad enough. The bigger problem was going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, furthering Odorizzi’s unwanted status as the majors’ least-supported pitcher.

“We’re probably not talking about this if we get one big hit,” Cash said. “It generally comes down to one big hit in a close ball game. We’re really adamant, and I think we’ve done a good job as of late of piecing together some innings getting runs across. Tonight we just didn’t.”

Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera had the prime opportunity to deliver that one big hit, coming up against Braves rookie Williams Perez with one out in the fourth and the bases loaded after a one-out walk to James Loney and singles by Logan Forsythe and David DeJesus.

Cabrera was ahead 2-and-0 when Perez threw what is called “a cookie” — a fastball right over the plate.

“Middle-middle,” Cabrera said. “It was a really good pitch to hit. I tried to put it in the air, but I rolled over on it.”

The ground ball he hit to first base got turned into a 3-6-1 inning-ending double play. Opportunities in the next two innings turned out equally unsatisfying.

Rene Rivera singled to lead off the fifth, but Odorizzi couldn’t get a bunt down, then Kevin Kiermaier’s single was wasted with strikeouts by Steven Souza Jr. (an AL-most 58) and Evan Longoria.

Loney doubled to open the sixth off reliever Luis Avilan, and Cabrera was walked with two outs, but Brandon Cunniff came on to get pinch-hitter Nick Franklin to ground out.

Odorizzi did his best to keep the Rays close, allowing a run in the third (after his first walk in four-plus starts and a span of 119 batters extended the inning) then another in the sixth on a groundout after dangerous Freddie Freeman started the rally with a double. He didn’t get to the seventh for the first time in nine starts, primarily a product of the NL rules as Cash had to pinch-hit for him starting the seventh down a run.

“Odo was outstanding again,” Cash said. “The consistency he provides every start, it’s been incredible.”

Odorizzi is used to the small margin. The 1.78 runs the Rays are averaging for his starts is lowest in the majors, and the 2.28 per nine innings fewest in the American League.

“It’s something I really can’t think about,” Odorizzi said. “I had a part in it today (in failing to get down the bunt), I didn’t do anything. It’s something I don’t really control and don’t really worry about. If I worry about us scoring runs I’m probably going to be giving up a lot of runs myself. …

“It’ll come. They’re not trying to not score runs. They’re trying as hard as they can. Just some tough luck.”