ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ There's a reason manager Kevin Cash has been shunning talk about the playoffs, sticking to his mantra that his Rays are in a good position but have more work to do to get there and need to play better.
Primarily, because he's right.
Wednesday's 4-2 matinee loss to the Nationals was not the kind of game to inspire championship dreams, or even a long playoff run, as the Rays' offense was pretty much shut down again and couldn't cover the two mistakes its pitchers made.
Even a game-tying homer by Brandon Lowe with two outs and a 2-2 count in the ninth couldn't save the day.
After Lowe tied it, Rays relief ace Nick Anderson came on and gave up a first-pitch homer to Luis Garcia, scoring two _ remember, extra innings start with a runner on second base this season _ and putting the Rays behind again.
Surprised? Those were the first runs Anderson allowed in 15 appearances this season.
The Rays were down 2-1 because of one bad pitch earlier by reliever Oliver Drake, who threw a splitter with one on and one out in the sixth to Asdrubal Cabrera, and the ex-Ray knocked it into the right-field seats.
The loss was the Rays' fifth in their last eight games, dropping their record to 31-18 with 11 games left, cutting their American League East lead to 3 { games pending tonight's Yankees-Blue Jays game, and slowing their march toward the playoffs.
The reality is that with eight teams making the postseason from each league this year, the Rays _ who even with the loss have the AL's second-best record _ are all but certain to make it. With a Mariners loss late Wednesday, the Rays could be in position to clinch a spot after Thursday's doubleheader in Baltimore.
The Rays took a lead in the first, when Randy Arozarena was hit by a 2-2 Austin Voth pitch with two outs and Nate Lowe followed with a double to right.
But that was it, despite having runners on base in four of the next five innings. And that wasn't good, especially considering Voth was winless in his first eight starts, came in with a 7.99 ERA and had allowed three or more runs in each of his last six starts. Voth worked five innings, and the Nationals used five relievers for an inning each behind him.
The Rays were 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on. They struck out 16 times overall.
The Rays used a trio of pitchers to shut out the Nationals through the first five innings.
Usual high-leverage reliever Pete Fairbanks, working as the opener in an attempt to get him back on track in a less-pressurized role, worked a solid first inning.
Cash then used rookie right-hander Ryan Thompson to start the second, but only for three batters as he got one out and then allowed two singles.
The Rays next went to rookie lefty Josh Fleming, who had been lined up to start, then set to handle the bulk of the innings.
Fleming was sharp, allowing only one hit as he got the Rays through the fifth with the 1-0 lead. Cash decided that 3 2/3 innings, and 54 pitches (37 for strikes) were enough and opted to go to Drake for his first appearance since Aug. 8, having returned Tuesday from the injured list.
The Rays left after the game for Baltimore, where they play a doubleheader on Thursday to open a five-game series.
