ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Rays have had trouble even getting runners on base in their first three games against Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah. Tuesday, the rookie right-hander walked six and gave up five hits over six innings, but Tampa Bay still couldn’t do much.
Despite drawing 11 walks, it was another quiet night for the Rays offense and another loss, the 4-2 final against the Jays their eighth defeat in their last 13 games and 11th in 20 in September.
The loss dropped the Rays’ American League-best record to 93-59 and delayed until at least Wednesday afternoon their chance to clinch a third consecutive playoff berth. They went into play Tuesday with a magic number of two, needing to win Tuesday and have the A’s and either the Yankees or Red Sox lose to celebrate.
The Rays entered play with a seven-game lead in the East and a magic number of five to clinch the division, but that may change pending the second-place Red Sox’s result against the Mets.
The Rays had a final chance in the ninth when Ji-Man Choi, Yandy Diaz and Randy Arozarena drew two-out walks off Jordan Romano, but Joey Wendle flied out to right.
The Rays briefly took advantage of Manoah’s wildness to take a 1-0 lead in the second, as Brandon Lowe singled in Mike Zunino.
But they wasted several early chances to add more. They started the game with a Lowe single and Ji-Man Choi walk but got nothing in the first. After a leadoff walk and double-play grounder to start the second, four straight Rays reached base but they got only the one run. Zunino singled, Brett Phillips walked, Lowe singled and Choi walked to load the bases, but Diaz struck out.
The Jays tied it in the third. Singles by Lourdes Gurriel and ex-Ray Corey Dickerson put runners on the corners, and a Breyvic Valera grounder got the run home.
The Jays took the lead at the start of the fifth when Gurriel jolted a 2-1 Rasmussen fastball over the left-center-field fence.
The Rays came right back to tie it. Lowe led off with a walk, went to second on a grounder and third on a lineout, then — after Austin Meadows was hit by a pitch — scored on a two-out single to right by Joey Wendle. Meadows, though, was thrown out trying to get to third on the play.
Rasmussen worked his usual solid five innings for the Rays, allowing the two runs on four hits, walking one, striking out three, while throwing 52 of 70 pitches for strikes.
The Jays took the lead back in the sixth off reliever Nick Anderson. Marcus Semien drew a leadoff walk, went to third on a single by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bo Bichette.
The Rays made an interesting move in the seventh, bringing in Michael Wacha, who had been listed as the starter for Wednesday’s series finale.
The Jays extended the lead to 4-2 with a run off Wacha in the eighth.
