Tampa Bay Rays Look to Stay Alive in Game 3
After falling to the Houston Astors 3-1 on Saturday night, the Tampa Bay Rays will be on the chopping block come Monday night. To a fan that has not been paying close attention to this series, it might seem like the Astros are dominating the Rays, and they stand no chance. But this is far from the truth as things are a lot closer then they might seem. Game three will be the Rays’ last chance to turn things around.
Cole Dominates In Game Two
The second game of this series was almost a repeat of game one. It started as a pitchers duel between Blake Snell and Gerrit Cole. Cole then went on to pitch an absolute gem going 7.2 IP and giving up no runs. As for Snell and the Rays bullpen, they held the Astros to just three runs throughout the game. But once again, the Rays offense was never able to get anything going until the stating pitcher was out of the game. The Rays had loaded the bases in the ninth inning but were only able to get one run in.
Astros catcher Martin Maldonado was a huge part of this win for the Astros. When the Rays loaded the bases in the ninth, Maldonado blocked multiple pitches in the dirt and kept them in ball in front of him. This prevented the Rays from getting cheap runs or taking the double-play ball out of the equation. If some of these balls got behind him, this could have been a different game.
The Rays needed to minimize their mistakes which is why they held the Astros to three runs. And once again, as soon as the Astros starter comes out, the Rays start knocking on the door.
What Does It Mean for Game Three
The Rays are on the brink of elimination and it will be very hard to come back, but they’re not out. The Rays should be proud of what they have done so far as they kept these games a lot closer than most thought they would. Holding down one of the top-scoring teams in baseball is a huge accomplishment in its self. Even though the Rays have not scored a ton of runs but when you have to face Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole’s best games, what can you expect? And again, it’s important to remember as soon as these guys came out of the game the Rays scored runs, but it was too little too late.
If the Rays can put some pressure on the starting pitcher and get him out quick, they have a real shot at winning some games. Unfortunately, the Rays will have to face another tough pitcher in Zack Greinke, so it won’t be easy. But with their back on the fence, we just might see their best baseball yet.
The Rays will take on the Astros in game three Monday at 1:05 PM, and will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg Florida. The Starting pitchers will be Zack Greinke vs. Charlie Morton.
