Glasnow's start wasted after key mistakes, lack of run support

CLEVELAND -- The last time the Rays played at Progressive Field, they left lamenting a lack of run support for their mostly brilliant pitching. The Guardians swept the Rays in their two-game American League Wild Card series last October despite scoring only three total runs in 24 innings.

The same story played out over nine innings as Tampa Bay’s four-game winning streak came to an end Friday night. The Rays lineup went down quietly after scoring two early runs, two key mistakes in the field and on the bases loomed large, and Tyler Glasnow's strong start was undone by one quick rally in a 3-2 loss to the Guardians at Progressive Field.

“We had to play really good baseball to win that game, given that we were sitting at a 2-1 lead,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “And we didn't.”

• Games remaining: @ CLE (2), vs. BOS (3), vs. SEA (4), @ MIN (3), @ BAL (4), vs. LAA (3), vs. TOR (3), @ BOS (2), @ TOR (3)
• Standings update: The Orioles hold a 1 1/2 game lead on the Rays for the AL East title, after the Orioles lost to the D-Backs on Friday. The Rays remain the top AL Wild Card, the club that gets to host a three-game Wild Card series against the AL’s No. 5 seed beginning Oct. 3.

The Rays scored in similar fashion in the first and second innings, working a walk each time before RBI doubles by Randy Arozarena and René Pinto. But Guardians starter Cal Quantrill, in his first outing back after missing nearly two months due to right shoulder inflammation, didn’t let them do any more damage.

The right-hander retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced and ultimately allowed only the two run-scoring hits over six innings.

“He’s pitched us tough in the past. He can really pitch,” Cash said. “It's been a while since he's been on a big league mound. Maybe it just took him that inning or two to find his footing, but then he got in a good rhythm.”

Glasnow, meanwhile, cruised through two scoreless innings on 28 pitches before running into some trouble in the third. Myles Straw knocked a leadoff double down the right-field line, moved to third on an infield single by Steven Kwan and scored two batters later on a one-out sacrifice fly by Kole Calhoun.

The Rays missed an opportunity to stall that rally, as Glasnow hesitated a bit after quickly breaking off the mound to cover first on Kwan’s chopper to first baseman Yandy Díaz. That brief delay gave Kwan a chance to beat Glasnow to the bag.

“It was, like, out of focus. I don't know what it was. I thought he was closer to the bag,” Glasnow said. “I sprinted over at first, because I had the initial movement, and then stopped and kept going. I don't know what it was. It was kind of weird.”

Glasnow cruised after that, retiring 12 straight batters between Kwan’s single and the start of the seventh inning. It was another quality start overall, as he allowed seven hits while striking out six without a walk over a season-high-tying seven innings. Glasnow has recorded a 2.50 ERA with 87 strikeouts and only 14 walks in 68 1/3 innings over his last 11 starts.

But Cleveland broke through in the seventh, capitalizing on Glasnow’s few mistakes.

Andrés Giménez led off the inning with a single to left, stole second base and advanced to third on Will Brennan’s flyout to center field. Gabriel Arias punched a hanging 0-2 curveball Glasnow was trying to bury into left field for a game-tying single, then Bo Naylor smashed a 1-0 slider into the right-center field gap for a go-ahead double.

“Just kind of leaving stuff down the middle, like not getting, I guess, good bite on any of my pitches,” Glasnow said. “Not very (well-)executed late-in-count pitches.”

The Rays couldn’t pick up Glasnow after that. With Osleivis Basabe on first with two outs in the seventh, Pinto attempted to stretch a single to left into a double. Rather than putting runners on the corners for Díaz, their top hitter, Pinto ran the Rays out of the inning.

After being tagged at second, the catcher laid on his back in the dirt with his arms spread wide. He was quick to own his mistake following the game.

“Got to learn from that,” Pinto said.

The Rays had one last shot in the eighth, when they put two on with one out against reliever Trevor Stephan, but Josh Lowe struck out and Isaac Paredes flied out to end the threat and cap the club’s 0-for-5 night with runners in scoring position.

“For [Glasnow] to go seven really strong innings, we've got to back him up better,” Lowe said. “He looked dominant tonight, so it's a really good start for him. I know he's going to build on that.”