Eflin steps up, but big inning and injuries trouble Rays

PITTSBURGH -- The Rays’ 4-3 loss to the Pirates on Saturday afternoon was a painful one, as they saw infielders Amed Rosario and Brandon Lowe exit early after being plunked by a pair of pitches in the first inning.

It was also a frustrating one for starter Zach Eflin, who gave the Rays the long start they needed after several taxing days for their bullpen but left the ballpark with a loss because of one tough inning at PNC Park.

While the Rays were shut down by Pirates rookie starter Jared Jones after breaking out for 17 hits in Friday’s 10-3 win, Eflin held Pittsburgh to four runs, three of them in the third inning, on five hits and a walk while striking out six over seven efficient innings.

“He was pretty awesome. He really stepped up,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “I mean, you want to win the game, don't want to give up the runs. But coming into the game, what we needed from him -- he gave us that and more.”

The Rays have had to burn through their bullpen throughout this three-city, nine-game trip that concludes Sunday with a matchup against Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes. Over the previous seven games, Tampa Bay’s relievers picked up 32 1/3 innings, working at least 3 1/3 frames in each game and at least four innings each of the past four days.

In other words, the Rays needed Eflin to pitch deep into Saturday’s game. He did exactly that, matching his longest start of the season while throwing 95 pitches. But after winning each of their Opening Day starter’s previous six outings, the Rays couldn’t reward that effort.

“He really kind of conserved the bullpen on a day where we needed it,” right fielder Josh Lowe said. “The veteran presence of him on the mound out there doing his thing was good, and it sucks that we couldn't get some more runs.”

The Rays credited Jones for that. The right-hander gave up one run in a freaky first inning, when Rosario sustained only facial lacerations (which required two stitches) on a 99.6 mph fastball at his face and Brandon Lowe suffered a fractured pinky toe on a slider that bounced off his right foot.

Jones gave up another in the fourth on a Ben Rortvedt single, and the Rays made it interesting when Yandy Díaz doubled in a run off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth. But Jones gave the Rays little to work with, holding them to three hits and three walks while striking out eight over seven innings.

“He's good. He's really good,” Cash said. “They've got some good pitching over there highlighted by him and certainly the guy tomorrow, but I was really impressed with what Jones did.”

Eflin held his own, too, despite giving up a first-inning solo shot to Oneil Cruz that traveled a projected 445 feet before landing in the Allegheny River on the fly. But the Pirates put together the big inning that the Rays couldn’t produce against Jones.

With one out in the third, Andrew McCutchen lofted a fly ball to deep right field that turned around Josh Lowe. Cash noted the ball had “tough spin,” which Rortvedt even noticed from behind home plate. Lowe took an awkward route back to the warning track but still had a chance, leaving his feet as the ball sailed toward the 21-foot wall.

But the ball tipped off the top of his glove, bounced off the wall and caromed enough for McCutchen to leg out a triple. The Pirates then capitalized with a pair of RBI singles, a walk and a run-scoring grounder that put them ahead by three.

“If he makes a play, it's a great play,” Cash said. “If he doesn't, I understand.”

“The ball kind of took off a little bit. I really didn't even realize that I took that kind of route to it until I went back and watched it,” Lowe said. “I thought I broke back well on the ball, and in reality I had probably a half-step more [before he needed to jump]. It still hit off my glove. I should have caught it.”

Eflin lamented the big inning but said he felt great on the mound, and it showed as he retired the final 14 batters he faced in order.

“You've got to kind of look away from the scoreboard and just kind of go out there and pitch. I love being efficient, and I was able to get seven in and give the bullpen a little rest,” Eflin said. “I love staying in the game late, so I'm glad I was able to go seven. Just sucks that we lost.”