Rays 4, Twins 6: Odorizzi Falters, Offense Comes Up Short in Loss

The short and sweet 12:50am version of the recap:

-Jake Odorizzi didn't make it out of the fourth inning, which lead to a parade of relievers trying to finish the game. That doesn't bode well when there's a day game the following afternoon. He simply couldn't put hitters away, which has been the main issue in his young career. There were far too many at bats that saw him ahead in the count only to have him waste precious pitches on foul balls. It was his third consecutive poor outing, following his stellar season debut.

-The bullpen, though it took the loss, pitched phenomenally. Brandon Gomes, Heath Bell, Jake McGee, Joel Peralta, Grant Balfour, and Josh Lueke combined to throw 8.2 innings, allowing two runs while striking out nine. Sadly that means a lot of them will be tired come this afternoon.

-Offensively the Rays managed only one hit with runners in scoring position, though they scored on a ground out and two sac flies. The best and most obvious chance to win the game came in the bottom of the ninth inning after back-to-back one out singles by Desmond Jennings and Sean Rodriguez. Unfortunately, Evan Longoria, James Loney, and Wil Meyers were unable to record the walk-off hit.

-The Rays will need Erik Bedard to eat up innings tomorrow, virtually no matter how well he's pitching.