Rays 5, M's 6: Sweep, get swept, what's the difference?

Archer is definitely not broken. It's weird, he's still striking out a bunch of folks, and even managed to strike out five today through only five innings of work. But he needs some target practice or something because the poor fellow seems to always be behind, or putting men on base through the free pass. In the first inning alone, Archer walked three men, even issuing the dreaded bases-loaded BB to score one the inning's three runs.

In the third, the M's even padded the lead with a Nelson Cruz home run. All of a sudden, the M's have an pretty formidable heart of the order, with Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz batting back-to-back, rivaling Mike Trout and Albert Pujols for AL West batting supremacy.

It was truly not Archer's best outing, that much is absolutely certain. Luckily, however, a certain Ray with a suggestive last name tied the slate with the season's first Papa Slam.

Tying it up REAL quick. https://t.co/OALjAe3Fuz #PapaSlamhttps://t.co/f36v7nezTy

— MLB (@MLB) May 11, 2016

Look at that Papa Slam. Papa Slam Papa Slam Papa Slam.

It's a shame that this game wasn't shown on TV. I can just imagine Staats's call. It would probably be only slightly more energetic than this broadcaster.

The Rays continued to threaten this inning, knocking Taijuan Walker out of the game. The young M's pitcher had not allowed three walks in a start all season, and in the sixth alone he allowed three free passes. With runners at the corners, Seattle called to Mike Montgomery. Do you remember him? He was the hot-throwing starter the Rays desperately wanted to control, but could not, and thus was traded to Seattle for Every Day Erasmo Ramirez.

Montgomery got his man, as did Erasmo when he entered with the bases full of Mariners in the bottom of the 6th. The two seemed locked together, head-to-head, like twin stars in a binary system, gravity keeping them swirling around each other.

In the seventh, though, Ramirez hit a gravity well and veered off course, pushing a leadoff Cano double to essentially a triple with a wild pitch. Cruz knocked him in with a sac fly, and the M's held the lead...

Until the ninth. Nick Vincent relieved the vaunted Mike Montgomery, who went 2.1 innings and struck out 3 Rays. Thank goodness:

TIED UP!@KKiermaier39 solo shot!#OutlawGoesWest ➡️ https://t.co/xd21pMdb0F pic.twitter.com/2agwL65t7C

— #VoteRays (@RaysBaseball) May 11, 2016

One @Mariners fan wasn't happy about @KKiermaier39's game-tying solo HR. #RaysUp

WATCH: https://t.co/jkwktnSb4u pic.twitter.com/25IWWYn4Gr

— #VoteRays (@RaysBaseball) May 11, 2016

Kiermaier, who struck out looking in the sixth, made up for his bad AB with a bullet to right field, landing in the SAFECO bleachers. Colome worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to put the game into extras.

The tenth inning was one of the more frustrating ones this year. Souza, with one out, drew yet another walk, and moved up to second base on a passed ball. Logan Morrison, with all of his troubles, kept in there, digging, digging, and working a full count until HE LINES ONE INTO LEFT!!!

that Souza stops at third base on. Even when the Rays get a hit with a RISP, he doesn't score. With runners at the corners and one out, all that was needed was a fly ball, and Steve Pearce (who is 5-for-15 this season with RISP) was at bat. As long as he doesn't ground into a double play, you like your chances. Pearce ended up walking (after apparently getting it with a ball that actually hit the nub of his bat) to bring in KK with the bases loaded. He's got speed, and would be difficult to double up. All that he needs to do is not pop it up.

So he pops it up.

With two outs Hank Conger rolls over on something and the Rays get a hit with RISP, load the bases with less than two outs, and don't score. Pretty much par for the course at this point.

wouldn't be right without Jose! @Joeycatch8 @BengieMolina1 #Baseball #mlb #Molina pic.twitter.com/hvvCV4i1t1

— Brad Owens™ (@OwensGraphics) May 11, 2016

I miss this guy. Kind of.

In the top of the eleventh the Rays put another man in scoring position for the heart of the order, but couldn't close the deal. In the bottom of the inning Steve Geltz gave up a game-ending walk-off home. In other news, water is wet.

The Rays get a well-needed off day tomorrow. Getting swept the day before an off-day is a terrible feeling, but we all have to sit with it. The Rays led for maybe an inning for this entire series. Gross.