HOUSTON — This could be an interesting, and perhaps pivotal, week at Tropicana Field. Or maybe not.
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After rolling off nine straight wins to re-establish themselves as the American League’s winningest team and rebuild their East division lead to four games, the Rays headed home Sunday night after a second straight loss, this one 2-0, to face the Yankees in a four-game series Monday-Thursday.
The Yankees are in second place and present the biggest challenge to the Rays winning division, but they’ve been in quite a funk, losing nine of their last 10 and 12 of 15.
Although it’s mid-July, the upcoming series does present two interesting scenarios, as the Rays could further distance themselves from the Yankees, or let them back close to the division lead. The Rays are 4-1 against the Yankees thus far.
The Rays could have been in a better spot had they done better over the weekend, letting a five-run lead get away and being walked off in a 10-8 loss Saturday, then having a very quiet day at the plate Sunday, held to four hits.
Mason Englert, called up from Triple A to make a spot start against an Astros team with some power, actually did pretty well keeping it close.
He worked into the sixth, allowing a pair of solo home runs — Christian Walker in the fourth, ex-Ray Isaac Paredes in the sixth — while walking one and striking out nine.
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The Rays didn’t get much going offensively against the Houston pitchers (rapping just four hits) and failed to take advantage of what opportunities they had (going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position), a combination generally considered a problem.
In the second, they had speedy Chandler Simpson on second with one out after a single and a stolen base, but Ben Williamson struck out and, after Victor Mesa Jr. walked, Richie Palacios grounded into a fielder’s-choice force out.
In the fifth, they had Williamson, who started at shortstop with Taylor Walls getting a day off, on second with no outs after a leadoff single and a stolen base. But Mesa struck out, Palacios grounded out (with Williamson advancing to third), and Hunter Feduccia lined out.
In the sixth, they had Jonathan Aranda on second with one out after a single and a wild pitch, but Junior Caminero, who celebrated his 23rd birthday Sunday, popped out to end starter Peter Lambert’s day. After Aranda moved up on another wild pitch by lefty reliever Steven Okert, pinch-hitter Ryan Vilade flied out.
Rays RHP Griffin Jax (4-5, 3.45 ERA) is scheduled to start against Yankees RHP Cam Schlittler (8-5, 2.08) in the first game of the four-game series Monday night.
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