The Rays' win streak ends in a 6-2 loss to the Tigers on June 22. Despite hits from Yandy Díaz & Junior Caminero, Casey Mize dominated. Recap here.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
All good things must come to an end. The Tampa Bay Rays' four-game winning streak was snapped on Sunday, as they fell to the Detroit Tigers 6-2 at George M. Steinbrenner Field. A solid start from Detroit's Casey Mize stifled the Rays' bats, and despite a couple of key individual performances, the team couldn't muster the late-game magic they've shown recently, dropping their record to 43-35.
Yandy Díaz extended his hitting streak to 13 games, batting .312 during the streak and providing stability at the top of the lineup.
The story of the game was the Rays' inability to solve Tigers starter Casey Mize. The offense was limited to just five hits all afternoon, with the only real damage coming from a two-run double by Junior Caminero in the 6th inning. Rays starter Zack Littell battled through five innings, but a costly two-run double by Spencer Torkelson in the 5th proved to be a backbreaker. Littell took the loss, his record falling to 6-8, after allowing four runs (three earned). While the bullpen kept it relatively close, the offense simply couldn't find its rhythm to mount a comeback.
Despite the loss, it wasn't all bad news for the Rays. Yandy Díaz continued his hot hitting, extending his hitting streak to a team-best 13 games with a single in the 6th. He remains a crucial spark plug at the top of the order. Perhaps more exciting for the future was another strong outing from rookie reliever Paul Gervase. In just his second big-league appearance, the imposing 6-foot-10 righty tossed a scoreless 7th inning, striking out one. After a stellar debut Saturday, Gervase is quickly showing he belongs.
For now, the Rays are standing pat. No new transactions or injury updates were announced on Sunday, signaling a vote of confidence in the current roster. With Gervase providing a fresh arm and the core lineup healthy, the front office seems content to let this group build on its recent success, even with today's setback.
Losing a series finale is always tough, especially when it ends a winning streak. But it's just one loss in a long season. The Rays (43-35) will look to shake this one off and start a new streak when they open their next series. The key will be getting the bats to wake up and provide the run support that was missing today. With Díaz swinging a hot bat and a new weapon emerging in the bullpen, the pieces are there to get right back on track.
