ST. PETERSBURG — Having won their previous six games, the Rays were hoping to roll into the All-Star break with another big win Sunday.
Instead, they had to take solace in at least avoiding a big zero.
The Rays were held hitless into the seventh inning by Blue Jays starter Robbie Ray — and posted just three hits overall — in a frustrating 3-1 loss.
Yandy Diaz ended the potential of a sixth no-hitter against the Rays, lacing a one-out liner in the seventh to the top of the leftfield wall that was ruled a double due to fan interference.
“Yeah, there’s some relief,’' manager Kevin Cash said. “Look, wins are wins, losses are losses. But this team has done a lot of really good things leading into the break in the first half. I don’t think you want to have that topic of conversation to go into the break with.’'
Indeed they have, posting a 53-37 record despite a long list of injuries and sitting 1½ games behind the surprising first-place Red Sox in the American League East.
The Rays’ .589 winning percentage is their second best at the break in their 24-season history (behind 54-34, .614 in 2010), and the 53 wins is their third most at the 90-game mark (behind 2008 and 2010 East-winning teams that were 55-35).
“We’ve got to be feeling very good about where we’re positioned,’' said Cash, who left afterward for Denver with Rays All-Stars Mike Zunino and Joey Wendle, plus the coaches, athletic trainers and other staff working Tuesday’s game as a result of the team’s 2020 World Series appearance.
Ray, the hard-throwing lefty who grunts loudly with every pitch, kept Tampa Bay from feeling better with a dominating seven-inning performance. He struck out 11, walked one (Diaz in the first) and allowed only two balls to the outfield before the hit.
Cash said the combination of “a really electric fastball” that Ray commanded well and kept up in the zone, and a slider he used more often than when the Rays faced him last Sunday made him especially vexing as they tried to overcome the three-run lead the Jays grabbed off Rich Hill.
“He was really, really tough,’' Cash said. “You understand why it was so challenging for the offense.’'
Or, as Jays catcher Danny Jansen said, “Oh man, Robbie Ray was bringing it today.’'
Ray said he felt the no-hitter was a possibility about the fifth inning, though he might’ve had a hard time finishing given he had thrown 103 pitches in seven innings.
Diaz said he felt he was seeing Ray’s repertoire pretty well during his five-pitch walk in the first and a five-pitch groundout in the fourth. “I was just trying to put a good swing, good contact against him,’' he said, via team interpreter Manny Navarro.
The Rays initially thought the ball Diaz hit would have been a home run had the fan not touched it, but a crew chief replay review verified the call that the ball was not hit quite far enough. (Had the fan interfered with the outfielder making the catch, the umpire could have called the batter out.)
“I’ve got to do more weightlifting,’' the well-muscled Diaz said.
The Rays rallied briefly in the ninth against reliever Jordan Romano. Brandon Lowe, the one player who probably wishes it wasn’t the All-Star break, homered, his 21st of the season. It was his fifth in his past five games, seventh in nine and ninth in 16.
Diaz then singled with two outs, but Austin Meadows popped out to end it.
It was the third time in their past 57 games that the Rays were held without a hit at least into the seventh inning — also May 7 at Oakland (seven innings) and June 24 against Boston (7⅓).
“Thank God that we did get a hit and we didn’t get no-hit against,’' Diaz said. “Thank God for that.’'
• • •
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