The Rays drop their second straight game to the Blue Jays in Toronto

TORONTO — When the Rays opened the season with a 13-game winning streak, tying the current major league record, there were plenty of examples of the myriad things they did right.

On Saturday, as they lost to the Blue Jays for the second day in a row, this time 5-2, the problem again was what they were doing wrong, specifically on the mound.

“We’re making it difficult for ourselves,” manager Kevin Cash said.

Also, to some extent, a factor is that the Rays (13-2) are playing a tougher competition in the rival Jays having lost contests to some of the minor teams in the majors of the Tigers, Nationals, A’s and Red Sox.

While the Rays got solace in a few near-miss chances near the end of Saturday, the game was lost in the middle innings due to ineffective outings by relievers Trevor Kelley (just called up from Triple-A to replace the now-injured Ryan Thompson) and Josh Fleming.

They both have somewhat unique issues.

As for Kelly, he was called for a tackle in a move he knew was questionable. For Fleming, a crater-like hole in the hill was affecting his birth, and he did not ask to be repaired.

Additionally, Cash added, “We didn’t do shows like we generally do.”

Kelly wreaked havoc in the fourth period of what was then a 1-1 game, and it all came after he got two quick touchdowns and was just short on a third down.

Instead, he knocked Alejandro Kirk on the foot with a pitch of 1-2, then made a costly and controllable mistake – making a handicap for not raising his hands, pushing Kirk into second. This was important, because Kirk is not fast, but from the second he was able to score when Kelly allowed a double to Witt Merrifield. That was compounded when he allowed an RBI single to Danny Jansen to make it 3-1.

Kelly admitted that he intentionally runs fast and sometimes tries to get hitters fast. He said he realizes some referees don’t think he’s coming into his own.

“I thought I came (to pause) for a good second,” he said. “I work very quickly. I’ve been called up twice this season already. So that’s something I’m going to work on and it certainly can’t happen again.”

Fleming got to finish the fifth inning but could not throw batters in the sixth. He walked the first two batters, struck out, then walked Jansen intentionally to counter former teammate Kevin Kiermayer, who struck him out. But Fleming walked George Springer to force George Springer into another run.

Fleming blamed his landing zone issues on the mound, saying it limited the extension in his delivery and restricted movement in his pitches. He said he “considered” asking the ground crew to address the matter but didn’t.

“Obviously, very frustrating,” he said. “I usually throw a lot of punches, and it was the opposite.

“Honestly, I couldn’t get my foot on the hill. There were no excuses but I couldn’t be OK. I was going down a crater, I slipped a few times. But we still have to work a way around that. I have to be better.” “

The single turned three batters around another double play that Wonder Franco (who had three hits) couldn’t start in a fifth inning in Toronto.

He shut out most of the six innings by left starter Yusei Kikuchi, and the Rays had a chance to get to seventh when Brandon Lowe hit Eric Swanson with two and a fly to deep right. They had another chance in the ninth when they loaded the bases near Jordan Romano on singles by Josh Lowe, Manuel Margot, and Brandon Lowe.

But Yandy Diaz chased a slider off the plate to hit him, and Franco placed a liner that shocked Romano on his right ribcage (the x-ray was negative) and was thrown to close the loss.

“Maybe we had the right people in the right place,” said Cash. “Only we weren’t able to take advantage of (Saturday) but I love it when we get some guys in there and push in there at the end.”

And for the second day, the Rays did not shake hands in celebration of the win.

“I feel like we definitely got used to it after one loss managing to come back and win the next loss,” Fleming said. “So I wouldn’t say it’s weird. Things are going to happen, 162 games, there’s going to be some losses there, there’s going to be a two-game and three-game losing streak.

“It’s going to happen, so I don’t think we’re too concerned. It’s obviously still really early. (Top star) Shane (McLanahan) is going to get out there and do what he’s doing (Sunday) and hopefully get us back into that winning class.”

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