Blue Jays AL East Recap: Looking for W’s in all the Wrong Places

Apr 16, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Alex Cobb (53) reacts to giving up a two run homer to Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Rays go from Stunning to Stunned
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The Tampa Bay Rays looked more like their 2016 selves this week, managing just one win with 5 losses. Their team looks just as good as it did last week, but just couldn’t come up with more than a lone win. Tampa’s rotation had some excellent performances while their offense produced steadily. The biggest flaw was their bullpen. The Rays pen let up 17 runs in 4 games, 3 of which resulted in a loss. Only one loss wasn’t charged to the bullpen, a weaker showing than many were expecting.

The Rays received more bad news as Jake Odorizzi was able to pitch just 1 inning on Saturday, and has been placed on the Disabled list. Odorizzi is their #2 starter and looks like a future ace, any start missed by him will have an impact on Tampa. The Rays still have the ability to contend, but their inconsistencies may land them on the wrong side of .500 sooner rather than later.

Final Takeaway:

The Rays will need to get back to the form we saw in week 1 for them to keep pace in the AL East. They shocked the Baseball world with their success last week, and need to do so again to keep the dream alive in Tampa.

Next: Blue Jays: No, Dalton Pompey still isn't healthy

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