Rays beat Guardians to win 7th of last 8 series, get back to .500

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — In a way, the Tampa Bay Rays got to the All-Star break without doing much of note, Sunday’s 2-0 win merely getting them back to a 48-48 record to show for the first 3 1/2 months.

But given where they were earlier this season, and how they were playing that put them there, it seems a significant accomplishment.

“’l’ll take being right at .500 with how we were to start the year,” closer Pete Fairbanks said. “I thought we were generally terrible for at least part of (the first half), we were good for part of it. And I think we ended it ... (winning) seven of eight series to head into the break, so I think we’ll take that.’'

They hope to build on it over the final 66 games in their quest for a sixth consecutive playoff berth.

“Not the first half that everybody was expecting and everybody wanted,” second baseman/designated hitter Brandon Lowe said. “But finishing strong, taking seven series or something like that, and playing really good baseball. We just had the Yankees and Cleveland, two very, very good teams — to be able to win both those series definitely kind of jumps us in the right direction.”

Sunday’s win was somewhat indicative of how they have been playing better, and need to continue.

They got a strong start from Ryan Pepiot, who worked six innings and allowed only two singles.

They got a leadoff home run from Jose Siri in the third to grab an early lead, and another by Brandon Lowe in the sixth, offsetting attempts with runners in scoring position, failing six times.

They made two errors in the third inning but made several key defensive plays later, the biggest a running and diving catch by right fielder Josh Lowe in the sixth.

And they got three shutout innings from their bullpen, albeit with some ninth-inning drama by Fairbanks, who allowed the first two Guardians to reach, then set down the next three.

“That’s kind of how we’re built to win ballgames,” manager Kevin Cash said. “Find a way to get that big hit or two and then pitch well and defend even better.”

Said Fairbanks: “A vintage win.”

By taking two of three from the Yankees (58-40) and Guardians (58-37), who have two of the top three records in the American League, the Rays did something they had never accomplished in their first 26 seasons, winning seven of the eight series leading to the break. They are 14-10 over that streak.

“You look at the way that we’ve played the past two series against some of the best teams in baseball so I think it lines up pretty well for us,” Brandon Lowe said.

Though they are only at .500 — for the 21st time this season — and still 5 1/2 games and four teams from the final American League wild-card spot, and have the toughest remaining schedule of any team (starting with a four-game series at the Yankees when play resumes Friday), they feel better, if not good, about where they are.

“I think we’re playing really good baseball in all facets — defense pitching, hitting,” Pepiot said. “Everyone’s coming around. It’s a good time to have that kind of confidence boost going into the break and come out of the break with the Yankees for four, and hope to continue that. ...

“It’s baseball — anything can really happen. So I think it’s just continuing on the grind, continue day to day, win the games we need to win. We go out there — we pitch, we hit, we play defense, I like our chances.”

Added Siri, via team interpreter Manny Navarro: “I think we’re in a good place right now.”

The challenge will be to play better than they have been, and certainly than earlier in the season.

“We’ve done some good things. We’ve done some things that aren’t so good,” Cash said. “But (I) like the way that we have played here the last month, call it, whatever it is. I feel like we’re a better version of ourselves right now.

“Want the guys to go and enjoy the break, (they’re) deserving of it. And then we’ve got to come out ready to go, we’re playing two division teams (at the Yankees and Blue Jays).”

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