Tampa Bay was swept 1-20 by Toronto on Thursday (April 24) at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
As bitter as the loss was, the Rays also made franchise history.
The 19-run loss was the largest margin of defeat in Tampa Bay franchise history. It surpassed the previous record of 18 runs in a 4-22 loss to 안전놀이터 Boston in the first game of a doubleheader on July 24, 2002.
It’s also the first time the Rays have allowed 20 runs in a game. It is the third-most runs allowed in a game in franchise history, trailing only the 22 against Boston and the 4-21 loss to the New York Yankees on July 23, 2007. It is tied with an 8-20 loss to Boston on August 12, 2021.
The 27 long balls allowed to Toronto that day are also a franchise record for most in a single game. The previous mark was 25 against the Yankees on July 23, 2007.
Toronto has already handed Tampa Bay its most disappointing loss of the year.
Tampa Bay has been piling up wins since the start of the season. A 13-game winning streak tied the major league record for most consecutive wins to open a season since 1901.
However, it’s Toronto that’s stopping the Rays in their tracks. The Rays saw their bid for a record 14-game winning streak to open the season come to an end with a 3-6 loss to Toronto on March 15.
The Rays fell behind 0-4 on the day, scoring six runs in the top of the fifth inning to take an early lead.
Down 1-11 in the top of the ninth, the Rays sent outfielder Luke Reilly to the mound. It was a move to conserve pitching with the game already in hand, but it would prove to be a mistake as the Jays would give up nine more runs in the ninth inning alone.
Facing Railey, the Toronto bats came out swinging.
Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a grand slam and Matt Chapman hit a two-run arch. Tampa Bay pulled Riley and brought back catcher Christian Betancourt to pitch.
Taking over on the mound at 1-17, Betancourt gave up an RBI single to Dolton Bashaw and a two-run homer to Danny Jansen, and the deficit eventually grew to 1-20.