CHICAGO — Having taken an early lead that included Junior Caminero’s 44th homer, the Rays were in position for another win on Sunday.
But a replay reversal on an odd play in the seventh inning cost them a run and changed the momentum as their slide continued with a 4-3 loss to the Cubs.
“A huge turning point in that game,” second baseman Brandon Lowe said.
So while Caminero moved within two homers of Carlos Pena’s franchise single-season record of 46, the Rays moved closer to formal elimination from the American League playoff race.
They hoped to build some momentum and close the gap during the week-long trip to Chicago. Instead, they went 2-4 against the AL-worst White Sox and Cubs. They have lost seven of their last nine, dropping to 73-76.
“A tough road trip,” Lowe said.
It leaves them 7 ½ games behind the Astros, who hold the third AL wild-card spot, with just 13 games remaining.
After Yandy Diaz led off the game with his career-high 24th homer, Caminero followed six pitches later with his second of the weekend and majors-most 17th since Aug. 1.
He also picked up his 108th RBI, moving past Aubrey Huff for fourth place on the franchise list; Pena had a record 121 in 2007.
With the home run mark, which Pena set in 2007, so close, Caminero said he’s trying not to focus on it.
“God willing, when it happens I’ll be able to give you an answer, but right now I’m not even thinking about that,” he said via team interpreter Eddie Rodriguez.
“It’ll be something good, nice, just to be named with [Pena]. And I just have to continue to play and continue to put on a show.”
Manager Kevin Cash is counting on it.
“Happy for Junior. It’s incredible what he’s doing,” Cash said. “I want to see him break the record.”
After getting six strong innings from Adrian Houser in another solid start, the Rays held a 3-2 lead and looked to add on with one out in the seventh.
Caminero drew a one-out walk and went to third on Lowe’s single. He then headed home when Jake Mangum grounded a ball that Nico Hoerner flipped to shortstop Dansby Swanson at second, forcing Lowe, with no throw to first.
But Lowe didn’t slide, and when the Cubs challenged, the replay crew in New York ruled that interference from Lowe prevented Swanson from completing a double play.
As a result, the Rays didn’t get the run, and the inning was over. Worse, the Cubs took the lead right after that.
“I’ve seen the play happen multiple times. I don’t necessarily agree with the outcome of the call,” Lowe said. “I didn’t see, I guess, what they saw, but it’s what they changed it to and how that play turned out.”
Lowe’s perspective was that he didn’t expect there to a be a play at second, and by the time he realized there was it was too late to slide.
“Weak contact behind me; it’s not a play you would normally expect a second baseman to throw to second,” Lowe said. “Obviously saw Dansby catch the ball, slowed down, put my foot on the base and didn’t do anything else. But they saw something else. …
“If I slide when I realized that the ball [is] there, I’m probably sliding over the base. A late slide like that is not something that you want to be doing. Not anything
that I saw. Obviously the umpire didn’t see it that way, either, at first. And someone in New York saw something else.”
Cash called it “a unique play you don’t see happen very often” but also an avoidable situation and the right call, which is based on the fielder being impeded by the runner.
“It was awkward in the fact that [Lowe’s] going to second base, obviously, but he’s trying to avoid a tag midway through, to lose momentum, to pick it back up,” Cash said. “I understand the rule; there was contact made. But, ideally, slide and prevent that.”
What made it all matter more was the Cubs quickly rallied against reliever Edwin Uceta.
Willi Castro led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, and after Reese McGuire popped up a bunt, Matt Shaw also singled. After Michael Busch struck out, Hoerner laced a double to left that scored both, giving the Cubs a 4-3 lead.
“It changes the situation of the game that we’re in,” Lowe said.
Cash agreed but pointed to some earlier situations the Rays had to score, leaving eight on and going 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
“We had opportunities earlier in the ballgame to add runs, and we did not,” he said. “I thought Houser threw the ball incredibly well, gave us every chance. We had some at-bats with guys on third base. We didn’t capitalize.”
And the Rays are just about out of chances.
