What Went Wrong: I Repeat, Where's the Offense, Rays?!

You know, I've been writing these "What Went Wrong" playoff elimination pieces since 2021. I started doing it for hockey, then baseball, and some select NFL teams who fail to reach the playoffs, and I am planning to do this while talking NBA. This has to be a first, however. I never thought I'd be writing a sequel, but here it is. In 2022, the Tampa Bay Rays had a strong regular season, but their postseason saw them score one run in a two-game Wild Card Series.

In 2023, the Tampa Bay Rays had a strong regular season, but their postseason saw them score one run in a two-game Wild Card Series.

Am I in a time loop like that poor girl in Happy Death Day?

Seriously, how can this happen again?! This was a Rays team who started the season 13-0, and yeah, I know the season's 162 games long, but a 13-0 start in any sport is a big deal. It did look like they would not only win the American League East, but also break the all-time wins record. However, neither would happen, but the Rays still had a pretty good season: 99-63, finishing just two games behind the Baltimore Orioles. They locked up a primo Wild Card position, the home field one. Lastly, they were going up against a Texas Rangers team who blew their golden chance to win the American League West.

Unfortunately for the Rays, the Rangers pitching took losing the West personally, and they decided to take no prisoners. Even worse, the Rays fielding was as abysmal as their offense. Four errors in Game One. Absolutely hideous. Speaking of hideous, the Rays have now scored just two runs in their last 42 postseason innings. Sadly, that number is inflated because it includes a 1-0, 15-inning loss in Game Two of the 2022 series against the Cleveland Guardians.

I said in last year's story that Kevin Cash had to be on a short leash after that Wild Card Series loss to the Guardians. Not only do the Rays get swept again this year, it's the same problem: their bats becoming colder than the ice at Amalie Arena (where the Tampa Bay Lightning play). One has to believe that Cash will be given the boot now. Managers are supposed to have winning game plans, but they are also supposed to fix what is broken. Unfortunately, what is broken for the Rays is still broken. Keep in mind, this is the third year since the Rays' appearance in the World Series in 2020. We all know how that ended. We also know who is to blame for that. Cash has been the Rays' skipper since 2015. That is a long time without any real, deep success. Even worse than this type of loss happening again, this is also the second straight year that the Rays are the first team to be eliminated.

So with that, the Texas Rangers become the first team to advance in this year's postseason, as they will head to Baltimore to face off against the top-ranked Orioles in the American League Division Series. This is their first postseason series win since winning their second straight pennant in 2011. As for the Rays, what can they do? They have the hitters to go on a decent, or even deep, run. They just need to figure our how to manufacture something resembling an actual offense in the month that counts the most.

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