MLB fans gang up on Tampa Bay Rays as 13-game win streak ended by Toronto Blue Jays: "13 game losing streak soon" "Those frauds were finally exposed"
The Tampa Bay Rays' record-tying 13-game winning streak came to an end in a 6-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.
Tampa Bay just couldn't seem to get it together against Toronto starter Jose Berrios, who turned in one of his best starts in recent memory, allowing four hits with no walks, giving up just one earned run while striking out six in five innings, to earn the victory and lower his season ERA to 7.98.
The Rays trailed 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth when the Blue Jays broke the game open with a four-run frame that was assisted by an error from second baseman Brandon Lowe.
Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen did not have one of his best outings, giving up five earned runs on eight hits and four walks in just 4-1/3 innings.
Back-to-back home runs by Josh Lowe and Christian Bethancourt in the seventh pulled the visitors to within three runs, but that was where the rally ended.
The Tampa Bay Rays tied the MLB record of 13 straight victories to open a season, rallying to defeat the Boston Red Sox 9-3 on Thursday afternoon at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
With their scorching start, the Rays tied the modern-day MLB record of 13 consecutive wins to start a season. They now share the mark with the 1982 Atlanta Braves and the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers.
Toronto, which entered the game 8-5 for the season so far, was Tampa Bay's first competition this season to have a plus-.500 record. None of the team's first four opponents — Detroit Tigers, Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals or Red Sox — owns a winning record. The quartet record a combined 15-36 entering Friday's slate of games.
The longest winning streak in Tampa Bay Rays franchise history before this season started was 12. The team — then known as the Devil Rays — won 12 games from June 9-22, as part of a 20-6 month.
Tampa Bay Rays still lead AL East by four games
Even with the loss, the Tampa Bay Rays still lead Toronto by four games in the AL East standings.
The Rays were halfway to tying the longest winning streak of MLB's modern era (since 1900) before Friday's loss. That record is held by the 1916 New York Giants, who won 26 in a row before moving to San Francisco 42 years later.
The 2017 Cleveland Indians — now Guardians — came close with a 22-game win streak in 2017, as did the 2002 Oakland Athletics with their 20-game run that was immortalized in the movie "Moneyball", starring Brad Pitt.