Rays strike out 13 times in loss to Guardians, drop to 1-2 in ALCS

CLEVELAND — Known for making contact, Tampa Bay kept striking out against Cleveland in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.

Junior Caminero struck out four times and Rays batters had 13 whiffs in all during a 3-2 defeat to the Guardians on Thursday that dropped Tampa Bay into a 2-1 deficit in the best-of-seven series.

“That’s just a testament to their team, man,” said the Rays' Chandler Simpson, who had a two-run triple. “It’s just good pitching, mixing up things and keeping everything over the plate. This is really a dog fight. It’s like we’re looking in the mirror, almost.”

Tampa Bay batters struck out a major league-low 1,145 times during the regular season. The Rays struck out as many as 13 times in a game just once, 14 in a 3-2 win at Milwaukee on March 30.

“Believe me, I don’t want to strike out four times,” Caminero said through interpreter Kevin Vera. “They’ve been pitching really well, but that’s what they do. We just have to make adjustments for the next game. Plain and simple.”

Tampa Bay had three hits and went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position, dropping to 6 for 35 RISP in six postseason games.

With Jorge Mateo at third and two outs in the eighth, Cade struck out Yandy Díaz on his 10th pitch of the at-bat, a 98 mph fastball.

“He’s one of the best closers in the league for a reason,” Díaz said through Vera. “And he’s the one who got the better hand today. “Look, we’re not a team that strikes out a lot in the regular season, but I think our swings have actually been pretty good. We just need to put the ball in play.”