Dein erstes Forum » National League Central, bu

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays cant get to the All-Star break fast enough.The team lost for the 19th time in 22 games on Thursday, falling 5-1 to the Los Angeles Angels, who had dropped 12 of 14 before taking three of four from the Rays and leaving town with their longest winning streak in nearly two months.Were not going to look back. I think weve been very honest and upfront that we are frustrated, manager Kevin Cash said. Were not pleased with the way things are going. The one way you can get out of that is start winning some ballgames.Albert Pujols and C.J. Cron drove in runs to back left-hander Hector Santiago (6-4), who limited the sputtering Rays to three singles over seven scoreless innings.Pujols snapped a scoreless tie with a sixth-inning single off rookie Blake Snell (1-4). Cron followed with a RBI grounder that Tampa Bay, which sank a season-worst 17 games under .500, was unable to turn into an inning-ending double play.The last-place Angels added two more runs in the eighth on Crons bases-loaded sacrifice fly and a perfectly executed double steal that saw Pujols swipe second base while Mike Trout sprinted home without drawing a throw to make it 4-0.The Rays, who went 3-8 on the longest homestand of the season, have matched the worst 22-game stretch in franchise history. Its the worst 22-game stretch in the major leagues this season, and the worst for an AL club since Texas went through a 3-19 stretch two years ago.At times it can have a snowball effect a little bit, Cash said. Every day is a new game, its a different game, but weve got to a do a better job of not carrying things over one day to the next. To be honest, I think for the most part weve done that. Were just continuing to come up short.Brad Millers 13th homer, coming on reliever Joe Smiths first pitch, accounted for Tampa Bays only run.Snell, who has taken the loss in four of his six career starts, allowed two runs and four hits over six innings. The 23-year-old left-hander walked two and struck out seven.TRAINERS ROOMAngels: RHP Cory Rasmus is expected to miss a minimum of six more weeks after surgery on Thursday to repair a right groin injury. ... C Geovany Soto, out since May 18 with a right lateral meniscus injury, might be activated this weekend.Rays: RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) felt fine a day after his first rehab start Wednesday night for Class A Charlotte and will make his next appearance Monday. ... C Curt Casali, who left Wednesdays game with a bruise on the left side of his head after being struck by a back swing, sat out the series finale and is day to day. ... INF Steve Pearce (strained right hamstring) is scheduled to start on-field batting practice Friday.RARE COMBOTampa Bays Chris Archer (4-11, 127 strikeouts) and Drew Smyly (2-10, 108) are the second pair of teammates in major league history to lose 10 or more games while fanning at least 100 batters before the All-Star break. Clay Kirby (6-11, 126) and Steve Arlin (8-11, 115) did it for the San Diego Padres in 1972.UP NEXTAngels: Continue a 10-game East Coast road trip leading into the All-Star break, with RHP Matt Shoemaker (3-9, 4.40 ERA) making his second start of the season against Baltimore. He pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out a career-high 12 in his start against the Orioles at Angel Stadium on May 21.Rays: Archer, who lost eight straight decisions against the Red Sox, starts the opener of a weekend series in Boston. The right-hander, whos gone from an All-Star a year ago to leading the majors in losses this season, is the first pitcher since Phil Niekro (Braves) in 1977 to have as many as 11 losses and 127 strikeouts at the All-Star break. The other times that happened occurred in 1973, when Nolan Ryan (Angels), Gaylord Perry (Indians) and Wilbur Wood (White Sox) all did it.Cincinnati Reds Gear . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Custom Cincinnati Reds Jerseys . -- Devin Hester is done returning kicks in Chicago. https://www.cheapredsjerseys.us/ . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. Reds Jerseys 2019 . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. Cincinnati Reds Shirts .ca! Hi Kerry, Heres an interesting one. I know its common knowledge that all players are responsible for their sticks. We witnessed that when Zack Kassian hit Edmontons Sam Gagner in the face after a missed check.There arent many teams that the St. Louis Cardinals have been able to beat at Busch Stadium this year.One of them is coming to town for the next four games, which might be the boost St. Louis needs as it fights for one of two National League wild-card spots with San Francisco and the New York Mets.The Cardinals welcome the Milwaukee Brewers for the opener of a four-game series Thursday night. St. Louis is 30-37 at home but 5-1 against Milwaukee, including a three-game sweep July 1-3.Although they went 5-4 on a nine-game road trip, the Cardinals (73-65) ended it with a 4-3 loss Wednesday night to Pittsburgh, enabling the surging Mets to tie them for the second wild-card spot. Both teams are a half-game behind the Giants, which blew a ninth inning lead at Colorado Wednesday night and fell 6-5.Had St. Louis delivered a bit better with runners in scoring position in its series finale against the Pirates, it could have overtaken the Giants. But it instead went 3-for-14, failing to add on to its first inning run after the first three hitters singled, hitting into a double play with the bases loaded in the fourth and leaving Yadier Molina stranded in the eighth after his leadoff double.We had chances, lot of chances, but we didnt execute in certain situations and it cost us, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.Whats more, St. Louis saw its streak of games with a homer end at 25, which tied a National LLeague record set earlier this year by San Diego.ddddddddddddWhile St. Louis lost a game it could have won, the Brewers (62-77) were taking two of three from the Chicago Cubs, including a 2-1 verdict Wednesday night that saw third baseman Jonathan Villar homer twice.Chicagos magic number dropped to nine in the National League Central, but Milwaukee battled in the series as though it was pushing for a postseason berth.That felt like a real baseball game, like one youre on the edge of your seat the whole game, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. It was a game youre hanging on every pitch, literally.Milwaukee gives the ball to right-hander Junior Guerra (7-3, 2.85 ERA) for the series opener. Guerra, who dropped his only start this year against the Cardinals, just returned from a disabled list stint against Pittsburgh on Saturday, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings before leaving after reaching 70 pitches.St. Louis counters with lefty Jaime Garcia (10-11, 4.41), whos dropped his last three starts, although he pitched well for six innings in a 9-1 setback at Cincinnati on Saturday. Garcia is 2-1 in three starts this year against the Brewers with both wins coming at home.St. Louis leads the season series 11-4, and is 59-28 against Milwaukee since the 2012 seasons beginning. ' ' '