CLEVELAND — So much for “Tanking for Tito.” Maybe the Rays should have been “Triumphing for Toronto,” instead.
Tampa Bay got what it expected in facing Cleveland — a matchup with a team very much like itself, stocked with dominating and dazzling pitching backed by solid defense and a somewhat limited offense that was further challenged given the stage and the stakes.
The Rays came up just short — swept by a cumulative 3-1 margin, with all of the runs coming on homers — in two games, but that was their season.
