CINCINNATI — Shane McClanahan gave the Rays another strong start Friday, but they couldn’t take advantage and lost to the Reds, 2-1.
The end came painfully in the 10th inning, as reliever Matt Wisler was called for a walk-off balk, sending Mark Kolozsvary home from third base with the winning run. That, after Nick Senzel bunted Kolozsvary to third, and Wisler walked Albert Amora Jr. and was facing Tyler Naquin.
It marked the first time in franchise history the Rays lost on a walk-off balk and the first time it has happened in the majors since the Dodgers lost to the Mariners on Aug. 18, 2018 in Seattle.
The Rays, making their first visit to Cincinnati since 2014, had won five of their last six and were encouraged by a revitalized offense. But starter Luis Castillo and the Reds’ bullpen took care of that with a strong showing. The Rays dropped to 45-38 with the loss, their fifth by walk-off this season.
McClanahan, who seems certain to be named to the American League All-Star team on Sunday, was dominant again, allowing one run and three hits over six innings while striking out eight. He pitched himself out of the game, throwing 95 over the six innings, 64 for strikes.
In doing so, McClanahan extended his American League-record streak to 11 straight starts of working six or more innings while striking out at least seven and allowing two or fewer earned runs.
The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the third off Castillo, whose work figures to be a subject of ample conversation as the Aug. 2 trade deadline nears.
With one out, Yandy Diaz doubled, extending his career best hitting streak to 12 games He went to third on Wander Franco’s groundout and scored on a single by Ji-Man Choi. A small group of fans in the Great American Ball Park stands were chanting Choi’s name before each at-bat.
The Reds tied it right up.
McClanahan, who got out of a second-and-third, two-out jam in the second, allowed a leadoff single to No. 9 hitter Michael Papierski to start the third, then got a double-play grounder.
But McClanahan fell behind Brandon Drury 3-0, and the fastball he left over the plate was launched into the left-field seats.
Colin Poche took over in the seventh, allowed two runners on but got out of it. Ryan Thompson worked a 1-2-3 eighth. Jason Adam hit the first batter of the ninth but got a double-play grounder and a strike out.
The Rays didn’t have many scoring opportunities. They got two in the ninth after a pair of two-out walks by reliever Hunter Strickland, but pinch-hitter Francisco Mejia flied to right.
In the 10th, they had runners on the corners after Josh Lowe’s leadoff single advanced Mejia, who started the inning on second. Mejia broke for home on Diaz’s grounder to short and was called out, the call withstanding a replay review. Franco then hit a liner right at second base, and shortstop Kyle Farmer grabbed it and doubled off Lowe.
