Questions Surround Rays’ World Series Strategy

The Tampa Bay Rays came up short in their quest for the World Series, leading to a wave of questions directed at manager Kevin Cash.

One major point of contention was Cash’s decision-making related to pitcher Drew Rasmussen, who, after a solid four-inning performance—giving up only one run on four hits and throwing 48 pitches—was taken out of the game. This happened in Game 5, a decisive match that ended in a 4-1 loss for the Rays.

“We had gone into the game saying it was 60 pitches or four innings. Stuck to that. That was the easiest call in the world to take him out of the ball game,” Cash explained during the postgame interview.

This choice to remove Rasmussen backfired quickly. Cash brought in reliever Kevin Kelly for the fifth inning, hoping to handle the bottom of Milwaukee’s order efficiently. However, the Brewers made quick work of that plan, sending three hits in a row that widened their lead to 2-0.

Things only deteriorated further in the sixth inning when Garrett Cleavinger allowed two more runs, pushing the deficit to 4-0. The game seemed to slip out of the Rays’ control.

Looking back, some might say Cash missed an opportunity by not starting Rasmussen in Game 1. Instead, he opted for Nick Martinez, even though Rasmussen was ready to pitch. “We prioritized Drew getting an extra day. He’s had a pretty thick workload here,” Cash had said prior to the series, defending that early decision. “We’ve relied on him heavily. We know when he takes the ball, we’re trying to get the full pitch allotment out of him.”

Yet, just days later in Game 5, the unexpected approach forced him to put Rasmussen out with limited rest due to those earlier choices. Had Cash gone with Rasmussen initially, the pitcher would have been on normal rest for the final game.

Rasmussen had been the most reliable pitcher for the Rays throughout the season, with the team taking diligent care of his arm after his history of two Tommy John surgeries and having an internal brace inserted in 2023.

However, the offense also carries its share of responsibility. Scoring just once when their season was on the line and accumulating a mere six runs over the final 38 innings of the series speaks volumes about their struggles.