Rays lose scoring touch

It all started so well for the Rays. So well, in fact, that manager Joe Maddon is refusing to push the panic button just yet despite his offense showing worrying signs of misfiring.
Thursday's 3-2 loss to the White Sox was the Ray's third on the bounce and while it would appear that his pitchers are the ones underperforming, Maddon laid the blame for this latest setback at the feet of his hitters.
"These are three games in a row pretty much cut from the same cloth, whereas we could have won all three with a little more offense," Maddon said. "We're facing good pitching, but we've got to figure out a way to put more runs on the board."
Since whacking the Yankees with 15 runs on 17 hits in their home opener, the Rays have managed just seven runs and 14 hits in three games.
Chicago starter John Danks surrendered only a sixth-inning solo homer by Carlos Pena in the series opener, counteracted by a two-run Jermaine Dye homer off Jeff Niemann.
The Rays finally put multiple men on base in the ninth, but managed just one run as Gabe Gross grounded out with two in scoring position to end it.
"We went through this last year a little bit, too," Jason Bartlett said. "We're going to start winning the close games; that's what we did last year. We just kept battling and got a big hit here and there."
Sounds something like a plan. Let's hope it comes to fruition sooner rather than later.