If ever there was a team that needed it's ace to step up, it was the Rays right now.
Coming off two straight games where the bullpen had given up leads late, coming off the news that the team's best reliever will have knee surgery, and with the best overall pitcher coming off his worst start of the season, it would have been easy for the Rays to start doubting. I mean, most fans are ready to throw in the towel.
And the first inning wasn't promising. Chris Archer walked Jose Altuve on four pitches, and when the first pitch to Marwin Gonzalez also flew high and outside, Rene Rivera jumped out of his crouch and came to the mound to give a brief "settle down" talk.