By: Sean Fitzgerald

The Cleveland Indians have continued to struggle since leaving Oakland last weekend, with the team taking their lumps against the Houston Astros and two demoralizing losses against the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend. 

23,324 fans came out for fireworks and a Franmil Reyes jersey giveaway. Little did they know that the Rays would provide most of them and power themselves to their fifth straight win in a 8-2 homer fest. 

J.C. Mejia has been inconsistent as a starter all season. The struggles continued with a Ji-Man Choi blast just over the bleacher railings for an air travel distance of 369 feet. 

The Rays deployed Drew Rasmussen as an opener who only needed 11 pitches to breeze through the first three Indians batters. 

The Indians quickly struck back an inning later, with Bobby Bradley snapping an 0-for-13 slide with a towering 409-foot moonshot to the left field, the 11th home run of the season for Bradley. 

The Rays responded by pouncing on Mejia in the third. Brett Phillips and Austin Meadows each mashed solo and two-run shots respectively down the right field line along with Joey Wendle adding a double but left stranded. 

Rasmussen did his job, giving the Rays three strong innings of one-run ball. He struck out three Indians batters on only 35 pitches, nailing 25 of them down for strikes. His only hit allowed was Bradley’s solo homer. 

The game didn’t really change much until Bradley Zimmer led off the sixth inning with a review that credited him with a single. Cesar Hernandez also reached base safely on a throwing error to first, with him and Zimmer advancing to second and third with nobody down. 

Jose Ramirez plated Zimmer on a fielder’s choice RBI that advanced Hernandez to third with two outs, with Frandmil Reyes grounding out to end the frame. 

Mejia gave the Tribe six solid innings for the third straight night, though he did cough up five runs, four of which came from three home runs among his seven hits allowed. Mejia walked two batters while sending down six Rays on strikes, finishing with 54 strikes on 87 total pitches.

For what became a theme of the night, Mejia’s walk to Phillips allowed the Rays to counter with another run, with Ji-Man Choi getting an extra base knock and scoring Phillips to give the Rays a 5-2 edge in the visitor's half of the seventh. 

Bradley Zimmer gave the Indians a quick jolt in the eighth with a one-out double that hit the bottom of the Union Mortgage sign in center field and stuck there on impact. Zimmer advanced to third but didn’t score with Amed Rosario striking out to end the threat. 

The Rays would tack on three more insurance runs in the ninth to put the game completely out of reach, including Meadows’ second two-run rocket of the game, his third career multi-homer game.

The Indians aren’t contenders this year as Tampa Bay has proven and with the trade deadline fast approaching, a little facelift could be in order for the squad.

------Tidbits------

Doctor’s orders

Terry Francona didn’t manage Saturday’s game on the orders of team doctors. The nine-year Tribe skipper was sent home to rest and knock out a head cold while DeMarlo Hale took over managerial duties.

Extra base machine

Since the start of 2017, Jose Ramirez ranks second in the extra base hit department across all of baseball with 305 of the variety. He trails only Nick Castellanos of the Cincinnati Reds (309) and followed by St Louis’ Nolan Arenado (302).

Deadline reminder and trade targets

The Tribe will likely be active at the deadline, which is July 30 at 4 p.m. ET. The team’s recent skids in July have likely knocked them out of contention, putting veterans like Cesar Hernadez, Eddie Rosario and Bryan Shaw on the trade block. 

However, don’t be surprised if the team makes an addition for a controllable, long-term starting position player as well. Cleveland’s minor league system is among the best in baseball with too many prospects that need protection and not enough room on the 40-man roster. 

Some potential candidates who the team could go after include the Pittsburgh Pirates All-Stars Bryan Reynolds and Adam Frazier.

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Sean Fitzgerald is a Kent State graduate and the press box correspondent for Mark One Sports and CLE TribeCast. Follow him on Twitter @fitzonsportsbsr.