The Tampa Bay Rays scored six runs against Cliff Lee? In how many games? In two innings worth of offense? Wow…

I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes – or would I? After all this is Lee’s third loss at the hands of our Tampa Bay Rays. Three of six losses by the hottest ace lefty in the game belong to TBay. If there are no other feats to be celebrated this, that is one.

Fortunately there will be more to celebrate this season but for right now we can focus on the thumping Lee received in the eighth inning Monday, Tampa Bay earning a come-from-behind win with the final score of 6-4. Lance Cormier picked up the win after a shaky but nonetheless impressive start by David Price.

Price allowed a pair of runs on five hits through six innings; he walked five men and struck out eight. Chad Qualls came on in the seventh, inheriting two base runners, and proceeded to stink up the joint, looking seemingly incapable of hitting the strike zone. While Qualls was only charged with a single run on two hits and a walk, the box score does not speak to his performance. But hey, everyone has bad nights and the offense was able to overcome this one.

This article appears in Aug 12-18, 2010.