What have we done to deserve this bullpen? Twins 6, Rays 5

We can save time by just running the same recap each day.

Rays starter does ok, even if not a completely shut down performance

Rays hitters get a crooked inning here and there.

The team seems poised for a win, until they turn it over to the bullpen.

Bullpen blows and loses lead.

Another game in the loss column.

But let’s back up a bit to see how this unraveled.

First we can talk about the Rays offense, which scored five runs largely on small-ball and a LOT of speed.

Chandler Simpson and Danny Jansen were an effective duo today. The Rays first run came from Simpson singled and Jansen drove him in with a double. Watching Simpson tear around the bases is such a pleasure. This tied the score at 1-1.

The Rays took the lead when Aranda and Josh Lowe teamed up for two doubles, and scored again as Simpson bunted for a single, Jansen drove him to third with another single, and Simpson scored on a sac fly. Another single and sac fly later, the lead was 4-1. An inning later another sac fly scored their fifth run.

And meanwhile, Taj Bradley seemed to be hitting his stride, although as is often the case he had to pitch out of trouble in the early innings.

Some of us have been down on Taj Bradley for the many times he lets an inning get away from him, but today he experienced some bad luck as well. There was the first inning leadoff liner to third base that Junior Caminero bobbled for an error. There was the perfect two strike curve ball that same inning that the umpire called a ball.

There were the two singles in the second, one driving in a run, that had exit velocities, respectively, of 71 and 55 mph.

But Bradley pulled it together with a few clean innings, and got the Rays into the sixth. At that point he gave up two singles, and Cash replaced him with Kevin Kelly. At the time the Rays had what seemed liked a comfortable 5 - 1 lead.

Kelly gave up a hit that scored one run, and then gave up the big hit — a three run homer to tie the game at 5-5.

The Rays had a few chances to take the lead in the late innings, but failed to take advantage of any of them. So that left it to Garrett Cleavinger to lose the game in the bottom of the ninth with a walk and a pair of singles.

Do the Rays think that Uceta, Montgomery, et al are just having an unlucky stretch and are on the verge of figuring things out? Because all I see is blown game after blown game.

What is also odd is that this team, known for experimenting with pitching roles, has this year gone completely old school, with their best reliever, Fairbanks, reserved almost entirely for save situations. In a game like this one, where they could have used a shut down inning earlier, he’s sitting on the bench — and indeed he hasn’t pitched since Tuesday.

I guess relievers, like hitters, can slump so let’s hope this slump ends soon.