By Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times

TAMPA, Fla. — The Rays dropped a third straight game to the Cleveland Guardians, and dropped back to the brink of the American League playoff race.

Sunday’s 2-1 defeat pushed the Rays back under .500 at 71-72, and with Seattle’s win at Atlanta, left them four games and four teams from the last wild-card spot with 19 games to play.

There wasn’t much offense to Sunday’s game. The Rays got their run on Carson Williams’ fifth-inning homer, and the Guardians combined three hits, a walk and a fielder’s choice play on a bunt off Rays relievers Garrett Cleavinger and Kevin Kelly into two runs in the sixth.

The Rays failed to convert a couple scoring opportunities in the early innings against rookie lefty Parker Messick.

They took a 1-0 lead at the start of the

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