Joe knows numbers are like balloon animals: They can be twisted however someone sees fit.

Yes, there’s value in looking at statistics. But sometimes, they offer conclusions as empty as the dance floor during a party with monks and nuns.

Typing for TodaysKnuckleBall.com, good guy Roy Cummings pointed out numbers that serve as chocolate drizzle atop a pile of stink. Here’s how he highlighted the Rays’ offensive production of late:

 “The Rays finished up the weekend tied for sixth overall in Major League Baseball in runs scored since the All-Star break with 46, this after ranking 26th in runs scored during the first half of the season.

“And prior to losing on Sunday, the Rays had been hitting .364 with runners in scoring position since the break, that after hitting just .232 in those clutch situations during the first half.”

That’s all fine and dandy, but the fact remains Tampa Bay is 4-6 since the All-Star break. The Rays have lost three straight entering a two-game series against the Dodgers that begins tonight in La-La Land.

So it’s cool to hear Tampa Bay’s bats have come alive. But if the losses still pile up like soiled underwear in a college dorm room, what’s the point? Moral victories don’t punch tickets to the postseason.

The search for silver linings is on!