[Art Deco]

Game 1: This year's bullpen seems to have the ability to blow any lead at any time and that's what it did again today. After the Rays clawed back to take a 4-3 lead in the top of the 8th, Alexander Beltre and Chris Hicks conspired to allow 4 runs in the bottom of the inning as the Rays fell 7-4 to Kansas City and for the 10th straight game have alternated wins and losses. Trailing 3-1 going into the top of the 7th the Rays got homers from Bo Angeac (#4), a 2-run shot to tie it, and Dayle Jenkins (#4) in the 8th to take the lead. But Beltre, who got Tim Siqueiros out of a jam in the 7th, put men on 2nd and 3rd with two outs, and gave up a 2-run single, and then Hicks loaded the bases and gave up another 2-run single. The Rays did manage to put 2 on in the 9th to bring Jenkins to the plate as the tying run, but he grounded out to end the game. Alec Sachais started and was fair, going 6 7 3 3 0 8. Fortunately the Yankees lost in Toronto, so the Rays remain 1/2 behind.

Game 2: Sometimes a win feels like a loss and that's what today was as the Rays were up 6-1 after 7 and held on to win a 6-4 nail-biter thanks to more terrible bullpen work. The game couldn't have started any better as the first two men reached and Nate Clark drilled a 3-run homer (#16), and Victor de Jesus tripled later in the inning and scored on D'Andre Hodges' groundout. de Jesus (#12) and Bo Angeac (#5) added solo homers in the 3rd and the Rays were rolling behind Jon Soranno, who was excellent today in going 7 4 1 1 1 2 and improving to 4-2, 3.55. But two of the incredibly annoying hallmarks of this team came into play. First, the offense again went ice cold after scoring early. Yes, six runs should be enough to win but this team never seems to tack on late as today KC relievers went 6 1/3 shutout innings allowing only two hits and a walk. And second of course is the failpen. Danny Medina pitched the 8th today and gave up a 2-run homer to make it 6-3, and then Jose Alvarado was a complete adventure in the 9th. He struck out the first man, then gave up a walk and two hits, including a double, to put the tying run at 2nd with one out and one in. He got a ground ball and a line drive at Clark to end the game but it was nerve-wracking all the same as he eked out his 5th save. The Yankees won today as they continue to alternate wins and losses too, mirroring us like the alien at the end of Annihilation, so we're still 1/2 game back.

Game 3: Will wonders never cease? Not only did the Rays break their streak of 11 straight alternating wins and losses by winning their second in a row today 5-2, but the game was saved by Jordan Diaz. Most of the heavy lifting was done by Andy Aparicio, who channeled 2031 again in one of his more dominant performances of the year, going 8 7 2 2 1 14 to go to 6-2, 4.44. After AA gave up a leadoff single in the 9th, Diaz came on and pitched around a single allowed of his own which brought the tying run to the plate, but struck out Cole Foster to end and get save #5. Victor de Jesus, having a great year and now leading in the AL in OPS, was the offensive hero early with HR #13 in the 2nd to tie the game and an RBI single in the 4th to give them the lead. They tacked on two more runs in the 7th when Nate Clark walked with the bases loaded right after KC looked like they'd get out of a nobody-out, bases-loaded situation and Rodolfo Rivas followed with an RBI single. Luis Corpus brought Jasson Dominguez home with a sac fly in the 8th. Again the Yankees mimic us by winning, so it's still 1/2 game back.

Team record: 30-21. Next up: 4 games in Minnesota.