[Art Deco]

Game 1: Since playing the Rays the Mariners have been red-hot, winning 6 straight, and Seattle extended its streak to 7 with a 4-2 win over the Rays. Tampa Bay was done in by one of its former players as Michael Valdez, sent to Seattle in the Alfredo Vega deal last year, hit a 3-run homer off Josh Carsello in the 4th for the game's decisive blow. Carsello finished 6 3 3 3 4 5 and dropped to 5-3, 2.64. Damani Cotton gave up a solo shot in his two innings, while the bats could only manage bases-empty blasts from Bo Angeac (#16) and Eric Titcombe (#15), who are 1-2 in the AL in homers (with Omar Rodriguez right behind them at 14).

Game 2: Another tough loss to Seattle as Kikuo Kawase blows the save in the 9th and Michael Valdez torments his old team once again with an RBI double off Danny Medina in the 10th to give Seattle a 3-2 win. The Rays held a 2-0 lead for much of the game on a Jeff Baez homer (#6) while Jeremy Curtis was in fine form. He allowed a run in the 7th but finished 7 2 1 1 3 3 and deserved better than a no-decision. Jim Golunski got through the 8th but Kawase gave up a 2-out RBI single to Aeverson Arteaga, who was a thorn in their side in the series at Publix Park, and then Medina gave up back-to-back doubles to start the 10th and lose the game. A Toronto win means the Jays are now tied with the Rays for first.

Game 3: The Rays snapped Seattle's 8-game winning streak and a 2-game losing streak of their own with a 7-2 win behind Tim Gates. The righty was much better in his second start since joining the rotation, holding the Mariners to 6 5 1 1 2 6 and getting the win. Jon Jimenez's line-drive opposite field homer to left (#10) tied it in the 4th and a 2-base throwing error by Seattle's catcher Julio Mosquera allowed 2 more to score in the 5th to put Tampa Bay ahead to stay. Daniel Vasquez added HR #10 and Jeff Baez was 3-4 with a double and an RBI. We just can't shake the Jays, though, as they beat Houston again to stay tied with us.

Game 4: Tampa Bay salvaged a split of the series today, although it didn't look like that would happen until late. Seattle went up 3-1 against Jon Soranno after 6, as the lefty turned in another mediocre start (5.1 8 3 3 2 6) and Mariner starter Willie Gutierrez held them to 5 hits and the 1 run through 6. But while one former Ray (Michael Valdez) hurt them in the first two games, the Rays took advantage of another former mate today as they got to the recently-dealt Willie Bertone. First, Jon Jimenez homered off him in the 7th (#11) to cut the lead to 3-2. And in the 8th the Rays went to town on him, scoring the tying run and putting on two more before Danny Ayala took lefty Chris Morocco deep for a 3-run blast (#8) to make it 6-3 Tampa Bay. They kept piling on with 4 more in the 9th highlighted by an Omar Rodriguez bases-clearing double and took a 10-3 win. Danny Medina, who came on in relief of Soranno and went 1 2/3, picked up win #3 while Tim Siqueiros and Chris Toombs added 1-2-3 innings, each throwing fewer than 10 pitches. But those Jays just can't be stopped as they won their 18th(!) one-run game of the year (nobody else has more than 12) to remain deadlocked with us atop the AL East. Based on the Pythagorean standings we should be 8 games ahead of them.

Team record: 40-18. Next up: An off-day, then we return home to face the Angels for 3.

UPDATE: While we were idle on Monday, Toronto did it again: a 3-2 win over Columbus in 10 innings, their 19th one-run win of the year and 7th in extras to move into first. Waiting for the coin to come up tails.