[Art Deco]

The Rays took on one of their direct rivals for the top spot in the AL East and won two out of three, surprisingly winning the game which featured another horrible Nick Lodolo start and losing the one which featured another absolutely brilliant James Hays outing.

Lodolo gave up 4 runs on 9 hits in 3+ innings but the Rays powered past the early deficit he put them in and took a 9-5 win over the Orioles in the series opener. His latest rough outing upped his ERA to 9.90 and there are options at Durham (including a rehabbing Clayton Kershaw) that may be opted for if he doesn't turn things around quickly. Turning things around quickly was what the bats did, with the big hit a 3-run Angelo DiSpigna homer (#2) capping a 4-run 3rd which turned a 4-2 deficit into a 6-4 lead, and they never looked back. Andrew Greckel was 2-4 with 2 RBI, and all Osvanni Gutierrez does is win as the reliever went to 4-0 after taking over for Lodolo. DL Hall went the final 1 1/3 against his old team for save #2.

James Hays. That is all. The righty pitched one of the best games I've seen a Rays pitcher hurl in this save, and he still lost. A Javy Baez homer in the 2nd inning for Baltimore was the only blemish on an 8 4 1 1 0 12 outing as he's now somehow 1-1 despite a 1/33 BB/K ratio in 20 innings since joining the team and has an absurd 2/53 BB/K ratio for the season. He's by far the leader in pitcher WAR in MLB at 1.7 already and it's still April. Franklin Dacosta and Diego Castillo combined to allow 3 runs in the 9th to put the game out of reach with the final 4-0 as the bats were held to a pathetic 4 hits.

Here's hoping Hays isn't last year's Dustin May, destined to pitch without run support. Meanwhile this year's May didn't exactly receive an offensive outburst in the finale but got enough for a 3-1 win. May turned in perhaps his best start of the young season going 6 5 1 1 1 6 to go to 3-1, 3.67 and DL Hall got the final 5 outs on only 13 pitches to secure his 3rd save. The offense came primarily via a 2-run double by the resurgent Alex Kirilloff in the 3rd and the OF is now third in the AL at .343 with a 15-game hitting streak, looking more like the guy we thought we were acquiring the winter before last than the one who showed up in 2026. It wasn't all wine and roses though as Heston Kjerstad suffered a hamstring strain making a play in the outfield and will be out 4 weeks.

Team record: 15-12, tied with Baltimore 1 game behind the Yankees. Next up: 3 games in Kansas City where the Royals are off to a rough 11-16 start but have won 7 of their last 8.