The 2020 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays were unable to hold a mid-game 4-3 lead and fell to the Diamondbacks 7-4 in the opener, despite the longest homer I've ever seen in an OOTP game I played out. That came off the bat of Angel Gonzales, who hit a jaw-dropping shot over the CF backdrop at Chase Field which was measured at a whopping 527 feet. Gonzales' 2-run blast after having already drilled an RBI double gave the Rays that 4-3 lead but Dave Rose allowed his second homer of the game in the 6th to let Arizona tie and finished 6 8 4 4 1 4. The struggles of Jake Cid (3-5) continued in the 7th, and he allowed two runs to lose it.

Game 2: Unlike yesterday the Rays really weren't in this one and lost a 6-0 decision to the Diamondbacks. Tony Guzman (4-3) pitched well for a while, but was left in too long, putting two men on to start the 7th and then giving up a 3-run homer to saddle him with a 6 8 5 5 2 8 line. The offense did get 8 hits, but couldn't do anything with them.

Game 3: Tampa Bay did salvage the final game of the series, but it wasn't terribly enjoyable as they watched a 10-2 lead nearly completely evaporate before hanging on to edge Arizona 10-8. They were very unkind to a former teammate as they bombed their rotation mate of the previous two seasons Jorge Barraza to the tune of 2.1 7 8 8 1 0 with Angel Gonzales having another big day, reaching base all 5 times going 3-3 including HR #13 along with a pair of walks while Orlando Diaz's 2-run double and Aaron White's 2-run triple were the big hits in an 8-run 3rd inning. Unfortunately Elijah Whitaker couldn't stand prosperity or last through the 4th inning, going a terrible 3.1 7 6 6 4 3. Jonathan Bolon (1-1) wasn't much better, giving up 2 more runs in 2 1/3 innings to let Arizona within 10-8 by the 6th but still got the win. Meanwhile the bats were shut down after the 3rd by another former Ray, Phil Weststrom, who went 6 1/3 scoreless in (very) long relief. Fortunately the back end of the Tampa Bay pen got the job done with Bill Sutherland securing save #13 despite putting the first two men on in the 9th before getting a double play.

Team record: 31-22. The Yankees took 2 of 3 to shave the Rays' division lead to 1 1/2 games. Next up: A return home to play 3 against St. Louis.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: I honestly can't recall St. Louis ever coming to Publix Park in this save, so this might have been their first trip ever here (the scheduling of course dates to 2020 with a division-heavy slate and limited interleague play). In any event the Rays and Victor Boria welcomed the Cardinals to Tampa by shutting them out 3-0. Boria went to 7-0, 2.76 after going a sterling 6 4 0 0 0 6 and Bill Sutherland finished up for save #14. Rodrigo Aponte's 2-run homer (#8) in the 4th was all the offense they needed today.

Game 2: Rookie Orlando Diaz blasted a pair of homers and Tampa Bay broke open a 4-3 game with a 6-run 6th and ended up routing St. Louis 12-3. Diaz had a 3-run homer in the 4th to put them up for good, and then added a solo shot (#10) in that 6th inning which was highlighted by a Rodrigo Aponte grand slam (#9), capping a 5-RBI day for the first sacker. Julio Mattila (4-2) continued to underwhelm at 5 8 3 3 1 5 but was good enough for the win today.

Game 3: The bullpen cost the Rays a chance at a sweep today, turning a 3-0 lead after 7 into a 4-3 loss in 10 innings with all three of our "closer-quality" relievers having a hand in the debacle. Dave Rose was excellent and deserved a win going 6.1 5 0 0 2 5 and Orlando Diaz stayed hot with a 2-run homer (#11), his third in two days. But Devin Tadlock gave up a pair of solo homers in the 8th to make it 3-2, Bill Sutherland blew his sixth save by allowing the equalizer in the 9th, and Jake Cid (3-6) gave up the winner in the 10th as the bullpen has been anything but lockdown this season despite the impressive CVs of that trio.

Team record: 33-23. The Yankees also took 2 of 3 so they remain 1 1/2 back. Next up: A 4-game set at home against Houston.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays had to work overtime to handle Houston in the series opener, winning 4-3 in 13 innings on Omar Gaitan's RBI single. Tony Guzman took a 2-0 lead into the 7th thanks to Jesus Avalos' (only) 4th homer of the season but he put a couple of men on and Joe Rose made an even bigger mess, enabling Houston to take a 3-2 lead and leaving Guzman with a 6.1 4 2 2 2 6 line. Joel Bland came to the rescue in the bottom of the 9th though with a game-tying pinch-hit homer (#3) which sent us to extras. Randy Mastropietro ended up winning his first decision of the season after getting the final out in the 13th.

Game 2: Tampa Bay had an easier time of it in the second game, walloping the Astros 9-3. Rodrigo Aponte got the party started early with a first-inning grand slam (#10) while Joel Bland (#4, solo) and Jesus Avalos (#5, 2-run homer) both went deep for the second straight day. Elijah Whitaker (4-2) continued his season-long struggle with control but managed to go 5.1 5 1 1 4 5 for the win.

Game 3: Houston returned the favor of yesterday's rout by thumping the Rays 10-2. The Astros handed Victor Boria (7-1) his first loss of the season thanks to a 4-run 3rd, and the righty finished a rough 4 8 5 5 1 4. Houston poured it from there, and a pair of RBI doubles from Paul Mayes were the only Tampa Bay highlights on the day.

Game 4: The Rays had to a settle for a series split after the Astros once again manhandled them 9-2. This one was a little closer for a while before Houston pulled away in the mid-to-late innings but the outcome was the same. Julio Mattila (4-3) saw his ERA go back above 6 after going 5 9 4 4 3 3. The only bright spot was Jalen Diaz's solo homer (#3) in the 3rd which cut Houston's lead to 2-1 at the time.

Team record: 35-25. The Yankees took 2 of 3 to reduce the division lead to a single game. Next up: 3 games in Boston, during which we'll have the Amateur Draft.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Runs were scarce at Fenway Park and the Rays got the only one in a 1-0 win over the Red Sox behind Dave Rose. Rose (5-3) was a fine 6 5 0 0 1 7 as he and three relievers combined on the shutout with the third of them, Bill Sutherland, locking it down for save #15. The lone run came on an RBI groundout in the 4th from Dantel Chinchilla.

Game 2: The teams didn't waste any time making sure the previous night wasn't repeated as the Rays scored 4 in the first inning and Boston responded with 5 by the 4th before Tampa Bay took the lead back for good in the 6th on Jalen Diaz's 2-run homer (#4) to prevail 8-5. Jesus Avalos' 2-run homer (#6) keyed that first inning but Tony Guzman couldn't hold it, going 4 8 5 5 3 4. Thankfully Chris Friedman (2-2) had his best outing as a Ray, going 3 2/3 scoreless to earn the win thanks to Diaz's blast. Bill Sutherland closed it out again for his 16th save.

Game 3: The Rays completed a Fenway sweep thanks to another big first inning as they won 9-5 over the Red Sox. This time they put 5 on the board in the opening frame with Paul Mayes' 2-run single and Aaron White's 2-run double the big blows. Like yesterday they had a starter who couldn't stand prosperity; this time it was Elijah Whitaker who couldn't finish the fifth although he did limit the damage at 4.2 8 2 2 3 5 and this time the Rays built the lead to 8-2 on a 2-run Angel Gonzales blast (#14). Omar Gaitan added a late solo shot, his 2nd homer of the year. Manny Lopez ended up with the relief win, his first decision as a Ray.

Team record: 38-25. The Yankees lost a pair so the division lead is back to 3 games. Next up: A day off then home for 3 against Baltimore.

MLB News: I usually don't mention news from around the league because nobody knows who all these guys are on other teams, but Pittsburgh SS Nick Villafana is someone I've mentioned before. He's essentially the best player in baseball and has been since his rookie season two years ago when he led the Isotopes to a World Series win over the Rays. He's in the news because he ruptured his MCL and will be out 10 months.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays had one of their patented Publix Park comebacks thanks to the home run, overcoming deficits of 3-0 and 4-2 to win 6-4 on Rodrigo Aponte's 2-run walk-off shot (#11), the team's fourth longball of the day. Victor Boria put the first two men on and then left with a minor back tweak (he'll make his next start), forcing Steve Swords into action and he gave up 3 hits to score Boria's men and one of his own. Aaron White's 2-run blast (#4) in the 4th got the Rays back into the game and then solo homers from Orlando Diaz (#12, pinch-hitting) and Jesus Avalos (#7) in the 8th got the game tied. Aponte's walk-off homer made a winner of Bill Sutherland (1-0) while Swords went a solid 6 6 2 2 1 5 in long relief.

Game 2: Tampa Bay broke this one open in the middle innings, scoring a total of 6 runs over the 4th and 5, then held on to beat Baltimore 8-5. A four-run fourth was highlighted by a 2-run Joel Bland double and then Jesus Avalos added a 2-run jack (#8) in the 5th. Unfortunately Julio Mattila (5-3) couldn't stand prosperity and let the Orioles within 6-5, finishing 5.1 8 5 5 1 6 yet still picking up the win thanks to solid work from the bullpen, including Devin Tadlock handling the 9th for save #6. Omar Gaitan contributed a 2-run double in the 8th for some insurance.

Game 3: The Rays completed the sweep of the Orioles as Dave Rose and Jonathan Bolon combined on a 5-0 shutout. Rose (6-3) continued to round into ace form going 7 5 0 0 2 4 and lowered his ERA to 3.23 with Paul Mayes the man on offense, driving in 3 with a pair of singles. Jalen Diaz went yard (#5) with a solo shot.

Team record: 41-25. The news got even better with the Yankees losing 2 of 3, enabling the Rays to open up a 5-game division lead. Next up: That lead will be put to the test as they head to Yankee Stadium for 3 games to kick off a road trip.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays opened up a 6-game lead in the AL East after walloping the Yankees 13-6. Rodrigo Aponte was the star of the show, belting 3-run homers in both the 1st and 3rd innings (#12 & 13) as part of a five-homer attack. Also going deep were Paul Mayes (#5, solo), Orlando Diaz (#13, a 3-run job) and Dantel Chinchilla (#3, a 2-run blast). Tony Guzman (5-3) pitched to the score and finished 6 4 4 4 5 7.

Game 2: After scoring at will yesterday Tampa Bay couldn't score at all in the second game and suffered a 2-0 loss to New York. The bats could only scare up three hits and as a result Elijah Whitaker (4-3) suffered a tough-luck loss after going 5 4 1 1 1 6.

Game 3: The Rays' offense was AWOL for the second straight day and they dropped the rubber game to the Yankees 4-1, seeing their division lead cut to 4 games. Jalen Diaz's 4th-inning solo shot (#6) gave them a 1-0 lead they took into the 7th but Jake Cid (3-7) continued to have problems with the long ball and surrendered a 2-run homer to lose it, and Bill Sutherland gave up another one in the 8th. Victor Boria deserved a better fate, going 6.1 6 1 1 1 6 with the lone run against him thanks to the homer allowed by Cid.

Team record: 42-27. Next up: After a day off we play 3 in Toronto.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays dropped the opener at Rogers Centre 4-2 to the Jays. It was a 2-2 affair in the 6th when reliever Chris Friedman was greeted by the first batter he faced with a 2-run homer, making a loser of Julio Mattila (5-4) who went 5 6 3 3 3 7 and put the winning run on base. The offense had little to offer, managing only six hits.

Game 2: The bats may have been subdued yesterday but they returned with a vengeance today, scoring in each of the first seven innings as the Rays trounced Toronto 11-6 (a game that even that close with 5 late Jays runs in the 8th off the bullpen). Jesus Avalos doubled and hit pair of solo homers (#9 & 10) while Jalen Diaz contributed a 2-run double and a 2-run homer (#7). Joel Bland also went yard with a solo shot, his 5th. Dave Rose (7-3) was in fine form for the win, going 6.2 7 1 1 3 7.

Game 3: Tampa Bay brought the lumber once again today, scoring eight times in the first three innings and coasting to an 8-1 win in the rubber game of the series. Joel Bland's second homer in as many days, a 3-run shot (#6) in the first, got them going and Omar Gaitan contributed a 2-run single. This made life easy for Tony Guzman (6-3), who cruised to the win going 7 4 1 1 1 4.

Team record: 44-28, still 4 up on the Yankees. Next: a return home to play 3 against Detroit.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: A combination of the bats going cold and Jake Cid giving up another critical homer gave the Rays a 1-0 loss to Detroit in the opener at Publix Park. Tiger pitching held Tampa Bay bats to only five hits, and with the game scoreless in the 8th the 37-year-old Cid, a closing legend still rated 70/60/65 served up a homer to a lefty for the games only run. He's now 3-8 and has yielded 6 homers in only 28 innings. We could be witnessing his inevitable falloff. Elijah Whitaker started and was perfect through 2 2/3 with 4 whiffs before departing with a mild calf strain which may or may not keep him out of his next start, and Randy Mastropietro went a nice 3.1 2 0 0 0 4 in long relief, but for naught.

Game 2: The Tigers topped the Rays again, this time by a 5-2 margin. Victor Boria (7-2) lost his second straight start, going 5.1 5 4 3 2 3 while Rodrigo Aponte drove in the only two Tampa Bay runs.

Game 3: Things were looking precarious for the Rays as Detroit took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the 7th and threatened a sweep, but a 4-run rally led Tampa Bay to a 9-4 win over the Tigers in the finale. Rodrigo Aponte was the star today as he was 3-4 with two doubles, a triple and 4 RBI with one of those doubles a 2-run knock to put them ahead for good in the 7th. Joel Bland was also 2-4 with a 2-run single to put things away. Julio Mattila (6-4) had one bad inning (a 3-run 5th) but stuck it out to get the win after going 7 7 3 3 1 7.

Team record: 45-30. The Yankees have pulled within 2 1/2 games. Next up: a day off to travel to Minnesota for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays jumped out to a 4-0 lead and held on to edge the Twins 4-3 in the opener at Target Field. Jalen Diaz led the game off with a homer (#8) and added two doubles, including one that drove in a run, to lead the way on offense while Dave Rose (8-3) was solid a 7 7 3 3 1 8 despite allowing a couple of homers. Devin Tadlock retired the last two batters for his 7th save.

Game 2: Tampa Bay took the second game from Minnesota 9-5, although it really wasn't that close as they went up 8-0 and saw the back end of the bullpen get knocked around. Angel Gonzales belted a 2-run homer (#15) and Jesus Avalos (#11) went back-to-back with him to start the scoring in the 3rd. But in the 4th Jalen Diaz doubled in a run but in the process strained his ACL and will be out six weeks. He had been on a tear and hits the IL batting 311/363/505 after replacing starter Henry Dominguez, still out another month with a torn quad. Tony Guzman (7-3) was excellent at 6 6 0 0 2 4 for the (costly) win.

Transaction: Jordan Sailes, who tore it up while Joel Bland was out, gets a recall from Durham to take Jalen Diaz's roster spot. Sailes will play RF against RHP while Jesus Avalos moving to center, a move that weakens the already shaky team D, but we don't have a true CF now with Diaz and Dominguez out other than Brian Whittaker, who can't hit righties to save his life. Whittaker will play CF against LHP as he had largely already been doing.

Game 3: The Rays finished off the sweep of Minnesota with a tense 2-0 win behind Victor Boria. The righty had scuffled a bit after returning from a brief absence following an incredible start to the year but was in fine form today in going to 8-2, 3.25 with a 6 2 0 0 2 5 outing. The bullpen did its job and Bill Sutherland handled the 9th for his 17th save. Jesus Avalos homered for the second straight day and his 12th of the year with the bases empty in the 4th would be the only run they needed although Rodrigo Aponte added an RBI double in the 6th.

Team record: 48-30. They did gain a game on New York, which falls 3 1/2 games back. Next up: A trip to the Bronx to play those very same Yankees over 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays didn't have much to offer at the plate and dropped the series opener to the Yankees 5-1 in the Bronx. Manny Flores' solo homer (#2) in the 4th was one of only four hits on the day for the club as Julio Mattila (6-5) went 6 8 3 3 1 5 in a quality but losing start.

Game 2: The final scored said New York 8, Tampa Bay 7 but that was a bit deceiving as the Yankees jumped out to an 8-0 lead before a furious Rays rally led by Paul Mayes got them within one in the 9th. Before the late dramatics Elijah Whitaker (4-4) was downright horrible at 3 8 7 7 3 2 with a couple of homers allowed and the offense slumbered until the 7th when Mayes hit the first of his two homers with a man on as part of a 3-run inning that also saw Omar Gaitan go solo (#3). Then in the 9th they pushed across another run to make it 8-4 before Mayes belted a 3-run homer (#7) to cut the lead to one, and they had the winning run on base after all before falling short.

Game 3: Down 2-0 after 7 the Rays were staring down the barrel of a Yankee sweep and a division lead cut to a mere half-game, but they got in the 8th, tied it in the 9th and won it in 10th 4-2 on a 2-run Joel Bland triple and instead kept their lead at 2 1/2 games. The Rays got a typically good start from Dave Rose (6 5 2 2 3 6) and the bullpen was great with Bill Sutherland (2-0) getting the win and Devin Tadlock closing for his 8th save. Omar Gaitan's 9th-inning RBI double was the game-tying hit after Angel Gonzales got them on the board in the 8th with an RBI single.

Team record: 49-32. Next up: An off-day then back home for 3 against Cleveland. We'll have the midseason review up next.

[Art Deco]

It's been a good, not great year for the Rays so far although they're in their customary perch atop the AL East. Injuries have been a problem as they've already gone through their first and second-choice CFs as well as their starting LF for an extended stretch. The big problem so far this year is the total cratering of their defensive play which had been very good the previous two seasons.

The overall picture:



Team stats:



Despite the injuries alluded to earlier the offense has been quite good as usual, with its propensity to strike out the only negative. The pitching meanwhile tells an interesting story: although our starters are 8th in the AL in ERA we lead the league in WAR and strikeouts - it's the poor defense that's costing us. Losing Dominguez in CF has hurt and the SS play has been iffy. Also Diaz, while a slugging specimen, has been a terrible IF whether played at SS or 3B.



Gonzales remains of the game's premier hitters, and the rookie Gaitan has been everything we hoped for and then some behind the plate. It's a cruel shame to lose J.Diaz, considering how well he played taking over the injured Dominguez, who was off to an incredible start. We'll have the latter back in a little more than a month and Diaz is a week or two behind him so we're going to have to further sacrifice defense with Avalos playing out of position in CF. Whittaker is a good defender but his bat is too weak to play against RHP. White and O.Diaz have been the disappointments on the IF with the former just not hitting and the latter atrocious with the glove (and getting on base) despite his light-tower power.



The Rose-Guzman-Boria trio has been outstanding, and Sutherland and Tadlock have been just fine at the back end of the bullpen. Whitaker and Mattila have been problematic though, with the former's control really dropping off this year after a brilliant 2057 and the latter unable to overcome the bad defense behind him (a .344 BABIP). Meanwhile in the pen Cid is finally showing his age as you never want to see a reliever with 8 losses in an entire season let alone half of one. He's been victimized by the longball at inopportune moments.



The farm system isn't anything to write home about but isn't completely barren either. Although Vargas is at Durham, he's not quite ready to pitch in the bigs while Falcon and Gaye are a long way away. Sailes should probably be higher than #9 considering how he's raked in an extended look at the MLB level while Bland was out (and he's now back up with J.Diaz on the shelf).

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays romped in the opener against Cleveland at Publix Park, gouging the Guardians 7-1. Solo homers from Joel Bland (#7) and Angel Gonzales (#16), who went back-to-back to start the game, got them going and Jesus Avalos added a 2-run shot (#13) in the 4th. This made an easy day of it for Tony Guzman (8-3), who cruised at 6 2 1 0 2 3.

Game 2: Time for another PPPC (Patented Publix Park Comeback) for Tampa Bay, and this one had a particularly high degree of difficulty. Cleveland took a 6-1 lead into the bottom of the 8th before the Rays rallied for 5 runs to tie it with a Rodrigo Aponte grand slam (#14) the big blow. Then Orlando Diaz walked it off in the 10th with a solo shot (#14) to give the Rays a thrilling 7-6 win. Victor Boria went 4.2 7 3 3 1 5 allowing a couple of homers and the bullpen didn't do so great in letting the Guardians extend the lead, but Devin Tadlock (3-2) had a perfect 9th to nab the win.

Game 3: The Rays almost pulled off another PPPC in the finale but instead fell short and dropped a 5-3 decision to the Guardians. Julio Mattila (6-6) had another rough outing at 4.2 7 5 5 3 4 and saw his ERA rise to 6.23, putting his team in a 5-0 hole but Angel Gonzales single-handedly got them back in the game with a solo homer and a 2-run shot (#17 & 18) to cut the deficit to two. They then loaded the bases in the 8th but couldn't score and put two more men on in the 9th but couldn't get them home either.

Team record: 51-33. The Yankees lost 2 of 3 so the division lead is back up to 3 1/2 games. Next up: Boston visits for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: It took six innings but the Rays finally broke open a 0-0 game and held on to take a 5-4 win over the Red Sox in the opener at Publix Park. Dave Rose (9-3) was putting up zeroes but had nothing to show for it until Jesus Avalos launched a 3-run homer (#14) in the bottom of the 6th. Rose was then nicked for a run in the 7th and Devin Tadlock allowed another of Rose's men to score to leave Rose with a 6.2 5 2 2 1 9 line. Joel Bland provided a 2-run insurance double in the bottom of the inning and they needed it when Tadlock gave up a 2-run homer in the 8th. Bill Sutherland put an end to things with a 1-2-3 9th earning his 18th save.

Game 2: The 6th inning was key again for the Rays as they hit a trio of solo homers to erase a 3-2 Boston lead and went out to thump the Red Sox 11-5. Angel Gonzales, who earlier had a pair of RBI singles, belted his 19th of the year to tie the game and Rodrigo Aponte went back-to-back him with #15 to give Tampa Bay a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Dantel Chinchilla added his 4th later in the inning and Paul Mayes tacked on a 3-run blast (#5) in a 5-run 8th as they blew it open. Elijah Whitaker went 5.1 4 3 3 2 8 and Manny Lopez (2-0) picked up the win in relief. Jake Cid's problems continue though; he pitched for the first time in a week after suffering a dead arm and gave up a 2-run homer in the 9th.

Game 3: Boston salvaged the rubber game of the series, scoring three times in the 5th to break a 1-1 tie and going on to batter the Rays bullpen to prevail 8-2. Tony Guzman (8-4) had a rare poor outing, going 5 4 4 4 3 2 and the pen allowed 4 more runs including 3 off Jonathan Bolon in the 9th.

Team record: 53-34. They did gain a game on the Yankees to extend the division lead to 4 1/2 games. Next up: Off on July 4 before traveling to Baltimore for 3 ahead of the All-Star break.

[Art Deco]

July 5: Claimed P Kuisma Hikkanen on waivers from Texas; designated P Jonathan Bolon for assignment and traded him to Seattle for OF Victor Soto.

Some stuff to unpack here. Hikkanen is a 60/65/55 rated reliever (with 65 potential stuff) although the 26-year-old's MLB numbers didn't quite match his ratings. I had run out of patience with Bolon and flipped him for 27-year-old power-hitting OF in Soto (rated 55 contact and 60 power) who's hit 33 HR in 708 big-league ABs while going up and down from Seattle to AAA the last four years. He's a DH-type who can fake LF (50) and has an option left so he went to Durham.

Game 1: Victor Boria was hit hard and the Rays dropped the opener in Charm City 9-4 to the Orioles. Baltimore got 4 off the Rays righty in the first inning and then added 3 more in the fourth to tag Boria (8-3) with an ugly 3.2 7 7 6 1 0 line with the lack of strikeouts showing he didn't have his best stuff today. Rodrigo Aponte drove in 3 including a 2-run homer (#16) in a losing cause.

Game 2: Tampa Bay dropped another one at Camden Yards, succumbing 4-3 to Baltimore. Julio Mattila (6-7) pitched well for six innings but then gave up two more in the 7th to finish 7 9 4 4 1 4, and for the second straight day Rodrigo Aponte shone for naught, belting a pair of solo homers (#17 & 18).

Game 3: The Rays limped into the All-Star break after being swept by Baltimore, dropping the finale 6-1 and making it four consecutive losses overall. Today their ace couldn't save them as Dave Rose (9-4) was knocked around to the tune of 5 10 5 4 1 6 with a couple of homers allowed. Paul Mayes' solo shot (#9) was it for the offense.

Team record: 53-37. The sweep enabled the Yankees to slice a couple of games off the Rays' division lead and pull to within 2 1/2 at the break. Next up: We resume game action on Thursday with the first of four against Toronto at Publix Park.

[Art Deco]

The teams:

This year, the American League will be represented by these All-Star performers:

SP Juan Esparza (NYY) - 5-1, 11 SV, 1.77 ERA, 61.0 IP, 1.05 WHIP, 9.3 K/9, 1.2 WAR
SP Mario Guererro (MIN) - 5-4, 3.19 ERA, 118.1 IP, 1.10 WHIP, 9.4 K/9, 3.7 WAR
SP Chris Kemp (BOS) - 8-5, 2.96 ERA, 109.1 IP, 1.14 WHIP, 7.7 K/9, 3.4 WAR
SP Adrian Ramos (MIN) - 10-5, 3.41 ERA, 103.0 IP, 1.20 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, 2.9 WAR
SP Alex Rosales (SEA) - 5-0, 0.36 ERA, 25.0 IP, 1.00 WHIP, 7.6 K/9, 0.7 WAR (Injured)
SP Dave Rose (TB) - 9-3, 3.12 ERA, 112.2 IP, 1.26 WHIP, 9.1 K/9, 2.7 WAR
SP Anthony Tucker (HOU)* - 6-6, 3.19 ERA, 104.1 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 9.8 K/9, 2.4 WAR
SP Chad Winger (OAK) - 8-2, 2.27 ERA, 103.0 IP, 0.98 WHIP, 8.4 K/9, 3.1 WAR
SP Jared Young (BAL) - 8-3, 2.64 ERA, 88.2 IP, 1.18 WHIP, 11.4 K/9, 2.9 WAR (Injured)
RP Andy Bowie (HOU) - 4-4, 3.14 ERA, 63.0 IP, 1.27 WHIP, 7.9 K/9, 0.8 WAR
RP Josh Hoffman (MIN) - 4-5, 3.20 ERA, 56.1 IP, 1.24 WHIP, 9.9 K/9, 1.0 WAR
RP Ben Hopkins (HOU) - 2-0, 1.55 ERA, 46.1 IP, 0.97 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 1.1 WAR
RP Emanuel Longoria (LAA) - 4-4, 2.54 ERA, 63.2 IP, 1.13 WHIP, 9.6 K/9, 1.1 WAR
RP Bob Riley (LAA) - 1-0, 2.66 ERA, 47.1 IP, 1.35 WHIP, 6.3 K/9, 0.0 WAR
CL Eddie Knowlton (MIN)* - 1-2, 24 SV, 2.21 ERA, 36.2 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 10.6 K/9, 1.2 WAR
C David Evans (BOS)* - .283/.325/.510, 251 AB, 16 HR, 126 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
C Bernie Sapp (BAL) - .316/.350/.365, 263 AB, 1 HR, 98 wRC+, 1.1 WAR
C Amari Terrell (NYY) - .223/.316/.477, 264 AB, 20 HR, 115 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
1B Jeremy Gerst (TEX) - .258/.362/.431, 295 AB, 13 HR, 2 SB, 125 wRC+, 1.3 WAR
1B Angel Gonzales (TB)* - .327/.420/.514, 358 AB, 19 HR, 162 wRC+, 3.5 WAR
1B Manny Muniz (DET) - .286/.326/.568, 329 AB, 19 HR, 141 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
1B Mario Pineda (BAL) - .306/.366/.541, 340 AB, 22 HR, 150 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
2B Jerry Esparza (TOR)* - .303/.363/.604, 333 AB, 28 HR, 1 SB, 166 wRC+, 4.0 WAR
2B Danny Fernandez (BOS) - .329/.461/.506, 316 AB, 10 HR, 25 SB, 174 wRC+, 4.4 WAR
3B Jaden Hill (BOS)* - .311/.373/.477, 325 AB, 5 HR, 7 SB, 136 wRC+, 3.9 WAR
3B Paul Mayes (TB) - .269/.345/.450, 309 AB, 8 HR, 25 SB, 120 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
3B Israel Osegueda (NYY) - .279/.332/.454, 337 AB, 14 HR, 5 SB, 118 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
SS Ahmed Smith (DET)* - .303/.345/.439, 310 AB, 5 HR, 5 SB, 116 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
LF Keith Billingsley (TOR) - .274/.327/.536, 336 AB, 22 HR, 1 SB, 132 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
LF Gregorio Salazar (CLE)* - .292/.371/.514, 253 AB, 13 HR, 143 wRC+, 2.6 WAR (Injured)
CF Mike Agudelo (NYY)* - .245/.371/.448, 310 AB, 14 HR, 20 SB, 132 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
CF Jayden Campbell (AUS) - .284/.333/.480, 331 AB, 10 HR, 9 SB, 125 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
CF Juan Herrera (CWS) - .313/.375/.451, 339 AB, 6 HR, 20 SB, 133 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
RF Juan Martines (CWS)* - .316/.410/.601, 326 AB, 22 HR, 11 SB, 180 wRC+, 4.6 WAR
RF Ed Silver (OC)* - .292/.392/.475, 322 AB, 6 HR, 28 SB, 140 wRC+, 4.3 WAR
RF Juan Velasco (DET) - .296/.358/.562, 304 AB, 19 HR, 151 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
RF Devin Whiteside (CLE) - .362/.416/.543, 282 AB, 8 HR, 13 SB, 168 wRC+, 4.4 WAR

While the National League best will include these stars:

SP Luis Cabrera (NYM) - 6-2, 2.26 ERA, 107.1 IP, 1.00 WHIP, 6.5 K/9, 2.5 WAR
SP Randy Heller (PHI) - 9-4, 3.23 ERA, 114.1 IP, 1.13 WHIP, 8.7 K/9, 2.7 WAR
SP David Marrero (MIL)* - 9-4, 3.04 ERA, 133.1 IP, 1.13 WHIP, 7.8 K/9, 1.7 WAR
SP Sérgio Massano (WSH) - 6-4, 3.12 ERA, 121.0 IP, 1.12 WHIP, 9.5 K/9, 3.2 WAR
SP Salvatore Oyola (STL) - 12-1, 2.35 ERA, 122.1 IP, 0.91 WHIP, 8.3 K/9, 3.0 WAR
SP Eric Saenz (COL) - 8-4, 4.41 ERA, 112.1 IP, 1.36 WHIP, 7.1 K/9, 1.6 WAR
SP Jordan Sierra (CIN) - 7-6, 3.92 ERA, 98.2 IP, 1.32 WHIP, 8.4 K/9, 1.0 WAR
RP Dave Flores (LAD) - 1-3, 4.58 ERA, 19.2 IP, 1.12 WHIP, 13.3 K/9, 0.5 WAR
RP Mike Hanson (IND) - 1-3, 2.38 ERA, 41.2 IP, 0.84 WHIP, 11.0 K/9, 0.3 WAR
RP Kymani Smith (PIT) - 6-1, 1.57 ERA, 68.2 IP, 1.02 WHIP, 11.0 K/9, 1.9 WAR
CL Nick Diaz (PIT) - 6-4, 19 SV, 2.93 ERA, 46.0 IP, 1.37 WHIP, 8.4 K/9, 1.2 WAR
CL Josh Moore (LAD)* - 7-3, 21 SV, 3.10 ERA, 40.2 IP, 0.71 WHIP, 10.4 K/9, 0.1 WAR
CL Nicolas Rivas (SF) - 2-6, 18 SV, 3.89 ERA, 34.2 IP, 1.18 WHIP, 11.7 K/9, -0.3 WAR
CL Edgar Voisin (STL) - 4-2, 12 SV, 1.55 ERA, 29.0 IP, 0.76 WHIP, 7.1 K/9, 1.0 WAR (Injured)
C Jorge Banuelos (CLB)* - .247/.351/.489, 231 AB, 18 HR, 133 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
C Ezequiel Chapa (STL) - .319/.368/.461, 254 AB, 6 HR, 134 wRC+, 4.1 WAR
C Michael McCalvin (SD)* - .272/.325/.396, 298 AB, 8 HR, 102 wRC+, 0.8 WAR
C Pete Welch (PHI) - .257/.308/.447, 284 AB, 13 HR, 107 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
1B Juan Banuelos (ARI) - .332/.397/.594, 271 AB, 19 HR, 176 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
1B Mike Sistare (MIL)* - .311/.416/.632, 296 AB, 22 HR, 3 SB, 190 wRC+, 4.3 WAR
2B Juan Davila (PHI) - .292/.376/.536, 336 AB, 18 HR, 5 SB, 153 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
2B Chris McDaniels (ATL) - .289/.366/.575, 308 AB, 26 HR, 8 SB, 161 wRC+, 3.4 WAR
2B Gerald Minotes (LAD)* - .304/.367/.587, 286 AB, 21 HR, 1 SB, 164 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
2B Danny Nevarez (NYM) - .312/.381/.488, 285 AB, 9 HR, 3 SB, 148 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
2B Alex Ramirez (ARI)* - .287/.340/.631, 328 AB, 29 HR, 5 SB, 164 wRC+, 4.0 WAR
3B Adrian Eke (MIL) - .331/.400/.532, 363 AB, 11 HR, 20 SB, 159 wRC+, 3.6 WAR
SS Derrick Armes (SF) - .274/.333/.514, 321 AB, 18 HR, 3 SB, 134 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
SS Tyler Frederick (CHC) - .254/.306/.475, 280 AB, 12 HR, 4 SB, 114 wRC+, 1.1 WAR
SS Willie Irizarry (ARI) - .274/.338/.531, 343 AB, 18 HR, 2 SB, 137 wRC+, 3.6 WAR
SS Kareem Powell (ATL) - .238/.361/.388, 227 AB, 7 HR, 5 SB, 114 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
SS Nick Villafana (PIT)* - .314/.437/.633, 207 AB, 17 HR, 2 SB, 198 wRC+, 4.4 WAR (Injured)
LF Jesus Chevez (CLB) - .287/.330/.575, 327 AB, 22 HR, 3 SB, 149 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
LF Orlando Revas (COL) - .352/.420/.561, 230 AB, 2 HR, 13 SB, 167 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
CF Oscar Cervantes (COL)* - .291/.378/.562, 333 AB, 17 HR, 149 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
CF Tim Thompson (CLB)* - .267/.330/.521, 303 AB, 16 HR, 14 SB, 134 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
RF Ramon Herrera (PHI)* - .283/.340/.587, 346 AB, 29 HR, 151 wRC+, 3.0 WAR


As always, current Rays in bold and former Rays in italics.

Not a lot of representation for Tampa Bay in this year's midsummer classic with Rose (somehow only his 3rd appearance), Gonzales (his second) and Mayes (his first) getting the call. Rose pitched on Sunday so he will likely not be seen in the game while Gonzales is a starter.

The Derby:

No Rays invited.



Guess the wind was blowing in.

The Game:



An unusually high-scoring ASG which saw little contribution from Rays players. Rose of course didn't pitch while Gonzales reached on an error and drew a walk and Mayes was hitless in his lone at-bat.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays came out of the All-Star break swinging the bats as they trounced Toronto 10-5 at Publix Park. Paul Mayes led the charge, going 3-5 with HR #10 and 3 RBI, Omar Gaitan was also 3-5 with a homer (#4) and Rodrigo Aponte was 2-4 with 2 ribbies. Elijah Whitaker couldn't make it through the fifth to pick up the win, going 4.2 7 4 4 2 5 as his struggles continued, so Chris Friedman (3-2) got the win in relief.

Game 2: Tony Guzman pitched his best game as a Ray as Tampa Bay topped Toronto 5-0. Guzman (9-4) was dominant in a 7.1 4 0 0 2 10 outing and got offensive assistance from Jesus Avalos (a 2-run homer, #15) and Joel Bland (solo shot, #8).

Game 3: Things were set up nicely for the Rays when they opened up an early 5-1 lead on the Jays thanks mainly to Angel Gonzales' 3-run homer (#20) and with ace Dave Rose on the mound, but things turned sour in the 4th when Rose couldn't get anyone out and Toronto scored 6 times to go on and take a 7-6 win over Tampa Bay. Rose (9-5) ended with a brutal 3.1 9 7 6 0 2 line and the Rays couldn't mount one of their patented comebacks.

Game 4: High drama at Publix Park as Aaron White beat out an infield single with two out in the 9th to tie the game for Tampa Bay, but a run allowed in the 10th gave Toronto a 2-1 win and a split of the 4-game series. Victor Boria, who had struggled of late, bounced back with a nice 5 4 1 1 1 7 outing but received zero support. And after Joe Rose (4-3) gave up a run in the 10th when his teammates couldn't turn a double play behind him, White's heroics went for naught.

Team record: 55-39. Luckily for the Rays the Yankees lost 3 of 4 so the division lead grew to 3 1/2 games. Next up: Oakland visits for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: It was a wild one at Publix Park, one that saw the Rays blow a 7-0 lead before prevailing by a football score of 15-10 over Oakland. Angel Gonzales belted a 2-run homer (#21) and backup C Alex Gonzalez had a bases-clearing double to build that early lead but the A's wiped it out completely in the 6th. Julio Mattilla was wild but effective at 5.1 4 2 2 7 5 but Randy Mastropietro gave up 3 runs without retiring a batter and Chris Friedman (4-2) put the finishing touches on the blown lead. But Orlando Diaz responded in the bottom of the frame with a 3-run shot (#15) to restore Tampa Bay's advantage and Gonzalez had a career game, homering (#1) and driving in 3 more runs. Still the bullpen kept allowing runs and even with a 15-8 lead going into the 9th Manny Lopez made a mess and Bill Sutherland had to come in. He put two more on to load the bases before getting the final out for his 19th save.

Game 2: A much more tame affair but one that didn't go the Rays' way as Oakland scored 3 in the 6th to take a 4-2 win. Elijah Whitaker (4-5) was pitching one of his better games of the season until he wasn't, finishing 5 5 2 2 1 8 as he ran into 6th-inning trouble and new reliever Kuisma Hinkkanen made it worse, turning a 1-1 game into a 4-1 game. Angel Gonzales homered again (#22); his solo shot was the lone Rays highlight.

Game 3: The Rays' midseason swoon continued as they lost for the fourth time in their last five games and eighth in their last eleven, dropping the rubber game 4-3 to Oakland in 11 innings. Tony Guzman started and was a decent 5.1 5 2 2 3 5 but they found themselves down 3-1 in the 8th. Jesus Avalos then hit a clutch 2-run homer (#16) to tie it up but it only ended up prolonging the agony as the A's scored in the 11th off Steve Swords (0-1). This after the Rays put the first two men on in the 9th and didn't score and then loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the 10th before Paul Mayes hit into a 6-2-3 double play to kill that chance.

Team record: 56-41. Unlike the previous series they lost where the Yankees bailed them out by getting swept, New York this time did the sweeping to gain two games and pull within 1 1/2 of Tampa Bay. Next up: A day off to travel west where we'll start with 3 in Anaheim against the Angels.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Dave Rose wasn't his sharpest, but he gutted his way through an effective outing and led the Rays to a 4-2 win over the Angels in Anaheim. Rose (10-5) didn't strike out anyone until the 5th and finished with a mixed 6.1 9 1 1 3 2 line, while Bill Sutherland handled the ninth for save #20. The offense came courtesy of an Aaron White solo homer and a 2-run Omar Gaitan shot, the fifth of the season for both.

Game 2: A 1-1 game got away from Tampa Bay in the 5th and LA went on to take a 7-2 victory. Victor Boria (8-4) was doing alright until he put two men on in the fifth with two out and Chris Friedman came on and was just brutal, allowing a 3-run homer and then another run without retiring a man. Boria finished with a 4.2 5 3 3 2 3 line. Jesus Avalos hit a solo homer (#17) in a losing cause.

Game 3: The Rays won their first series in their last four thanks to a 6-3 triumph in the rubber game over the Angels. They scored all six runs in the first three innings, capped by a mammoth 461-foot homer which landed halfway up the green grass batter's eye in CF off the bat of Dantel Chinchilla (#5). Aaron White had a 2-run single in the first to get things going. Julio Mattila (7-7) was solid at 6.2 7 3 3 1 7 and was cruising along until allowing a 2-run homer in the 7th. Bill Sutherland saved again (#21).

Team record: 58-42. The Yankees also won 2 of 3 to stay 1 1/2 behind the Rays. Next up: Back home for 3 against the other New York team, the Mets.