The 2021 (and only 2021) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

Originally Posted by BatboyGM

Nice run you are having there, 5 WS wins would sure be nice to see irl eh? Is Wander on track for the HOF? I traded for him in a Tigers run and have been loving him.

I'd say he's on track:

[Art Deco]

The middling start to the season continued for the Rays as they dropped 2 of 3 in the Pacific Northwest.

Kevin DiCostanzo was hit hard in the opener and the Rays fell 8-3 to the Mariners. The righty dropped to 1-1 after going 4 9 6 6 1 1 with 3 homers allowed. Speaking of 3 homers, that's how the Rays did their scoring with solo blasts from Arturo Gutierrez (#3, leading off the game), Nate Strickland (#3) and Orlando Tosado (#2).

Tampa Bay only managed 5 hits in the second game but made them count in a 4-2 win. Nate Strickland's 2-run homer (#4) in the 6th broke a 2-2 tie and Orlando Tosado (#3) also went deep for the second straight day. Chris Ferguson couldn't finish the 5th, going 4.2 5 2 2 2 4 on 98 pitches. Ruben Abeyta (1-0) got the win in relief and Mike Moore picked up save #5 despite loading the bases in the 9th.

The bats were as cold as the Seattle rain as they only managed 3 hits in a 4-0 loss in the finale. Ethan McElvain (1-2) gave up all 4 runs in a rough 3rd inning and finished 5.1 6 4 4 2 4.

Team record: 8-6, 2 games behind the Jays. Next up: An off-day then 3 games in Texas.

Transaction: We brought back an old friend in reliever Nathan Dettmer, signed to a minor league deal with an MLB option. Dettmer was our closer for part of 2031 and pitched the previous year with us as well before getting hurt. He still has pretty good stuff and ratings so he could help us out.

[Art Deco]

After dropping the opener and falling to 8-7, the Rays took the next two.

Danny Morales' fairytale start to the season with consecutive shutout outings saw the clock strike 12 as the Rangers hit him hard in a 7-3 loss. Morales (2-1) was tuned up to the tune of 2.2 7 4 4 4 3, particularly discouraging as the Rays jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first including another Arturo Gutierrez game-opening homer (#4). His homers comprise half of his hits as he's off to an otherwise-dreadful .143 start.

The Rays had to work overtime in the second game to beat Texas 4-3 in 11 innings. Orlando Tosado's 4th homer in the year was the decisive blow and Joe Stack was 3-4 with an RBI. Joe Marlette had his best start of the early season going 6 4 2 2 5 9 and Mike Moore got the win by pitching the 10th and 11th.

Kevin DiCostanzo was excellent and the Rays took a 4-1 win in the finale. The righty improved to 2-1 after going 7.1 7 1 1 0 5 and Mike Moore closed it out for save #6. Orlando Tosado stayed hot, going 3-4 with HR #5 and a stolen base while Danny Arroyave doubled and drove in a run.

Team record: 10-7. Next up: The road trip concludes with 3 in Cleveland.

[Art Deco]

The Rays' spotty 2034 offense came to life this weekend in Cleveland, scoring 22 runs in total and hitting three homers in each of the three games. It only got them two wins, however.

The opener was an 8-0 Tampa Bay romp as Chris Ferguson was sharp and Nate Strickland hit a pair of homers, including a 3rd-inning grand slam which broke the game open. Ferguson went to 3-0, 2.28 after a 6.2 5 0 0 3 5 and the struggling Wes Mendes had his best outing by going the final 2 1/3 scoreless. Strickland meanwhile upped his season homer total to 6 and drove in 5 as his second was a solo shot. Wander Franco knocked in a pair and Danny Arroyave added a bases-empty blast (#3).

Ethan McElvain was knocked around by the Guardians in the second game putting the Rays in a 6-3 hole before they came back to tie, but only to lose 7-6 in 11 innings on a walk-off homer. McElvain didn't have it today and finished 3 9 5 5 1 1. The pen did a good job before finally breaking in the 11th when Chris Ericson (1-1) was touched for a solo homer from the second man he faced. Before that the offense got homers from Joe Stack (#6, a 2-run shot), Jake Westfall (#2, also a 2-run blast), and Wander Franco (#3, a solo blast back-to-back with Westfall in the 7th which tied the game). Not only was the loss painful for the Rays figuratively it was literally painful as well as both Nahele Saomoa (who doubled twice and drove in a run) strained his back and will miss 2 weeks while Slade Cecconi, who took over for McElvain, herniated a disc in his back and will be out for 7-8 weeks.

Transactions: Moves galore as Saomoa and Cecconi go on the IL and Ka-Pa Yue is optioned back to Durham. Mason Feole is activated from his rehab assignment to replace Cecconi, Masahuru Shimizu comes off the IL to replace Yue, and taking Saomoa's place is one of our better prospects in Bobby Marin. The 22-year-old, who was a steal in the 6th round in 2030, was hitting 390/447/585 in 41 AB at Durham and is rated currently at 65 contact and 55 power with the potential for 80 and 60. He can play a passable CF (45) but is better suited to the corners where he's average to above-average.

The Rays took the rubber game from Cleveland 8-5 behind three more homers and a good start from Danny Morales. Arturo Gutierrez had a 3-run blast in the 2nd (#5) and Danny Arroyave added a 2-run blast (#4) in the 3rd to put them up 6-0 early. Orlando Tosado chipped in his 6th with the bases empty as well. Morales (3-1) was a solid 6 8 2 2 1 5 but Mason Feole in his season debut put a couple men and then gave up a 3-run homer (I was going to pull him but thought, "nah, leave him in to get the third out) that let the Guardians back within 7-5 before Ruben Abeyta finished up going the final 2 1/3 for his first save of the year. Bobby Marin made his MLB debut starting in CF and leading off and singled in his first at-bat to start the game, scoring a run and later stealing a base, finishing 1-4 with a walk.

Team record: 12-8. Looks like the Jays are going to bedevil me in another save now (can't shake them in my 22 save) as they swept their series and are 3 up on the Rays. Next up: We'll get a chance to do something about it as Toronto visits the Trop for 4 games (sweep and we take the lead, ha!).

MLB News: Eric Lewis, who closed for us down the stretch last year including getting the final out of the World Series, was this year's top reliever who didn't sign until mid-April and got an obscene amount of $ as he joined the Nats on a one-year, $19.2M contract. This is a recurring quirk with OOTP's AI as I get just about one of these every season across various saves.

Minor League Notes: I let my AI assistant GM sign minor leaguers and he went out and inked 40-year-old Matt Olsen to play at Durham. The long-time slugger who has over 500 career MLB homers still boasts 65 power (and a 65 eye) at his age but it comes with 35 contact. Also in another signing that would have been exciting 10 years ago, starting pitcher Logan Webb was signed to play for the Bulls as well but it would take a mass casualty event for him to come up to the big club with his 35 stuff and 35 movement.

[Art Deco]

The Rays played their first big series of the year and passed the test with flying colors as they took 3 of 4 from Toronto and moved to within one game of the Jays.

Tampa Bay made a statement in the opener, going up 8-0 by the 4th and routing Toronto 10-4. Jake Westfall was the hero, homering twice and driving in five including a 3-run shot in the 2nd which broke the game open as he doubled his season's homer total tonight. Arturo Gutierrez did his leading-off-the-game-with-a-homer thing again (#6) and drove in an additional run. After going 18-0 last season Joe Marlette (1-2) finally picked up his first win of 2034 but struggled with his control, going 5 2 1 1 6 4 and his line would have been worse had the Jays not had two runners thrown out at the plate.

I've played out thousands and thousands of games in OOTP but tonight's is the first I recall ending on a walk-off balk as Toronto's Yoendrys Gomez did the deed in the bottom of the 13th to give the Rays a 6-5 win. It started out looking like last night when the Rays went up 4-0 with Kevin DiCostanzo on the mound but the righty couldn't hold the lead allowing 4 runs in the 5th including a 3-run game-tying jack which left him at 4.1 6 4 4 1 7. The Rays got those first four runs against none other than their former 1B Kelly Crumpton, now being used as a 2-way guy by Toronto. They went ahead on a Jake Westfall RBI triple in the 7th but the Jays answered with a run in the 8th. We trudged on to the 13th when the Rays put the first two men on but looked like they'd squander the opportunity when they made two outs without getting the run home. But thanks to Gomez's balk Danny Arroyave came home with the decider and made a winner of Wes Mendes (1-0) who pitched the final two innings.

The Rays took a tough 2-1 loss in the third game as the offense struggled throughout the night. They did manage to load the bases in the 8th with nobody out and it looked like they were poised to win, but three straight strikeouts stranded the runners and epitomized their frustration. Chris Ferguson (3-1) deserved a better fate after going 6.2 7 2 2 2 8 while Arturo Gutierrez's 7th homer of the season plated the only Tampa Bay run.

Tampa Bay made sure it would gain ground on Toronto by routing them again in the finale 8-1, keyed by a big 5-run 2nd inning. And the big hit in that inning was William Contreras's 3-run homer, his first longball of the season. Joe Stack and Jake Westfall contributed three hits each and Nate Strickland added a 2-run double. Ethan McElvain (2-2) was brilliant and came within one out of a shutout before giving up a run in 9th, finishing his day at 8.2 4 1 1 2 6 on 116 pitches.

Team record: 15-9. Next up: 3 games in Oakland.

[Art Deco]

The Rays' good run continued as they swept the A's in Oakland.

It was quite the comeback for Tampa Bay in the opener as they trailed Oakland 6-2 going into the 9, scored 4 times to tie it, and then added another 4 runs in the 10th to take a 10-7 win. The big hit to tie the game in the 9th was Jake Westfall's bases-clearing triple which gave him 4 RBI on the day, and the key knock in the 10th was a 2-run double from William Contreras. Tampa Bay didn't even get on the board until the 7th when Joe Stack drilled a 2-run homer (#7). Danny Morales started and went 4.2 5 3 3 2 2 with Ty Madden giving up a 3-run homer right after Morales left two men on. Nathan Dettmer (1-0) picked up the win after getting out a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 9th.

The Rays took a 4-2 win in the second game over the A's after they held a slim 1-0 lead through 7. That early lead was courtesy of another Joe Stack homer (#8) in the 2nd, and Joe Marlette (2-2) pitched well if inefficiently at 5 5 0 0 3 7 on 102 pitches. Wes Mendes went 2 1/3 with 5 whiffs although he did allow a run and Mike Moore got a 5-out save, his 7th, despite also allowing a run as the Rays did tack three more runs on in the 8th and 9th.

Another solid if short outing from one of their aces led the Rays to a 6-0 win and series sweep in the finale against Oakland. Kevin DiCostanzo (3-1) pitched with a lot of traffic at 5 8 0 0 1 6 but got the outs he needed and three relievers combined to only allow one hit over the final 4 innings. Unfortunately one of those relievers, Dillon Adkins, partially tore his UCL and is done for the season leaving a thin bullpen even thinner. Jake Westfall had a big game, going 3-4 with a 2-run homer (#5) and Masaharu Shimizu launched his first dinger of the season.

Team record: 18-9. We've pulled into a first-place tie with Toronto after they dropped one of their three games. Next up: 3 games in Detroit.

Joe Stack's impressive maiden month in MLB got some recognition:

[Art Deco]

A disastrous series for the Rays as the pitching staff was battered for 29 runs in a Detroit sweep which coincided with a Jays sweep of Houston to push Tampa Bay three games back in the standings.

Transaction: Dillon Adkins went on the IL with his season-ending injury and the contract of veteran lefty Adrian Morejon was purchased from Durham.

They lost the opener 9-6 but only a 7th-inning Jake Westfall grand slam (#6) made it that close. Chris Ferguson (3-2) was tattooed to the tune of 5 12 7 6 0 3, and Danny Arroyave contributed a solo homer (#5).

The offense didn't bother showing up in the second game as they were routed 12-2. It was Ethan McElvain's turn in the dunk tank as he dropped to 3-2 after going 3 8 8 8 0 2 against his former team. Arturo Gutierrez (#9) and Nate Strickland (#7) had solo homers for both Rays runs and two of their five hits on the night.

It looked like the Rays might actually salvage the finale when they scored 6 runs in the 3rd to go up 6-2. But an inning later they were giving up five to fall behind and never recovered to lose 8-6. Arturo Gutierrez (#10, a 3-run shot) and Nate Strickland (#8, a 2-run blast) homered for the second straight day in that inning along with Orlando Tosado (#7) but Danny Morales couldn't hold the lead, going 3.2 8 6 6 2 4 with Wes Mendes (1-1) just as much a culprit, allowing the two runners he inherited from Morales to score along with one of his own after coming into the game with two outs in the inning. Strickland tripled to lead off the ninth as it looked like they might start a rally but instead he was stranded there as the game ended.

Team record: 18-12. Next up: An off-day then 3 in Minnesota.

[Art Deco]

Another lousy series for the Rays as they dropped 2 out of 3 to the Twins.

The opener did go well for them though as Joe Marlette (3-2) was excellent and the Rays took a 4-1 win over the Twins. Marlette went 6 4 1 0 0 7 for the win and Mike Moore closed it out for save #9. The offense wasn't exactly robust but Masaharu Shimizu's 2-run homer (#2) in the 5th put them ahead to stay and Arturo Gutierrez added an RBI double for insurance.

The bats went truly AWOL in the second game as Minnesota's Hunter Brown went 8.1 1 0 0 1 11 against them and they managed only two hits in a 5-0 loss. Kevin DiCostanzo (3-2) wasn't great either, allowing 3 homers in a 5 7 5 5 3 6 outing.

The rubber game was another awful day for the Rays as the Twins routed them 7-1. Chris Ferguson (3-3) had his second straight brutal outing, hit to the tune of 5 7 6 6 4 6. Nate Strickland was the only hitter who showed up, going 2-4 with a solo homer (#9) to account for the lone Tampa Bay run.

Team record: 19-14, 3 games behind Toronto which also lost 2 of 3 but now in third place. Next up: The road trip is mercifully over as they return home for 3 against the White Sox.

[Art Deco]

A good series for Rays pitching - until suddenly it wasn't at the very end and they had to settle for 2 wins out of 3 against Chicago.

The opener saw Tampa Bay rout the White Sox 8-0 behind quality pitching from Ethan McElvain and a four-homer attack. McElvain (3-3) pitched to contact effectively at 7 4 0 0 4 2 and Wander Franco had a big game with 2 doubles and a 2-run homer (#4). Also going yard were Arturo Gutierrez (#11), Masaharu Shimizu (#3) and Joe Stack (#9).

Danny Morales pitched his first MLB complete game and the first by a Rays pitcher this season in a 7-1 win which also Rays hitters launch four homers. Morales (4-1) was an efficient 9 6 1 1 0 2 on 102 pitches, allowing only a 5th-inning run. All 7 runs came via the longball with 2-run shots from Danny Arroyave (#6), Wander Franco (#5), Jake Westfall (#17) and a solo blast from Joe Stack (#10).

The Rays got another brilliant start in the finale but the offense didn't play along tonight and the White Sox scored five times in the 8th off Chris Ericson (0-2) to take a 5-1 win. Joe Marlette was dealing at 6 4 0 0 1 10 and Nathan Dettmer pitched a scoreless 7th, but with the game still 0-0 the White Sox went to town on Ericson with a key error that would have been a double play helping to break it open. The offense couldn't do anything until the 9th when they loaded the bases and scored a run but that was it.

Team record: 21-15. They did gain a game on first-place Toronto so they're now 2 behind. Next up: An off-day then back on the road with 3 in Kansas City.

[Art Deco]

A good series on the field as the Rays swept the Royals in Kansas City, but in the process they lost a top starter for two+ months.

Tampa Bay took a solid 5-1 win over KC in the opener but it came at a steep cost as Kevin DiCostanzo severely sprained his ankle and will be out two months, and when you factor in rehab time we won't see much of him before August. He went 4 3 1 1 0 4 before going down and Ty Madden took over with 3 scoreless to earn the win in his first-ever Rays decision. Wander Franco had a 2-run single in a 3-run 5th to put them ahead and Joe Stack added a 2-run homer (#11) in the 8th (do we call it a Double Stack?). Ruben Abeyta made a mess in the 9th so Mike Moore picked up his 9th save.

Transaction: DiCostanzo goes on the 10-day IL (he could have gone on the 60 but we have a couple of 40-man spots available plus who knows, maybe he recovers sooner than expected), and Randy Morris is called up from AAA Durham. Already on the 40-man, Morris has toiled in our system since 2028 when he was a 15th-round pick. He has a 50/65/50 profile and was 1-2, 3.00 in 27 IP with the Bulls. He'll get a shot at starting in DiCostanzo's spot.

The Rays squandered a 5-1 lead in the second game but rallied to push across a run in the 10th and take a 6-5 win. Masaharu Shimizu (#4) and William Contreras (#2, a 2-run shot) homered to help them to that early lead but Chris Ferguson allowed KC within 5-4 after going 6 8 4 4 2 5 and Wes Mendes coughed up the equalizer in the 7th. Nate Strickland broke the tie with a sac fly after they loaded the bases in the 10th and Mike Moore (2-0) saved his own win after pitching the 9th.

Tampa Bay completed the sweep with a come-from-behind 6-4 win in the finale. The Royals went up 4-2 after 6 but the Rays scored twice in the 7th to tie it and Jake Westfall's 2-run homer (#8) in the 8th won it, capping a 3-hit night for him. Ethan McElvain started and went 5 5 1 1 2 5 but Ty Madden was a disaster in the 6th, giving up 3 runs without recording and out to put KC ahead. The win went to Chris Ericson (1-2) with 2 scoreless and after Ruben Abeyta loaded the bases in the 9th with two out and a lefty due, Wes Mendes came in and got a groundball for his 1st save as Mike Moore was unavailable. Mike Calhoun was 3-4 with a double, steal and an RBI.

Team record: 24-15. The Rays are only 1 1/2 behind Toronto but in third as the Yankees have moved within 1/2 game of the lead. Next up: An off-day then home for 3 against Washington.

MLB News: The Cardinals' Juan Soto hit his 500th career homer.

[Art Deco]

A tough series for the Rays as they dropped 2 of 3 and have fallen 3 behind both Toronto and the Yankees in the AL East.

Things started well in the series as the Rays took a thrilling come-from-behind win over the Nationals 5-4 in 11 innings in the opener. Joe Stack's clutch 2-run homer (#12) with 2 out in the 9th tied it and Nate Strickland's RBI single in the 11th won it. Earlier Arturo Gutierrez hit his 12th longball. Joe Marlette went 5.1 5 3 3 3 7 and Nathan Dettmer (2-0) picked up the win by getting the final out in the top of the 11th.

Washington took care of the Rays 4-2 in the second game. Danny Morales (4-2) had his struggles going 5 5 4 4 3 2 and Jake Westfall was 3-4 with 2 doubles and an RBI.

Randy Morris made his MLB debut at long last and unfortunately it turned out to be a disaster as he was shelled in a 10-4 loss to the Nationals. The rookie righty doesn't have overwhelming stuff but his one calling card was keeping the ball in the park with his 65 movement. That didn't play today as Washington took him deep twice in a brutal 3 7 7 7 2 2 outing. Arturo Gutierrez led off the game with HR #13 and Orlando Tosado had a 2-run double in the losing effort.

Team record: 25-17. Next up: A rematch of last year's World Series as the Marlins visit for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Rays dropped their second straight series at home, losing 2 of 3 to the Marlins.

Like the Washington series the Rays took the opener, slugging five homers to beat Miami 8-4. Nate Strickland was 4-5 with HR #10 and 2 RBI, Danny Arroyave went deep twice (#7 & 8) and drove in three, and Joe Stack (#13) and Arturo Gutierrez (#14) each contributed solo shots. Chris Ferguson (4-3) struggled again at 5 7 4 4 3 4 but picked up the win.

The bullpen was the culprit in the Rays' 5-4 11-inning loss in the second game. Masaharu Shimizu broke a 2-2 tie with a solo shot (#5) in the 7th but Mike Moore blew his 2nd save of the season by giving up a solo homer to the first man he faced in the 9th to send us to extras, and Chris Ericson (1-3) lost the game by allowing a 2-run Miami homer in the 11th. Danny Arroyave hit HR #9 in the bottom of the inning but it wasn't enough, and Nate Strickland earlier hit #11. The bullpen wasted a fine start from Ethan McElvain, who went 7 4 2 2 1 3.

Miami took advantage of the Rays' bullpen again in the finale, scoring 4 times in the 8th to overturn a 5-4 deficit and take an 8-5 win. Wes Mendes (1-2) was downright awful, allowing 3 of those 8th-inning runs while recording only one out to take the loss. The Rays had a 4-run inning of their own in the 6th to go ahead on a 2-run Nate Strickland blast (#12), his third in as many games in the series, and a 2-run Diego Cartaya double. That brought them back from a 4-1 deficit Joe Marlette put them in as he was a mixed bag today at 5.1 7 4 4 2 10.

Team record: 26-19. They're now 4 back of both the Yankees and Jays in the division. Next up: San Antonio comes to the Trop, where the Rays will try not to again lose 2 of 3 to finish out the homestand.

[Art Deco]

After dropping the previous two series on the homestand the Rays snapped back and swept the Alamos to head out on the road on a high note.

Danny Arroyave had the best game of his young career and another second-year Danny - Morales - pitched a fine game as the Rays beat San Antonio 7-2. Arroyave had gotten off to a slow start in his sophomore season but has heated up of late and today he went deep twice (#10 & 11) and drove in 5 to lead the charge. Nate Strickland drove in the other two runs including a solo homer (#13) while Morales improved to 5-2 after a solid 6 8 2 2 0 6 performance.

Two solo homers were enough for the Rays to take a 2-1 victory over the Alamos in the second game. Arturo Gutierrez did his usual lead-off-the-game-with-a-homer thing (#15) and then the rookie Joe Stack came through with a solo shot (#14) off a lefty in the 7th to win it. They supported Randy Morris (1-1) who earned his first MLB win with an excellent 7 5 1 1 1 4 outing, bouncing back after a disastrous debut start. Mike Moore had a 1-2-3 9th on 7 pitches for save #10.

Tampa Bay completed the sweep of San Antonio with a 14-3 rout in the finale thanks in large part to an 8-run 4th inning. Nate Strickland continued to swing the hot stick, going 4-5 with 2 homers to give him 15 and 4 RBI to give him the AL lead at 41. Backup catcher Diego Cartaya also had a huge game, 3-4 with a 2-run double and a 2-run homer (#1) while Arturo Gutierrez (#16, also tops in the AL) and Masaharu Shimizu (#6) contributed solo shots. All this support made a winner of Chris Ferguson (5-3), who won his second straight start while not pitching all that great (5 7 3 3 2 4).

Team record: 29-19, still 2 1/2 behind the Yankees and Jays. Next up: An off-day then we head to Baltimore for 3 games.

MLB News: A couple of vets reached the 2000 hit mark - El Paso's KeBryan Hayes and San Diego's Eloy Jimenez.

[Art Deco]

The Rays swept their second straight series, laying waste to Baltimore by a combined score of 26-4.

The opener was the "closest" of the games as the Rays and Ethan McElvain took a 6-0 win at Camden Yards. McElvain (4-3) was brilliant at 7 2 0 0 1 5 and he was backed by four homers, two of which came off the bat of Arturo Gutierrez, who drove in 4 and took over the AL lead and tied for the MLB lead with 18 dingers. Jake Westfall (#9) went deep against his old team and Danny Arroyave stayed hot with his 12th, both solo homers.

Joe Marlette and the Rays' bats were dominant in an 8-1 win at Baltimore in the second game. Marlette (4-2) was a tidy 7 4 1 1 1 6 and Jake Westfall continued to torment his former team by going 2-4 with HR #10 and 3 RBI. Orlando Tosado contributed a solo shot (#8) as the bats banged out 13 hits on the night.

The Rays completed the sweep with the biggest rout of the three games, bludgeoning Baltimore 12-3 in the finale. They boomed six more homers in support of Danny Morales (6-2), who went 6 6 3 2 1 3 for the easy win. William Contreras had two of them, doubling his season total and driving in 3 while Joe Stack also went yard (#15). Additionally Jake Westfall found the seats for the third straight day (#11) and Orlando Tosado (#9) and Masaharu Shimizu (#7, driving in 3) found them as well.

Team record: 32-19. Toronto keeps winning so they remain 3 back of the Jays, although at least the Yankees have dropped off the lead. Next up: we get Memorial Day off to travel back home where Boston awaits for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

The Rays pulled off their third straight series sweep, extending their winning streak to 9 and pulling within 1/2 game of the division lead.

They rode the arm of Randy Morris and the bat of Wander Franco to a 2-0 win in the opener over the Red Sox. Morris (2-1) made it two excellent starts after a disastrous debut going 5.2 2 0 0 2 8 for the win while Franco singled in the first run in the 5th and homered in the 8th (#6) for insurance. Mike Moore had to get a five-out save (#11) after coming in early when Nathan Dettmer left with shoulder tendinitis which will sideline him for a few days.

Jake Westfall nearly single-handedly led the Rays to victory in the second game as they prevailed 5-4 in 11 innings. The CF had a 2-run homer (#12) in the 3rd to get them on the board, an RBI single with two out in the 9th to tie the game, and then the game-winner, a walk-off double in the 11th. Chris Ferguson had his best start in a while at 6.2 5 2 2 1 7 and they took a 3-2 lead into the 9th before Mike Moore blew the save, allowing 2 runs in the inning. Ty Madden (2-0) got the win after 2 scoreless innings with 4 whiffs.

Danny Arroyave was the hero in the finale, homering twice including a tie-breaking 2-run shot in the 8th to lead the Rays to a 4-1 win over Boston. Arroyave's 14th of the year and second of the game was the decider after he hit a solo shot in the 2nd. Ethan McElvain was outstanding again at 6 5 1 1 1 8, Adrian Morejon picked up his first Rays win and Mason Feole took care of the 9th for his first save of the year.

Team record: 35-19. Next up: The Angels visit for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

The Rays finally proved mortal in this series, dropping a game, but still took 2 out of 3 as their sizzling run continues.

They made it 10 straight with a 5-1 win in the opener over the Angels. Joe Marlette (5-2) was in fine form but it took him 96 pitches to go 5 6 1 1 1 8. No problem though as three relievers closed out the game with four hitless innings and the offense was supplied by Orlando Tosado (2-3 with an RBI double and solo homer, #10) and Nate Strickland, a 2-run single.

The win streak came to a crashing end as the Angels destroyed them 14-0 in the second game. It's unusual to say the losing pitcher in a 14-0 defeat was a "hard-luck loser" but that was the case here as Danny Morales (6-3) was outstanding at 6 3 1 1 1 3 and left the game trailing only 1-0. It was the bullpen instead which imploded as Mason Feole, Ty Madden and Jeremy Brooks combined to allow 13 runs over the 7th and 8th innings with LA putting 9 on the board in the latter. The bats meanwhile took a siesta, managing only four hits.

The Rays bounced back in the finale with their own rout of LA, taking the game 7-1. Randy Morris (3-1) turned in his third great start in a row at 6.2 4 1 1 3 4 and Danny Arroyave had 3 hits including HR #15. Orlando Tosado added #11, a solo shot, and William Contreras had a key 2-run single.

Team record: 37-20, still 1/2 back of the Jays after briefly moving into first place following the opening-game win. Next up: The homestand concludes with 4 against the Yankees, who are now third in the division at 35-21 as the AL East features 3 of the 5 best records in MLB.

[Art Deco]

A rough series for the Rays as they dropped 3 of 4 including a couple of agonizingly close ones.

The opener wasn't close though as the Yankees bullied the Rays 9-4. Chris Ferguson (5-4) was hit hard at 4 9 6 6 0 3 with a couple of homers allowed and the pen wasn't much better. 2-run homers by Diego Cartaya (#2) and Nate Strickland (#16) accounted for the Tampa Bay scoring.

The Rays took their lone win in the series in the second game, coming back from a 4-1 deficit to prevail 8-4. Joe Stack's 3-run homer (#16) in the 4th tied the game at 4 and then a 4-run 6th keyed by Nate Strickland's tie-breaking RBI double provided the winning margin. Ethan McElvain did not have a good start at 4 8 4 4 2 3 with a pair of homers yielded but Chris Ericson (2-3) followed him with 3 perfect innings for the win. Danny Arroyave earlier had HR #16.

The third game was the one that got away for the Rays as Mike Moore was hit for 3 runs in the 9th and lost a 2-1 lead with the Yankees taking a 4-3 win. Masaharu Shimizu's solo homer (#8) in the bottom of the 7th put the Rays ahead 2-1 and Moore came in to get the final out in the 8th to quell a New York rally. But he didn't fare as well in the 9th, giving up a pair of homers and three runs, taking his first loss and fourth blown save of the season. Nahele Soamoa's first MLB homer in the bottom of the 9th cut the lead to one but that was all they could manage and a great start from Joe Marlette (6 4 1 1 1 10) was wasted.

Another excellent start was squandered as Danny Morales lost for the second straight time while allowing only run as the Yankees got by the Rays 1-0. Morales (6-4) maybe had his best stuff as big-leaguer, going 6 4 1 1 2 11 but giving up a run in his final frame of work that proved to be the only one of the game. Rays bats were held to only five hits and although the Yankees walked the first two Tampa Bay batters in the 9th they couldn't be advanced.

Team record: 38-23. The series loss dropped the Rays behind the Yankees into third place in the division and 2 games behind first-place Toronto. Next up: We start a road trip with 3 games in Boston.

[Art Deco]

Rays took 2 of 3 in Fenway to get back on track after the Yankee series.

Randy Morris kept rolling and so did the offense as they routed the Red Sox 10-0 in the opener in Boston. Morris had his fourth straight excellent start after a disastrous debut, going to 4-1 with a 5 5 0 0 1 5 outing. And he was staked to plenty of early support as the Rays went up 7-0 after 3 led by Masaharu Shimizu's 3-run shot (#9) and a 2-run 1st-inning double from Orlando Tosado. Jake Westfall drove in 3 with a pair of run-scoring hits as well.

The Rays shook off a 4-0 first inning deficit to overwhelm Boston 12-4 in the second game. Chris Ferguson's recent struggles continued at 4.1 6 4 4 3 4 but at least he settled in some after giving up all the runs in the first. Jake Westfall started the comeback with a 2-run homer (#13) in the 3rd and Danny Arroyave, who ended up with 3 doubles and 4 RBI, hit one of them to drive in the tying runs before Joe Stack singled in the go-ahead game-winner. Arturo Gutierrez put the cherry on top with an 8th-inning grand slam (#19) and Chris Ericson (3-3) earned the win with 2 2/3 perfect in relief.

After scoring at will in the first two games of the series, the Rays' bats didn't get going until they were already 6-0 down and fell 7-4 to Boston in the finale. Ethan McElvain (4-4) was let down his defense, most notably a pair of Wander Franco errors, and finished 5.1 4 3 1 3 0 but Ty Madden really put it out of reach by allowing 3 runs in relief. Homers from Diego Cartaya (#3, solo) and Jake Westfall (#14, a 2-run shot) got them within 6-4 in the 8th but that was as close as things got.

Team record: 40-24. The Yankees took 2 of 3 from the Jays so the ridiculously-tight AL East sees Toronto on top, 1/2 up on New York and a game on the Rays. Next up: We head to Atlanta for 3 games.

MLB News: Seattle star Julio Rodriguez hit his 400th career homer over the weekend and former Rays star Austin Meadows announced his retirement at the end of the season.

[Art Deco]

Not the greatest series for the Rays as they dropped the first two, but they came back with a vengeance in the finale and set an MLB record in the process.

In the opener Tampa Bay was done in by a former Ray as Jake Baldino, with the club last year, shut them down for 6 2/3 as Atlanta skunked the Rays 3-0. Joe Marlette (5-3) pitched fairly well at 7 5 3 3 3 6 but received no support as the bats only scratched out six hits.

Not much more offense in the second game but the pitching kept them in it until Atlanta walked it off in the bottom of the 9th in a 3-2 loss. Danny Morales was solid at 6.1 4 2 2 2 3 and the Rays finally got on the board via Nate Strickland's solo homer (#17) in the 7th. They tied it up in the 8th on an Atlanta error and held there until Wes Mendes (1-3) put men on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out in the bottom of the 9th and Mike Moore gave up a sac fly to score the winner.

The Rays' offense came back in a huge way in the finale, hitting an MLB-record 11(!) homers in a 20-4 rout of Atlanta. Randy Morris wasn't able to take advantage of this unprecedented support as he was wild at 4 4 2 2 6 3 but Frankely Guzman (1-0) got the win despite allowing 2 runs and Jeremy Brooks pitched three perfect innings for his first save. But of course the big story was the slugging, led by Jake Westfall's trio of taters and I'll just go ahead and post the details of how they broke the record of 10 set in 1987 by the Blue Jays:



As you can see they had 27 hits with every starter picking up at least a pair and it was Joe Stack's second homer of the game in the 9th which broke the record.

Team record: 41-26, now 1 1/2 behind both the Jays and Yankees.

MLB News: Milestone time for a former Rays star as Toronto's Kelly Crumpton hit HR #300.

[Art Deco]

Rays took 2 of 3 from the Mets, and remained 1 1/2 behind the Yankees and Toronto. They'd be leading every other division in MLB.

Chris Ferguson was sharp yet lost a 2-0 lead, but the Rays prevailed 3-2 in 10 innings at Citi Field over the Mets. Ferguson took that 2-0 lead into the 7th before he ran out of gas and New York tied it up, leaving him with a 6.1 5 2 2 1 4 line. Arturo Gutierrez, who earlier had a solo homer (#21), came to the rescue in the 10th with an RBI single and made a winner of Mike Moore (3-1) who stayed on to finish the game.

Turnabout is fair play and the Mets took their own 3-2 win in 10 innings in the second game. Nathan Dettmer (2-1) loaded the bases with nobody out in the 10th and he was relieved by Mason Feole, who nearly got out of it by striking out the next two batters before allowing a walk-off single. The Rays got a good start from Ethan McElvain (5.2 3 2 2 4 4) and another Arturo Gutierrez solo homer (#22).

Joe Marlette had a lousy start in the finale but the offense picked him up as the Rays took the finale from the Mets 8-5. The difference in the game was Jake Westfall's 3-run shot (#18) capped a 4-run 6th and broke a 5-5 tie, getting Marlette and his 4.1 6 5 4 3 6 line off the hook. Orlando Tosado was 3-5 with 2 RBI and Nate Strickland hit HR #19 and knocked in a pair as well. The bullpen was excellent with 4 2/3 of 2-hit shutout ball with Mason Feole (1-0) getting the win and Mike Moore recording save #12.

Team record: 43-27. Next up: Back home for 3 vs Kansas City.