The 2021 (and only 2021) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

The offensive struggles continued and this time the Rays could only snag one win out of three. Toronto swept its series but then lost on our Monday off, so the division lead is down to 1 1/2 games.

The Rays did take the opener 7-0 over the Alamos although they packed just about all their scoring into one inning, a 6-run 5th. Bobby Marin's 2-run single made it 3-0 and a couple of batters later Luis Berumen launched a grand slam (#13) to put it away. They backed a dominant yet short outing from Joe Marlette, who improved to 8-4, 2.36 after going 5 3 0 0 3 10. Nick Wallerstedt ended up going the final 4 innings and recorded his 2nd save.

The second game was painful to watch as the Rays wasted 8 shutout innings from Danny Morales and lost 1-0 to San Antonio. Morales went 8 5 0 0 1 6 and gave way to Mike Moore (2-3) in the 9th, who promptly gave up the game's first and only run. Meanwhile the bats only managed five hits although one of them was a 1-out triple by Alex Rivas in the bottom of the 9th but Jake Westfall struck out and Luis Berumen grounded out to strand him and end the game.

The run of great pitching came to an end in the finale as the Alamos got the better of Tampa Bay 6-3. Chris Ferguson (3-6) nearly had a perfectly symmetrical yet perfectly awful line of 4.1 4 4 4 4 4 and the bullpen wasn't much help afterwards, allowing 2 of Ferguson's men to score and 2 of their own on solo homers. Speaking of solo homers, the Rays did get ones from Danny Charlton (#14) and Jake Westfall (#11) but not much else.

Team record: 49-26. Next up: An off-day then we're off to Detroit for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Took our customary 2 out of 3 in Detroit, and Toronto did likewise so the division lead holds at 1 1/2 games.

The Rays took a 5-1 lead in the 2nd inning of the opener but had to hold on to beat back the Tigers 7-5. Danny Arroyave had a 2-run triple in the first and Jake Westfall drove in 3 to lead the offense, with Bobby Marin contributing a solo homer (#12). But they needed all those runs as Kevin DiCostanzo (11-2) wasn't sharp today despite getting the win, struggling through a 5.1 9 5 4 1 4 outing which saw him allow a pair of homers. Mike Moore had a rare scoreless inning of late for save #17.

The bats were held to three hits and as a result the Rays lost the middle game of the series 4-2 to Detroit. Bobby Marin (#13) and Danny Charlton (#15) had solo homers but that was it as Joe Scheu (8-4) went 5.1 7 4 4 1 3 in the loss.

Joe Marlette no-hit the Tigers through 6 to lead the Rays to a 6-1 win in the finale. The lefty pitched well but struggled with his control and when he allowed a leadoff single in the 7th (which later scored) he was pulled on 94 pitches, improving to 9-4 and finishing 6 1 1 1 5 6. They could have easily scored 10 today but were leaving men on base (13) throughout the early innings before Danny Charlton had a couple of RBI hits in the middle innings to break things open. Justin Blackwell chipped in a solo homer (#13).

Team record: 51-27. Next up: The road trip continues with 3 in Boston.

[Art Deco]

The Rays should have pulled off a sweep in Fenway but a massive bullpen implosion in the finale meant they had to settle for 2 of 3. Still it was a good close to the first half of the season as Toronto lost 2 of 3 at home to the Yankees and fell 2 1/2 games back.

As has so often been the case of late the offense has taken 5-6 innings to get going while the pitching held the opponent down and enabled the Rays to pull out a win, and that was the story tonight in a 5-1 victory over Boston. In fact it was kind of an extreme example as the Rays didn't even manage a hit until the 5th before exploding for 4 runs in the 6th. Wander Franco's 3-run homer (#8) was the decisive blow and made a winner of Danny Morales, who went 7 3 1 1 3 7 and closed out a massive June to improve to 10-1.

For a change Tampa Bay got going early on offense and cruised to a 5-0 win over the Red Sox behind a brilliant outing from Chris Ferguson. The Rays got a 2-run Danny Arroyave homer (#12) in a 3-run first to set the tone early and Ferguson took it from there, going 8 5 0 0 3 5 on 108 pitches as the staff continues to carry this club.

Danny Arroyave had his biggest game of the season and the Rays tacked on 2 runs in the 9th to take a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the inning but Devon Williams and Mike Moore combined to allow 5 runs without recording an out as the epic bullpen meltdown gave Boston an 8-7 win in the finale. It certainly looked like a sweep was in the cards thanks to Arroyave, who had a 2-run double in the 5th, a solo homer (#13) in the 8th and an RBI double in the 9th to go with Danny Charlton's 2-run shot (#16) in the first off former Ray Shane Baz. Kevin DiCostanzo had another mediocre start at 5.1 6 3 3 3 6 but it looked more than good enough for the win before the 9th started. Williams, who had been on a good run of late, gave up hits to the first four men he faced and left with two runs in and men on 2nd and 3rd. Enter closer Moore (2-4), who has been a bit spotty lately, and he promptly gave up a 3-run homer to the first man he faced to let Boston walk it off and give him his fourth blown save of the year.

Team record: 53-28. Next up: As we've reached the midway point of the season the next post will be a full review of the season to date, and on the field we're off to Kansas City for 3 games.

Some recognition for Morales' great month:

[Art Deco]

A good first half for the Rays, all things considered.



Marlette is also third in whiffs (123) and pitcher WAR (4.1).



This has been one of the more frustrating offenses I've dealt with in recent years, reliant on rookies & second-year guys (Berumen, Marin, Stack) and seemingly in need of the home run. Lengthy absences from Arroyave and Franco didn't help either. But the pitching and defense has been one of the best in any of my dozens of seasons in various Rays saves with the only minor complaint to be had is that they don't strike out a ton of people (although they fan enough). Allowing 3.23 runs/game in this day and age is almost unheard of.



A lot of underachieving going on here. Wander's having one of his best seasons despite missing over a month, and Berumen's had a good rookie year despite a recent slump and the fact he walks about once every two weeks. But Charlton has been dreadful as has new catcher acquisition Gutierrez which has resulted in Contreras playing a lot more than anticipated and faring decently. Rivas and Hoppenbrouwers have been better than expected in 4th OF/supersub capacities.



When your 5-man rotation is on pace to average 5 WAR apiece for the season you know you've got something special. Scheu was kind of the question mark and he's been great, especially with our very good D this year. The meltdown in the last game in Boston has put kind of a fine point on how the back end of the pen isn't quite as lockdown as hoped and if we do make a move in the next month before the deadline it will be for someone to help there although we can only take on about $5M in salary, period.



With all the guys we've graduated over the past couple of the years the farm system has been depleted, and right now it's propped up by a couple of guys who have been with the club this year in Gutierrez and Hoppenbrouwers (who has lost rookie eligibility and probably shouldn't be on this list). Gutierrez was a bit shaky in relief for us but has looked pretty good in the Durham rotation since going back and of course he's penciled in to next year's with our top 3 of DiCostanzo, Marlette and Ferguson all free agents this winter. The other guys are at least a couple of years away save perhaps Corniell who could be a 4th OF-type.

[Art Deco]

On the heels of a bullpen implosion in the finale at Fenway the Rays lost two more games in similar fashion while winning one. Luckily for Tampa Bay the Jays also lost 2 of 3 so despite everything they remain 2 1/2 up.

It might sound silly to talk about the worst traits of a 53-28 team but they were on display in the opener: an offense that doesn't wake up until late and a bullpen that struggles to hold a lead. Today saw starter Joe Scheu pitch brilliantly (6 5 0 0 0 3) but get no support and after Chris Ericson allowed a run it was 1-0 Royals after 8. But it looked like a win after the bats finally exploded for 5 in the top of the 9th capped by a 3-run Danny Arroyave homer (#14). Nick Wallerstedt, who pitched a scoreless 8th, came back out for the 9th with a 4-run lead, quickly giving up 2 runs on 3 hits to the first three men he faced and Mike Moore (2-5, BS 5) picked up where he left off the day before, walking a pair and giving up a pair of hits to let the Royals walk it off 6-5. I'm not sure in the history of MLB a game went 1-0 to the 9th only to see both teams score 5.

Once again Rays bats slumbered until the late innings but 3 runs in the 7th was enough to let them eke out a 3-2 win. Joe Marlette (10-4) was his usual fine self today going 6 5 2 2 2 7 and a 2-run shot from Danny Charlton (#17) and a back-to-back blast from Danny Arroyave (#15) gave them their runs. The pen held this time with 2 scoreless from Ruben Abeyta while Devon Williams took care of the 9th (albeit not without allowing a couple of hits) for save #3.

The Rays got a rare poor outing from a starter in the finale but the bats picked up the slack before the bullpen lost it once again. Danny Morales was hit hard at 2.2 8 4 4 1 4 with a couple of homers yielded and Tampa Bay found itself down 4-2 after 3 and 6-3 after 8. Danny Charlton led off the 9th with HR #18 and then with two out Bobby Marin dramatically tied things up with a 2-run blast (#14). But once again Mike Moore (2-6) was found wanting, putting two men on in the bottom of the 9th and then with two out giving up a walk-off RBI single to light-hitting (.228) Dixon Sperry.

Team record: 54-30. Next up: A day off to return home where we'll face the Angels for 3 games. LA will be quite a test as they're now 54-31 after recently winning 18 straight.

[Art Deco]

The Rays limp into the All-Star break after losing 2 of 3 to the Angels behind a sputtering offense and see their division lead slashed to one game after the Jays pulled off a sweep (albeit two in the loss column).

Chris Ferguson was hit hard by his former club and the Rays dropped the opener 6-3 to the Angels. Ferguson (4-7) was 4.1 8 6 6 5 5, a line that was way too full. Luis Berumen's 3-run homer (#14) halved a 6-0 LA lead but that all the offense could muster.

The bats weren't any better in the second game but Kevin DiCostanzo was and he helped pitch the Rays to a 3-0 win. The righty improved to 12-2, 2.74 going into the break (but was snubbed for the All-Star team) thanks to a 6 3 0 0 3 5 outing, and the back end of the bullpen snapped out of its recent funk and got the job done with Mike Moore going 1-2-3 in the 9th for save #18. Justin Blackwell's 2-run homer (#13) in the 5th off recent former Ray Ethan McElvain broke a 0-0 deadlock.

Joe Marlette found out before the game that was selected to another All-Star squad but didn't pitch like one today as the Rays dropped the finale 7-3. Marlette (10-5) was hit for 5 runs in the first 3 innings and finished 5 7 5 5 2 6. A 2-run homer from Luis Berumen (#15) and a solo shot from Alex Rivas (#4) accounted for the Tampa Bay scoring but that was all they managed again.

Team record: 55-32. Next up: The All-Star break and the Amateur Draft, after which we'll return Thursday to start a 4-game series in Baltimore.

[Art Deco]

The teams:

Selected to play for the American League All-Stars are:

SP Norm Barger (CLE) - 5-3, 2.51 ERA, 82.1 IP, 1.01 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 2.8 WAR
SP Bryce Barnett (SEA) - 6-5, 2.59 ERA, 128.2 IP, 1.12 WHIP, 7.5 K/9, 4.8 WAR
SP Nathan Deschryver (NYY) - 9-3, 2.56 ERA, 119.1 IP, 0.93 WHIP, 9.1 K/9, 3.5 WAR
SP Joe Marlette (TB) - 10-4, 2.35 ERA, 107.1 IP, 1.05 WHIP, 10.9 K/9, 4.3 WAR
SP Alex Mendoza (LAA) - 11-3, 2.54 ERA, 117.0 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 2.7 WAR
SP Gray Thomas (BOS) - 10-4, 3.07 ERA, 105.2 IP, 1.27 WHIP, 7.4 K/9, 2.0 WAR
SP Andy Williamson (LAA)* - 11-2, 1.77 ERA, 122.1 IP, 0.89 WHIP, 10.0 K/9, 4.5 WAR
RP Bob Bachman (CWS) - 1-0, 3.03 ERA, 62.1 IP, 1.19 WHIP, 6.6 K/9, 1.0 WAR
RP Burl Carraway (MIN) - 1-0, 4.19 ERA, 34.1 IP, 1.28 WHIP, 8.4 K/9, -0.5 WAR
RP Javy Evans (OAK) - 2-2, 4 SV, 0.85 ERA, 31.2 IP, 0.98 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 1.0 WAR
RP Christopher Soriano (DET) - 3-2, 2.25 ERA, 44.0 IP, 1.27 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, 1.4 WAR
CL Eric Lewis (NYY)* - 3-1, 17 SV, 0.61 ERA, 29.1 IP, 1.02 WHIP, 12.3 K/9, 1.0 WAR
CL Jon Patterson (HOU) - 5-3, 23 SV, 2.78 ERA, 45.1 IP, 0.95 WHIP, 9.9 K/9, 1.8 WAR
C Robby Rhodes (TOR) - .268/.328/.399, 228 AB, 4 HR, 100 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
C Zion Rose (LAA) - .264/.343/.524, 254 AB, 16 HR, 10 SB, 137 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
C Willie Tellez (CWS)* - .303/.369/.523, 264 AB, 16 HR, 145 wRC+, 4.2 WAR
1B Josh Beckelman (BAL) - .273/.338/.462, 286 AB, 13 HR, 115 wRC+, 1.3 WAR
1B Salvatore Garza (DET) - .327/.399/.637, 336 AB, 30 HR, 1 SB, 180 wRC+, 4.7 WAR
1B Joel Morales (CWS)* - .305/.374/.654, 318 AB, 30 HR, 177 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
1B Felix Najera (NYY) - .282/.369/.555, 319 AB, 24 HR, 2 SB, 150 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
1B Dominic Scavone (HOU) - .297/.381/.614, 316 AB, 26 HR, 170 wRC+, 3.6 WAR
2B Justin Brown (LAA) - .305/.382/.466, 298 AB, 11 HR, 7 SB, 138 wRC+, 3.7 WAR
2B Sergio Guajardo (NYY)* - .296/.350/.536, 233 AB, 15 HR, 1 SB, 143 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
3B Nils Pischetrieder (KC)* - .219/.318/.389, 329 AB, 14 HR, 95 wRC+, 0.4 WAR
3B Patrick Upchurch (HOU) - .274/.319/.550, 340 AB, 24 HR, 134 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
SS Jeremy Begley (OAK)* - .282/.325/.468, 340 AB, 16 HR, 5 SB, 117 wRC+, 4.0 WAR
SS Wander Franco (TB)* - .358/.435/.578, 204 AB, 9 HR, 9 SB, 177 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
SS Steven Harrell (TOR) - .234/.306/.512, 291 AB, 19 HR, 4 SB, 119 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
LF Corbin Carroll (TEX) - .321/.373/.476, 349 AB, 9 HR, 15 SB, 133 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
LF Nate Miller (SEA)* - .298/.358/.616, 336 AB, 28 HR, 4 SB, 165 wRC+, 3.5 WAR
LF Hector Ruiz (SA) - .289/.356/.553, 318 AB, 23 HR, 1 SB, 146 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
CF Ernesto Rodriguez (NYY)* - .308/.368/.636, 321 AB, 24 HR, 17 SB, 172 wRC+, 4.9 WAR
RF Julio Rodriguez (SEA)* - .280/.344/.537, 311 AB, 20 HR, 8 SB, 141 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
RF Eddie Sepulveda (BOS) - .326/.376/.632, 258 AB, 15 HR, 169 wRC+, 2.4 WAR


The National League All-Stars will have these players on their roster:

SP Matt Cronin (PHI) - 3-5, 4.04 ERA, 75.2 IP, 1.22 WHIP, 5.2 K/9, 0.6 WAR
SP Neill Giddens (WSH) - 9-3, 2.03 ERA, 93.0 IP, 0.95 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 2.8 WAR
SP James Hays (LAD)* - 9-5, 3.46 ERA, 114.1 IP, 1.10 WHIP, 11.0 K/9, 3.4 WAR
SP Josh Johnson (MEM) - 7-4, 3.29 ERA, 126.0 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 11.0 K/9, 3.0 WAR
SP Jerrod Keeshan (MIA) - 9-2, 2.73 ERA, 122.0 IP, 0.92 WHIP, 9.8 K/9, 3.2 WAR
SP Erik Myers (EP) - 10-2, 2.76 ERA, 94.2 IP, 1.15 WHIP, 5.5 K/9, 1.0 WAR
SP Guonçallo Ribas (ARI) - 9-3, 1.74 ERA, 82.2 IP, 0.98 WHIP, 7.9 K/9, 2.1 WAR
SP Henry Williams (SD) - 7-2, 2.25 ERA, 116.0 IP, 1.03 WHIP, 10.0 K/9, 2.8 WAR
RP Nick Dugan (WSH) - 6-0, 2.68 ERA, 47.0 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, 0.8 WAR
RP Robbie McKeever (CIN) - 2-2, 4.54 ERA, 35.2 IP, 1.51 WHIP, 10.6 K/9, 0.6 WAR
RP Eric Pardinho (MIA) - 1-2, 2.12 ERA, 46.2 IP, 1.16 WHIP, 6.4 K/9, 1.2 WAR
RP Danny Spangler (SF) - 3-5, 2.95 ERA, 58.0 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 9.9 K/9, 0.4 WAR
CL Jerry Cuevas (STL)* - 1-5, 25 SV, 2.09 ERA, 38.2 IP, 1.03 WHIP, 12.1 K/9, 1.6 WAR
C Joey Bart (SD) - .244/.293/.466, 221 AB, 13 HR, 106 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
C Luis Campusano (CHC)* - .271/.344/.509, 214 AB, 11 HR, 2 SB, 131 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
C Jerry Zuniga (COL) - .303/.383/.512, 254 AB, 11 HR, 139 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
1B G Allen (MIL) - .229/.306/.569, 327 AB, 31 HR, 1 SB, 134 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
1B Raul Guzman (COL)* - .306/.360/.664, 301 AB, 29 HR, 168 wRC+, 3.9 WAR
2B Gavin Lux (LAD)* - .258/.340/.532, 310 AB, 22 HR, 3 SB, 138 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
3B Bo Bichette (SD)* - .343/.412/.619, 239 AB, 14 HR, 16 SB, 184 wRC+, 4.0 WAR
3B Mike Velazquez (MIL) - .264/.318/.515, 299 AB, 19 HR, 124 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
SS Kai Caranto (ARI) - .271/.341/.335, 325 AB, 3 HR, 6 SB, 87 wRC+, 1.1 WAR
SS Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD)* - .284/.368/.403, 236 AB, 5 HR, 8 SB, 116 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
LF Kevin Aguillard (CHC) - .272/.338/.536, 338 AB, 23 HR, 13 SB, 137 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
LF Alex Bautista (MIA) - .272/.348/.536, 302 AB, 21 HR, 143 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
LF Jasson Dominguez (ATL)* - .208/.332/.409, 313 AB, 17 HR, 15 SB, 107 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
LF Ben Grabinski (COL) - .336/.386/.580, 307 AB, 15 HR, 2 SB, 153 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
LF Wilderd Patino (COL) - .298/.358/.577, 305 AB, 19 HR, 3 SB, 145 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
LF Alex Rodriguez (MEM)* - .318/.397/.599, 324 AB, 25 HR, 3 SB, 169 wRC+, 4.3 WAR
CF Mario Velasguez (PHI) - .362/.431/.653, 326 AB, 24 HR, 2 SB, 195 wRC+, 5.4 WAR
RF Ronald Acuna Jr. (NYM)* - .312/.361/.566, 320 AB, 21 HR, 10 SB, 157 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
RF Alex Hicks (LAD)* - .325/.375/.630, 357 AB, 25 HR, 27 SB, 174 wRC+, 5.4 WAR
RF Duk-yoon Ko (CIN) - .234/.386/.525, 282 AB, 23 HR, 151 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
RF Greg Perkins (WSH) - .303/.384/.609, 294 AB, 22 HR, 2 SB, 164 wRC+, 3.0 WAR

Despite having the second-best record in MLB (by half a game) the Rays only managed two all-stars: Marlette (his 5th selection) and Franco (his 7th and first in 3 years). Had Danny Arroyave not missed most of April he might have made it but the real snub was Kevin DiCostanzo at 12-2, 2.74. Former Rays playing in the Midseason Classic include Yankee closer Eric Lewis, Houston 1B Dominic Scavone, Philly P Matt Cronin, Dodgers P James Hays, Padres C Joey Bart, and although he didn't actually play for the Rays Cincinnati rookie OF Duk-yoon Ko made it after a 23-homer first half. Ko was signed by us the winter before last and then dealt to the Reds for lefty pitcher Ajani Riddick who's missed most of the year with injuries.

The HR Derby, with no Rays:



Always with the low totals in this save.

The game itself:



Wander was 0-3 and Marlette didn't appear since he had pitched on Sunday.

[Art Deco]

Going an extra round with the recaps here since I like the 6th-rounder a lot.

Doughty:



Thanks to a slew of comp picks as 7 teams failed to sign their top pick last year, we didn't pick until #41 but got a good one in Doughty, a college catcher who looks to be both an above-average hitter (especially for the position) and an above-average defender. He could be ready in a couple of years.

Oakley:



With the comp pick we received for Arturo Gutierrez signing with Milwaukee we took Oakley, a high-school lefty with tremendous potential.

Ramires:



The contact and defense tools are a bit iffy but man that power and patience potential. A long way to go for this high-schooler though.

Dunlap:



Another high-school lefty with serious potential. Hopefully at least one of him and Oakley pan out.

Gomez:



Who can pass up a catcher late in the 4th round with 65 contact/70 power potential? Not me. And he does have the potential to provide passable defense.

Valdez:



If you follow my other Rays saves (or even this one closely) you know I love to find the guys listed as pitchers who "secretly" have major hitting potential and current rookie and mega-prospect Luis Berumen was one of those guys. And if you look all the way over to the right you'll see Valdez has 80 contact/65 power potential so I don't care that his pitching potential is mediocre.

Lopez:



I normally don't feature the 6th round pick in these draft recaps but this one was pretty exciting for the spot. High school 1B are usually a tough demographic (although Joe Stack turned out to be a pretty good one) but Lopez looks like he can hit at 70/65 potential.

[Art Deco]

The Rays came roaring out of the All-Star break, sweeping the 4 games in Baltimore and opening up a season-best 3 1/2-game lead on Toronto.

Tampa Bay took the opener but not without some high drama as they scored once in the 8th and twice in the 9th to pull out a 4-3 comeback win over the Orioles. Justin Blackwell led off the 9th with his second solo homer of the game (#15) and a subsequent rally saw Danny Arroyave single in the winning run. Luis Berumen's solo shot in the 8th (#16) put them in position to pull it out. Danny Morales was solid at 6 5 3 3 2 7, Nick Wallerstedt (2-0) got the win, and when Mike Moore faltered again in the 9th by loading the bases with one out, Devon Williams came to the rescue with a pair of whiffs for save #4.

Kevin DiCostanzo was in fine form and Danny Arroyave supplied the offense as the Rays took the second game 4-1. DiCostanzo improved to an impressive 13-2 after going 6.1 4 1 1 3 5. Devon Williams, who seems to have now taken over the closer's job, pitched a scoreless 9th for his 5th save. Arroyave meanwhile drove in 3 of the 4 runs on 3 hits including a 2-run double in the 7th.

The Rays routed the Orioles in the third game, and although the final was 11-6 Baltimore scored 5 runs off the pen in the 8th and 9th to make the scoreline semi-respectable. Danny Charlton had a massive game, homering twice to give him 20, drove in 3 runs, and scored 5 runs to tie a club single-game record. Danny Arroyave stayed hot as well, going with 2-4 with a 3-run homer (#16) in the first to kick things off. Joe Marlette (11-5) pitched well at 6 6 1 1 1 5 for the win.

The finale was a back-and-forth affair that saw the Rays constantly having to outscore their bullpen but they ultimately prevailed 7-6 over Baltimore thanks to solo homers from Danny Charlton (his 2nd of the game, 4th in the last two days and 22nd of the year) and Luis Berumen (#17) in the 9th to overturn a 6-5 Oriole lead. Charlton and Berumen each had 3 hits and 2 RBI while Alex Rivas was 2-4 with 2 RBI. Chris Ferguson had a rough day at 3 5 3 3 4 2 on 84 pitches and the pen kept giving Baltimore runs with three relievers allowing a run apiece, twice after the Rays had tied the game. One of them was the struggling Mike Moore (3-6), who allowed a run in the 8th but lucked into the win while Devon Williams put an end to the nonsense with a scoreless 9th for his 6th save and third of the series.

Team record: 59-32. Next up: Back home for 2 games against Boston.

MLB News: Charlton was named AL Player of the (abbreviated) Week, having gone 7-11 with 4 homers and 5 RBI.

[Art Deco]

A sweep of the 2-game series with Boston combined with Toronto dropping a game means the Rays are now 4 1/2 up in the AL East and (hopefully) not looking back.

An 8-run 4th inning which saw the Rays homer 4 times enabled them to coast to a 9-4 win over the boys from Beantown at Tropicana Field. The red-hot Danny Charlton got the party started with a 2nd-inning solo shot (#23) then it was bombs away two innings later with Joe Stack (#17), Justin Blackwell (#16), Luis Berumen (#18) and Wander Franco (#10) all finding the seats with Berumen's a 3-run blast. Joe Scheu (9-4) said thanks for the runs and was rolling until he put 3 men on to start the 7th and they all scored, giving him a final 6 7 4 4 2 3 line. Nick Wallerstedt got a 3-inning save, his 2nd.

Runs were much tougher to come by in the second game but the Rays got both of them in a 2-0 win behind a combined 4-hit shutout from Danny Morales and three relievers, the team's sixth straight win. Morales improved to 11-1 and 29-6 over the last season and a half after going 5 2 0 0 3 5 and new closer Devon Williams fanned a pair in the 9th for his 7th save. Danny Charlton's RBI double in the 1st stood up until Danny Arroyave added a solo insurance homer (#17) in the 8th.

Team record: 61-32. Next up: 2 more games at home, against those Blue Jays who will likely need to win both to get back into a division race slipping away from them.

[Art Deco]

Tampa Bay threw its two aces at Toronto and came away with a pair of wins to take a stranglehold on the AL East, increasing its lead over the Jays to 6 1/2 games.

A 5-run 6th turned the opener into a laugher as the Rays went out to torch Toronto 10-1. Danny Charlton's insane hot streak continued as he was 3-4 with two solo homers and an RBI single, giving him 25 longballs on the season and six in his last five games. Joe Stack, Jake Westfall and William Contreras each drove in a pair to back a fine outing from Kevin DiCostanzo, who improved to 14-2, 2.59 after going 7 7 1 1 2 6.

The second game didn't quite come as easy as Joe Marlette gave up a homer to former Ray Andy Kelley in the top of the 6th for the first run of the game, but Tampa Bay answered with 4 in the bottom of the frame and took a mini-sweep with a 4-1 win. Marlette (12-5) was dominant at times, going 6 2 1 1 4 11 but looked like he might be on the hook for a tough loss before a rally keyed by Danny Arroyave's 2-run double put the Rays in front. Devon Williams was one pitch away from loading the bases with nobody out in the 9th but his 3-1 offering was grounded to Arroyave who started a double play and Williams fanned the next batter to secure save #8.

Team record: 63-32. Next up: Seattle visits for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Rays pitching was outstanding this series, only allowing 7 runs over the 3 games. Unfortunately the offense was putrid, scoring only 3 times and managing a total of 11 hits through the 3 games and as a result the Rays were swept at home by Seattle. Luckily Toronto dropped 2 of 3 so the division lead remains a healthy 5 1/2 games.

Chris Ericson gave up a 3-run homer in the 6th in relief of Chris Ferguson and that was enough to give Seattle a 4-2 win over the Rays in the opener. Two of the men on belonged to Ferguson, who dropped to 4-8 after going 5 6 3 3 2 4. The bats only managed three hits in the losing effort.

The Rays were shut down by one of the top pitchers in the game, Seattle's Bryce Barnett, in a 1-0 loss to the Mariners. Barnett held them to five hits over 7 1/3 and as a result Joe Scheu (9-5) took a tough-luck loss despite going 6.2 5 1 1 1 4. His only miscue was allowing an RBI double in the 3rd to reigning AL MVP Nate Miller.

The bats were MIA once again in a tough 2-1 loss in 12 innings to Seattle as the Rays were swept for the first time since early April in Oakland. Ruben Abeyta (2-1) gave up a solo homer in the 12th to lose it but the real reason for the defeat was the offensive offense which managed only 3 hits in those 12 innings. The lone Tampa Bay run came on a Joe Stack solo homer (#18) in the 2nd and Danny Morales deserved a better fate after going 7.2 6 1 1 1 4.

Team record: 63-35. Next up: A day off then we're off to New York for 3 games at Yankee Stadium.

[Art Deco]

The Rays bounced back from being swept at home by Seattle with a sweep of New York at Yankee Stadium and with Toronto losing a pair the division lead has grown to a season-high 7 1/2 games.

Tampa Bay took an 8-3 win in the opener by breaking the game open with 5 runs in the middle innings. The big hits today were a 2-run homer from Joe Stack (#19) in the 2nd and a 2-run Alex Rivas double in the 6th and they supported Kevin DiCostanzo, who went to 15-2, 2.66 thanks to a fine 6.2 6 3 3 2 3 outing.

The Rays staked Joe Marlette to a 4-0 lead in the second game and had to end up hanging on to a 4-3 win over the Yankees. Marlette (13-5) was dominant, not allowing a hit through the first 5 innings and ending 6.1 3 1 1 11. Chris Ericson gave up a 2-run homer in the 8th, Mike Moore relieved him and put two more on before getting the 3rd out, and Devon Williams cleaned up in the 9th for his 9th save. Luis Berumen had a 2nd-inning solo shot (#19) and Jake Westfall, who came in a miserable 215/380/346, drove in a pair with two doubles.

A sweep did not appear in the cards for the Rays during the first 2/3 of the finale as Chris Ferguson was roughed up yet again (4.1 4 4 4 3 4) and the bats were held without a hit through 6 innings (not an uncommon occurrence this season). But they wiped out the 4-0 deficit with a 5-run 7th as they loaded the bases, got one in on a walk, and then Luis Berumen stepped up and hit a grand slam (#20). An insurance run in the 8th proved important when Chris Ericson gave up a run before Devon Williams saved again (#10) and they took a 6-5 win. Jeremy Brooks (1-0) was credited with the win after 2 2/3 perfect innings in relief of Ferguson.

Team record: 66-35. Next up: 3 games in Oakland.

[Art Deco]

The Rays rolled on out west, taking 2 of 3 from the A's while Toronto gets farther and farther away in our rearview mirror, now 8 1/2 back.

Transaction: Activated LHP Ajani Riddick from his rehab assignment at Durham and optioned Leo Gutierrez to the Bulls. Leo never got into a game in his second callup.

The Rays did drop the opener as the bats were quiet and Oakland walked off a 3-2 win in the bottom of the 9th. Jake Westfall hit HR #11 to give them a quick early lead but they didn't do much after that. Joe Scheu was his usual solid 6 8 2 2 0 3 and the A's got the winner off newly-activated Ajani Riddick (0-1).

Danny Morales spun a 2-hit shutout as the Rays routed the A's 8-0 in the second game. The 25-year-old righty improved to 12-1 (and 30-6 over the past two seasons), going 9 2 0 0 3 4 on 110 pitches for his first career whitewash. He was well-supported, most notably by Danny Charlton (2-5 with HR #26 & 3 RBI) and William Contreras (3-4 with HR #4 & 2 RBI).

Tampa Bay took the series from Oakland with a 7-2 win in the finale. William Contreras picked up where he left off the day before, going 4-5 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI and Jake Westfall had 3 hits and an RBI. Kevin DiCostanzo went to 16-2 after a 7 7 0 0 2 2 outing, lowering his ERA to 2.53 and making him a near-cinch to win 20 with two months remaining in the season (he's won 16 of his 22 starts).

Team record: 68-36. Next up: The road takes us to Atlanta for 3 games as we hit the trade deadline. Not anticipating any major moves as the team has few weaknesses; another bullpen arm might help though.

[Art Deco]

Not since Sherman has anyone marched into Atlanta and laid waste like the Rays did in this series, scoring a combined 32 runs in a 3-game sweep.

A 5-run 2nd and a 4-run 5th saw the Rays annihilate Atlanta 9-2 in the opener. Danny Arroyave had an RBI double and a 3-run homer (#18), Luis Berumen had a solo shot (#22) and Jake Westfall doubled twice and drove in a pair to lead the offense while Joe Marlette (14-5) was once again untouchable at 7 1 0 0 3 7.

The Rays broke open the second game with an 8-run 5th and went to beat Atlanta by the football score of 14-6. Bobby Marin was 4-6 with 3 runs scored and a homer to lead off the game (#15), Luis Berumen homered again (#23) and drove in 3, Danny Charlton was 4-5 with a double and 2 RBI and Justin Blackwell was 3-5 with 3 RBI including a 2-run triple as the Rays were constantly circling the bases. Chris Ferguson's lousy run continued as he was 5 6 6 4 3 1 but still got the win to improve to 5-8. He's now had 5 poor starts in a row, allowing 20 runs in 21 1/3 IP.

Tampa Bay took the finale and the sweep with a 9-5 win that really wasn't that close as Atlanta scored 3 times in the 9th. Luis Berumen made Truist Park his personal playground this week as he homered two more times, driving in 5 and giving him 24 longballs for the year after a 5-11, 4 HR, 9 RBI series. Danny Arroyave also capped a big series by going 4-5 with a 2-run shot (#19) and Claus Hoppenbrouwers also found the seats for the 5th time this season. Joe Scheu (10-5) wasn't scharp, but got the win after going 5 6 2 2 4 3.

Team record: 71-36, and now 9 1/2 up on Toronto. Unless the race starts getting closer again I'm not going to bother updating it. Next up: A day off then 3 games in Washington, always a tough locale for us.

We also made a couple of moves ahead of the trade deadline.

RP Matt Cronin was claimed off waivers from Philadelphia.

He's baaaack! Ironically we claimed on waivers last July 31 from the Mets and he was great down the stretch, then signed a free-agent deal with Philly, who waived him despite pitching to a 3.60 ERA and earning 0.9 WAR as a swingman so we brought him back again to give us a much needed lefty in the bullpen. Jeremy Brooks was optioned to Durham to make room. And speaking of re-acquiring players:



The Reds put Ko on the trading block despite his making the All-Star Game and earning 3.8 WAR so far this season. And all he cost was Ramos, our 4th-round pick in 2030 who profiles as a decent backup and a possible job-share. We had signed Ko as an international FA a couple of winters ago and after an OK season at Durham he was dealt to the Reds for Ajani Riddick this past offseason. Ko had 28 HR and 85 BB as he's a Kyle Schwarber-type at the plate but unlike Schwarber a fine corner outfielder defender. Just before the deal he fractured a rib and will be out a month so he's probably a September add to the bench.

[Art Deco]

A wild weekend in Washington as the Rays and Nationals combined to score 56 runs in a trio of slugfests with Tampa Bay prevailing in a pair of them.

The opener was pretty much a comfortable Rays win until late as they hung on to beat the Nationals 9-6. A 4-run first capped off by a 3-run homer from the ludicrously hot Luis Berumen (#25 and his 5th in 4 games) got them going, Willie Gutierrez had a solo shot (#4), and Justin Blackwell hit what proved to be a key 3-run homer (#17) in the 8th. That's because after Danny Morales (13-1) went 5.2 9 2 2 0 4, the bullpen had its issues with Randy Morris giving up 3 in the 9th and Mike Moore putting a couple more on, necessitating Devin Williams to get the final two outs for save #11.

The second game saw Washington jump on Kevin DiCostanzo to take a 5-0 lead, the Rays come all the way back to go ahead 8-7, and then the Nationals storming back against the Tampa Bay Bullpen to prevail 12-8. DiCostanzo had his struggles, finishing 5.1 8 7 7 1 6 but it was Ruben Abeyta (2-2) who took the loss, giving up a pair of runs to lose that 8-7 lead. The Rays' ill-fated comeback was led by who else but Luis Berumen with yet another 3-run homer (#26, 6th in 5 games) while Joe Stack added a 2-run blast (#20).

The finale was truly the most insane game of the three with Washington taking a 9-8 lead after two innings before the Rays came back and took an 11-10 win. Making the early scoring all the more improbable the Nationals obliterated perhaps the top pitcher in the AL, Joe Marlette, who had his worst game in all his years as a Ray, lit up to the tune of 1.1 6 9 9 4 2. But after Marlette departed in the 2nd, the bullpen didn't give up another run until a harmless solo shot off Devon Williams in the 9th, who still picked up save #12 with the win going to Ajani Riddick (1-1). The big hit for the Rays was a 2-run shot from Wander Franco (#11) in the 6th with broke a 9-9 tie. Franco knocked in 4 on the day. Luis Berumen didn't homer for a change but he still had a 2-run double to give him an amazing 16 RBI in his last 5 games, and Bobby Marin chipped in a 2-run shot (#16).

Team record: 73-37. Next up: Back home for 4 against the Yankees.

[Art Deco]

The Rays continue to roll on as they took 3 of 4 from the Bronx Bombers at Tropicana Field and enjoy a 12 1/2-game lead on the now-second place Yankees.

They did drop the opener 6-3 to New York however. Chris Ferguson (5-9) just can't seem to shake his slump as he was hit for 5.1 7 5 5 2 5 with 2 homers allowed and might be pitching his way out of the playoff rotation as it's now 25 runs allowed in his last 26.2 IP. Danny Charlton, who won AL Player of the Month in July which I failed to note earlier, was the lone bright spot on offense, going 3-4 with a 2-run homer (#27).

A 6-run 5th broke open a 0-0 game, enabling the Rays to beat the Yankees by the same 6-3 score they lost by the night before. A 2-run Joe Stack single and a 2-run Justin Blackwell double were the big hits in the inning and helped make a winner of Joe Scheu (11-5), solid again at 6.2 4 2 2 2 3 with his ERA dropping to 2.91. Mike Moore was given the ball in the 9th with a 4-run lead and made another mess than Devon Williams had to clean up for save #13.

Another big inning won the third game for the Rays as they put 4 on the board in the 6th to break a 4-4 tie and go on to beat the Yankees 9-4. Claus Hoppenbrouwers' RBI single was the tiebreaker and the club got big games from Alex Rivas (3-4, 3 runs, 2 doubles, 2 RBI and a steal) and Jake Westfall (2-5, double, HR #12, 2 RBI). Danny Morales wasn't his best but improved to 14-1 after going 6 8 4 4 2 3.

The Rays made it a series win with a hard-fought 6-5 win over New York in 11 innings in the finale on Joe Stack's walk-off RBI single. Danny Charlton had a massive game, slugging a pair of homers including his second (#29), a 2-run shot that tied the game in the 7th after the Yankees went up 5-3 in the top of the inning. Charlton was on base 5 times with 2 walks, 3 hits and scored 3 runs. Kevin DiCostanzo didn't have his best stuff (5.1 7 2 2 3 2) but was temporarily in line for the win before the pen blew it in the 7th. They did recover to hold the Yankees scoreless for the next four with Nick Wallerstedt (3-0) getting the win after pitching the 11th.

Team record: 76-38. Next up: Cleveland visits for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

The Rays continue to Meat Loaf the opposition, taking 2 of 3 from Cleveland to stay in line with their season-long .667 winning percentage.

Tampa Bay got another excellent Joe Marlette outing in a 4-3 win over the Guardians in the opener. The ace lefty improved to 15-5 after going 6 5 1 0 2 9 and while the bullpen let Cleveland back within a run they held on with Ruben Abeyta earning his first save of the year. Danny Charlton had the big hit of the game, a 2-run double against his former team in the 1st inning.

Chris Ferguson snapped out of his recent six-week funk and pitched the Rays to a 5-1 win over Cleveland in the second game. It looked more of the recent same when he allowed a first-inning homer but that was all he'd yield as he went to 6-9 with a 6 6 1 1 0 5 performance. Danny Charlton haunted his former team once again, singling in a run in the 3rd and hitting a solo homer (#30) in the 8th while going back-to-back with Danny Arroyave (#20). Mike Moore came on in the 8th and when the lead was expanded to 4 he finished off the game for his 19th save and first since July 7, after which he lost the closer's job.

Cleveland prevented the Rays from sweeping with a 6-2 win in the finale, taking advantage of some uncharacteristic wildness from Joe Scheu. The finesse lefty can't afford to pitch around walks and he fell to 11-6 after going 4 6 5 5 3 2 after coming in with only 24 walks all season. The bats didn't do much to bail him out either with only Justin Blackwell (2-3 with an RBI double) having a good day at the plate.

Team record: 78-39. Next up: We hit the road starting with 3 games in Houston. The Astros are 70-48, chasing the Angels in the AL West (4 1/2 back) while sitting atop the wild card standings.

[Art Deco]

For a change we lost 2 out of 3 instead of winning 2 of 3, with the difference this time between a blown 9th-inning lead in the rubber game.

The Rays romped 8-1 over Houston in the opener behind a strong outing from Danny Morales and a couple of big 3-run homers. Morales improved to 15-1 and 33-6 over the last two seasons thanks to a sparkling 7 4 1 1 1 8 outing and he was supported by 3-run blasts from Danny Arroyave (#21) and Wander Franco (#12), the former making it 4-0 and the latter breaking the game open.

Houston turned the tables in the second game, skunking the Rays 5-0. Kevin DiCostanzo (16-3) had a rare poor outing, allowing a couple of homers while going 5 6 5 5 2 5 and the bats were held to six hits.

The finale turned out to be a frustrating one for the Rays, who saw Houston score twice in the bottom of the 9th to take a 4-3 win. It started off like so many games this season before it with Tampa Bay hitters snoozing through the early innings as they didn't even manage a hit until Bobby Marin's single in the 6th and trailed 2-0. But Danny Charlton halved the Houston advantage in the 7th with a solo shot (#31) and a few batters later Joe Stack gave the Rays the lead with a 2-run blast (#21). Joe Marlette started and went 5 5 2 2 1 5 and the pen held from there until Devon Williams reverted to early-season form in the 9th, walking the first two men, giving up a tying double and then after getting a strikeout allowed a walk-off RBI single for both his third blown save (first since taking over the closer's role) and third loss of the year.

Team record: 79-41. Next up: Off to Toronto for 4 games in a series that looked big a month or two ago on the calendar but with Tampa Bay now up 13 1/2 games (14 on the Jays) it's just another stop on the road.

[Art Deco]

The Rays had a lousy time in Canada, dropping 3 of 4 to the Jays although they still hold a healthy 12-game lead on Toronto and the Yankees.

Tampa Bay opened up an early 5-3 lead before Toronto scored 4 times in the 5th to go on to an 8-5 win. Wander Franco (#13) and Joe Stack (#22) had solo shots before Bobby Marin's 2-run blast (#17) gave them that lead. But Chris Ferguson (6-10) reverted to his poor form of late and was hit hard in the 5th, finishing 4 8 6 6 2 4 and seeing his ERA rise to 4.57.

The Rays did bounce back to take the second game, edging the Jays 3-2. Danny Arroyave was 3-4 and his RBI single in the 3rd turned out to be the difference. Joe Scheu couldn't make it through the 5th, going 4.1 6 2 2 2 5 but the bullpen was brilliant from there with Chris Ericson (2-2) going 2 scoreless for the win and Devon Williams converting save #14.

Tampa Bay couldn't hold another early lead, and although they fought back to tie the game in the 8th the bullpen let them down today as they fell 6-5 to Toronto. Danny Arroyave's 3-run homer in the first gave them a quick start but Danny Morales was poor, giving the lead back and letting Toronto go ahead thanks to a 4.1 4 4 4 4 4 outing. Arroyave unloaded his 2nd homer of the game and 23rd of the season with the bases empty to tie it in the 8th but Matt Cronin (0-1) put two men on in the bottom of the frame and Mike Moore gave up the winning hit.

The finale was the ugliest game of the series for the Rays as they were beaten soundly 6-1 by the Jays. Kevin DiCostanzo (16-4) turned in his third lousy start in his last four outings, going 4.1 7 5 5 5 4 and the bats only squeaked out four hits.

Team record: 80-44. Next up: We'll try to get right at home against Boston as the Red Sox visit for 3 games.