[Art Deco]

Game 1: A sloppy, not well-pitched game by the Rays today saw them lose 8-6 to Boston, another of those games in which they rallied in the 9th and brought the tying run to the plate but fell short. Andy Aparicio started today and after a brilliant start last time out was clearly off his game today, finishing 4 6 6 6 4 3 and falling to 2-1, 5.29. Danny Medina took over and allowed the last of his runs to score but did OK, only allowing an unearned run after that in 3 innings while whiffing 6 (he has 19 Ks in 10 IP this season), and Chris Hicks pitched the 8th allowing a solo homer. Down 8-3 going into the 9th the bats finally did get something going as Alex Buitrago tripled, was singled home by Ricky Widmar, Dayle Jenkins walked and Rodolfo Rivas hit a 2-run double. That brought Victor de Jesus up with a chance to tie, but he flew to center to end the game. Earlier Rivas and Bo Angeac had RBI singles.

MLB Note: St. Louis shut the Yankees out 12-0, meaning New York has scored just once total in its four home games this year. Also Detroit lost their ace Kumar Rocker for 5-6 weeks with a bone spur in his elbow.

Game 2: The Rays got 6 1/3 excellent innings out of their bullpen today in a 5-2 win over Boston after Alec Sachais had to leave the game in the 3rd inning with a torn fingernail. They first took a 2-0 lead in the 3rd on a Jaiden Hardaway RBI double and Victor de Jesus' RBI single and it could have been more but Nate Clark was twice thrown out at the plate by Boston OF Steve Burns, once in the 1st and again in the 3rd. Sachais got through the first two innings unscathed, but he gave up 5 straight base hits in the 3rd. The 2nd and 3rd of those both featured runners thrown out on the bases, so he was one out away from getting out of it but gave up a 2-run homer to Cody Schrier to tie it and then surrendered a double. He then had to leave and it's described as moderate and for a week, so he'll likely go on the IL and we'll see Kevin Kerstetter come up. This left over 2/3 of the game for the pen to cover, and they did it in style. Bob Sirna went the first 2 1/3, striking out 5, Tim Siqueiros the next two perfect with 3 whiffs and this got us to the top of the 8th when the offense finally broke the 2-2 tie after hitting into some key double plays and the aforementioned Clark baserunning outs. And it was Clark who broke the deadlock with a 2-run homer (#5) with 2 out and Rodolfo Rivas went back-to-back with #3. Kikuo Kawase came in for the 8th, striking out the side around a single (the only hit allowed by the bullpen today!), and Jim Connors picked up save #3 in the 9th with what will look like a perfect line in the box score except for the fact he hit 2 men to bring the tying run to the plate before ending it. Siqueiros was credited with win #1 of the season. An impressive performance by the pen, and here's hoping Leo Ortega will give most of them a rest tomorrow.

April 17: Placed P Alec Sachais on the 15-day IL with a torn fingernail, recalled P Eric Carter from AAA Durham.

Carter gives us a fresh arm for a few days until we need to call up Kevin Kerstetter to start in Sachais' place.

Game 3: Leo Ortega was excellent again and the Rays got just enough offense to take a 3-1 win over Boston. Ortega went 7 6 1 1 2 7 to improve to 2-0, 4.08 as he gradually recovers from that rough opening start. Kikuo Kawase did his strike out the side around a hit thing once again, and Jordan Diaz was given the save opportunity today and as his wont, made it interesting. He retired the first two on fly balls before giving up a single and a double to put the tying runs in scoring position before whiffing Thairo Estrada to end the game and pick up save #1. The offense came on an Alex Buitrago homer in the 2nd, his 5th of the year and first since he hit 4 in the opening 3 games, a Bo Angeac RBI double in the 4th, and a Jaiden Hardaway blast to deep center which traveled a mere 481 feet (his 2nd) to make it a 2-run game. Mike Harms was 0-4, so he finally made an MLB start in which he didn't homer. We did lose Dane Ayers today, though, after he was beaned in the 7th inning and suffered a concussion which will sideline him for 3 weeks.

April 18: Placed IF/OF Dane Ayers on the 10-day IL with a concussion, purchased the contract of IF Melvin Gutierrez from AAA Durham.

Gutierrez is back on the 40-man as he's seemed to be on and off the last few years several times. He'll give us quality defense at 2B, SS and 3B (65-75) either a late-inning replacement or giving one of the regulars a day off.

Game 4: The Rays took the 11AM Patriots' Day matinee from Boston 8-6 to win 3 of 4 in the series in a game where the hitters were ready for the early start but the pitchers weren't. Tampa Bay scored 6 times in the top of the 1st on 3 homers: Nate Clark's 2-run shot, a solo blast from Victor de Jesus (#3) and a 2-run jack from Alex Buitrago (#6, he likes to homer in bunches). But Nate Schultz couldn't get anyone out to start the game and gave up 3 runs, with the third coming on the first out he got, a sac fly. He whiffed a pair after that and settled in nicely, and Clark added a 2nd 2-run homer in the 5th to make it 8-3, his 7th (tied with several others for the MLB lead). Schultz ran out of gas in the 7th, and Boston got a couple of runs with the help of a Ricky Widmar error to cut it to 8-5. Schultz ended 6.1 9 5 4 1 6, not an impressive line on its own but pretty good considering how bad his first inning was. Tim Siqueiros got the final 2 outs of the 7th and Mike Wherry had a scoreless 8th. Jim Connors got the call for the save and after retiring the first two batters he allowed a Julio Rubalcava homer before getting the third out and his 4th save.

Team record: 11-3. Next up: Back home for 3 vs Detroit.