May 30-June 2, 2041: vs Minnesota (4)
 

Game 1: The bats continued to slumber and Ed Pretty blew a win for Jose Mendoza as the Rays dropped their third in four 3-2 to the Twins at Publix Park. They took a slender 2-1 lead into the 8th on Kevin Morley's 3rd homer in the 2nd inning but Pretty was pretty bad in the 8th, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and the bats couldn't rally. This squandered another fine outing from Mendoza, who's really been rolling of late and went 7 6 1 0 1 6 tonight to lower his ERA to 2.89.

Game 2: Another night of muted bats and bad bullpen work kept the Rays in their worst funk of the season as they lost for the 4th time in 5 games 6-3 to Minnesota. It was a scoreless game until the Rays eked across a run in the 6th, only for the Twins to score 3 times in the 7th with a costly Eric Phillips error keeping the inning alive and allowing the go-ahead run to score. Solo homers from Seth Williams (#8) and Pat Moyer (#2) got the Rays back to parity after 8, but Kikuo Kawase reverted to his earlier inconsistent form, giving up 3 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks in 2/3 of an inning on 33 pitches, dooming Tampa Bay to defeat. Danny Romero started and pitched well (6.2 8 3 2 0 7) but had nothing to show for it. To make matters worse, Andy Ruggles charged the mound because he was hit by a pitch after Moyer's homer, and is now suspended for 5 games as we're down another outfielder.

June 1: Recalled OF Doug Johns from AAA Durham.

With the Ruggles suspension we needed another OF and it's time for prized prospect Johns to get his shot, however brief. Johns hit 322/367/561 with 18 HR at Durham last year and was 279/341/475 this year. In another org he'd already be in the majors. Also Johns is a decent starting pitcher as he's 6-3, 2.29 in 9 starts with a 16/49 BB/K ratio in 63 IP for the Bulls. He's got average stuff but knows how to pitch.

Game 3: The Rays took out their frustrations of the last week by blasting Minnesota 9-3. Pat Moyer and Doug Johns in his MLB debut had RBI singles in the 3rd to make it 2-0, Seth Williams doubled the lead with a 2-run shot (#9) in the 4th, and then they broke it open with a 5-run 5th featuring 2-run singles from Williams and Josh Beckett. Brad Jackson was overpowering today, going 5 3 1 1 3 11 but worked up a pitch count over 100. He's now 9-1, 2.64. Billy Haroutunian went two scoreless to give him 3 shutout innings in two appearances since being recalled.

Game 4: Tampa Bay salvaged a split of the series with an 8-2 win, a game they broken open with 4 runs in the last 2 innings. Jeff Brockman was excellent as ever, going 5.1 3 1 0 3 7 to improve to 11-0, 1.50, and Mike Willis had a big game (3-4 with HR #2, a double, a steal and an RBI) as did Eric Phillips, 2-4 with a solo HR (#2) and an RBI double. Doug Johns added a 2-run double as he looks comfortable in the bigs.

Team record: 47-12. Next up: An off-day then we head to Detroit, and we have the 2041 Amateur Draft as well.

The 2041 Amateur Draft
 

https://i.imgur.com/CCIO0PX.png

Darling: A New Jersey high-school SS with pop in his bat. It remains to be seen if he can stay at the position but hopefully his bat will play elsewhere on the diamond.

Carver: A Virginia high-school SP who either has ace potential (OSA) or back-of-the-rotation potential (Metzler). He's 6'6" but right now he throws 93-95 so he has a wide range of outcomes.

Vargas: A college closer who throws 99-101 with 80 potential stuff out of Texas Tech, the kind of guy who could be in the big league mix in a year or two.

Woolard: A "crafty" lefty out of high school in Texas who throws around 90 but has the command of an older pitcher. His margin for error is very thin but he could be interesting.

Sanchez: A speedy CF out of a Chicago high school who has some decent pop in his bat despite his 165-lb frame. I'm intrigued by this one.

Tredinnick: A JuCo lefty from Santa Barbara, he can throw hard and could be a decent sleeper.

Rice: High-school CF from Arizona who profiles as a .280, 10-HR type but with plus-plus speed and potentially above-average defense who we're probably not going to sign.

June 4-6, 2041: at Detroit (3)
 

Game 1: The Rays routed the Tigers at Comerica Park with an 18-hit attack in a 10-1 win. Vinny Willard turned in his best start of the year (6 2 1 1 3 7 to improve to 3-2, 4.03) while the hit parade was led by Seth Williams (4-6 with 2 RBI), Kevin Morley (3-5 with an RBI double) and Eric Phillips (2-5 with 3 RBI). Josh Alexander added a 3-run shot (#16) to get the Rays going in the 4th.

Game 2: Jose Mendoza keeps on dominating and Seth Williams had another huge night as the Rays took care of the Tigers 6-1. Mendoza was 6 5 1 0 3 5 to up his record to 8-0, 2.63 as he's now allowed just one earned run in his last 4 starts covering 25.2 IP. Williams meanwhile had his second consecutive 4-hit night doubling in a run and scoring twice. Josh Alexander was 2-5 with a 2-run double.

Game 3: The Rays completed the sweep of Detroit with a 6-3 win. Danny Romero was solid in going to 9-1 with a 7 7 3 3 1 4 outing while Kikuo Kawase had a perfect 2K 9th for save #17. Eric Phillips had his best day as a Ray, going 3-4 with an RBI double and a solo homer (#3), while Jeff Baez was 2-4 with a 2-run double and Seth Williams added a 2-run single to cap his big series.

Team record: 50-12. Next up: 3 games in Boston.

June 7-9, 2041: at Boston (3)
 

June 7: Activated OF Dan Gregory from the 10-day IL and OF Andy Ruggles from the restricted list, optioned OF Doug Johns and P Danny Hill to AAA Durham.

Game 1: Brad Jackson got knocked around a bit and the Rays dropped the series opener at Fenway Park 5-3 to the Red Sox. Jackson was hit for 4.1 8 5 5 2 4 with a 3-run 5th doing him and the Rays in. Seth Williams and Eric Phillips were each 2-4 with an RBI.

Game 2: The Rays snapped back by routing the Red Sox 14-4 behind a 5-hit game from Seth Williams, who had a couple of 4-hit games in the last series against Detroit. Williams drove in 3 and scored 4 times in going 5-5, also drawing a walk. Josh Alexander had a huge game as well, 4-6 with HR #17 and 4 RBI while Mike Willis banged out 4 hits, driving in one and stealing a base and Andy Ruggles drove in 5 with a 3-run HR (#13) and a 2-run single. Jeff Brockman put his usual string of zeroes and went 5.2 4 1 1 1 7 to improve to 12-0, 1.51.

Game 3: The bats feasted again in a 9-3 win with Mike Willis recording his second straight 4-hit day, this time doubling twice, homering (#3) and driving in 3. Dan Gregory had his best game since coming off the DL by doubling an driving in 3 and Josh Beckett was 3-4 with an RBI. Vinny Willard looked sharp again even though he continues to pitch to contact, with a 6.2 4 3 2 2 3 line good enough to get him to 4-2, 3.91.

Team record: 52-13, a cool .800. Next up: Back home for 3 vs Oakland.

June 10-12, 2041: vs Oakland (3)
 

First, a bit of league business:

https://i.imgur.com/DuHTmhm.png

Game 1: The Rays had 10 hits, but couldn't score in a 3-0 loss to Oakland at Publix Park in the first game of the homestand. Jose Mendoza started and was brilliant again, going 6 2 0 0 4 8 to lower his ERA to 2.42 but Chris Williams gave up a couple of runs in the 7th to break the 0-0 deadlock and the Rays dropped a rare one.

Game 2: This was a wild game that saw 1) Danny Romero take a no-hitter into the 8th with a 6-run lead, 2) the Rays blow that 6-run lead in the final 2 innings, and 3) them win it on a walk-off homer from Dan Gregory (#7) leading off the bottom of the 9th 7-6. For a long while it looked like Romero would be the story as he went 7 innings allowing only a walk. But he walked the leadoff man in the 8th and then gave up a 2-run homer on pitch #100, so he left with a 7 1 2 2 2 9 line. Billy Haroutunian then loaded the bases with nobody out in the 9th and Kikuo Kawase was called on. Kawase's season of inconstistency continued as he wild pitched 2 men home to cut it to 6-4, and then gave up a 2-run single with 2 out to allow Oakland to tie it up, setting the stage for Gregory's walk-off heroics in the bottom of the inning. Earlier they built the big lead in large part due to Tony Cordova's 1st major league homer, a 3-run shot in the 2nd off former Ray Steve Abeles, who didn't survive the 3rd.

Game 3: Brad Jackson didn't threaten a no-hitter as he allowed 8 hits, but he did pitch a complete-game shutout as the Rays took the rubber game of the series 5-0. Jackson was solid throughout, scattering those hits and finishing 9 8 0 0 1 10 to improve to 10-2, 2.75, good enough to lead the AL in pitcher WAR at 3.0. Andy Ruggles had the big hit against his former team, a 3-run blast (#14) in the 1st and Pat Moyer went back-to-back with him for his 3rd. Mike Willis was 3-4 with two doubles and a steal as well.

Team record: 54-14. Next up: 4 games at home vs the Angels.

June 13-16, 2041: vs LA Angels (4)
 

Game 1: The Rays took a thrilling come-from-behind win today 5-3 over the Angels, but the victory was costly as superstar OF Dan Gregory broke his fibula making a diving catch and will be out 3 months. Gregory, who's made us a much better defensive team with his elite glovework in CF, will be missed although he'll at least be back come playoff time. As for the game the Rays trailed 2-1 going into the bottom of the 7th before erupting for 4 runs. Jeff Brockman got the start and although he pitched well (7 5 2 2 0 6), his perfect record looked to be in jeopardy. But Jose Mendez delivered a pinch 2-run single and Mike Willis followed with a 2-run triple to make Brockman 13-0, 1.59. Kikuo Kawase had a 1-2-3 9th with 2 whiffs for save #18.

June 14: Placed OF Dan Gregory on the 60-day IL with a broken fibula, recalled OF/P Doug Johns from AAA Durham.

Johns returns, but with 3 spots open on the 40 we might look for a good defensive CF to spell Jimmy Leonard who will take over the bulk of the action at the position with Jose Mendez and Pat Moyer getting more ABs. Leonard's only rated a 45 there, though. I gave some thought to adding Jeremy Truitt, a 10th-round pick of ours from last year playing at Low-A Bowling Green. Truitt can't hit a lick but is an outstanding defensive CF. For now, we bring Johns up, who can also fake the position but will mostly play against lefties.

Game 2: Deja vu all over again as this time the Angels held a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the 8th before the Rays scored 5 times and took a 6-2 win. Vinny Willard started and had an outing completely unlike the bulk of his contact-heavy season, going 5 6 2 2 4 7 and pitching out of several jams. But Andy Ruggles had a 2-run single to put the Rays ahead in the 8th and Eric Phillips followed with a 3-run homer (#4) to make a winner out of Dan Anderson for the third time this season.

Game 3: This time the Rays won it in the 5th, scoring twice to break a 2-2 tie and going on to win 5-2. Jimmy Leonard's RBI single was the game-winner and Pat Moyer followed with a sac fly. Kevin Morley drove in the other 3 runs with a 2nd inning 2-run single and a sac fly of his own. Jose Mendoza started and went to 9-0, 2.44 despite being a bit hittable in a 6.2 10 2 2 2 6 performance. Kikuo Kawase had another perfect 9th for save #19.

Game 4: The Sunday series finale was rained out and will be made up September 13 when the Rays visit Anaheim.

Team record: 57-14. Next up: We hit the road starting with 3 at Yankee Stadium.

June 17-19, 2041: at NY Yankees (3)
 

Game 1: The Rays won this game in the first inning, scoring 4 times on their way to a 5-1 win at Yankee Stadium behind an excellent outing from Danny Romero. Josh Alexander blasted a 2-run HR (#18) in the 1st, Jose Mendez had an RBI triple and Josh Beckett singled home Mendez to send the Rays on their way. That was more than enough for Romero, who went 8 4 1 1 0 5 to improve to 10-1, 2.84.

Game 2: Brad Jackson hurled his second consecutive complete-game shutout as the Rays took care of the Yankees 4-0. Jackson went the distance on a 5-hitter, walking 0 and fanning 9 to go to 11-2, 2.50 as this remarkable season of starting pitching for Tampa Bay continues. Josh Alexander homered for the second straight day (#19) and his solo homer stood up until they added 3 in the 7th with Josh Beckett's 2-run single the big hit.

Game 3: The Rays completed another series sweep with a 9-4 beatdown of the Yankees, making it 8 straight in their latest winning streak. Jeff Brockman went to 14-0 in 15 starts this season (the only start he didn't win he threw 6 shutout innings in) after a 6 6 2 2 1 7 outing which saw the two runs scoring from the two men he put on to start the 7th before leaving which Jon Harbour allowed to score in a 4-run Yankee inning. Jimmy Leonard had a 2-run triple and drove in 3 while Pat Moyer was 3-4 with 3 RBI and Josh Alexander was on base 4 times with 2 hits and 2 walks.

Team record: 60-14. Next up: 4 games in Oakland.

June 20-23, 2041: at Oakland (4)
 

June 20: Activated C Mike McKee from the 10-day IL, optioned C Kevin Morley to AAA Durham.

It'll be good to have McKee back, not that we've struggled without him or anything though.

Game 1: The Rays kept on keepin' on, scoring 4 times in the 9th to break open a close game and win their 9th straight, 7-2 in Oakland. Vinny Willard's been the black sheep of the rotation this year, but he turned in a fine start going 6.1 6 2 2 1 7 to improve to 5-2, 3.81. Jimmy Leonard was the hitting hero, doubling twice and homering (#14) with a man on in the 9th while Andy Ruggles was 3-5 with a 2-run double in the same inning.

Game 2: Jose Mendoza pitched a career game, going the distance for the first time as a big leaguer, fanning 13 in a 4-1 win over the A's. Mendoza held Oakland to 3 hits and only walked one in a brilliant 105-pitch performance and is now 10-0, 2.30. Andy Ruggles homered (#15) and Mike Willis and Josh Beckett had RBI singles in a 3-run 5th.

Game 3: Last time the Rays faced last year's teammate Steve Abeles they bombed him out of the game by the 3rd inning but today he held the Rays in check for 5 innings, allowing only 1 run on 3 hits and led 2-1. Until the 6th inning, that is, when the Rays put 10 on the board against Abeles and another former teammate in Mike Wherry, going on to win 13-2. They scored 4 off Abeles and Wherry faced 6 men, all of whom scored. Josh Alexander had a career inning, hitting a grand slam (#20) off Abeles and then later driving in 2 more to give him what I'm sure is a club-record 6-RBI frame. Jose Mendez added a 2-run shot (#6) off Wherry and Andy Ruggles homered again (#16). Danny Romero coasted to the win with a 6 4 2 2 0 5 outing to go to 11-1, 2.85 and Jon Harbour pitched 3 perfect innings with 4 whiffs for his first save.

Game 4: The Rays have been so good this year it's not really fair, and they completed the sweep of Oakland winning their 12th straight 8-1. Brad Jackson was coming off two complete-game shutouts and lost one today with 2 out in the 6th, ending his scoreless streak at 23 2/3 IP. But he did keep his complete game streak alive, going to distance for the third straight time at 9 7 1 1 1 6 on 105 pitches and is now 12-2, 2.38 and leading the AL in pitcher WAR at 3.8. Seth Williams led the offense, driving in 4 on a 2-run single, sac fly and fielder's choice and Jeff Baez had a big 2-run double to get them on the board in the 5th.

Team record: 64-14. Next up: An off-day then 3 games in Minnesota.

June 25-27, 2041: at Minnesota (3)
 

Game 1: After getting a quality start in each of their last 14 games, it was a shock to see a Tampa Bay starter get knocked around but that's what happened to Jeff Brockman today as he suffered his first loss of the season in a 7-2 Minnesota win which also snapped the team's 12-game win streak. It looked like business as usual after Brockman breezed through the first two innings and the Rays led 2-0, but the Twins got to him for 3 in the 3rd and 3 more in the 4th and he finished 3.1 5 6 6 3 4 to drop to 14-1, 2.20, ending his dream of an undefeated season. Seth Williams had the only good showing on offense, going 2-3 with a walk and a solo homer (#10).

Game 2: The Rays bounced back from last night's defeat to take a 5-1 win behind Vinny Willard, who has seemed to rediscover his strikeout pitch. The righty went 5.1 4 1 1 3 10 to improve to 6-2, 3.69 and has fanned 34 in 29.1 IP over his last 5 starts after only whiffing 35 in his first 60. Doug Johns and Pat Moyer supplied the offense with Moyer going 3-5 with 3 RBI and Johns 2-5 with 2 RBI.

Game 3: The Rays took the rubber game of the series with a 10-8 win that got very dicey at the end. They led 10-4 going into the 9th but Chris Toombs put a couple on to start his second inning of work, so Ed Pretty came on and after getting two whiffs, gave up a 3-run homer, then put two more runners on, and Kikuo Kawase gave up a walk and a hit to let the Twins within two with the tying run in scoring position, but got a grounder to first to end the game and secure save #20. Before all that Josh Alexander hit HR #21, Andy Ruggles drove in 3 and Jose Mendez had a 2-run double to lead the offense, and Danny Romero overcame some early struggles to finish 6 7 4 2 2 5 and go to 12-1, 2.85.

Team record: 66-15. Next up: We're back home to face Texas over the weekend.

2041 Midseason Review
 

It's been quite a first half for the Rays, and let's check in on where things stand:

https://i.imgur.com/YAKq8VN.png

As expected Houston is our main competition in the AL although the White Sox have been torrid as of late. Note that longtime former Rays superstar Danny Ayala is having quite a debut season in Houston with 95 RBI at the midway point, threatening Hack Wilson and lapping the league in that category. But it's another of their stars, Ricky Clark, who's having a season for the ages with 5.8 WAR already.

Here are the team stats:

https://i.imgur.com/IuiELmv.png

Nothing not to like here, nary a weakness to be found. As has been well-advertised our defensive efficiency has improved to middle of the pack, a veritable zenith for this franchise in the last 15 years or so. Those defensive numbers have slipped a bit as they were 6th in DE and Zone Rating and they will likely erode a little further as the injury to Dan Gregory, who was almost single-handedly responsible for the improvement, continues to take effect. Also losing Jeff Baez for a while didn't help.

The hitting stats:

https://i.imgur.com/wA3454c.png

No complaints here as Seth Williams has emerged as a more-than-adequate replacement for Jaiden Hardaway. While he isn't likely to put up 10+ WAR seasons like J-Hard, Williams is still the real deal and combined with Mike Willis they've replaced his on-base skills at the top of the order.

The pitching (oh god yes, the pitching):

https://i.imgur.com/77YO3hk.png

Not sure I've ever had pitching this good in the history of this save, and that's with a slew of Cy Young Award winners in our past. Brockman and Jackson are the pitchers I was hoping they'd be when they were acquired last year, Romero is doing Romero things, and Jose Mendoza has blossomed into an ace but here he's our nominal 5th starter (right now Vinny Willard is probably the odd man out of the playoff rotation though). And find me a team that had their top 4 starters go a combined 48-4 over the first half of a season. Former rotation members Jon Harbour and Jordan Perez have excelled in long relief, not that they've need to be called on that often. Dan Anderson has done a great job taking over as the 7th-inning guy from the injured Ken Burgess, but if there is any cause for concern it's that the back end of the pen has become a bit less reliable as Kikuo Kawase is showing signs of age and has already blown 3 saves while Ed Pretty has had a few rough outings as well (although he's been victimized by a .441 BABIP).

June 28-30, 2041: vs Texas (3)
 

Game 1: Jose Mendoza's 9-start run of allowing only 2 ER or fewer (7 ER in 57 IP during the stretch) came to an end in an 8-2 loss at Publix Park against Texas. Mendoza was hit for a pair of homers in a 6 7 5 4 1 7 outing that wasn't that terrible except compared to his recent standard. Billy Haroutunian gave up 3 more runs in the 7th to put the game out of reach of the Rays' offense, which got 3 hits from Jimmy Leonard but not a whole lot else.

Game 2: The Rays struck back for a 7-2 win behind Brad Jackson and a big game from Josh Beckett. Jackson didn't extend his streak of 3 straight complete games, instead going 6 6 2 2 1 4 on 95 pitches and improving to 13-2, 2.41. Jon Harbour excelled again in long relief, going the final 3 innings allowing only one hit and fanning 4 for his 2nd save. Beckett was 3-3 with a double, a rare homer (#4) and 3 RBI which raised his batting average to .361, and Jose Mendez and Andy Ruggles were each 2-4 with a 2-run homer, Mendez's 6th and Ruggles' 17th.

Game 3: After starting the year 14-0 Jeff Brockman lost his second straight game but it really wasn't his fault as he pitched well in a 3-1 loss to the Rangers. Brockman went 6 5 2 2 2 6 and his ERA sits at 2.25 but it was the offense which let them down for the second time in the series with Mike Willis's solo homer (#4) in the 3rd the only run they pushed across, one of only 6 hits they managed on the day.

Team record: 67-17. Next up: 3 games at home vs Baltimore.

July 1-3, 2041: vs Baltimore (3)
 

Before we open the series with the Orioles, he's some news about a former Oriole:

https://i.imgur.com/JUSGWys.png

Game 1: Vinny Willard was hit hard and the Rays dropped their third game in four 6-5 to Baltimore at Publix Park. The Rays jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the 2nd on Andy Ruggles' first homer of the game and a 2-run shot from Mike McKee (#3) but Willard couldn't hold it and left the game down 5-4 after going 4 8 5 5 1 4. Ruggles homered again (#19) with the bases empty in the 6th to match an Oriole run in the top of the frame, but they couldn't score again.

Game 2: Things were looking bleak again as the defense let Danny Romero down and the Rays were behind 4-0, but a 5-run 6th propelled them to a 6-4 come-from-behind win over Baltimore. Jimmy Leonard dropped a fly ball allowing two runs to score in the 3rd and they weren't making plays behind Romero, who had to leave after going 4.2 7 4 2 1 6 in a game that was bringing back memories of last season. But Seth Williams hit a 2-run double to tie it up, and Josh Alexander, who had earlier been hit with a pitch to force in a run, blasted a 2-run shot (#22) to give them the win. Doug Johns made his MLB pitching debut in relief of Romero and went 1 1/3 scoreless with 2 whiffs to pick up the win, and Kikuo Kawase had a 1-2-3 2-whiff 9th for save #21.

Game 3: Once again the Rays came back to win, scoring twice in the 6th to take a 4-3 win and 2 of 3 in the series from the Orioles. Josh Beckett capped a 3-3 day with a 2-run homer (#5) to make a winner of Billy Haroutunian for the first time as a Ray. Haroutunian came on in the 5th for Jose Mendoza, who had to leave the game with what was diagnosed afterwards as a mild shoulder strain which will force him to miss a couple of weeks. Mendoza was 4.2 6 3 3 1 5 before leaving, and the bullpen had to work out of several late-inning jams to hang onto the lead but Kikuo Kawase was there at the end for his 22nd save.

Team record: 69-18. Next up: 4 games against the Yankees at Publix Park which will take us into the All-Star break.

July 4-7, 2041: vs NY Yankees (3)
 

July 4: Placed P Jose Mendoza on the 10-day IL with a mild shoulder strain, purchased the contract of P Doug Combs from AAA Durham.

Combs is a beast in relief and would have been with the team by now had he not damaged an elbow ligament last season. He came back a few weeks ago with Durham, and has premium 80 stuff with 50 control and movement, coming over along with Jose Mendez in the deal which sent Omar Rodriguez to San Francisco a couple of years ago.

Game 1: There were lots of fireworks on display at Publix Park as the Rays beat the Yankees 13-9 on July 4. It was a wild affair which saw the Rays put 6 on the board in the 1st inning keyed by a bases-clearing triple from Mike McKee, and after New York pulled within 6-5 in the top of the 5th Tampa Bay added 3 more in the bottom of the frame with a 2-run Pat Moyer HR (#4) keying the inning. By the time the dust settled, Moyer joined McKee with 3 RBI to lead the team, Jeff Baez was 3-4 with 2 RBI while Josh Beckett and Andy Ruggles each drove in a pair as well. Pitching wasn't exactly the name of the game today but Brad Jackson did better than appeared as the defense let him down with 3 errors as he went to 14-2 after going 5 6 5 1 1 3. Doug Combs made his MLB debut and retired the final two batters in the 9th.

Game 2: Jeff Brockman dropped his 3rd straight decision after winning his first 14 as he was hit hard today in a 9-5 loss, a scoreline which flattered the Rays as they were down 9-1 in the 8th. It was a 2040-like game for Brockman, who walked 0 and fanned 7 over 5 innings, but gave up 5 runs on 11 hits (no homers). Pat Moyer stayed hot, going 3-4 with a double, homer (#5) and 2 RBI and Seth Williams was 3-4 with a pair of doubles.

Game 3: A tight game got out of hand when the Yankees scored 5 times in the 6th to go up 6-0 and they held on to beat the Rays 6-3 as the Rays have certainly seen their bulletproof pitching of the first half bullet-riddled over the last week or two. Vinny Willard hung in there until it all fell apart and finished 5.1 9 4 4 1 2. Jimmy Leonard had 3 hits to lead a quiet Rays offense.

Game 4: The Rays finally got a great starting pitching performance on this homestand, and it came from none other than Jordan Perez, pressed into the rotation with Jose Mendoza temporarily on the shelf. Perez dominated the Yankees and the Rays took a 6-1 win. He went 5.2 2 1 0 1 5 and improved to 4-1, 1.93 with all but one of his previous appearances this season in relief. He famously failed as a starter last year but showed today why we dealt a great young hitter like Ben Hill for him the offseason before last. Seth Williams celebrated being voted the starting 2B for the AL All-Star team by blasting HR #11 and Pat Moyer capped off a series to remember for him by launching a pair of solo shots to give him 7 for the season. He went 8-17 with 4 HR and 7 RBI in the 4 games against New York.

Team record: 71-20. Next up: The All-Star break, which as usual isn't much of a break for this team considering all the Rays headed to Anaheim for the game. When we resume play on Friday it will be in Baltimore for 3.

All-Star Break 2041
 

The rosters:

https://i.imgur.com/3bitPGS.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/KG1XJZj.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/1EckCMB.png

11 Rays named to the roster in all, with 7 starting (including the pitcher). Of course only 10 will play with Dan Gregory out with a broken leg.

The HR Derby:

https://i.imgur.com/kp15b31.png

Josh Alexander had a great first round, but had the misfortune of going against the guy who had the best.

As for the game itself:

Well this is a familiar-looking lineup:

https://i.imgur.com/I996qBH.png

6 Rays starting (plus Brad Jackson as the starter)! Add in 2 Astros (including a longtime Ray in Danny Ayala) and the White Sox' Joel Taylor is the only non-Ray or Astro in the lineup.

https://i.imgur.com/C6AJTwj.png

Well if this were an actual Rays game, they'd have been saddled with a loss as the dominant Tampa Bay contingent on the AL team did not acquit itself well at all. Only Josh Beckett, who had 2 hits including a triple, and perhaps Brad Jackson and Jeff Brockman, who each had a scoreless inning, can hold their heads up high. The back end of the Rays pen lost this game, with Ed Pretty losing the plot (and the plate) in the 8th, and after the AL did tie it up on Josh Alexander's sac fly, Kikuo Kawase showed why he hasn't been Mr. Automatic this year, struggling big-time in the 9th although he would have been out of it unscathed if not for Kevin Kane's error but that doesn't really excuse him. And other than Beckett, Rays hitters were 0-9.

July 12-14, 2041: at Baltimore (3)
 

Game 1: The Rays lost a tough one in extra innings to Baltimore to open the traditional "second half" of the season, 7-6 in 12. Dan Anderson gave up a Danny Munoz homer to allow the Orioles to walk it off, after the Rays fought back with two in the 7th to tie it up on a Mike McKee 2-run single. Danny Romero started and had a 3-0 lead going into the 5th before a couple of errors behind him and a string of hits allowed Baltimore to put 5 on the board as he finished 5 7 6 2 1 5. The bullpen was good after that, especially Kikuo Kawase who rebounded from his All-Star Game meltdown to fan 5 over 2 1-hit innings, but an old friend in Tim Gates helped win the game for Baltimore with 3 perfect innings in extras. The loss marred a massive game from Mike Willis, who had 4 hits including a triple and a no-doubt-about-it solo homer (#5).

Game 2: After the bullpen had to pitch 7 innings yesterday we were hoping for some length from Vinny Willard and he came through big-time with a 5-hit complete-game shutout in a 10-0 rout that was much closer for most of the game. Willard allowed 5 hits, 1 walk and fanned 9 in his first-ever complete game and shutout, improving to 7-4, 3.81. The first of Jimmy Leonard's 2 homers, a solo shot in the 2nd, held up as the only run until the Rays put 5 on the board in the 7th thanks to a 2-run shot from Jeff Baez and a 3-run jack by Josh Alexander (#23). Leonard (#16) and Baez (#7) then added 2-run shots later to give them each 2-homer games as all 10 runs scored via the longball.

July 14: Activated P Jose Mendoza from the 10-day IL, optioned P Billy Haroutunian to AAA Durham.

Game 3: Jose Mendoza came off the IL to start the series finale, and pitched decently in a 7-4 win. The lefty went 6 4 3 3 2 4, not as dominant as usual but effective enough to go 11-1, 2.78. Kikuo Kawase notched save #23, fanning two in the 9th. The star on offense was Seth Williams, who delivered a 4th-inning grand slam (#12) to give the Rays a 5-1 lead and he added an RBI single in the 7th to give him a 3-hit, 5-ribbie day. Josh Alexander was 3-5 with an RBI and Mike Willis had his 2nd 4-hit day in 3 games.

Team record: 73-21. Next up: We head up I-95 (oh who am I kidding? we have chartered flights) to play 4 games at Yankee Stadium.

Mike Willis was rewarded for his big week(end):

https://i.imgur.com/gL5O247.png

July 15-18, 2041: at NY Yankees (4)
 

Game 1: Brad Jackson was excellent in a 4-1 Rays win at Yankee Stadium in the series opener. The lefty went 7 4 1 1 1 3 to improve to 15-2, 2.33 and with Kikuo Kawase tired the save went to Chris Williams, his 5th. Tony Cordova was the unlikely offensive hero with a sac fly and and an RBI double to account for 50% of the Rays' scoring while Josh Alexander added a solo homer (#24).

Game 2: Pat Moyer had a huge game and Jeff Brockman took care of things on the mound in a 7-1 win over the Yankees. Moyer, who has hit well (369/403/638) in limited action, was 4-4 with a 3-run HR (#8) and an RBI double and Mike Willis drove in the other 3 runs with a double and a triple. Brockman got back in the win column after dropping 3 straight with a 6.2 3 1 1 3 4 outing; he's now 15-3, 2.50.

Game 3: A bullpen meltdown cost the Rays their 5th straight win as Doug Combs, Chris Williams and Ed Pretty combined to allow 5 Yankee runs in the 7th to turn a 5-2 lead into a 7-5 loss. Things looked good early for the Rays after a 5-run 4th which saw Josh Alexander blast a 3-run homer (#24) and Andy Ruggles go back-to-back with him for #20. Danny Romero wasn't great but was good enough to go 5.2 4 2 2 4 4 and Combs got him out of a jam in the 6th. But Combs started the 7th by putting a couple of runners on, Williams couldn't get anyone out, and Pretty capped the inning by walking two men with the bases loaded, forcing in the go-ahead run. An Alexander error in the inning didn't help matters either.

Game 4: The Rays lost the series finale more conventionally and settled for a split after Vinny Willard was hit hard in a 7-3 loss. Willard, coming off a complete-game shutout, had 3 more scoreless innings before allowing a run to tie in the 4th and then getting raked over the coals in the 5th, finishing 4.2 8 4 4 2 4 and dropping to 7-5, 3.97. Jordan Perez and Doug Johns were hit for 3 runs in relief as well. The red-hot Pat Moyer did drive in a pair, one with a double.

Team record: 75-23. Next up: We return home to face the 58-37 White Sox three times over the weekend.

July 19-21, 2041: vs Chicago White Sox (3)
 

Game 1: The Rays routed the White Sox 16-3 in the series opener at Publix Park behind a 3-HR, 8-RBI game from Andy Ruggles. The DH hit a 2-run homer in the 3rd to break a 1-1 tie, a grand slam in the 4th to break it open, and a 2-run blast in the 8th to give him 23 HR and 71 RBI on the season. Mike Willis, not known for his power, jacked a pair himself and drove in 3, giving him 7 homers on the year. Jose Mendoza cruised with all the support, going 6 7 2 2 3 7 to improve to 12-1, 2.80 and Jon Harbour went the final 3 innings for his 3rd save.

Game 2: The Rays' bullpen struggled again with Kikuo Kawase blowing a 4-3 lead and allowing a couple of runs, and after Mike McKee hit a dramatic homer (#4) to lead off the 9th and tie it, Ed Pretty gave up 2 more runs in the 10th to give Chicago a 7-5 win. Before all the madness, Brad Jackson went 6.2 5 3 3 5 6 allowing 3 solo homers for the runs against while Seth Williams homered (#13) and singled in a run.

Game 3: The bad week for the bullpen continued as the Rays blew their third late-inning lead in the last 5 games, but a 6-run 8th inning overcame that and the Rays took a 9-4 win. Jeff Brockman started and went 5 5 1 1 0 4 in a good outing and a 3-run 6th featuring a 2-run Josh Alexander homer (#26) gave them a 3-1 lead. But Dan Anderson allowed a run in the 7th and Chris Williams and Doug Combs combined to allow Chicago to score two more times in the top of the 8th to take a 4-3 lead. Today though they were bailed out by the offense as Jose Mendez hit his 2nd RBI single of the day to tie it, Ramon Ruiz drove in a pair with a single to put them ahead, and Doug Johns (who had come in as a defensive replacement in the top of the inning for Mike Willis) capped the inning with a 3-run homer, his first in the majors. Also achieving his MLB first was Combs, who picked up the win despite allowing 4 hits in his 1 2/3 innings of work.

Team record: 77-24. Next up: Boston visits for 3 games.

July 22-24, 2041: vs Boston (3)
 

Game 1: The saying goes "you can't predict (base)ball" and tonight was a prime example as Boston sent journeyman Benoit Casanova (great name) to the mound tonight, coming off a 5.26 ERA last season and sporting a 6.65 ERA coming into tonight's game. So of course he pitched a complete-game 4-hit shutout in a 4-0 Red Sox win. He did walk 6 and strike out 5, so he had some help behind him, but coming off a weekend where the Rays scored 30 runs against one of the top teams in the league, it was a surprise. Danny Romero pitched well (6 6 2 2 2 5) in defeat as he lost for only the second time this season.

The Tuesday night game was rained out, so we played a doubleheader on Wednesday.

Game 2: Vinny Willard was roughed up for the fourth time in five starts (with a complete-game shutout mixed in there) but the Rays scored 4 in the 6th to overcome that and take an 8-5 win in the matinee game of the doubleheader. Andy Ruggles has been in and out of the lineup the last several games due to a mild hamstring strain, and he was in today and got to jog around the bases twice as his second longball of the day (#25) tied it at 5 in the 6th and Josh Beckett drilled a rare homer (#6) with a man on to give them the win. Jimmy Leonard added a solo shot in the 8th (#17) for insurance. Willard went an ugly 5.2 8 5 5 4 3 with Chris Williams picking up his first Rays win in relief and Kikuo Kawase coming back with a perfect 2-whiff 9th for save #24.

Game 3: The Rays swept the doubleheader and took the series from Boston behind another dazzling outing from Jose Mendoza as they won 7-0. Mendoza went 7 5 0 0 2 9 and improved to 13-1, 2.63 as he joins Jeff Brockman and Brad Jackson (and heck, even Danny Romero) as AL Cy Young candidates. Doug Combs went the final two innings scoreless to complete the shutout. Ramon Ruiz had a big day at the plate, going 3-4 with a 2-run single to get the Rays on the board in the 2nd, and Pat Moyer kept on hitting with HR #9 as he's batting .364.

Team record: 79-25. Next up: An off-day then 3 games in Toronto.

July 26-28, 2041: at Toronto (3)
 

Game 1: The Rays trounced Toronto 11-1 at Rogers Centre in their series opener, getting another solid start from Brad Jackson and blasting three homers. Jackson wasn't dominating but got the job done at 7 7 1 1 1 2 to improve to 16-2, 2.36. Jose Mendez's 2-run homer (#7) in the 3rd was the big early hit, and Josh Alexander (#27, a 2-run shot) and Pat Moyer (#10, a 3-run blast) also went deep.

Game 2: The Jays edged the Rays 4-3 in the second game as Danny Romero relied a bit too much on a shaky-these-days defense, going 6 7 4 4 1 3 with the key hit a fly ball Doug Johns misplayed into a 2-run double in centerfield. Andy Ruggles' 2-run double was the offensive highlight for Tampa Bay.

Game 3: Seth Williams (#14) and Doug Johns (#2) set the tone by homering back-to-back to lead off the game as the Rays went on to take the series from Toronto with an 8-3 win. Williams added two doubles, one of which drove in a run, and Jose Mendez (later in the first for #8) and Pat Moyer (#11) also went yard. The homers backed the fine pitching of Jeff Brockman, who was overpowering at 6 3 1 1 1 8 to go to 16-3, 2.42.

Team record: 81-26. Next up: An off-day then we head to Fenway to take on the Red Sox for 3.

July 30-August 1, 2041
 

July 30: Claimed P Jose Morales off waivers from Cincinnati, optioned P Doug Combs to AAA Durham.

Morales was with us last season, having been acquired with Josh Beckett and Jon Callahan from Arizona a few winters ago for Bo Angeac, and then we dealt him along with Ron Adams and a couple of minor leaguers to get Jeff Brockman in midseason. He still has 70 stuff, 55 movement and control, so we figured we'd pick him up for free. Doug Combs is probably better than Morales and didn't really deserve to go back to Durham, but I'm all about accumulating assets.

Game 1: Vinny Willard was beat up for the fifth time in his last six starts and the Rays couldn't generate much offense in a 5-1 loss to Boston at Fenway Park. Willard went 5 8 5 5 3 4, dropped to 7-6 and saw his ERA rise to 4.35. Another outing or two more like this and he could end up back in the bullpen. Pat Moyer's solo homer (#12) in the 5th was it for the scoring.

Our Wednesday game was rained out so we played a doubleheader on Thursday.

Game 2: Brad Jackson turned in a poor start, the Rays came all the way back to take the lead in the 9th, Kikuo Kawase blew another save in the bottom of the inning, but the Rays scored twice in the 11th to pull out an 8-6 win. Jackson was 5 9 4 4 2 4 and saw his ERA tick up to 2.62 but was taken off the hook in the 7th when Mike Willis tripled and was singled home by Josh Alexander to tie it up, and Alexander and Doug Johns off the bench delivered RBI singles in the 9th to make it 6-4 Rays. But Kawase, whose problems with blown saves this year had mostly been wildness, gave up his first homer of the year, a 2-run shot which tied it for Boston. It was his 5th blown save of the season, and his .828 save % is his worst (not counting his rookie season when he wasn't used exclusively as a closer). Johns came through again in the 11th with a 2-run single, making a winner of Chris Toombs for the first time this year, and Ed Pretty picked up his first save of the season.

Game 3: The Rays ended up splitting the doubleheader and losing the series in tough fashion as Boston walked it off in the 9th for a 3-2 win. The loss spoiled another fine start from Jose Mendoza, who went 7 7 2 2 2 9, before Dan Anderson gave up three straight hits to start the 9th to allow the Sox to win it. Jose Mendez was 3-3 with a walk and HR #9 to pace the offense.

Team record: 82-28. Next up: A rare Friday off-day then 2 at home vs Columbus.