October 1, 2041: NL Wild Card Game
 

October 2, 2041: AL Wild Card Game
 

It'll be the Yankees:

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

October 3, 2041: NLDS Game 1
 

https://i.imgur.com/5nKrmTb.png

That was brief former Ray Andy Vasquez, who played with us for a little while in 2036, named as star of the game in the Giants' first-ever playoff game in this save. Speaking of former Rays, old friend Omar Rodriguez was 2-5 with 3 RBI as well for San Francisco.

October 4, 2041: ALDS Game 1 & NLDS Game 2
 

Here we go again...

https://i.imgur.com/2exMRmC.png

What a nightmare. Not only did the Rays see a 3-0 evaporate almost instantly but they lost the left side of their infield to injury. Jon Callahan, already filling in for the injured Josh Beckett, suffered biceps tendinitis and is out a week and then in the 9th Jeff Baez, who despite being "wrecked" managed to put in almost a full season, suffered back stiffness after legging out a triple leading off the 9th. It's a "moderate" 5-day injury and given the circumstances we may just have to roll the dice and have him play through it since we need Ramon Ruiz to play 3B now. As for the game Brad Jackson was rolling until the 6th when he wasn't, although a Baez error opened the door. Up 3-2 I made the mistake of leaving Jackson in to face Ronnie Herron, and he singled to tie up the game. Then Dan Anderson came on and immediately gave up a 3-run homer and that was that. A furious rally in the 9th got them close, and the bases were loaded with only one out down 3 but Dan Gregory and Mike McKee both struck out. Danny Romero needs to come up big tomorrow in Game 2 and I need to figure out who's going to play the infield.

In the other games:

https://i.imgur.com/Kx2bBy4.png

October 5, 2041: ALDS Game 2
 

cue up the Heart, as the Rays even it up:

https://i.imgur.com/5Y1qq7l.png

The Rays took what was an easy 9-2 win in the end to even their ALDS at 1, but the 7-run rally in the 4th that won them the game was one of the more improbable. Pat Moyer led off the inning with a high pop which Yankee 2B Mike Milliken lost in the Tampa sky, Jose Mendez walked, but Mike McKee hit into a double play to put Moyer on 3rd with 2 out. Andy Ruggles came through with a single against the lefty Jose Mendez (their Jose Mendez, remember him?) to tie the game, Ramon Ruiz walked, and then Eric Phillips and Dan Gregory singled in runs to make it 3-1. Seth Williams then came up and he hit an infield pop that should have ended the inning but Yankee SS Luisangel Acuna dropped that one, too, reloading the bases and then the Rays hit 3 more RBI singles as they were given 5 outs. Ironically McKee ended up making all 3 outs of the inning as he flew out. Our Jose Mendez added a 2-run homer later (although off a Yankee reliever, not their Jose Mendez) This was more than enough for Danny Romero, who was excellent today, and the bullpen retired all 8 men it faced for a change. So now Jeff Brockman will seek to give the Rays the advantage when the series moves to Yankee Stadium in 2 days.

And how about those White Sox in the other game:

https://i.imgur.com/bUCplP8.png

The winning pitcher was Willie Briones, who was on our roster during the offseason before we dealt him just before Opening Day as he came on in relief of Sox starter Omar Guerrero after an inning when Guerrero tweaked something.

October 6, 2041: NLDS Game 3
 

https://i.imgur.com/QaCL6hb.png

The Reds take the advantage over the Giants and the 84-win Mets are one win away from upsetting the 107-win Lightning (something that sounds familiar).

Also it's always good to see something like this with a top prospect:

https://i.imgur.com/J4zcyVl.png

October 7, 2041: ALDS Game 3 & NLDS Game 4
 

One win to go...

https://i.imgur.com/n3ZZcTS.png

So many times in these ALDS losses over the last several years we've dropped Game 3 after splitting the first two at Publix Park but this time that didn't happen as Andy Ruggles and Jeff Brockman led us to a Game 3 win at Yankee Stadium 5-3. Ruggles came through big in the 4th with a 2-out double to score Mike Willis and give us a 1-0 lead, keeping the inning alive for Jimmy Leonard to belt a 2-run homer. And then Ruggles did likewise to make it 5-0 in the 5th before the Yankees started chipping away against Brockman. But Brockman got New York 1-2-3 on the 7th, lessening the burden on the bullpen, and after Chris Williams got out of an 8th-inning jam with a whiff after putting two on with two out, it was time for Kikuo Kawase. This season we really don't know what to expect from the vet, and when he walked the leadoff man there was an air of "here we go again". But he quickly got a double play and a fly ball to secure his 20th career postseason save. Our hottest starter Jose Mendoza will look to close it out tomorrow.

In the other games, look at those former Rays getting it done for Houston. If we both make it, this will be an epic series:

https://i.imgur.com/mSx6SFu.png

And congrats to Cincinnati, which made San Francisco's first playoff appearance in this 21-season save a short one as they become the first team to advance to the DS, while the Lightning force a Game 5 with former Rays Ben Hill and Will Quintana contributing.

October 8, 2041: ALDS Game 4
 

What a choke...

https://i.imgur.com/N35mNVD.png

The Rays had the series for the taking, getting a first-inning grand slam from Mike McKee on their way to taking another 5-0 lead. They couldn't hold this one, though, thanks to some bad fielding and bad bullpen work, their two glaring weaknesses. Jose Mendoza was rolling and even though he gave up 2 in the 5th he should have been out of the 6th but Jose Mendez's throw with 2 out to 3rd to try and get the runner moving up after a fly ball was wild and allowed him to score. And then lefty Chris Williams gave up a 2-run homer to a lefty to tie the game. In the 10th, Ed Pretty walked the leadoff man then threw the next batter's sac bunt away. Although Kikuo Kawase came in and got a big double play, former Ray Jon Jimenez haunted us with an RBI single to win it (I should have intentionally walked him in retrospect). So here we are going back to Tampa for a Game 5 with Brad Jackson on the mound.

Meanwhile the Astros are on their way to the ALCS:

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

Yet another of their former Rays came through with Jon Soranno going a solid 6 2/3 for the series-clinching win.

October 9, 2041: NLDS Game 5
 

Congratulations to the Mets and condolences to the 107-win Lightning, whom we know how they feel (and might be feeling the same tomorrow):

https://i.imgur.com/D8B5SvS.png

October 10, 2041: ALDS Game 5
 

Whew...

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

It wasn't easy, but thanks to three big hits with two out in the 7th the Rays took a 7-3 win over the Yankees and the decisive Game 5 of the ALDS to advance and face the mighty Houston Astros and all those familiar faces. The Rays built a 3-0 lead and Brad Jackson was in good form, but was over 100 pitches up 3-1 in the 7th with a man on and gave way to Dan Anderson. And just as he did in Game 1, Anderson surrendered a critical homer to the first man he faced and just like that the game was tied (yours truly could be heard to yell "Mother****er" when it happened again). But this time the Rays bounced back, almost immediately. But it wasn't until there were two on and two out the hit parade began with Mike McKee singling in the go-ahead run, Jeff Baez singling in another and then Eric Phillips coming through with a 2-run hit to make it 7-3. Anderson vultured the win and pitched the 8th while Kikuo Kawase had a perfect 9th to close it out. Now the test will be much harder against those Astros, and although over the last 13-14 years or so getting over the ALDS hurdle has meant they'd go all the way, Houston is going to be the ultimate challenge to keep that boom-or-bust playoff outcome going.

October 11, 2041: NLCS Game 1
 

https://i.imgur.com/ioBU9hJ.png

The Mets continue to bring back memories of 1973 to those still alive to remember it as not only did they squeak into the playoffs that year at 82-79 like they did this year at 84-78, they're facing the Reds in the NLCS just like then. And they're 25% of the way to upsetting this year's version of the Big Red Machine after today's Game 1 win.

Interesting development at Durham:

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

Frick didn't put up eye-popping hitting numbers but his real value is with the glove, where's he an elite, Gold Glove-caliber defender at SS. As a result, he was rated at 5.7 WAR in AAA this year. He came over from Oakland where he was their 1st-round pick in 2039 out of UCF in the deal which sent Steve Abeles to the A's, and is penciled in to take over for free agent Jeff Baez next season.

October 12, 2041: ALCS Game 1 & NLCS Game 2
 

Oh Danny boy....

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

All the talk coming into this clash of titans in the AL was about the former Rays on Houston such as Jaiden Hardaway, Danny Ayala and Bo Angeac. But nobody talked about the former Astro on the Rays, Dan Gregory, and he had the game's big hit tonight with a 2-run triple in the 5th off Houston ace Elias Gomez to back the brilliant pitching of Danny Romero in a 3-0 Rays win in Game 1. With the way both of these teams scored at will all season, a pitchers' duel was the last thing expected despite both the starters being among the league's best, but that's what we got. Romero went 7 shutout innings and the Rays bullpen didn't let them down for a change with scoreless innings from Ed Pretty and Kikuo Kawase. The former Rays were a non-factor in the game with Hardaway's first-inning double the sum total of their efforts. Jeff Brockman will try to give the Rays a serious leg up in the series in tomorrow's Game 2.

Over in the NL, the Reds draw even:

https://i.imgur.com/OBOsYa6.png

October 13, 2041: ALCS Game 2
 

Here we go...

https://i.imgur.com/4lrPxj5.png

It's still a long series but the Rays are really on their way now after thrashing the Astros 11-2 at Publix Park in Game 2 behind a monster performance from Andy Ruggles, who's already having quite a postseason having been named MVP of the ALDS. He was 5-5 with a pair of homers including a 3-run shot in the first which got them going for good. Josh Alexander also went yard with a couple of men on to break it open in the 4th and that was more than enough for Jeff Brockman, who turned in another solid outing. Brad Jackson will get the ball in Minute Maid Park in two days' time trying to give the Rays a true stranglehold on the series.

October 14, 2041: NLCS Game 3
 

October 15, 2041: ALCS Game 3 & NLCS Game 4
 

https://i.imgur.com/GmqUlBJ.png
Brad Jackson was handed a 3-0 lead before he took the mound but couldn't hold onto it, and we ended up with a game more like we expected coming into this series, a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair. Unfortunately no Rays pitcher today escaped unscathed, and right after the Rays fought back to tie it a 5 on a 2-run Pat Moyer homer, Vinny Willard gave the lead right back to Houston in the bottom of the 5th and they could never catch up after that. Jose Mendoza will try to keep the Astros from tying the series tomorrow.

Speaking of tying up a series:

https://i.imgur.com/i9BuZUz.png

October 16, 2041: ALCS Game 4 & NLCS Game 5
 

As Coldplay once sung, nobody said it was easy....

https://i.imgur.com/pZVFEW9.png

Jose Mendoza picked a bad time to unleash his 40 control and Ed Pretty picked a bad time to give up a homer as the Rays dropped a tough 4-3 decision to Houston enabling the Astros to tie up the ALCS at 2. Mendoza kept his control through the regular season (3.2 BB/9) and his ALDS start but today walked 7 in 4 1/3 and was fortunate to allow just the 3 runs. Ken Burgess did a great job extricating the Rays from a 5th inning jam and Chris Williams struck out all 4 Astros he faced, but with the righty power-hitting Danny Rivera due, Pretty came in to gain the platoon advantage but sure enough Rivera took Pretty deed to break a 3-3 tie in the 8th and win it for Houston. Andy Ruggles stayed unconscious with another homer and Seth Williams had a 2-run single but the offense couldn't get anything done against the Astro pen. So we're back to our Game 1 starters with Danny Romero looking to replicate his 7 shutout innings and outduel Elias Gomez once again to give the Rays the advantage.

And speaking of advantages, the Reds are now one win away from their first World Series in 10 years:

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

October 17, 2041: ALCS Game 5
 

What a game, what a win...

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

Without a doubt it was both the hardest-fought win and the biggest win of the year for the Rays, as they squeaked by the Astros 5-4 to take a 3-2 ALCS lead. It started off like the last two, with the Rays jumping out to an early lead, today on Jose Mendez's 3-run homer off Elias Gomez in the first inning. Danny Romero pitched well but was forced to throw a lot of pitches and Houston crept back within 3-2. The Rays tacked on a couple runs after a bout of Gomez wildness led to a pair of bases-loaded walks and the lead was back up to 5-2. Romero stayed on despite the high pitch count to face the leadoff lefty in the 7th, but he singled and then Dan Anderson (whom I will not use in a high-leverage situation again in these playoffs unless I have no other choice) allowed 3 straight singles and it was 5-3 with still nobody out. Enter Chris Williams, who got a whiff, had a Josh Alexander error behind him to allow a run to make it 5-4, and then got an out at the plate and a fly ball to escape with the lead intact. Williams then pitched around a Danny Ayala leadoff double in the 8th to retire the Astros and Kikuo Kawase looked in vintage form fanning a pair in perfect 9th to bring the Rays one win away from a return to the World Series after 3 years away.

October 18, 2041: NLCS Game 6
 

Whoa nelly, we have a Game 7:

https://i.imgur.com/PtqO8MR.png

October 19, 2041: ALCS Game 6 & NLCS Game 7
 

Back in the Fall Classic!

https://i.imgur.com/b4nGnxh.png

After two seasons of early playoff exits the Rays are back in the World Series again after taking the ALCS in 6 from Houston with a 7-4 win tonight at Publix Park. It looked like a laugher as the Rays scored all 7 of their runs in the 3rd and 4th innings to go up 7-0, but Houston got to Jeff Brockman in the 5th and he couldn't get out of the inning. Fortunately the up-and-down bullpen was up tonight with Ken Burgess (who got the win), Chris Toombs (doing his best work of the year with Chris Williams tired) and Kikuo Kawase combining to not allow a hit or run over the final 4 1/3 innings to secure the win against a very tough lineup. Josh Alexander was rightly named MVP of the series and tonight he was the big bat with an RBI double in the 3rd and a grand slam in the 4th. So who will the Rays be playing?

https://i.imgur.com/VyAD3Qz.png

So the Reds will visit Publix Park in a few days with Brad Jackson toeing the rubber in Game 1 for Tampa Bay.

October 22, 2041: World Series Game 1
 

https://i.imgur.com/6f1haSv.png

Guess it's never a good thing to go against a Cincinnati Reds team with a "P. Rose" in the lineup, as Pat Rose broke a 5-5 tie in the 8th win a homer and singled in two more runs in the 9th to give the Reds an 8-5 win over the Rays in Game 1 of the World Series at Publix Park. For the first 6 innings it looked like the Rays had this one in hand, up 4-1 behind a big game from Mike Willis who singled, doubled and tripled and was in the middle of the offense while Dan Gregory homered. But Brad Jackson started running out of gas and had two on with two out in the 7th. He was at 98 pitches and Cincinnati's premier slugger Nelson Gamez was up. Being a lefty-lefty matchup and Jackson not actually showing fatigued, I thought I could get out of the inning but Gamez had other ideas and homered to tie it. Then I let Jackson pitch to the next guy and he homered as well. Andy Ruggles (who else?) tied it up with a homer off old friend Ron Adams but Chris Williams, who should have come in to face Gamez the inning before, gave up the game-winning homer to Rose, and Chris Toombs didn't pitch well in the 9th, loading the bases and Ed Pretty gave up a 2-run single to Rose as the neither the manager nor the bullpen covered themselves in glory today. We'll be back at it tomorrow with Danny Romero on the hill.