[Art Deco]

Game 1: Well I think it's finally time to call the Zack Greinke signing a huge mistake. After loading the bases in the first and getting out of it and getting a 1-2-3 second, I thought momentarily that he might settle down. Nope, a 2-run HR to Tommy Pham was followed shortly by a 3-run HR from Evan White and that was it, a 2.1 6 5 5 2 0 line. He's out of the rotation now, and it's a question of whether he even stays on the roster. The $15 million is a sunk cost. Things weren't better on the other side of things either with the hitters unable to touch Nick Margeivicius through his 5.1 innings, as the final was 9-2 Mariners. Former Ray Mike Brosseau, having a nice year as the Mariners' 2B, had a bases-clearing double off Yonny to add insult to injury. The ice-cold Wander Franco had to sit due to fatigue. The Tigers did us a favor though by beating Toronto.

Game 2: There are all kinds of ways to win games, and then there's a game that's literally given to you, gift-wrapped. And that's what the Mariners did for the Rays today. Joe Ryan and Justus Sheffield were both great and the game went 1-1 to the 8th. Enter Nick Anderson, who served up a HR to Jared Kelenic on a 3-0 pitch and Seattle went into the 9th up 2-1 and brought on closer Wyatt Mills. Mills struck out Alec Bohm to open the inning, then walked Toro. Ronaldo Hernandez hit a ground ball to the SS which should have been a game-ending double play, but JP Crawford booted it, putting runners on first and second. Mills then walked Brandon Marsh to load the bases, but Vidal Brujan popped out to Crawford. But Wander Franco, 0-4 today and down to .244, drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game and then Mills walked Yusniel Diaz to give the Rays the 3-2 lead. Jose Alvarado came in to close with Brad Hand still recovering from his 2-inning outing the other day, and he worked around a leadoff single to close out the game and give the Rays a most improbable win in which they came from behind without getting a single hit in doing so. They had to go with a makeshift lineup tonight as Merrifield, Kepler, and Keibert Ruiz were all showing as fatigued, so Nelson Cruz played LF tonight and fortunately did so without incident. The Jays snapped their 3-game losing streak so the lead stays at 5 1/2.

June 5: Traded 38-year-old starting pitcher Zack Greinke, retaining 15% to the Washington Nationals, getting 37-year-old reliever Will Harris in return.

Greinke had to go with everyone healthy, there was no justifying his spot to stay with a 6-man rotation. And we turned lemons into lemonade by getting Will Harris in return to further bolster a deep bullpen. Harris had fallen out of favor in Washington as their closer although I'm not sure why since his numbers are still pretty good. He's a FA at year's end as well and even with the 15% retention we still come out about $3M ahead in salary. Ironically Harris will join the team in DC for a 2-game set with the Nats; theoretically, Greinke could pitch Wednesday's game. Also expect a move dropping Stanek and bringing up a hitter as we've been going with 14 pitchers.

Game 3: Yesterday the Mariners gifted the Rays a game, today the Rays returned the favor but in much more excruciating fashion. With a 9-3 lead going into the bottom of the 8th and one of the best bullpens in the game, somehow the Rays conspired to throw it all away. With the 6-run lead Stanek came in, figuring I'd get a chance to rest Alvarado and/or Anderson. After getting the first out, Stanek loaded the bases, then walked in a run and that was it for him. Nick Anderson then came in and proceeded to give up a grand slam to Eugenio Suarez to make it 9-8. Then came the bottom of the 9th, Anderson walked the leadoff man and Alvarado came on, gave up a double and a walk to load the bases, and then wild-pitched a run home after getting a force out at the plate. He struck out Kelenic with the game tied for the second out, but then gave up an infield single to Suarez to score the winner for Seattle. The sad part of it is that it wasted a great performance by the offense, getting 16 hits to go with its 9 runs including the welcome sight of Wander Franco breaking out of his slump, going 4-6 with a HR and 4 RBI. Blake Snell snapped his 3-game quality start streak with a not-so-great 4.1 8 3 3 3 4 line but Dany Jimenez and Austin Adams got the team through the 7th, but be assured the next three letters in Stanek's future will be "DFA". Toronto won, so for the first time in quite a while the Jays cut into the lead which is now 4 1/2.

Team record: 42-16.