[Art Deco]

June 9: Optioned OF Josh Lowe to AAA Durham, purchased the contract of OF Khris Davis from AAA Durham.

Khrush is up to hit .247 and to hit some homers with Seattle throwing 4 lefties at us in this 4-game set.

Game 1: It happened again. After getting the first out of the game, Tyler Glasnow puts the next two on and gives up a 3-run HR. Then he gives up 2 more in the 2nd. And 3 more in the 5th. And for good measure, another run in the 6th when I finally had to pull him because his pitch count was up to 112. With only Alvarado, Anderson and Hand not tired I didn't want to burn these guys in a blowout. But the offense kept doing its thing. Abraham Toro hit a 3-run shot in the 2nd to get it back within 5-3, they got two more on a Vidal Brujan double in the 5th to get within 8-5, and in the bottom of the 7th, Nelson Cruz hit a grand slam off Colin Poche to tie the game at 9. By this point I had to bring in Anderson to get out of the top of the 7th in relief of a tired Zack Britton, so 9-9 with my best relievers available, what could go wrong? Well, Anderson put the first two on and with lefty Kelenic due I brought in Alvarado. He promptly walked Kelenic to load the bases with nobody out, but he got a popup and a strikeout. But he couldn't get the third out, giving up a 2-run single to Kyle Lewis, and then I had to use Hand in the 9th which he got through unscathed but the Rays couldn't score again and they fell 11-9 for their fourth straight loss. I'm at a loss as to why the top starting rotation in the league last year can't get anybody out currently. Tonight Glasnow had 7 Ks (in a 5.2 9 9 9 2 7 line), but I swear the team BABIP against lately is about .750. The team has now given up 7, 10, 8, 9, 2, 10, 14, 7 and 11 runs in its last 9 games. The bullpen is burned out right now so I don't know what will happen tomorrow if Joe Ryan can't go 6-7. Luckily, Baltimore beat Toronto so the lead isn't shaved but the past couple of weeks is not a sustainable model for winning the division.

June 10: Optioned P Dany Jimenez and OF Brandon Marsh to AAA Durham, recalled P Shane McClanahan and P Josiah Gray from AAA Durham.

Chirinos and Hand are the only non-tired pitchers in the bullpen so here come a couple of fresh arms from Durham. McClanahan needs no introduction, but Gray, who came over in the deal with LA that brought Keibert Ruiz, has had an outstanding year at Durham (19 BBs, 71 Ks in 71 IP, 2.66 ERA). The idea is for Gray to pitch long relief if needed and McClanahan to go in the late innings. Jimenez and/or Marsh (who wasn't going to play much this weekend with all the lefties) will be back in the next day or two.

Game 2: What a strange game. Strange in that the Rays starter wasn't bombed early, and strange in how it played out. Joe Ryan was pretty good today, only yielding a 2-run HR to Kyle Lewis in the 4th and finishing with a 7 6 2 2 2 5 line. But the offense couldn't get much going, only managing 2 hits off Justus Sheffield through 8 innings. Sheffield walked 6, and one of them was ahead of one of the two hits, an Alec Bohm 2-run HR. So 2-2 we went into the 8th, and Shane McClanahan had a shutout inning in relief of Ryan and he came out to pitch the 9th, and proceeded to walk the bases loaded, and in a bit of managerial malpractice, I left him still and he walked Tommy Pham to force in the go-ahead run. I then brought Yonny Chirinos in, and he got Mike Brosseau to fly out to end the inning but the damage was done. Taylor Guilbeau came on to close for Seattle and after getting the first out, walked Nelson Cruz. Khris Davis then doubled to put runners at 2nd and 3rd and Alec Bohm then singled through the drawn-in infield to score both of them and the Rays had an improbable 4-3 walk-off win to snap the 4-game losing streak. Yonny gets his fifth win after throwing two pitches and the usual bullpen pieces got a night off. The Jays won so the lead is still 4 1/2.

Game 3: Well the good starts seem to be exclusive to Joe Ryan these days as Snell struggled out of the gate again, giving up 3 runs in the 2nd and a 4th in the 3rd. But as so often the early hole doesn't deter the offense and in the bottom of the 4th last night's hero Alec Bohm hit a bases-clearing double to pull the Rays within one. And after Wander Franco tripled in the 6th, Nelson Cruz singled him home to tie the game. Snell settled down after his early struggles and made it to 2 outs in the 6th, going 5.2 6 4 4 5 6 as his ERA rises to 6.26. Josiah Gray made his Rays debut and got the final out in the top of the 6th, and then with the game tied, the Alvarado-Anderson-Hand trio returned to form and shut the Mariners out. Unfortunately the Rays couldn't get another across in regulation and we went to the 10th. After Hand whiffed the leadoff lefty Sam Hilliard, Yonny came in for the long haul if needed, and he had to do some hauling through the 12th but kept the game at 4-4. And in the bottom of the frame Yusniel Diaz took Taylor Guilbeau deep leading off the inning to give the Rays their second straight walk-off win. Vidal Brujan was 3-3 but strained his quadriceps legging out his second infield hit of the game and is DTD for 5 days. Might be wise to put him on the 10-day DL but we'll see. Toronto lost, so despite going through by far their roughest patch of the season the Rays extend their division lead to 5 1/2.

June 12: Optioned Ps Shane McClanahan and Josiah Gray to AAA Durham, recalled P Dany Jimenez and OF Brandon Marsh.

Game 4: Not sure why the AI just doesn't start the game at 3-0 Seattle, because the first inning woes continued as Brendan McKay served up a 3-run shot to Eugenio Suarez before most were in their seats. He settled down pretty good after that and I shouldn't have brought him out for the 7th as he gave up HRs to Sam Hilliard and Wilmer Difo of all people to make it 5-2 at that point. Dany Jimenez and Austin Adams each gave up 2 more runs in relief, sandwiched around a pretty good Will Harris outing where he got all 4 outs on strikeouts and didn't allow a run. Meanwhile the offense couldn't do much against Nestor Cortes and the final was 9-3 Seattle. Fortunately the Jays lost again (and the Yankees were swept by the Mets this weekend) so the lead remains 5 1/2 ahead of the 3-game series with Toronto starting tomorrow.

Team record: 44-19.