[Art Deco]

Game 1: I'll start with the good news. After a "here we go again" first inning that saw the Yankees score 4 times off Joe Ryan thanks to Austin Meadows' dropped fly ball and a 2-run HR from Aaron Judge, the Rays fought their way back to take a 9-4 win which was much closer than that score would indicate as they tacked on 4 runs in the top of the 9th. Down 4-2 in the 6th, Max Kepler hit a two-out, 3-run HR off Jose Urena to give the Rays the lead to stay. Now the bad news: While Ryan settled down after that first inning to pitch well, with one out in the 6th he had to come out with what appeared to be an elbow injury and it turns out he has a partially torn UCL and is headed for Tommy John surgery. All kinds of options here from making McClanahan a starter to promoting Clarke Schmidt or Shane Baz or going out and finding someone in trade. Ryan was the 5th starter, so he'd be skipped come playoff time so the question for now is how much it will impact winning the division. It likely hurts more for 2024 as now 2 starters have to be replaced with Syndergaard going to free agency. Anyway, there will be more time to discuss this. Back to the game, they got back in it in the 3rd when Brujan and Wander doubled and Devers singled home Wander, then came the Kepler HR. After Ryan came out, Aaron Ashby finished with a couple of strikeouts but then gave up a leadoff single to lefty Kolten Wong in the 7th. Enter Nick Anderson, who got 3 quick outs and they were so quick he pitched the 8th as well, striking out 4 and only throwing 20 pitches over those 2 innings. Will Smith had another save opportunity snatched from him when they got 4 in the 9th, so Jose Alvarado, who had been struggling big-time lately, got a lower-leverage opportunity and struck out the three batters he faced to end the game. After all that Ryan at least got the win, ending his season 6-2 with a 4.50 ERA. Elsewhere Baltimore got a run in the 9th to tie Cleveland, then beat them in extras. That was after they lost last night so the lead stands at 7.

May 20: Placed P Joe Ryan on the 60-day IL with a partially torn UCL, recalled P Drew Strotman from AAA Durham.

Strotman is the easy choice for now as a fifth starter won't be needed for 8 days with an off day coming up on Monday. Clarke Schmidt or Shane Baz will likely be the internal option. While I view McClanahan as a starter for next season, right now I want to keep him as the multi-inning lefty.

Game 2: It's officially time to worry about Noah Syndergaard. He's been mediocre to bad the last 3 starts and today he was even worse, getting bombed for 7 runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings in a 7-1 loss to the Yankees as he his ERA ballooned to 4.68. After the Rays took a brief 1-0 lead on a Devers RBI single, Thor gave up a 2-run HR to Aaron Hicks and a solo shot to Gio Urshela in the 2nd, and then a grand slam to Miguel Andujar in the 6th. And it might have been worse had he not been bailed out with 3 double plays. Meanwhile the offense had no answers for Shawn Semple once again, after going 8 6 2 1 2 2 against them six days ago, today he went all the way with a 9 5 1 1 0 6 as batter after batter hit pop ups or ground balls. Just an ugly day all around, but this team could be in trouble if Syndergaard doesn't turn it around. Fortunately Baltimore lost and didn't gain any ground but the malaise continues as the team is now in a 6-10 slump.

Game 3: It was a matchup of two of the hardest throwing starters in the AL, and it did not disappoint. Tyler Glasnow and Gerrit Cole went head-to-head and fought to a draw through 8 innings, both leaving as the game went 2-2 into the 9th. Glasnow 8 7 2 2 3 7 on 108 pitches and Cole was 8 8 2 2 2 8 on 124. The Rays had to deal with some early frustration as on two different occasions they had runners thrown out at the plate trailing 2-0, but there was no throwing out Austin Meadows' 11th HR of the year, a 2-run in the 6th. Yankee closer David Bednar came on in the 9th and the Rays loaded the bases with 1 out, but Max Kepler struck out and Brandon Marsh grounded out to end the threat. Nick Anderson came on in the bottom of the 9th and did his job with a perfect inning, and then in the top of the 10th the Rays put two more on with two out but this time Keibert Ruiz came through with a double to score Vidal Brujan (who had singled and stolen 2nd) with the go-ahead run, and although Alec Bohm struck out for the 4th time in 5 hitless ABs to keep them from getting any more, Will Smith finally got his save situation. And although he had to face 3 tough righties in Voit, Torres and Stanton, he got them all including Voit and Stanton on strikes, and the Rays go to 2-0 in extra inning games this year with the 3-2 win. Anderson gets his first win and Smith nabs save #8. With the Rays record now 32-14 it's kind of odd that a team's closer has only saved 1/4 of its wins but there have been a lot of blowouts. Baltimore lost, so the lead grows back to 8.

Team record: 32-14.