[Art Deco]

Game 1: It was reunion night with the Tigers in town, as Alex Kirilloff and Shane Baz returned to the Trop in enemy colors and Austin Meadows' brother Parker is now in the Tigers lineup as well. And the Rays were gracious hosts for this reunion as Detroit got 2 runs in the 7th off Jose Alvarado to grab a 3-1 victory. Young phenom Kumar Rocker was brilliant for Detroit, going 8 7 1 1 1 3 with the Rays' only run coming when Rafael Devers singled home Vidal Brujan in the 1st. Dustin May was just as good for the Rays, going 6 4 1 1 0 8 and only allowing a Yasmani Grandal homer. But after putting 2 on and getting two out, Alvarado gave up a 2-run double to Victor Reyes and that was the ballgame. Baz, now Detroit's closer, got the save after he induced a DP grounder from Alec Bohm after Keibert Ruiz had singled with one out. Aaron Ashby continued his effective pitching with 2 scoreless innings in relief of Alvarado in the silver linings department, but the Rays have now dropped 3 straight after an 11-1 start.

Game 2: The Rays ended their 3-game losing streak by turning the tables on the Tigers with a 3-1 win of their own. Their pitching was dominant tonight, led by Tyler Glasnow who fanned 13 Tigers in 6 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits and walking a pair. He goes to 4-0, 2.92 and a short-handed bullpen struck out 5 more Detroit hitters to give them 18 for the night. Asa Lacy started the 7th and struggled, walking a pair and allowing the lone Tiger run, but Jasseel De La Cruz bailed him out of that inning and shut Detroit down in the 8th nabbing 3 Ks of his own in the process. With Will Smith still tired, Nick Anderson pitched a perfect ninth, whiffing a pair and picking up save #1 this season. The offense was quiet again, but twice they were very loud. Hunter Bishop stayed scorching hot with his 3rd HR in 5 games since his call-up, a 2-run oppo shot just inside the LF foul pole to break a scoreless tie in the 5th, and the guy who had singled ahead of Bishop and scored, Nick Schnell, hit his first of the year to deep LCF in the 7th to restore the 2-run lead after Detroit scored off Lacy.

Game 3: Another shaky start from the rotation which pitched well the first couple times through this season doomed the Rays to a 6-4 loss, their 4th in 5 games. Daniel Lynch cruised through the first 3 innings but lost his control in the 4th, walking the bases loaded to start the inning and 5 batters in all in the 4th, resulting in a 4-run Tigers outburst that wiped out an early 3-0 Rays lead. Lynch settled down in the 5th and started the 6th well, but gave up another run after the Rays had tied it at 4, and that was the game. They got off to the fastest of starts in the first when Vidal Brujan singled and Wander drilled HR #4 into the LF stands off Detroit's Sean Newcomb, and a couple of outs later Alec Bohm singled in Rafael Devers. Hunter Bishop continued unconscious, going 3 for 3 and drilling a moonshot to deep CF off Newcomb in the 5th to tie the game. But Asa Lacy, slumping since his first few excellent appearances, allowed a run in the 7th, and although Mitch Keller and Dany Jimenez shut the Tigers down over the last 2 2/3, the offense couldn't get anything else going the rest of the way and former Ray Shane Baz once again grabbed the save, striking out Spencer Torkelson (0-3 on the day with 3 whiffs and a walk) to end the game.

Team record: 12-5.