[Art Deco]

Game 1: 4 was the number of the night as the Rays rode a 4-4 performance from Vidal Brujan, 4 solo HRs and 4 shutout innings from the bullpen to a 6-4 win over Seattle. Naturally the score was 4-4 in the 6th inning when Triston Casas greeted Addison Reed with a solo HR into the RF stands, his 8th of the season, to break the tie and deliver the winning run. Austin Meadows hit #13 for some insurance in the 7th, Jose Alvarado pitched a filthy 8th whiffing two and Jasseel De La Cruz made us ride the Jasseelacoaster once again by loading the bases in the ninth (including two HBPs) before getting Miguel Andujar to pop to first for his 23rd save. Tyler Glasnow got the start and he was pretty awful, going 5 11 4 4 1 3 and being bailed out by a couple of double plays. The Rays took 2-0 and 4-2 leads which Glasnow gave back and he just hasn't been right the last 6 weeks or so with his nagging injuries and lousy performances. Mitch Keller took over in the 6th and pitched two scoreless innings to pick up win #5. They got 2 in the first when Brujan led off with a single, stole second (steal #40) and scored on a Wander double with Wander scoring on Keston Hiura's sac fly. Brujan (#7) and Keibert (#13) went deep in the 2nd to make it 4-2 after Glasnow gave up 2 in the top of the inning, and Brujan missed the cycle by a triple, walking in his 5th plate appearance. Baltimore won yesterday on our off-day but lost tonight in KC so the lead is now 4 games.

Game 2: They had it won, they blew it, and then they won it again as the Rays came from behind twice to beat Seattle 4-3. Hunter Bishop's 2-run HR (#8) in the bottom of the 8th to greet Seattle reliever Michael Lorenzen was the difference in the game. This came after Miguel Andujar hit a rare HR off Jose Alvarado, a 2-run shot in the top of the inning to put the Mariners up 3-2. For the first half of the game Shane McClanahan and Zach Davies traded zeroes before a bout of wildness for Mac led to a Mariner run in the top of the 5th, culminated by a bases-loaded walk to Jarred Kelenic. But the Rays, who spent most of the game pounding the ball into the ground off Davies with 17 (!) ground outs, finally got to the Seattle righty in the bottom of the inning and loaded the bases for Vidal Brujan who delivered a 2-out, 2-run single. Nick Anderson had a perfect 7th and stayed on to retire former Ray Michael Brousseau to lead off the 8th, only for Alvarado to run into trouble allowing a hit and then Andujar's blast, only the 2nd off him this season. But Keston Hiura singled, stole second and then came home on Bishop's blast in the bottom of the inning. With Jasseel De La Cruz pitched out from his adventurous save last night, Liam Hendriks came on in the 9th and unlike De La Cruz had a stress-free 1-2-3 9th inning to pick up his first Rays save. Alvarado vultured the win, his 3rd. And the news was good from elsewhere as Kansas City topped Baltimore again to boost the Rays' division lead to 5.

Game 3: The Rays dropped a not-as-close-as-the-score-appears 9-6 decision to Seattle today, as they scored three times in the 8th and 9th to make a blowout look respectable. The pitching didn't have it today as Mitchell White was vicitimized for HRs by Jarred Kelenic, Jason Martin and Julio Rodriguez on his way to a 4.2 5 5 5 3 2 outing and dropping to 10-4, 3.33, and then Mitch Keller came in and gave up a big 3-run HR to Michael Brosseau which blew the game open in the 6th after the Rays had battled back to get within 5-3. Only Aaron Ashby (a perfect 1.2 with 2 Ks) and Mitchell Verburg (a 1-2-3 inning) pitched well as Daniel Lynch was not effective being used in relief with the All-Star break coming up as he put the runners on which Keller allowed to score. Keibert Ruiz was 4-5 with an RBI double, Hunter Bishop drove in 3 runs with a fielder's choice and a 2-RBI single and Spencer Torkelson had 3 hits including 2 of the infield variety. Baltimore beat KC to pull back within 4.

Team record: 60-38. Next up: The All-Star break, which comes late this year (the Rays have already played 98 games). We'll have a post up shortly with the All-Star rosters and the results of the game and the HR Derby.