June 19: Optioned OF Jhon Diaz to AAA Durham, activated Spencer Torkelson from the 15-day IL.
Good to have Tork back, and there's a good chance Diaz is a part of the 2027 squad as Tork is the leading internal candidate to play 1B next season with Lewin Diaz a free agent and Alec Bohm, well, Alec Bohm, opening up a DH/OF role.
Game 1: The Rays rode a 6-run 4th inning and another fine effort from Matt Manning to a 6-2 win over the Giants, extending their winning streak to 6 and improving to 14-3 after the 7-game losing streak in May. Keston Hiura (#11) and Keibert Ruiz (#5, on a power surge) bookended a 6-run 4th with 2-run HRs while Vidal Brujan and Wander Franco drove in the other two on a single and a sac fly. That would be all they needed with Manning at the wheel as he continued his mid-season renaissance going 7 4 0 0 3 9 to improve to 7-4, 3.90. Manning's ERA was in the mid-5s not that long ago but he's allowed only 2 runs in his last 27 2/3 innings since an 8-run shellacking against Miami on May 28. Mitchell White pitched a clean 8th but ran into trouble in the 9th, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits, a walk, and a Hiura error. In fact with 2 out the bases were loaded with the tying run at the plate in the person of Brennan Davis, San Francisco's HR leader with 12, so Jasseel De La Cruz had to come in and strike him out on 3 pitches to end the game and get a quick save #12. Tork was 0-3 with a walk in his return, although he didn't strike out. Baltimore got back in the win column so the lead stays 5 1/2.
June 20: Well, this is a disturbing piece of news:
First off, big deals like this involving the AI are usually rare, especially not long after a team has signed of the prized free agents of the previous winter's class. But yeah, I really don't like Austin Meadows going to the Orioles, even it is at the expense of Kremer, maybe their 2nd best starter. Not looking forward to going against him 18-19 times a season especially with the Orioles our chief competition these days in the AL East.
Game 2: The Rays put 10 runs on the board in the 6th inning to break a 1-1 tie as they routed the Giants 12-1. It was a weird game with Asa Lacy getting the start and allowing all kinds of baserunners but constantly pitching out of it to the tune of 5 7 1 1 1 7 with ironically the only run scored against him (and by the Giants all night, who had 13 hits) a solo HR by Aristides Aquino. And the Rays' bats were pretty quiet too with only Nick Gonzales's triple in the 4th getting them on the board. But that all changed in the 6th, and it started with Judson Fabian flying out. Spencer Torkelson singled, Keston Hiura doubled, Hunter Bishop was intentionally walked to load the bases and then Gonzales drove in 2 with a single. Patrick Bailey walked to re-load the bases, and Brandon Marsh hit a sac fly to make it 4-1. Then Vidal Brujan doubled in a pair to make it 6-1, Wander walked, and then 5 straight hits came with Fabian singling in a run, and then Tork, Hiura, Bishop and Gonzales all had RBI singles. Torkelson added his first HR back from the IL for good measure in the 8th, a solo shot for #16. Ben Bowden ended up getting another win for pitching a scoreless 6th, Liam Hendriks allowed 4 hits in 2 innings but no runs, and Mitchell White mopped up again with a scoreless 9th. Gonzales and Tork each ended up with 3 hits, with Nick driving in 4 and now slashing 328/396/462. With Lewin Diaz continuing to hit below the Mendoza Line as a Ray, we may see Nick (and/or Bramdon Perez) at DH more often with Tork at 1B (where he isn't that great admittedly). Baltimore won again so the lead remains the same.
Game 3: The Rays' apparent inability to hit at the Trop during their 9-game home losing streak is a distant memory now as they banged out 20 hits in a 14-5 thumping of the Giants to extend their winning streak to 8 games. They scored in every inning but the 8th, and scored at least 2 in every inning except the 4th (and the 8th of course). Not going to recap the scoring, just the damage done; Hunter Bishop was big again with HR #6 and double #20 to lead the team with 3 hits & 3 RBI, Spencer Torkelson hit #17 and drove in 2 as part of his 3 hits, Keston Hiura hit #12 as part of a 3-5, 2 RBI day, and Vidal Brujan and Brandon Marsh each had 3 hits and an RBI. Even Lewin Diaz was 2-4 with an RBI with Judson Fabian the only hitless Ray (he did have a sac fly though). Shane McClanahan started and wasn't his best, allowing 3 HR including a pair to Ray-for-a-couple-of-months-in-2021 Javy Baez and went 6 7 4 4 1 9 and is now 8-2, 3.78. Aaron Ashby, Nick Anderson and Evan Godwin each pitched an inning with Nick allowing a solo HR as the Giants hit 4 on the day yet still lost by 9. Baltimore keeps winning, too, as Austin Meadows was 1-2 with 3 walks in his Orioles debut as they won 8-2.
Team record: 49-19. Next up: 3 games in Cleveland.