Game 1: A dull game tonight at the Trop that the Rays lost to Boston 3-2. Asa Lacy wasn't particularly effective, going 5.1 9 3 3 1 6 and allowing all 3 runs in the first 3 innings. The bullpen (Aaron Ashby, Jose Alvarado and Steven Casey) 1-hit the Sox over the final 3 2/3, keeping them in the game, but the offense could only muster a 2-run HR from Spencer Torkelson (#46) in the 6th off Justin Dunn and Boston's pen. At least we're one day closer to the end of the season.
Some retirement news: Nick Anderson announced his retirement. It was a great 8-season run with Nick as one of the premier setup men in the league and he'll retire with a couple of rings. Another Durham Bull announcing his retirement was the great Madison Bumgarner, who spent the last year and a half with the Bulls and was a great mentor to the younger pitchers on the staff, including Mack Anglin. I'd like to think the Giants will retire his number considering his huge role in 3 World Series wins. More notable retirements around baseball: Jacob deGrom (#48 retired by the Mets), Aroldis Chapman, Sonny Gray, Oscar Mercado (still with the longest hitting streak in this save, 38 games), Patrick Corbin, and some former Rays: Avisail Garcia, Matt Duffy, Jalen Beeks, and Andrew Kittredge.
Also David Dahl signed a 5-year extension with Boston so he'll be continuing to kill us 18-19 times a year (he had an RBI single last night).
Game 2: The Rays rode the longball to an 8-3 win over Boston tonight. Triston Casas's mammoth shot to center field (#16) off former Ray and lefty Anthony Banda broke a 3-3 tie in the 7th and Keibert Ruiz hit a 3-run shot (#21) later in the inning to propel them to victory. Matt Manning got the start and pitched great through 6 innings, only allowing 1 run and 3 hits, but ran into some trouble in the 7th with two Boston hits, and Evan Godwin came on. Godwin did not get the job done, giving up a pinch-hit RBI double to another former Ray, Abraham Toro, and then allowing a sac fly to enable the Red Sox to tie. But Casas's heroics meant Godwin vultured win #3. Godwin stayed on through the 8th and Hayden Johns had a 1-2-3 9th to finish it off. Earlier the Rays had scored on a 2-run single from Brandon Marsh in the 2nd and a Keston Hiura solo homer (#26) in the 4th. Wander Franco picked up his 200th hit of the season in the 1st.
September 27: Optioned P Austin Vernon to Durham, recalled OF Jhon Diaz from AAA Durham.
Wanted to get an extra bat up to give some of the OFs rest during the final week of the season, so Diaz is back after a brief stint earlier this season. He was Durham's best player, going 306/388/550 with 25 HR, 90 RBI and 18 SB, 4.9 WAR for what WAR is worth at the AAA level.
Game 3: Shane McClanahan put the Rays in an 8-0 hole from which they nearly climbed out only to lose 9-8. Mac had a nightmare first inning, allowing 5 runs (3 earned) as he couldn't get the first 6 batters of the game out. He settled down from there until the 5th, when he gave up 3 more runs and ended 4 6 8 6 3 6, perhaps not as into it today as 20 wins is out of reach. Meanwhile the bats couldn't get anything done against Cionel Perez until the 6th when they scored 6 times including a 2-run single from Patrick Bailey and a 2-run double from Vidal Brujan. Mitchell White, who took over for Mac, gave up a HR in the top of the 8th to make it 9-6 and it proved to be the decisive run as in the bottom of the 8th Bailey went deep with a man on for his 10th of the year to make it 9-8. Bailey became the 12th Ray to hit double-digit homers, with Brujan sitting on 9. Jhon Diaz got a start and looked good, going 2-4 with a double.
Team record: 106-49. Next up: 4 games in the Windy City against the White Sox, which are huge games for Chicago who are currently sitting in the second wild card spot but only 1/2 game up on Texas and Kansas City and 1 up on Cleveland.