[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays returned from the All-Star break as winners again, even if it took a tortuous route to get there. It ended a 7-6 win in 11 innings after the bullpen blew a 5-1 lead and after they had to come back from being down 6-5 in the 9th. It was a matchup of the 2026 and 2027 Cy Young winners with Tyler Glasnow facing Shane McClanahan, and the Rays chased Glasnow with 5 runs in the 2nd inning aided by a walk, two infield hits and a passed ball allowing a run to score. Jasson Dominguez's infield single scored a run, Gavin Lux doubled in a run, and Nate Clark singled one in. McClanahan fared better although he ran up a pitch count and had to leave in the 6th, going 5.1 5 1 1 3 4. Evan Godwin gave up a 2-run HR to Ryan Mountcastle to get Boston within 5-4 in the 7th, and then Daniel Espino had a nightmarish 8th, giving up 2 runs with the assistance of a Yordan Alvarez error. But Dominguez singled in a run in the 9th to tie it, and then he and Keibert Ruiz hit back-to-back doubles in the 11th to win it. Jack Leiter, who got the last two outs in the top of the inning after Jeremy Bowers had to leave with a wrist issue, picked up win #10.

Game 2: The Rays took down Boston 8-4 in a game that started looking like yesterday's until Jack Leiter came to the rescue again. Once again the Rays raced out to an early big lead, this time by scores of 3-0 and 5-2, only to see Boston come back within 5-4. Jud Fabian's 11th of the year with 2 men on against Chris Paddack in the 1st made it 3-0, and an RBI single from Yordan Alvarez and an RBI double from Bobby Witt Jr made it 5-2 after 4. But Mack Anglin continues to struggle, giving up way too many hits (98 in 78 innings this season and 9 in 5 1/3 tonight) and Boston loaded the bases against him in the 6th. Leiter came on to relieve him, and although he walked Pierson Gibis to force in a run, he got out of it and didn't give Boston anything thereafter, finishing out the game with 3 2/3 innings of 1-hit, 4-strikeout ball to get his first career save. And Alvarez (who was 3-3 with a walk) was in the middle of a 7th inning rally that gave them breathing room with another RBI single followed later by a 2-run knock by Jhon Diaz. Despite the shaky performance, Anglin got the win and is now 5-4 although we are definitely trending toward Leiter back in the rotation with Anglin moving to the bullpen.

Game 3: The Rays made it a sweep of Boston with a 5-2 win behind Christian Little. The probable latest winner in a line of Rays Cy Young winners went 6 3 1 1 2 11 to improve to 10-3, 2.28. Jack Filby and Christian Chamberlain pitched scoreless innings while Daniel Espino allowed a 9th inning run. Ricky Widmar supplied the big hit of the game, a 2-run HR (#11) in the 2nd to put the Rays up to stay, and in the 7th Isaac DeLeon singled in a run and Jhon Diaz had a big, late 2-run single for the second straight day.

Team record: 72-26, which is ridiculous but not as ridiculous as the fact they're 61-13 after that 11-13 start. Right now they're on pace for 119 wins, and that includes the 11-13 start, which would eclipse the Mariners' record of 116 in 2001. Next up: Minnesota comes to town for 3 games.