Game 1: Three Rays' homers and some solid pitching added up to a 5-1 win over Baltimore which makes the Orioles' faint playoff hopes even fainter. Nate Clark is on a tear, and he continued tonight with a pair of homers, a 2-run shot in the 1st and a solo blast in the 6th (#37) which gave the Rays a 3-0 lead. Spencer Torkelson, back in the lineup, hit #11, a 2-run job in the 7th and somehow managed not to strain his hip jogging around the bases. Those 3 homers accounted for 100% of their runs tonight and 50% of their hits in a mostly quiet night. Speaking of being on a tear, Jack Leiter started and went 5.1 6 0 0 1 8 and is now 12-3, 3.54. At 132 innings he won't qualify for the ERA title but if he did he'd be 3rd in the AL. Jordan Diaz went 2 innings and allowed a run while Mike Mooney pitched the final 1 2/3 scoreless.
Game 2: Mack Anglin won't have to worry about being a rare (the first?) 20-game winner dropped from a playoff rotation as he and the Rays were pounded 7-0 by Baltimore. On 18 wins and now with only one start left in the season, Anglin went 5.1 9 6 5 1 6 and dropped to 18-5, 4.86. Despite leading the rotation in WAR this outing was Anglin's season in a microcosm without the run support. Plenty of strikeouts but way too many hits and runs allowed. By contrast, Alec Sachais has maintained an ERA about 1.5 runs lower but WAR doesn't like him because he gives up a few too many homers, even though they're mostly of the solo variety since he doesn't allow that many baserunners. As mentioned, he didn't get his customary run support although it wasn't like they were totally shut down, managing 9 hits and 2 walks but not getting a key hit at any time during the game. Ricky Widmar had a particularly brutal game, going 0-5 with yet another error (he makes quite a few for a 65 defender). His .370-something BA was going to be unsustainable and he's now in a 3-29 slump.
Game 3: After being shut out yesterday the Rays belted 7 homers in a 17-2 annihilation of the Orioles, but the big story was that Christian Little had to leave the game early due to injury yet again. Little left with a herniated disc and will be out two weeks. It's not quite the disaster we feared, as that would put him in line to start Game 3 or Game 4 of the ALDS depending on the schedule, rather than Game 1 as originally anticipated. As a result he won't go on the IL. He made it 2 1/3 innings before having to come out which means he ends his abbreviated season 8-1, 1.33 with a 20/138 BB/K ratio in 88 innings. Andy Aparicio came in for him and went 4.2 4 2 2 0 7 to get his 5th win and Mike Mooney pitched the final two innings scoreless. Meanwhile the offense was in high gear with Jasson Dominguez hitting #s 42 and 43 and driving in 4, Connor Kirkley blasting a pair to give him 20, along with Spencer Torkelson (#12), Jhon Diaz (#18, with 3 RBI) and Carlos Perez (#5) going deep. Joe Barker stole his 39th base to go with 36 homers so he has an outside chance at a 40/40 season.
So with a week left in the season remember that crazy, wacky wild card race in the AL? Yeah, not so much anymore:
Props to the Blue Jays for making a nice run and separating themselves from the pack as the only thing really resembling a race now is the AL West.
Over in the NL, the Columbus Lightning have long since clinched the east, sitting on 104 wins right now. But the races are tight in the central and west, and with the Cubs lurking there's no guarantee those division losers make it as a wild card.
Also considering how hot he was, this isn't much of a surprise:
Game 4: It's feast or famine these days for the Rays offense as they were shut out for the second time in three days 3-0 after scoring 17 runs in the middle game. Shane McClanahan pitched quite well (6 4 2 2 2 9) but go no help from his teammates. While Jordan Diaz and Evan Godwin had scoreless innings, Daniel Espino gave up a run in his fourth straight outing. The bats managed 7 hits so they weren't completely dominated but they were spread out about one an inning. The only thing of note was that Nate Clark stole base #28 meaning he's two steals from joining Joe Barker in the 30/30 club.
Team record: 109-47. Next up: We close out the season on the road, starting with 3 games in New York against the Yankees who are about to clinch the first wild card.