Game 1: Jon Hayes tried once again for a Rays single-season record 22nd win, and once again he was unable to get it thanks to a key error and some surprising ineffectiveness from Jose Alvarado in a 6-4 loss. Hayes went 7 5 2 2 2 7 and after the Rays rallied for 3 runs in the 7th (with help from Boston's own key error), he had a 4-2 lead and was in line for the win. But after getting the first man out in the 8th Alvarado gave up a single and then Nate Clark dropped Eric Knatz's fly ball putting men on 2nd and 3rd. After a strikeout for out #2, Alvarado then gave up a 2-run double to Gabriel Arias to tie it and a single from Yoan Moncada to put Boston ahead. Tim Siqueiros then gave up a double to one-time Ray Ryan Jeffers to score Moncada and that was that. All the runs against Alvarado were unearned but he still suffered his first loss of the season. The Rays were up against old friend Shane Baz who pitched well, allowing only a Joe Barker RBI single in the 1st until they scored three times in the 7th on a Victor de Jesus RBI triple after a Boston error and RBI singles from Bobby Witt Jr and Luis Corpus.
Durham Playoff Update: Durham are champions for the first time in four years! After winning the IL four times in six seasons from 2022-27, the Bulls have had a bit of a title drought but that was ended tonight. Here's the commemorative box score:
Jaiden Hardaway had one of the more ridiculous playoffs I've seen, going 16-25 (.640) with 7 doubles, an homer and 9 RBI in 7 games. He's not the #1 prospect in baseball for nothing.
Game 2: Christian Little had a shot at giving the Rays 3 20-game winners if he won tonight's start and the two he has remaining, but that pipe dream is over as Little was rocked for 6 runs in a 9-5 loss to Boston, the team's second straight. Things looked good for a brief instant after the Rays scored 3 times in the 3rd on a Nate Clark sac fly and RBI singles from Jasson Dominguez and Rodolfo Rivas, but the Sox struck for 6 in the bottom of the inning off Little, as a Bob Kelly 2-run double, a Ryan Mountcastle 2-run single and Pierson Gibis's 2-run homer turned out to be all Boston would need tonight. Little pitched the 4th and left 4 8 6 6 2 4. You know you've had a rough pitching night when Brad Ballmann is your best hurler and after he threw a pair of perfect innings, Nate Thompson (1) and Mike Mooney (2) gave up runs in their innings of work. Bobby Witt Jr hit HR #16 and Clark had an RBI single to get the Rays as close as 6-5 in the 7th before the pen let the Sox expand the lead.
Notable retirements: Alec Bohm, the Rays' 1B during the first run of titles in the mid-2020s, and who was a big-time postseason performer for us including a walk-off HR to win the ALCS in 2023 on the way to our first World Series, and then a monster postseason in 2025 which saw him drive in 26 runs in 16 games and hit .393, retired today from the Yankees' AAA team. Other Rays-related retirements: Carlos Correa, who played in a bench role for Durham late in the season, hung up the cleats, former mid-2010s Ray Jake Bauers retired, as did Diego Castillo, a reliable reliever for the first couple years of this save, and Randy Arozarena (a real-life Rays postseason hero but a dud in this save). Former All-Star catcher JT Realmuto retired as well.
Game 3: The Rays made sure their losing streak wouldn't reach 3 as they downed the Red Sox 8-3. It was a close 3-2 game through 6 before the Rays broke it open with 5 runs in the 7th, capped by a 3-run Jasson Dominguez HR (#29). Bobby Witt Jr was 2-4 with a couple of RBI and Nate Clark was 3-5 with a ribbie. Jon Soranno started and picked up his 5th win in 7 starts since his recall, going 5 5 2 2 3 5. He walked the leadoff man in the 6th and Evan Godwin took over, walking a man himself but pitching out of that jam. Once the Rays made it a 6-run game, Danny Ceja came in and he picked up save #2 by going the final 3 innings, allowing a run on 4 hits.
Game 4: Once again it was the Andy Aparicio show as the Rays righty owned the opposition again, this time going 8 5 1 1 2 10 against Boston in a 7-1 thumping of the Sox. It's getting almost boring repeating the superlatives about him, but he's now 21-2, 1.64 and far and away the MLB WAR leader at 9.1. I've never had a pitcher so dominant in that category in this save, so it will be interesting to see how he does in the MVP voting. He's got my vote. They jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first on back-to-back homers from Nate Clark (#36) and Joe Barker (#28). Clark had a big day, also doubling twice, and speaking of WAR he's moved into 3rd among AL hitters with 6.5, trailing only the Yankee duo of Ivan Vega and Vlad Guerrero Jr. Jasson Dominguez is right behind him at 6.4 and was 2-4 with an RBI today and Dane Ayers had a 2-RBI double. Mike Mooney pitched the 9th and struck out the side.
Team record: 119-34, meaning they only need to go 4-5 the rest of the way to break their own MLB wins record of 122 set in 2028. Next up: a weekend in Toronto.