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Art Deco · 04-12-2021, 05:37 PM

To nobody's surprise:

Game 1: What an extraordinary game. The Rays were up against a tough customer in Max Scherzer and he was everything as billed, shutting down the Rays to the tune of 8 2 0 0 2 11. But Michael Wacha matched him pitch-for-pitch and had a perfect game until Starlin Castro led off the 6th inning with a single. But that didn't faze Wacha as he went 8 2 0 0 1 10 in by far his best outing as a Ray and lowered his ERA to 3.48. Diego Castillo pitched the 9th and the Rays had a great chance to win in the bottom of the inning when Brandon Lowe doubled and Randy Arozarena walked with 2 out, but Ji-Man Choi struck out. Peter Fairbanks took over in the 10th and it did not go well at all for him as he put the first two men and Josh Reddick doubled in a run, and Victor Robles added a sac fly to make it 2-0 Nats. In the bottom of the inning, Wander Franco got his first hit at the Trop in his first appearance before the home fans, and Willy Adames singled to left with Juan Soto overrunning the ball and putting men on 2nd and 3rd. Kevin Kiermaier popped to short and pinch-hitter Joey Wendle walked to load the bases for reigning AL Player of the Week Austin Meadows, and he delivered a 2-run single to tie the game. Yandy Diaz then singled but Wendle had to hold up, and then Lowe grounded into a 6-2-3 double play to end the threat. Nick Anderson pitched a clean 11th. The Rays had another golden chance to win in the 11th when Randy Arozarena singled, stole second and after a walk went to third with one out on a Franco fielder's choice. But Adames and Kiermaier struck out to strand him. Anderson had a 1-2-3 12th, and then the Rays threatened again as Meadows singled with one out, went to 2nd when Diaz walked, Lowe had an infield single to load the bases, and Arozarena lined a single to right to score Meadows as the Trop went into a walk-off frenzy and the Rays won what might have been the game of the year 3-2. Anderson got his 2nd win and elsewhere the Yankees won to stay 4 1/2 back.

Game 2: Once again we had an epic pitchers' duel and once again the Rays took over the game late as they won their 5th straight game with a 5-1 win over the Nationals. And when I say late, I mean the bottom of the 8th inning as Kyle McGowin had outdueled Ryan Yarbrough and left with a 1-0 lead. McGowin held the Rays to 7 2 0 0 1 6 and is now sporting a 1.35 ERA in 40 innings, but he got a tough-luck no-decision as Luis Avilan blew it for Washington in the 8th. Manuel Margot pinch-hit for Kevin Kiermaier and led off with a double, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Mike Zunino's single to tie it. After Avilan struck out Austin Meadows and got Yandy Diaz on a fly ball, Brandon Lowe came through with a triple to score pinch-runner Joey Wendle and give the Rays the lead. Avilan walked Randy Arozarena and then Jhonatan German came on and promptly gave up a 3-run homer to Ji-Man Choi (#6) to make it a very comfortable lead. Meanwhile Yarbrough didn't get the win but he pitched more than well enough to earn one, going 7 3 1 1 2 7 on 109 pitches to lower his ERA to 3.95. Andrew Kittredge got win #3 with a scoreless 8th, and then things got a little interesting in the 9th when Cody Reed got two outs but put two men on, so with the big 3 of the pen tired from last night Chaz Roe came on, and he too walked a man to load the bases to bring the tying run to the plate in the person of Victor Robles. But Roe got him on a ground ball to end the game and secure his 1st save of the season. And the Yankees lost so the lead has now grown to a healthy 5 1/2 games.

Team record: 39-24. Next up: An off-day before Baltimore comes to town for the weekend.

04-12-2021, 05:37 PM	#24
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,596	June 8-9: vs Washington (2) To nobody's surprise: Game 1: What an extraordinary game. The Rays were up against a tough customer in Max Scherzer and he was everything as billed, shutting down the Rays to the tune of 8 2 0 0 2 11. But Michael Wacha matched him pitch-for-pitch and had a perfect game until Starlin Castro led off the 6th inning with a single. But that didn't faze Wacha as he went 8 2 0 0 1 10 in by far his best outing as a Ray and lowered his ERA to 3.48. Diego Castillo pitched the 9th and the Rays had a great chance to win in the bottom of the inning when Brandon Lowe doubled and Randy Arozarena walked with 2 out, but Ji-Man Choi struck out. Peter Fairbanks took over in the 10th and it did not go well at all for him as he put the first two men and Josh Reddick doubled in a run, and Victor Robles added a sac fly to make it 2-0 Nats. In the bottom of the inning, Wander Franco got his first hit at the Trop in his first appearance before the home fans, and Willy Adames singled to left with Juan Soto overrunning the ball and putting men on 2nd and 3rd. Kevin Kiermaier popped to short and pinch-hitter Joey Wendle walked to load the bases for reigning AL Player of the Week Austin Meadows, and he delivered a 2-run single to tie the game. Yandy Diaz then singled but Wendle had to hold up, and then Lowe grounded into a 6-2-3 double play to end the threat. Nick Anderson pitched a clean 11th. The Rays had another golden chance to win in the 11th when Randy Arozarena singled, stole second and after a walk went to third with one out on a Franco fielder's choice. But Adames and Kiermaier struck out to strand him. Anderson had a 1-2-3 12th, and then the Rays threatened again as Meadows singled with one out, went to 2nd when Diaz walked, Lowe had an infield single to load the bases, and Arozarena lined a single to right to score Meadows as the Trop went into a walk-off frenzy and the Rays won what might have been the game of the year 3-2. Anderson got his 2nd win and elsewhere the Yankees won to stay 4 1/2 back. Game 2: Once again we had an epic pitchers' duel and once again the Rays took over the game late as they won their 5th straight game with a 5-1 win over the Nationals. And when I say late, I mean the bottom of the 8th inning as Kyle McGowin had outdueled Ryan Yarbrough and left with a 1-0 lead. McGowin held the Rays to 7 2 0 0 1 6 and is now sporting a 1.35 ERA in 40 innings, but he got a tough-luck no-decision as Luis Avilan blew it for Washington in the 8th. Manuel Margot pinch-hit for Kevin Kiermaier and led off with a double, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Mike Zunino's single to tie it. After Avilan struck out Austin Meadows and got Yandy Diaz on a fly ball, Brandon Lowe came through with a triple to score pinch-runner Joey Wendle and give the Rays the lead. Avilan walked Randy Arozarena and then Jhonatan German came on and promptly gave up a 3-run homer to Ji-Man Choi (#6) to make it a very comfortable lead. Meanwhile Yarbrough didn't get the win but he pitched more than well enough to earn one, going 7 3 1 1 2 7 on 109 pitches to lower his ERA to 3.95. Andrew Kittredge got win #3 with a scoreless 8th, and then things got a little interesting in the 9th when Cody Reed got two outs but put two men on, so with the big 3 of the pen tired from last night Chaz Roe came on, and he too walked a man to load the bases to bring the tying run to the plate in the person of Victor Robles. But Roe got him on a ground ball to end the game and secure his 1st save of the season. And the Yankees lost so the lead has now grown to a healthy 5 1/2 games. Team record: 39-24. Next up: An off-day before Baltimore comes to town for the weekend. Last edited by Art Deco; 04-12-2021 at 11:45 PM.