Game 1: The Rays rode a 5-run 7th inning for a come-from-behind 7-4 win over Toronto to extend their winning streak to 6. Trailing 3-2 entering the 7th, Blue Jays reliever Anthony Kay came unglued, loading the bases with a hit batter and a walk, giving up an RBI single to Brandon Lowe to tie it, a 2-run double to Randy Arozarena and then he walked Willy Adames and Manuel Margot with the bases load to force in two more. Wander Franco (who had another big game at 3-4 with a steal) hit his third homer with a man aboard off Nate Pearson in the 2nd to put the Rays up 2-0 early, and Tyler Glasnow was having one of his Bobby Witt Sr. games, walking 5 and whiffing 7 through 5 no-hit innings. But in the 6th he gave up three singles to load the bases with nobody out and with his pitch count well over 100, Chaz Roe came in and got a whiff but gave up a 2-run single to George Springer. Roe got out of it after that, however Pete Fairbanks allowed a Rowdy Tellez homer in the 7th to put the Jays ahead before the big Rays rally. With a 4-run lead we went with Hunter Strickland but he could retire one of the four men he faced, allowing a run, so Diego Castillo had to come in an whiff a pair to get out of that, and Nick Anderson had 3 strikeouts in the 9th (although one reached) to nail down save #18. Fairbanks was credited with his 3rd win. The Yankees continue to win just like the Rays, so the lead continues at 7 as New York won last night while the Rays were idle.
MLB News: Tough break for the Dodgers and Dustin May as he tore his rotator cuff and is out for the season.
July 10: Designated P Collin McHugh for assignment and placed him on waivers; activated P Rich Hill from his rehab assignment at AAA Durham.
Gonna use Hill out of the pen, will give me a second lefty to go with Cody Reed. If McHugh clears waivers, I'll try to send him to Durham but he could refuse.
Game 2: You know things are going your way when an error actually helps you in a key spot, and that's what happened today for the Rays in a 5-4 win over Toronto, their 7th straight. Diego Castillo came on for the save to start the 9th and walked Danny Jansen to lead off the inning. Marcus Semien hit a foul pop which should have been an easy catch by Francisco Mejia but the Rays catcher inexplicably dropped the ball, giving Semien a second life. Unfortunately for the Jays 2B, he used that second life to ground into a double play, making two outs instead of the one he should have. Castillo then whiffed Bo Bichette to end the game. The Rays took an early 3-0 lead on Randy Arozarena's 3-run shot off Ross Stripling in the 1st, his 16th, but Michael Wacha gave up 2 runs to Toronto in the 3rd. The Rays made it 4-2 in the 5th on Brandon Lowe's RBI double but the Jays cut the lead to one again in the 6th off Wacha, who left the inning without retiring a man and finished 5 6 3 3 4 5 but still managed win #7. The Rays again regained their 2-run lead on a Willy Adames sac fly, but once again the Jays cut it back to one with a run off Andrew Kittredge in the 7th. Rich Hill made his first appearance for the Rays since May 7 and whiffed Rowdy Tellez to end the inning, and Peter Fairbanks got through the 8th. The Rays could have made it more comfortable in the 8th but after loading the bases with nobody out, they struck out, hit into a force at the plate and flied out, but won anyway. And the Yankees lost in Houston so the lead is back up to 8.
Now this is funny:
We let Morton walk since he was making too much money, of course, but now Atlanta is 40-49 (and that's after winning 4 straight) and looking to fire sale. While the offer isn't bad, Charlie's 37 and has a 4.67 ERA in the NL.
Game 3: The Rays head into an All-Star break they really don't want to happen, given how hot they are as they won their 8th straight in a 4-2 decision over Toronto. The 2 runs allowed was impressive considering they lost Chris Archer in the 2nd inning due to elbow tendinitis, and he'll be out 3 weeks. The recently-activated Rich Hill was sprung into action and he did quite well, going 3 2/3 and although he allowed both runs, only one was earned and he whiffed 3 to earn his 5th win of the season. Andrew Kittredge gave us 2 solid innings in relief of Hill and Hunter Strickland pitched the 8th with Castillo and Fairbanks tired. Nick Anderson pitched around Willy Adames' 2nd error of the game to nail down save #19. The offense came on a Yandy Diaz singled in the 3rd, a massive 490-foot homer from Wander Franco to the back of the opening for the Rays tank in RCF in the 4th to take the lead to stay, and a 2-run double from Randy Arozarena in the 5th. The Yankees fell to Houston so the Rays enter the break with a commanding 9-game lead and the best record in baseball. What a first half!
Team record: 58-32. Next up: The All-Star break, then a weekend trip to Atlanta to visit old friend Charlie Morton, whom we're most definitely not bringing back with us.