[Art Deco]

Game 1: Brendan McKay made his 2021 debut for the Rays but wasn't around for the decision as Tampa Bay came from behind to eke out a 4-3 win over Cleveland. McKay was tagged for a 1st-inning solo homer from Jose Ramirez, settled down, and then gave up another solo blast to Andres Gimenez in the 5th and a double after that, departing with a 4.1 7 2 2 1 5 line on 81 pitches and left trailing 2-0. Andrew Kittredge got him out of the 5th and then the Rays mounted a 3-run rally in the 6th against Zach Plesac who had shut them down on 2 hits through 5. With two out and Austin Meadows on first after a walk, Brandon Lowe doubled in Meadows, Randy Arozarena (3-3 with a HBP today) tripled in Lowe, and Ji-Man Choi singled in Arozarena. The Rays added their 4th (and decisive run) in strange fashion in the 7th. Kevin Kiermaier singled, stole second, went to third on Austin Hedges' bad throw with 2 out, and then scored when Hedges compounded his error by dropping Meadows' third strike, allowing him to reach and Kiermaier to score. Meanwhile Kittredge got through the 6th, Chaz Roe had a 1-2-3 inning on 4 pitches in the 7th, and Diego Castillo got through the 8th. For the second straight day Nick Anderson gave us heartburn in the 9th, putting two men on, balking them to 2nd and 3rd, giving up an infield grounder to score one, but getting the tough Ramirez to ground out with a man on 3rd to end the game and grab save #22 while Kittredge now has 5 wins in relief. The Yankees were victorious so the division lead stays at 8.

Game 2: On a night when the bullpen was extremely short-handed Ryan Yarbrough and Brian Moran came to the rescue as the two combined to go the full 9 innings in a 6-2 Rays win over Cleveland to extend their latest winning streak to 5. Yarbrough allowed a 3rd-inning solo homer to Jose Ramirez and that was it for him, going 6.1 6 1 1 1 6 on 107 pitches. Moran, who has impressed every time out, did it again going the final 2 2/3 and only allowing a run with 2 out in the 9th. Yarbs improves to 8-7, 4.40 and he was backed by 3 big hits today. The first was a 2-run homer from Brandon Lowe (#24) in the 1st, the second a 2-run single from Randy Arozarena in the 2nd, and the third a 2-run homer by Francisco Mejia (#5) in the 6th to make things comfortable. The Yankees put two touchdowns on the board at Fenway to back a Jonathan Loaisiga 5-hit shutout so tonight's win keeps them at bay 8 behind.

Game 3: Michael Wacha, folks. The veteran righty turned in a career performance tonight with a 2-hit shutout, walking only one and whiffing 10 Cleveland batters, including their superstar Jose Ramirez to end the game in a 5-0 Rays win. Wacha's Game Score of 92 is the 4th best in the majors so far this season and he was never in any real trouble as he improved to 8-4, 4.06. Eddie Rosario had both Cleveland hits, including a single on which he was thrown out by Austin Meadows trying to stretch it into a double. Wacha was hooked up in a duel with Cleveland's Triston McKenzie before the ice was broken in the 5th by Mike Zunino, who hit the first of his two homers on the night, a 2-run blast. He later followed with a solo blast in the 7th to make it 3-0 and give him 14 for the season, and Brandon Lowe (#26) and Randy Arozarena (#18) went back-to-back in the 8th to make things less pressure-packed for Wacha. The Yankees were involved in a shutout as well, except they were the ones failing to score so the lead is back up to 9.

Game 4: The Rays rode an 8-run 7th inning and another excellent outing from Shane McClanahan to a series and season sweep of Cleveland, triumphing today by the score of 10-2 and making it 7 straight wins. McClanahan and Shane Bieber were in a bit of a duel with Brandon Lowe's 27th homer of the season, a 2-run shot in the 4th, accounting for the Rays' runs. Bieber was gone by the 7th and Tampa Bay loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the inning when Kevin Kiermaier was hit by a pitch to force in the go-ahead tally before Mike Zunino delivered a 2-run double. Manuel Margot's RBI grounder preceded a Wander Franco RBI double, another run scored when Cleveland's Nolan Jones overran a single in the outfield and Ji-Man Choi capped it all off with a 2-run homer (#10). McClanahan meanwhile was in control, going 7 3 2 2 1 5 for his 2nd win in as many starts since his second recall of the season and this time he looks to be up to stay. Andrew Kittredge allowed 5 baserunners in his 2 innings of work but none of them scored. Brendan McKay got a start at DH today and was the only Ray to reach against Bieber in the first 3 innings with a walk, later striking out before being lifted for Mike Brosseau when Cleveland brought in a lefty. This win coupled with another Yankee loss has the division lead up to double digits.

Team record: 66-34. Next up: An off-day then the Yankees come to town and they'll need to sweep the Rays if they want to have any realistic hope of winning the division.

MLB News: The Phillies traded SP Vince Velasquez to the Diamondbacks for speedy OF Tim Locastro. The trade deadline is approaching in 5 days, and checking out who's on the block the Nationals are making free-agent-to-be Max Scherzer. However when we inquired about him we were informed Scherzer is invoking his 10/5 rights to block a deal. Whether that's just for Tampa Bay or for any team is unknown.