Game 1: Rather than try to recap it, I'll just post the box:
I will note that only a 31-78 team would commit two errors and walk three guys with the bases loaded in the same inning (the 9-run 5th). Magic # is now 41.
Game 2: Another blowout win for the Rays that didn't quite come as easy as last night's but the scoreboard said 11-4 at the end. The hiccup tonight was that Tyler Glasnow had to leave the game in the 2nd inning with a sore ankle that's listed as "moderate" for one week. We'll just go ahead and IL him with the big division lead and not take any chances, but we had to piece together a bullpen game today. Rich Hill came on and went 3 innings allowing 2 runs to pick up his 7th win, and Rafael Dolis continued to dominate as a Ray with 3 whiffs in 1 2/3 scoreless, giving him 1 walk and 11 whiffs in 6 inning since joining the team. And Andrew Kittredge went the final 3 innings for his first save of the season. On offense Willy Adames led the way with 4 RBI while Randy Arozarena had a bases-clearing double. Speaking of the big division lead, it grew by a game as the Yankees lost to Seattle, reducing the magic number to 39.
August 8: Placed P Tyler Glasnow on the 15-day IL with a sore ankle, optioned P Chris Mazza to AAA Durham, activated P Chris Archer from the 15-day IL, recalled P Brendan McKay from AAA Durham.
Moves galore, Archer will rejoin the rotation and McKay will take Glasnow's place for now.
Game 3: Both teams' bullpens tried to blow this game for their teams, and the worst of the two accomplished its mission as the Rays bested Baltimore in 10 innings 9-5 to make it 11 of 12 over the Orioles this season. For 6 innings it was a duel between the just-activated Chris Archer and Baltimore's Dean Kremer, with the score 1-1 with the Rays' run coming on Randy Arozarena's 22nd HR of the season. Archer was excellent, going 6 3 1 1 0 4 before walking the leadoff man in the 7th. That came after the Rays put 3 on the board in the top of the 7th on RBI singles from Austin Meadows, Wander Franco and Brandon Lowe. Pete Fairbanks came in for Archer and was flat-out horrible, giving up 3 hits, throwing two wild pitches, and allowing Baltimore to tie it up without recording an out. Cody Reed came in to clean up his mess, and gave up a sac fly that allowed the Orioles to take a 5-4 lead. But in the top of the 8th Baltimore relievers issued three straight walks to force in the tying run for the Rays, and in the 10th it was more of the same as bases-loaded walks to Meadows and Lowe brought home a pair, and Ji-Man Choi had a 2-run single to make it 9-5. Diego Castillo pitched the 8th and 9th for the Rays and picked up his 3rd win, while Chaz Roe took care of Baltimore in the 10th. The magic # falls to 38 as Toronto moves back into 2nd, 13 games back.
Team record: 75-37. Next up: a day off to head up I-95 to play three in Boston.