Game 1: After being 1-hit yesterday the Rays were glad to return to their happy hitting grounds of Publix Park and they took care of the Red Sox 12-7. Nate Thompson started and pitched very well, going 6 5 2 1 2 3 to notch his second win. The guys that followed him weren't very good, though, as Jim Connors continues to struggle, allowing 3 runs and 4 hits in 1/3 of an inning to make it 6 runs and 9 hits allowed in his last four outings covering only 1 2/3 innings. Kevin Kerstetter was a little better, but not much, allowing 2 runs and 4 hits in 2 2/3 enabling Boston to make what was a 12-2 blowout look a little more respectable. But the real story today was the return of the bats, most notably the one belonging to Rodolfo Rivas. The DH, who's been a strikeout machine lately, went 4-5 with a double, 2-run HR (#21) and 3 RBI. Nate Clark hit #31 with a man on in the 1st and drove in another later, and Jaiden Hardaway continues to do his thing going 3-5 with a HR (#22), 3 RBI and a steal. Omar Rodriguez and Dane Ayers were each 2-3 plus 2 walks and an RBI with Rodriguez stealing a pair of bases.
Welp...
Sounds like some medical malpractice involved here. So instead of getting Jenkins back in a week, it'll be 2 more months.
Game 2: Another big early lead over Boston dwindled to at least make it semi-interesting before the Rays came away with an 8-4 win. Mike Harms started the scoring with a 2-run single in the 2nd, and then Bo Angeac went to work. The soon to be all-star 3B (he's leading the balloting) hit a bases-clearing double in the 2nd to make it 5-0, and added a solo homer (#25) in the 6th. His homer was the second of a back-to-back with on-base machine Victor de Jesus, who hit #32 and was on all 4 times today with a pair of walks and a single to go with the homer. The other run came on a bases-loaded walk in the 8th to Nate Clark, who otherwise had a forgettable day getting the golden sombrero and seeing his average dip to .249 as he seems to be home run-or-bust these days. Andy Aparicio started and was cruising until the 7th when after getting the first two outs he gave a string of hits to Boston batters, and he left with the bases loaded and a run in with the score 7-2. Tim Siqueiros came in and gave up a 2-run single but got the final out, and then struck out the side in the 8th before Jordan Diaz did likewise in the 9th. AA won to go 11-4 but saw his ERA rise to 3.87.
Game 3: For the third straight day a Rays romp turned into something else before it was over as Tampa Bay saw a 9-0 lead cut to 9-7 before hanging on to win again. A Luis Corpus RBI and Jaiden Hardaway's sac fly gave them a 2-0 lead in the 2nd, and Alex Buitrago broke it open with a 3-run shot (#14) as part of a 4-run 5th. And after Omar Rodriguez's 2-run double made it 9-0 in the 6th with Leo Ortega 2-hitting Boston, all seemed well in hand. But Ortega tired and gave up a 2-run homer to the second batter of the inning and came out for Bob Sirna, who got the next three out to finish the inning still up 9-2. Sirna ran into trouble in the 8th, giving up a homer and putting a couple more on, so the slumping Jim Connors was given a chance in a 9-3 game. It appeared he'd get the third out when he induced a grounder to Bo Angeac, but the Ray 3B booted it to load the bases and sure enough Pierson Gibis took Connors deep for a grand slam to make it 9-7. Connors finally did get the third out after another Rays error and Kikuo Kawase came in for the 9th. As usual Kawase put a quick end to the nonsense by striking out all 3 Sox he faced for save #13 and he now has 93 Ks in 44 innings. Ortega went to 11-2 with a still-great 6 4 2 2 0 8 performance and his ERA holds at 3.06. Some really bad news did come out of the game: Dane Ayers was beaned again in the 6th and suffered his second concussion of the season, which will put him out for 6-7 weeks. He had earlier missed 3 weeks with a concussion after being hit in the head and then missed 6 weeks with a fractured wrist after getting plunked on a rehab assignment with Durham. Just an unbelievable run of bad luck for Ayers, who's only managed to play 16 games this season for the Rays. Looks like Erik Batchelder will be back up to job-share SS with Melvin Gutierrez.
July 11: Placed IF/OF Dane Ayers on the 10-day IL with a concussion, recalled IF Erik Batchelder from AAA Durham.
Game 4: In the reverse of the first three games of this series, it was the Rays who fell behind 9-2 and came back to make it 9-7 before falling short. Nate Schultz had his worst start as a Ray, getting lit up to the tune of 4.1 8 7 6 2 4, and Kevin Kerstetter continued his trend of striking out a bunch of people (5 in 1 2/3) but giving up runs (a 2-run homer). Meanwhile all the bats had to show through 5 were an RBI double from Rodolfo Rivas and an RBI single from Bo Angeac. But they struck for 5 in the 6th, first on a 3-run homer from Omar Rodriguez (#8), then on a Rivas solo shot (#22) and finally on a Mike Harms RBI double. Harms was thrown out at 3rd on the play to end the threat and the inning. Mike Wherry, Jordan Diaz and Tim Siqueiros each pitched a scoreless inning to keep it close, and the Rays did put two on with two out in the 9th but pinch-hitter Victor de Jesus (who was given a day off) struck out against Boston closer Bobby Carman to end the game.
Team record: 71-19. Next up: The All-Star break, which given the number of Rays in the ASG might as well be on our regular schedule. We then start a west coast swing in Anaheim over the weekend.
MLB News: Mike Trout hit career HR #715, so he moves into third all-time behind Barry Bonds (762) and Hank Aaron (755). Outside chance he threatens them late next season. He turns 42 in a few weeks but he's under contract until 2036 so we'll see.