[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays took a comfortable 8-1 win over Cleveland today at Publix Park as the good Andy Aparicio showed up and the bats did their thing in a 7-run 3rd inning. AA was 7 3 1 1 0 7 (the lone run on a homer, natch) and improved to 15-8 with the ERA a still-high 4.59. Bob Sirna went the final two scoreless. The 7-run third came courtesy of 3 big hits: Victor de Jesus's 2-run double (he added an RBI double in the 4th), Omar Rodriguez's 2-run double, and Jon Jimenez's 2-run homer (#20). The Rays victimized young Cleveland phenom starter Danny Romero, who came into the game with a 12-7, 2.58 record. 4 of the 6 runs against him were unearned thanks to a key error in that 3rd, but he only lasted 2 2/3.

Game 2: Cleveland learned tonight that you don't bring a knife to a gunfight, or 8 runs to a slugfest with the Rays or something like that as Tampa Bay won a 10-8 shootout. Bo Angeac's 2-run blast in the bottom of the 8th, his 21st, broke an 8-8 tie and made a winner of Mike Wherry, who lost the lead in the top of the inning yet came away with victory #6. Kikuo Kawase came on and faced three lefty hitters, actually retiring them all with two on strikes in the 9th for save #28. Earlier the Rays had their characteristic offensive explosion but an uncharacteristically bad start from Nate Schultz, whom I talked up as being over those after his last outing. Schultz was hit the hardest he's been since May 2, going 4.1 8 6 6 3 3. The big man with the bat today before Angeac's blast was Victor de Jesus, 4-5 with HR #40, a 2-run shot in the 4th. Also going yard was Danny Ayala (#37) and Luis Corpus (#11). Alex Buitrago chipped in with 4 hits including a triple and a double. Meanwhile you knew it was a matter of time before Ricky Widmar got hurt, and he left in the 4th today with knee tendinitis, minimal for a week, so we'll put him in bubble wrap the rest of the way before the playoffs.

September 13: Optioned 2B Robbie Salazar to AA Montgomery and P Edgar Rios to AAA Durham, recalled SS Jeff Baez from AAA Durham and P Eric Riley from AA Montgomery.

With Widmar gimpy, I didn't want to have to run Melvin Gutierrez out there every game so Baez will get to play some. Durham is about to start its playoffs so we'll be hurting them a bit but right now they have Vlad Guerrero Jr. on a rehab assignment so it's not all bad. And Montgomery gets a boost for the finals with Salazar returned to them. Meanwhile we need a starter today after the rainout last Friday and Riley's the only one rested on the 40-man. He's struggled in his last few starts for Montgomery so it could be ugly, especially against Cleveland's lefty-heavy lineup (he's a righty).

Game 3: Take a bow, Eric Riley. You too, Jeff Baez. The two emergency call-ups were the stars of the show today in a 6-1 Rays win to sweep the series from Cleveland. Riley, who wasn't impressing at Montgomery, impressed today at Publix Park going 5.1 5 1 0 1 5 to win his Rays debut, with the only run against scoring him in the 6th on a Will Quintana passed ball. Outside of putting two on in the 6th before departing, he was never in any real trouble. Baez meanwhile broke open a 3-1 game with a 2-run homer (#4) in the 6th and later added a double. Of course he was up before for an extended run when Widmar was hurt earlier in the year and has the job for 2035 with Widmar becoming a free agent. The Rays also got longballs from Jaiden Hardaway (#30) and Omar Rodriguez (#10). Meanwhile on the mound, Billy Hoyte went 1 2/3 scoreless while Mike Wherry and Tyler Jefferson went an inning apiece. The dynasty looks to be in good hands.

Team record: 110-35. Next up: An off-day then Oakland comes to town for 3 over the weekend. The A's, who made the playoffs for the first time in 11 years back in 2030 before we dispatched them, hold the top wild card spot at the moment in the AL 1 1/2 up on 2nd wild card Seattle and 2 1/2 up on Kansas City so these are big games for them.