View Single Post
Old 09-01-2021, 10:10 PM   #1249
Art Deco
Hall Of Famer
 
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 7,498
August 14-16, 2037: at Texas (3)

Game 1: The Rays got to one-time Texas ace Wil Diaz for 4 runs in the first two innings and they stood up in a 4-2 win in Arlington. Diaz, a former Cy Young winner and one of the better pitchers of the last 7-8 years, is not the same pitcher he was as his stuff has dropped to average and today's loss drops him to 3-10, 4.31. Jaiden Hardaway led off the game with HR #21 off him, and Bo Angeac had a 2-run single in the 2nd. That was enough for Jeremy Curtis, who pitched quite well going 5.2 7 1 1 1 7 to go to 9-3, 3.72, and Kikuo Kawase struck out the side around a walk in the 9th for save #26.

Game 2
: Josh Carsello's recent struggles continued as he put the Rays in holes of 4-1 and 6-4, but thanks to the relentless bats and 4 1/3 innings of 1-hit work from the bullpen the Rays came back to prevail 7-6 for their 9th straight win. Carsello went 4.2 5 6 6 5 6 and finished his evening by walking consecutive batters with the bases loaded. He's now allowed 23 ER in his last 24 1/3 innings over 5 starts and his Cy Young hopes are fading fast. But Daniel Vasquez, who had a 2-run single in the 5th to tie it at 4 before Carsello gave back the lead, had another game-tying 2-run single in the 7th. And after Danny Ayala doubled with 2 out in the 8th, Bo Angeac delivered the game-winning hit off former Ray Eric Riley. After Chris Toombs retired all 4 men he faced in relief of Carsello, Damani Cotton went 2 1-hit innings to pick up his 5th win as a Ray with Kikuo Kawase grabbing save #27 in the 9th. Jaiden Hardaway's 22nd HR of the year and an Angeac RBI single brought home the first two runs.

Game 3: The Rays completed the sweep of Texas and won their 10th straight by the score of 10-3 today, but it was a much tighter game most of the way. It took a 5-run 7th to break a 2-2 tie and that was after longtime Texas standout Victor Presas left the game. Mike McKee was the unlikely star on offense, homering off Presas in the 5th (#4) to tie the game at 2 and then delivering a bases-clearing double in the 7th to break the 2-2 tie. They poured it on from there, with Jon Jimenez driving in 3 with a single and a 2-RBI double. Kevin Kerstetter hung around long enough to pick up the win after going 6 6 2 2 2 8 as he's now 14-5, 2.93.

Team record: 87-30. Next up: We head down I-45 to Houston for 4 games.

Last edited by Art Deco; 09-02-2021 at 08:24 AM.
Art Deco is offline   Reply With Quote