April 16-18, 2041: vs Baltimore (3)
Game 1: The Rays returned to Publix Park after a long road trip and made themselves right at home by blasting Baltimore 11-2. Former Oriole Brad Jackson overcame allowing 2 runs in the first 3 innings by going 6 6 2 2 1 10 to improve to 4-0, 3.51 and Jordan Perez fanned 5 over 3 scoreless innings for his first 2041 save. The 11 runs came on 15 hits and none of them were homers with Seth Williams and Josh Beckett each driving in 3, Josh Alexander had a 2-run double and Mike McKee and Dan Gregory collected 3 hits apiece.
Game 2: Jeff Brockman was sharp and Ramon Ruiz hit a 2-run homer off former Ray Jeremy Curtis for the game's only runs in a 2-0 win over the Orioles. Brockman was 6 6 0 0 3 8 to go to 4-0, 1.50 on the young season and Kikuo Kawase recorded his 7th save despite walking a pair as he's battled his control this year with 7 walks in 9.2 IP. Ruiz's homer came in the bottom of the 3rd and was one of only 3 hits the Rays managed tonight and it marked the first MLB game in which Seth Williams did not have a hit.
Game 3: Tampa Bay scored 5 times in the 1st inning and never looked back in a 9-2 drubbing of Baltimore to sweep the series and extend their winning streak to 8 games. Andy Ruggles was 3-3 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI, Josh Beckett had a bases-clearing double in the 1st to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, and Dan Gregory was on base 3 more times and leads the AL with 1.5 WAR to date. Vinny Willard gave up 2 runs on 5 hits over the first 2 innings and then was unhittable after that, finishing 7.1 5 2 2 1 5 to pick up his first win of the year.
Team record: 15-4. Next up: Boston visits for 3.
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