[Art Deco]

Game 1: The bullpen let us down again, as did our general inability to pitch or play defense well in an 8-6 loss to Baltimore at Publix Park on Labor Day. It's a rare occasion these days when he hold a team to single digits in hits, and after Ed Pretty blew his 9th save of the year to cap a 4-run Oriole 8th, they had allowed another 12. Jeff Brockman went 5 9 4 3 0 7 and Dan Anderson took the loss when his runner scored to make it 6-5 Baltimore. Pat Moyer had another big day to lead the offense, homering twice (#17 & 18) and driving in 3.

Game 2: Brad Jackson became MLB's first 20-game winner this season as the Rays got by Baltimore 7-5. Jackson pitched well outside of a terrible 4th inning which saw the Orioles score 4 times, finishing 6 5 5 4 1 8 to improve to 20-3, 2.91. Vinny Willard turned in 2 perfect relief innings to set up Kikuo Kawase, who got save #28 despite allowing a couple of hits. The bottom of the order did the damage on offense with Mike McKee driving in 3 including a 2-run triple, Josh Beckett going 4-4 with an RBI and Jeff Baez 3-3 with 2 RBI.

Game 3: For a team with a record of 96-43 we've been extremely mediocre for the last 2 months as after losing 7-4 in 12 innings today; we're just 25-23 since the All-Star Break and 15-16 since the beginning of August. We're back to our customary 14th in the AL in defensive efficiency after being as high as 6th in the first half of the season and it seems the only time we win of late is by outslugging the opposition. Today they jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the 2nd with Mike Willis's 2-run double the big hit and had Danny Romero on the mound but Baltimore chipped away at him and tied it in the 8th with Romero leaving having gone 7.1 10 4 4 0 4 (yep another double-digit hit game for the opposition). The bullpen did well until Doug Combs gave up 3 runs on 4 hits in the 12th and that was the game.

Team record: 96-43. Next up: 4 games at home vs Toronto, our bogey team and the last one we want to play they way we've been going lately.