[Art Deco]

We were up against a desperate team in Kansas City, and the Royals thumped us twice around an extra-inning win. And with Toronto playing in San Antonio, dropping 2 of 3 would normally be damaging to our division hopes. But the Alamos shockingly took a pair from the Jays, so the division lead remains one going into the final weekend of the season, and we have clinched at least a wild card thanks to that one win in the series.

TRANSACTION: Activated OF Heston Kjerstad from his rehab assignment, optioned 1B Brett Baty to AAA Durham.

Wander Franco out-cycled a cycle but the Rays still were whupped in the opener by the Royals 8-3. Franco doubled, tripled and homered (#22) and then after grounding out doubled again in the 9th instead of singling. He was about the only highlight of the game for Tampa Bay as Drew Rasmussen had a rare bad start, getting tagged for 3 homers and allowing 5 runs in 3 1/3 to drop to 8-3 as a Ray.

The second game was a 13-inning marathon but the Rays ended up prevailing 5-4 after losing two leads in regulation but coming back to tie. Jarren Duran, who had tripled in the tying run in the 7th, hit a bases-loaded sac fly with one out in the bottom of the 13th to bring home the game-decider and make a winner of Osvanni Gutierrez, who fanned 3 in 2 scoreless innings for his 2nd victory. Earlier the red-hot Wander Franco (#23) and Heston Kjerstad (#13) homered while Tyler Glasnow turned in a nice 6 6 2 2 2 7 but lost a shot at a win when JT Ginn gave up a 2-run homer in the 7th to Chadwick Tromp of all people.

The finale started off great when Jarren Duran tripled to lead off the game for the Rays and scored on Wander Franco's sac fly. Little did anyone know at the time that would be the only hit the Rays would get the entire day (and almost the only baserunner as Heston Kjerstad drew an 8th-inning walk) in a 6-1 loss. Like Rasmussen in the first game before him, Joe Ryan was done in by the home run as he allowed a pair and went 6 7 6 6 2 5 and ends his regular season 16-7, 3.52 after a rough September which saw him allow 17 ER in 24 1/3 IP over 5 starts.

Team record: 90-69. Next up: We close out the regular season in Houston against a tough opponent. The Astros are mathematically alive but realistically finished, 3 games behind the second wild card, tied with the Yankees and a game behind Kansas City. Detroit holds that second wild card spot with Toronto in the first one as we head into the final weekend.

Over in the NL, the divisions are all clinched (Atlanta, St. Louis, the Dodgers) but 3 teams are battling over two wild card spots with the Mets a game up on Arizona and San Diego. And the Mets are playing the Diamondbacks on the final weekend so things will be very interesting there.