Game 1: The Rays took the opener of their 4-game set with the Yankees at Publix Park 10-4 behind the big bat of Luis Barela. The MVP of the last 4 seasons (who won't be repeating for a 5th) was 4-4 with a pair of homers and 4 RBI to give him 28 and 108 on the season. He's only going to be a mid-4-WAR player this year unlike his 7-9 WAR self but at least he's heated up over the final 2 months of the season. Doug Johns was also 4-5 with HR #26 and 2 RBI and Jose Castillo had a solo shot (#31). Greg Bookhart (17-4) went 6 3 3 3 3 5 for the win.
Game 2: Jim Brophy pitched well and the Rays handled the Yankees again 6-1. The lefty is having a super season considering he's down to 35 stuff and today he went 5.2 6 1 1 2 2 to improve to 16-9, 3.99. He was backed by Dave Frick, who drove in 4 with a single and a 3-run homer (#9), and Tomas Laboy, 3-4 with 2 doubles and an RBI.
Game 3: Our Wednesday game was rained out so we played a Thursday doubleheader, and in the first game the Yankees withstood a dramatic Rays comeback to take a 10-8 win in 10 innings. Ben Moses was obliterated in an 8-run 2nd and went 3 9 8 8 3 3 to finish his first season in the Rays rotation a mediocre 13-8, 4.57. He'll either be the third or fourth starter come playoff time and will need to show some more consistency. That inning put the Yanks up 8-1 but the Rays came all the way back including 4 in the 9th to tie it on a Mario Saro solo shot (#31) and a dramatic, 2-out 3-run blast from Doug Johns (#27). But Willie Minier (3-4) coughed up a 2-run homer in the 10th to lose it. Earlier Jose Castillo hit HR #32.
Game 4: The Rays were swept by the Yankees in the doubleheader and ended up with a series split after New York once again beat them in 10 innings, this time 4-3. Gordie Ager had his final regular season tuneup before taking the ball for Game 1 of the ALDS and was excellent again at 6 6 1 1 0 5 to finish 17-5, 2.98 as a Cy Young frontrunner. They took a 2-1 lead into the 9th but Satoshi Sato (3-4) blew his 7th save allowing a 2-out RBI single and then Sato served up a 2-run homer in the 10th to lose it, just as fellow closer Willie Minier did in the first game. Yuji Morioka hit #29 in the bottom of the 10th to get the Rays within one but that was all they'd manage.
Team record: 110-49. Next up: We close out the regular season with 3 at home vs Toronto.
News: A former Rays superstar hung up the cleats as 3B Bo Angeac retired. Angeac, who had played his final professional season as a backup/mentor with our AAA affiliate Durham, was one of the top players in baseball during the 30s as you can see from his career numbers:
His 2033 season - the first as a full-time player - was a thing of beauty. He helped lead us to 5 World Series titles, including in 2033, and is a borderline Hall of Fame candidate at an under-represented position. He'll get my vote when eligible.