Game 1: 7-11 L. LP-Patino (6-3, 3.1 9 9 9 4 1, 3 HR). HR-Vazquez (7), J.Jackson (8), Manzardo (1). Whatever good vibes we had from Luis Patino after returning from the minors are pretty much gone now after this disastrous outing. It was 11-1 before the bats got going with the highlight being Kyle Manzardo's first MLB homer, a 3-run shot.
Game 2: 4-5 L. LP-Feyereisen (0-4). Starter-Baz (4.1 7 2 1 2 3). HR-Tucker (37), Franco (15). Another guy who seemed to turning things around came up wanting today as J.P. Feyereisen was entrusted with a 4-2 lead in the 8th and gave up 3 runs on 4 hits without getting anyone out. 2-run homers by Tucker and Wander had given them the lead before it was blown.
Game 3: 8-2 W. WP-McClanahan (12-6, 7 4 0 0 1 4). HR-Albies (14). Mac closed his regular season with a flourish and finished the year with a 3.31 ERA and 3.6 WAR. Albies drove in 3 with a homer and Wander and the slumping Josh Mears each drove in a pair.
Game 4: 0-11 L. LP-Swanda (13-11, 2.1 7 7 7 3 2). At the other end of the spectrum is Swanda, who saw his final 2025 ERA rise to 5.01 after this horrible start. In the last post I said the Rays' next game at the Trop would be the ALDS barring a collapse, and that's what they're working on here as the Royals swept their series and gained 2 1/2 games on us to pull within 1 for the #2 seed. And we'll have to finish ahead of them outright since they took the season series 4-2.
Team record: 95-64. Next up: 3 in Boston to finish the regular season, which a few days ago looked meaningless but are now vitally important.
MLB Playoff Update: The races in both leagues continue to be insane:
Normally the 3-way race for the second and third wild cards in the AL would be the talk of baseball, but relative to what's going on in the NL that seems cut and dried. Seven(!) teams within one game of the third wild card going into the final weekend in the NL, just amazing. And the NL East isn't decided yet either as Atlanta is only one game up on both the Phillies and Mets. There are no head-to-head matchups in the AL but in the NL the Phillies play the Mets (which is to Atlanta's benefit) and the Reds (who are almost there) play the Cubs.
A few serious injuries have cropped up with the contenders, none moreso than the Dodgers losing Freddie Freeman with a ruptured MCL which will not only cost him the rest of 2025 but at least the first half of the 2026 season. Over in Anaheim the Angels will be without Anthony Rendon for the playoffs thanks to an intercostal strain.
Minor League Update: AAA Durham won a tiebreaker game to clinch a wild card in the International League, AA Montgomery is up 3-2 in their SL playoff series against Pensacola, and A+ Bowling Green lost their playoff series in 7 games, so good years all around for our affiliates. I'll update Durham and Montgomery's progress as we go forward.