Game 1: The Rays were glad to be back at Publix Park and their performance showed it as the clubbed the Cubs 11-5, a game not even that close as Chicago scored 3 times in the 9th. Juan Davila was 3-3 with HR #10 and 4 runs scored, CJ Yamaguchi won't stop hitting as he was 4-5 with 2 RBI and Beau Bonczek had a double, 2-run single and 2-run homer (#7). Bob Riley (4-2) got back on the beam with a very Bob Riley-like 6 8 2 2 1 3 performance.
Game 2: Nikola Grieco continues to prove he was an inspired addition via trade as he pitched the Rays to another blowout win over the Cubs 9-1. Grieco had to pitch around a 62-minute rain delay which sapped his stamina a bit but he still went a dominating 7 2 1 1 0 9 on 74 pitches to improve to 5-0 as a Ray. Beau Bonczek had the big hit of the game, a grand slam (#8) to make it 6-0, and Mario Saro was 4-5 with HR #18 and 2 RBI.
We made a trade!
Despite a couple of good games we had to do something about the team's historically bad defense (and historically bad by the standards of my saves as well, which is saying something). To that end we simply went out and traded for the best defensive SS in the game in San Francisco's Henry Murillo. Despite being 36, he was leading MLB in ZR at the position with 11.4 already through two months and had a 24.4 ZR last season. The catch with him of course is that he can't hit worth a damn, he was at 162/238/269 this season and is a career 211/268/292 hitter. But with all the bats we have and the offense we generate we can afford to sacrifice a lineup spot. And the best part of it was that we able to move Yuji Morioka, who was brilliant for us over the previous 4 season since he came over from Japan (averaging 3.7 and 24 HR while playing excellent defense at 2B/SS) but cratered worse than perhaps any player I've ever seen who didn't have a serious injury, dropping to a 20(!) at SS and also seeing his contact tool drop to 40. Thankfully his track record gave him some trade value here but he was a liability I didn't even want to regularly play at DH. Martellini is a 30-year-old 1B at Durham who isn't bad and could be a second-division starter at the position but we have 1B out the wazoo.
Game 3: The bats went quiet and the Cubs took the finale 3-2 in Henry Murillo's debut at SS for the Rays. Steve Morris pitched well with better defense behind him (5.2 4 2 2 2 6) with the only runs allowed no defense could stop as they left the yard and then Chris Hetzel (1-3) allowed a solo shot in the 7th which proved to be the winner. Mario Saro's 2-run single in the 5th was the extent of the offense. Murillo was predictably 0-2, but he did draw a walk to keep the rally going in the 5th when both runs were scored and was pinch-hit for in the 9th with Beau Bonczek fanning to end the game.
Team record: 35-22. Unfortunately the Yankees are showing no signs of slowing down, taking 2 of 3 from Cincinnati and then winning on our off day Thursday to put their lead at 4 games. Next up: We head to Toronto for 3 games.
The league took note of Grieco:
