Game 1: Melvin Lopez was excellent and his battery mate David Morales drove in 3 runs to lead the Rays to a 4-2 win at Baltimore. Lopez (3-1) was an efficient 8 6 1 1 0 2 and after Adan Guardado made a bit of a mess in the 9th, Mario Berumen finished up for save #16. Morales' 2-run double in the 4th was the game's big hit.
Game 2: Brad Villarreal turned in a rare stinker and the Rays were never competitive today in a 6-1 loss to the O's. Villarreal (9-3) couldn't keep the ball in the park, allowing 4 homers and getting hit to the tune of 5.1 10 5 5 0 4. Meanwhile the bats could only manage 4 hits with the lone run coming on a Kang-cheol Lee solo homer (#5).
Game 3: The Rays had trouble plating their runners today and it cost them in a 3-2 defeat at Baltimore. They had 10 hits and drew 4 walks but left 9 on base with David Morales stranding 5 personally. Tim Johnson (1-4) allowed all 3 runs early but toughed it out to go 6 5 3 3 2 3.
Game 4: More frustration for the Rays as like the other day they got an unusual poor start from a reliable starter with Dave Rose getting hit hard in a 7-6 loss. Rose (9-4) started off about as poorly as possible, loading the bases with the first three men he faced and then giving up a grand slam to the fourth. He allowed another homer and finished 4 8 6 6 2 5. The offense made a game of it, with Jesus Avalos (2-5 with a 2-run homer, #15) and Nesty de la Rosa (3-5, 2 RBI) leading the charge, and had a chance to tie in the 9th but couldn't get the man home.
Team record: 46-30. The poor showing in Charm City now has them 2 games back of the Yankees, a week or so after they were 2 ahead. Next up: A return home for 3 against Oakland.
While this was all going on we made a trade, although it was one with an eye on the (near) future:
Luis Barela's contract is up at year's end and he probably retires, so we need a 3B of the future and hopefully acquired one in Mayes, ranked the #86 prospect in baseball. He's 50/45 current contact/power with 65/55 potential, to with a 60/65 eye, and is a 65 defender already at the hot corner. Throw in 70 gap power and 65 speed and there isn't much he can't do. The price wasn't cheap though as we dealt one of our top prospects in Mendoza, rated #52 overall and who should be a top-notch 1B in the future. But we're very deep at the position up and down the organization while we didn't have anyone of his caliber at third.