August 19: Off-Day.
August 20: vs Chicago White Sox 4-11 L. LP-McClanahan (13-9, 3.2 6 6 6 4 2). Mac had his worst game of the year, allowing a pair of homers as well, and after a 2-run Caminero double made it 3-3 in the 3rd they were never competitive.
August 21: vs Chicago White Sox 7-6 W (13). WP-Bickford (1-0). Starter-Rasmussen (5.2 4 1 1 2 3). HR-Paredes (30), Campusano (8), T.Hernandez (25). Truly the wildest game of the year - just to get an idea here's the win probability chart which looks like an EKG:
A 2-run Mead single put the Rays ahead 3-2 in the 8th but Fairbanks gave up a 2-run homer in the 9th to put Chicago ahead. In the bottom of the 9th Tampa Bay was down to its last out when Campusano homered to send it to extras, and the Pale Hose got 2 in the 11th to go ahead only for Teoscar to tie it with a clutch 2-run homer. Finally in the 13th they got a man to third and Paredes brought him home with a sac fly to walk it off.
August 22: vs Chicago White Sox 1-0 W. WP-J.Lopez (1-0). Starter-Springs (5.1 6 0 0 1 4). The polar opposite of yesterday's game. Rays were outhit 9-3 but Siri's groundout in the 8th scored the game's only run and gave
Jorge Lopez his first decision of the year despite spending the entire season on the staff.
August 23: vs Arizona 4-3 W (11). WP-Fairbanks (5-7). Starter-Pepiot (6 6 2 2 1 6). HR-Paredes (31), J.Lowe (13). Another heart attack-inducing game like the one two nights prior, albeit with fewer twists and turns. Arizona took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the 9th but Paredes led off the inning with a game-tying homer. The Snakes then pushed across a run in the top of 11th to go ahead but J.Lowe had other ideas, crushing a 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning to walk off another one.
August 24: vs Arizona 3-5 L. LP-Bradley (12-5, 5.1 10 4 4 0 2). HR-Westburg (12). Taj didn't have his best stuff today and wily veteran Eduardo Rodriguez gave up a leadoff homer to Westburg (who was 3-4 with 2 RBI) and little else the rest of the way.
August 25: vs Arizona 0-6 L. LP-McClanahan (13-10, 4.2 7 2 2 2 8). A feeble showing from the offense which was up against a 29-year-old rookie with 40 stuff making his first MLB start.
Team record: 77-54. Those two losses to Arizona dropped them 6 behind Baltimore so the division is back to being pretty much a pipe dream, but they remain 4 1/2 up on Boston for the first wild card. Next week: Interleague play with three games in New York against the Mets then an off-day to return to play 3 vs Milwaukee.
Players of the Week:
AL: Vlad Guerrero Jr (TOR), 12-29, 3 HR, 8 RBI
NL: Jorge Soler (SF), 8-21, 4 HR, 6 RBI
MLB News: Oft-injured Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez is out again, 6-7 weeks with a strained MCL so his playoff status is iffy. Luckily for Houston they hold a commanding 7 1/2-game division lead. Also San Diego's Manny Machado picked up career hit #2000.