May 22: vs Texas 2-1 W. WP-Horton (4-1, 5 4 1 1 1 3). S-Bautista (9). Caminero's RBI single in the 3rd broke a 1-1 tie and Horton and the pen made it stand up for 6 innings.
May 23: vs Texas 5-4 W. WP-Robertson (1-0). S-Maldonado (2). Starter-Gasser (5 8 2 2 0 9). HR-Cermak (8). After the Rays blew a 3-2 lead in the 7th Cermak came to their rescue with a 2-run shot in the 8th to win it as the rookie continues to impress.
May 24: vs Texas 6-3 W. WP-H.Smith (4-4, 5 4 3 3 4 8). S-Robertson (2). HR-C.Williams (6), Morel (11). Williams led the way with an RBI triple and 2-run homer, and then Morel's 2-run blast in the 8th gave the team much-needed insurance.
May 25: vs Texas 12-4 W. WP-Bradley (7-2, 6 7 4 4 0 9). S-Baumeister (1). HR-Isaac (13), Campusano (3). The Rays completed the 4-game sweep of Texas and made it 6 wins in a row with the blowout. Westburg was 4-5 with a 2-run triple and Isaac drove in 3 with a double and a homer. The Rays also had what might have been an MLB first: sweeping a 4-game series and having a different pitcher record the save in each game as Baumeister went the final 3 today.
May 26: at Colorado 16-15 W. The Coorsiest of Coors games and I'll just present the box for this one:
Up 16-10 going into the bottom of the 9th Scott got two outs but then couldn't get anyone else out and gave up a grand slam to let the Rockies back within one. Bautista then came on and
loaded the bases before getting a strikeout to mercifully end it.
May 27: at Colorado 4-13 L. LP-Horton (4-2, 4.1 8 8 8 3 1). HR-Isaac (14). Rays led this one 2-0 going into the bottom of the 4th and it was all Colorado from there.
May 28: at Colorado 12-5 W. WP-Gasser (4-4, 5 6 4 4 3 6). HR-Heim 2 (5), Westburg (6), Caminero (14). Tampa Bay returned the favor of yesterday's rout by taking the rubber game easily. Heim was 3-5 with 2 HR and 3 RBI, Caminero added a grand slam to cap a 5-RBI day and Mead was 4-5 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI. Heim has done nothing but rake when he plays and between he and Campusano we're not missing Adley Rutschman this year - Heim is hitting 333/379/700 in 60 AB and Campusano is 290/360/462.
Team record: 32-23. The big week only allowed the Rays to pick up 1.5 games, cutting Boston's division lead to 3 1/2 but did put them in a tie with Cleveland for WC1. Next week: An off-day then the road trip continues with 3 in Houston and 3 in LA against the Dodgers.
Players of the Week:
AL: Drew Waters (KC), 14-25, 2 HR, 8 RBI
NL: Seiya Suzuki (PHI), 12-23,1 HR, 1 RBI
MLB News: A couple of milestones as Nolan Arenado, in his first season in Seattle after a long stint in St. Louis, hit career homer #400, and teammate Marcell Ozuna recorded his 2000th hit. Also Houston gave slugger Yordan Alvarez a whopping 7/206 extension.