May 29: Off-Day.
May 30: at Houston 5-6 L. LP-Robertson (1-1). Starter-H.Smith (5.1 5 4 4 1 8, 3 HR). HR-Campusano 2 (6). A great game from Campusano (3-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI) and a 4-1 lead in the 5th was wasted as Smith couldn't keep the ball in the park and the bullpen gave up the critical run.
May 31: at Houston 1-4 L. LP-Bradley (7-3, 5.1 6 3 3 1 9). 1 run on 4 hits ain't gonna win many games and it most certainly didn't today.
June 1: at Houston 11-8 W (12). WP-Maldonado (2-3). Starter-Pepiot (3.2 5 2 2 4 5, 96 pitches). HR-Cermak (10), Isaac (15). Rays won this one despite blowing a 7-2 7th-inning lead as the bullpen continues to struggle. Campusano's bases-clearing double in the 12th won it for the Rays.
June 2: at LA Dodgers 3-7 L. LP-Lovelady (1-1). Starter-Horton (5 6 3 3 2 1). HR-Campusano (7), Isaac (16). The bullpen let another one get away as LA scored 3 in the 6th off Lovelady and Robertson to break a 3-3 tie.
June 3: at LA Dodgers 15-13 W. WP-Misiorowski (1-0). S-Lovelady (2). Starter-Gasser (5 6 3 3 2 5). HR-Westburg (7), Cermak 2 (12), Campusano (8), Caminero (15). A week after winning a 16-15 game at Coors, the Rays won another offensive orgy at Chavez Ravine. Caminero set a club record by going 6 for 6, homering and driving in 4 including a key 3-run shot in the 9th off former Ray Pete Fairbanks that proved to be the winner when they gave LA 3 back in the 9th. Cermak drove in 5 with his 2 dingers and Westburg was 3-5 with his homer and 3 RBI.
Transaction: With the bullpen fried from the last several games and in desperate need of a fresh arm,
Jacob Misiorowski was optioned back to Durham and we brought back
Luis Contreras, purchasing his contract from the Bulls.
June 4: at LA Dodgers 6-7 L. LP-Robertson (1-2). Starter-H.Smith (5 4 2 1 1 6). HR-Isaac (17), Caminero (16). Another brutal loss from the bullpen as Smith pitched his best game in a while and they held a 6-2 lead going into the 7th, only for the just-recalled Contreras to give up a game-tying slam to Mookie Betts after a Williams error prolonged the inning, and then Robertson made a mess in the 9th and let LA walk it off. Caminero followed up his 6-6 game with 3 more hits including a 2-run homer, and Isaac drove in 4 with a 3-run shot and a groundout, but for naught.
Team record: 34-27. We're still 6 1/2 behind Boston in the East and hold down WC2 by 1 1/2 on WC3 Chicago and 2 1/2 over Seattle in 4th position. Next week: A day off then a week at home with 3 against Detroit and San Diego. The home/road disparity with this team is ridiculous: 21-5 at the Trop, 13-22 away from it. Thankfully we've played 9 fewer home games so far.
Players of the Month (May):
AL Batter: Rafael Devers (BOS), .382-5-27
NL Batter: Brady House (WAS), .311-12-32
AL Pitcher: Troy Melton (DET), 4-0, 1.62, 46K in 39 IP
NL Pitcher: Jonathan Stiever (MIL), 4-0, 0.44, 1 SV, 22K in 20.1 IP
AL Rookie: Rafe Schlesinger (CHI), 3-0, 2.41, 23K in 18 IP
NL Rookie: Jansel Luis (ARI), .307-3-11
Players of the Week:
AL: This guy:
Adley who? Really it could have been any one of three Rays as Caminero was 12-28 with 2 HR and 8 RBI and Isaac had 3 HR and 8 RBI. Despite all that offense they still only went 2-4 on the week.
NL: Benny Montgomery (COL), 10-20, 4 HR, 10 RBI
After Sunday's game we made a move to address the terrible bullpen (12th in the AL with a 4.56 ERA):
McMillon has 75 stuff and 60 movement but the catch is 35 control. And to that end he's fanned 17 in 13 IP with 0 homers allowed but has walked 15. Still he has a 1.35 ERA. We'll try not to bring him into bases-loaded situations. Basaglia was a mid-tier prospect, a 5th starter if things break right for him. To make room for McMillon, Contreras was DFA'd a day after being called up.
MLB News: Mike Trout's injury-riddled career was interrupted again as the future Hall of Famer and current Angel now has a forearm strain that will shelve him 4-5 weeks.