The 2021 (and only 2021) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

The Rays took 2 of 3 at Rogers Centre against the Jays but it could have just as easily been a sweep or they might have only won once. Regardless, the Yankees aren't going away as they swept the White Sox and now have moved within 2 games of the Rays for the division lead.

The opener was the least eventful of the series as the Rays rode a very strong Wellington Romero start and some early scoring to take a 5-1 win over the Jays. Romero turned in his best outing yet going 6.1 4 1 1 0 7 to improve to 2-0, 3.80 over his four starts since joining the rotation. Tylor Megill was strong in relief, fanning 3 in 1 2/3 perfect innings. The offense came mostly via the longball with Adley Rutschman going solo (#15) in the 2nd, Victor Robles launching a 2-run blast in the 3rd (#9) and Heston Kjerstad snapping out of an 0-20 slump by hitting #4 with the bases empty in the 4th.

Despite being in first place with one of the better records in the game the Rays have made a bad habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in the most improbable fashions and today was another example as James Hays took a no-hitter and a 3-1 lead into the 9th before things went bad and the Jays walked it off 4-3. Hays allowed a run in the 2nd on a walk, error and sac fly but thanks in part to Ed Howard's RBI triple held the lead as he entered the 9th on a fairly-high 115 pitches. As I was managing for the accomplishment moreso than the win, Hays came out for the 9th and immediately surrendered a homer to lose the no-hitter and the team's margin for error. He was pulled for Yasunari Uehara (1-2), who then proceeded to walk the first two men he faced. Uehara whiffed Vlad Guerrero Jr. but then gave up a 2-run double to Jordan Groshans, and the game was lost. Hays finished 8 1 2 1 3 11 in another gem but despite his ridiculous numbers has only won barely half (8 of 15) of his starts with the club.

The bullpen did its best to blow another one, but DL Hall rode to the rescue at the end as the Rays barely hung to a 6-5 win to take the series from Toronto. A 4-run seventh which saw 4 straight RBI hits with 2 out highlighted by Alex Kirilloff's RBI double enabled the Rays to break a 2-2 tie and make things look comfortable. But Robinson Ortiz (2-2), who picked up the win, gave up a 2-run HR In the 8th to Vlad Jr to cut the lead to 6-4 and Diego Castillo made an absolute mess in the 9th, walking a pair and giving up a double to make it 6-5 with men on 2nd and 3rd and nobody out. Castillo did get a pop-up and Vlad Jr. was intentionally walked to load the bases. Hall then came on and got two whiffs for his 10th save as the Rays clung to victory. Tampa Bay's first two runs came on solo homers from Andrew Greckel (his MLB-best 26th) and Kelly Crumpton (#12).

Team record: 52-32. Next up: 3 games at home vs San Antonio.

International signing news: We spent our $5M on SS Luis Ruiz, a 16-year old from the Dominican Republic who has potential 55 contact, 80 gap power and 45 HR power tools and looks to be an average to above-average fielder. He wasn't the best in the class but the top two guys didn't seem to want to sign with us.

And this from the league...



This of course was before his near no-hitter on July 1.

[Art Deco]

The Rays always have their way with San Antonio, and this time was no exception as they swept the series at Tropicana Field although it took a couple of come-from-behind walk-off wins to do so. Meanwhile the Yankees dropped 2 of 3 so the division lead has grown to 4 games.

The opener saw the bullpen fritter away another lead and in fact put them behind, but the bats came to the rescue in the bottom of the 9th to give the Rays a 6-5 win. A solo homer from Heston Kjerstad (#5) and a 2-run shot from Yoelqui Cespedes (#3/#7) helped them to a 4-2 lead after 6 with Dustin May pitching well (6.1 5 3 2 1 8). But Tylor Megill coughed up a 2-run homer in the 7th to let the Alamos tie, and DL Hall gave up an RBI triple in the 9th to put the Rays behind. Fortunately for Hall, the offense rescued them in the bottom of the 9th, getting RBI singles from Marcus Semien and Andrew Greckel to give Tampa Bay the victory. Hall (2-2) picked up the undeserved win.

The second game was a pitchers' duel between Framber Valdez and Joe Ryan ultimately won 3-2 by the Rays in 10 innings. Ryan was excellent once again at 7 4 2 2 2 9 keeping his ERA at 1.97, but left trailing 2-1 before Kelly Crumpton launched a solo shot in the bottom of the 7th (#13) to tie it at 2. That sent us to extras when in the 10th Ed Howard led off with a double, advanced to 3rd and scored on a Kody Hoese sac fly. Victor Robles (#10) homered to lead off the game for the first Rays run, and Robinson Ortiz (2-2) notched the win with 2 scoreless innings.

The Rays pitched the unlikeliest of shutouts in the finale as they beat San Antonio 7-0. Wennington Romero started but had to leave in the 2nd inning with back stiffness, giving way to Levi Abbott. The Rule 5 rookie has struggled this year but came through big today with 3 2/3 scoreless and 5 whiffs for his 2nd win of the year, and three relievers took care of the final 4 innings. It helped that they jumped out to an early lead with a 3-run first which included a 2-run Kody Hoese homer (#12). Heston Kjerstad was 2-3 with his 2nd homer of the series, #6 overall, and Victor Robles had a 2-run single.

Team record: 55-32. Next up: An off-day then a trip for 3 to Minnesota, never a friendly place for the Rays.

[Art Deco]

The opener of this series was rained out so we played a doubleheader the next day, and after sweeping the twinbill we dropped the finale. The Yankees also took 2 of 3 so the division lead stays at 4 games.

It was James Hays' turn in the opener and as usual he didn't disappoint, going 6.2 6 1 1 2 10 in a 3-1 Rays win. He's now 9-3, 1.87 with the club and DL Hall had a scoreless 9th for save #11. Ed Howard and Alex Kirilloff were the stars on offense with the former going 3-5 with a double and 2 runs scored while the latter homered against his old club with Howard aboard in the 1st for his 13th.

In the nightcap Alex Kirilloff supplied the runs and JT Ginn supplied the run prevention as the Rays edged Minnesota 2-1 and swept the doubleheader. Kirilloff, who homered in the matinee, went deep twice to account for both runs and give him 15 on the year (he also added a double). Ginn (6-6) meanwhile was dealing at 7 3 1 1 0 3, leaving after allowing a leadoff homer to Aaron Judge in the 8th. Yasunari Uehara recorded his 4th Rays save to preserve the win.

The finale was a frustrating day for the Rays as they left 12 runners on base, any one of whom scoring could have made the difference as they lost 4-3. Dustin May wasn't his sharpest, losing for the second time this season against 11 wins after going 5.2 10 4 4 1 7. It was 4-0 Twins after 6 before the Rays finally got some runners home in the 7th as Victor Robles led off the inning with a solo blast (#11) and Adley Rutschman delivered a 2-run double. But they couldn't get Rutschman (or anyone else) home and their mini 6-game winning streak came to an end.

Team record: 57-33. Next up: 3 games in Chicago against the White Sox.

MLB News: Former Ray Hunter Bishop had a 3-HR, 7-RBI game for the Mets and then followed it up with another homer in his next game. He's 259/355/526 with 14 HR, having a decent year in New York. Meanwhile the Arizona Diamondbacks swept their series and have now won a whopping 15 straight games.

[Art Deco]

After last year's run-scoring woes, the Rays have become a pretty good offensive team this year and they scored 25 runs in the 3 games at Guaranteed Rate Field against the White Sox. That only translated to 2 of 3 wins, though, and with the Yankees doing likewise it's as you were in the AL East with Tampa Bay 4 games up.

Transaction: Heston Kjerstad suffered a strained groin in the finale in Minnesota, and it's "moderate" for 2-3 weeks so back to the IL he goes as his star-crossed season continues and Jhon Diaz returns from Durham.

Andrew Greckel had a monster day and the Rays routed Chicago in the opener 8-2. Greckel was 3-5 with a 3-run HR in 3rd to break the game open and a solo shot later to give him 28 on the year while Yoelqui Cespedes and Kelly Crumpton were each 2-4 with a ribbie. Joe Ryan was solid (5 5 2 2 1 6) to improve to 11-4 despite allowing a couple of solo homers.

The Rays busted open a 4-4 affair in the second game by scoring 5 times in the 8th and taking a 9-4 win over the White Sox. Andrew Greckel was at it again, hitting two homers for the second straight day and giving him the MLB lead with 30. He had a solo shot off early-season Rays flop Nick Lodolo in the 2nd and then broke the tie with a solo blast in the 8th. Victor Robles, who also had a solo shot (#12) off Lodolo, had a big 2-run double to expand the lead in the 8th while Adley Rutschman blasted a 2-run homer off Lodolo in the 5th (#16) and drove in 3 overall. Wennington Romero did not pitch well (4.1 7 4 4 1 1); perhaps he was still affected by his minor back stiffness issues. Diego Castillo (3-2) picked up the win with 2 scoreless innings.

Transaction: With a fresh starter needed thanks to the rainout and doubleheader in Minnesota, Slade Cecconi comes back up after pitching well at Durham to make the start in the finale. Wennington Romero is sent down in a paper move but will come right back.

The Rays found themselves behind Chicago 7-0 in the finale, fought all the way back to tie it at 8 in the 8th, but lost 9-8 in the 10th when former Ray Taylor Walls got his revenge with an RBI single off DL Hall. Slade Cecconi fared poorly in his return start from Durham, going 4.1 5 7 5 2 4 and it was 7-0 White Sox after 5. Alex Kirilloff started the comeback with a 2-run homer (#16), Corey Collins added a 2-run shot in the 7th (#8), and Kelly Crumpton's homer with a man on (#14) got them with 8-7 before they mounted a further rally and Victor Robles singled in the equalizer. But they couldn't get anything going in the 9th or 10th and Hall (2-3) gave up a 2-out double and then Walls' single to end the game.

Transaction: After the game we signed A.J. Puk to a minor league deal (with a hefty $460K bonus) after he was inexplicably released by Detroit despite going 5-2, 2.05 with a 21/79 BB/K ratio in 79 IP. Depending on how Wennington Romero continues to fare, Puk could start for us or otherwise be a lefty weapon out of the pen. He'll go to Durham for the moment.

Team record: 59-34. Next up: 3 games at home vs Texas with James Hays toeing the rubber in the opener against his old mates.

[Art Deco]

While we were in Chicago it was draft time again, and here's our 2027 haul:



About the high picks:

Sponheim:



A high-school 1B who's projected to mash and will have to, given he has no projected defensive value or speed. But 1B has been a black hole of sorts in this save for the Rays so here's hoping he someday fills it.

Strickland:



Our supplemental 1st rounder for the free agent loss of Tyler Glasnow, Strickland's another high schooler from the left side of the defensive spectrum but if the projections pan out, he will rake. Exceptional bat-to-ball skills for a guy who swings at most everything.

Bennett:



A college starter who looks like a potential mid-rotation piece.

Cowles:



A high school pitcher who looks like a potential back end of the rotation piece.

Vitelli:



My favorite kind of prospect, the guy listed as a pitcher who's secretly a potential stud hitter in the making. Pay no attention to those pedestrian pitching ratings and instead check out the numbers on the far right, which are elaborated on here:



Very interesting.

Moore:



Your prototypical college closer who can hopefully help us before the end of the decade.

[Art Deco]

If the Rays go on to win the AL East again this season, we'll be looking back at these three days as when they won it as they swept Texas while the Yankees were swept by Detroit, ballooning the division lead to 7 games.

It was James Hays Day again in the opener, and he dominated as usual against his teammates of earlier this season in a 5-2 win over Texas at Tropicana Field. Hays went to 10-3, 1.77 with a 6 5 1 0 1 11 outing and DL Hall finished up for save #12. Adley Rutschman had an RBI double and Kody Hoese a 2-run homer (#13) in a 3-run 1st inning which sent them on their way. Marcus Semien (#5) and Kelly Crumpton (#15) added solo shots in the 5th.

The second game saw the Rays take an 8-5 win over the Rangers behind a big game from Yoelqui Cespedes. Cespedes has produced whenever called upon, and today he had an RBI single in the 3rd to put the Rays up 2-1 and then added a 2-run homer (#5/#9) in a 4-run 5th which broke the game open. Andrew Greckel doubled and drove in a pair while Ed Howard had 3 doubles, 3 runs scored and an RBI. JT Ginn (7-6) was effective if not overpowering at 5.2 5 2 2 2 1 and with an 8-3 lead in the 9th Franklin Dacosta made a mess allowing a couple of runs so Diego Castillo was summoned for the final out to get save #13.

The Rays completed the sweep with a 9-5 win over Texas that wasn't really that close as Levi Abbott allowed 4 runs (1 earned) over the final 2 innings. Dustin May on the other hand was brilliant once again at 7 5 1 1 0 7 to improve to 12-2, 2.83. Yoelqui Cespedes had yet another big game, going 2-3 with a double, homer (#6/#10) and 3 RBI while Andrew Greckel added to his MLB-leading HR total with #31 while taking over the AL RBI lead at 77 after bringing home a pair. Kelly Crumpton had a 2-run double in the 4th which put the Rays ahead to stay.

Team record: 62-34, and they're now on a 29-7 run. Next up: 3 games in Cleveland.

[Art Deco]

This was supposed to be a 3-game series but the finale was rained out, so we only played two games and split them. The Yankees meanwhile took 2 of 3 from the Angels so they clipped 1/2 game off the division lead which is now 6 1/2.

The Rays took the opener 7-1 behind another great Joe Ryan start and a big 6-run 5th inning. Ryan toyed with Guardians hitters today, going 7 5 1 1 0 6 and is now 12-4, 1.99 as his remarkable (and likely final with the Rays) season continues. Tampa Bay was behind 1-0 going into that 5th before Yoelqui Cespedes tied the game with an RBI single, Victor Robles put them ahead with a 2-run single, and Alex Kirilloff cleared the bases with a double. Kelly Crumpton later added HR #16 with the bases empty.

Cleveland took a split as some sloppy defensive play by the Rays and quality pitching from Shane Bieber gave the Guardians a 7-3 win. With Kelly Crumpton in need of a rest, Kody Hoese took his 35 glove to 3B and made a couple of errors which led to 3 unearned runs off Wennington Romero (2-1), who finished 5.1 3 4 1 1 4. Bieber meanwhile went 6.1 4 1 1 1 8 against them and after he left they scored a couple in the 9th including a solo shot from Alex Kirilloff (#17).

Team record: 63-35. Next up: We get an off-day on top of the rainout, then face Oakland for 3 at the Trop.

[Art Deco]

A sweep for the Rays as their stingy pitching got even stingier, allowing only 3 runs to Oakland over the whole series. Meanwhile the Yankees took 2 of 3 from Toronto but all that did was drop them 7 1/2 behind the Rays. And we made a trade (see below):

Ironically it was the game James Hays started which saw the Rays allow 2 of the 3 runs they did in the series but it wasn't really Hays' doing as Tampa Bay prevailed 6-2 over Oakland in the opener. Hays was ridiculously good as usual, going 7 5 1 0 0 13 to improve to 11-3, 1.67 with Tampa Bay, 13-3 overall, and his season strikeout total eclipsed the 200 mark here in late July. Osvanni Gutierrez made a mess in the 9th after being entrusted with a 6-1 lead so Yasunari Uehara got the final two outs for his 5th save. Meanwhile Adley Rutschman had perhaps his best game of the season, going 4-4 with 2 doubles, a 2-run HR (#17) and 4 RBI while Kody Hoese added a solo shot (#14) and Alex Kirilloff was 2-3 with 3 runs scored, a double and an RBI.

Dustin May was brilliant again but had to be flashing back to last year as the bats didn't support him although he and the bullpen were effective enough to hold the line until the Rays scored in the bottom of the 11th to take a 2-1 win. May was 7.1 6 1 1 2 6 in the no-decision and lowered his ERA to 2.74 with Yasunari Uehara (2-2) picking up the win after striking out the side in the top of the 11th. Victor Robles' RBI single off former Ray Ryan Yarbrough (who bedeviled them otherwise over 5 1/3 in relief of an injured Jesus Luzardo) brought in their regulation run, and Yoelqui Cespedes won the game with a single in the 11th.

After the second game we swung a deal to upgrade the bullpen:



Scott is a flame-throwing lefty (75 stuff) who saved 33 games for the Phillies two years ago before they moved him into a setup role. He had a 3.19 ERA with 52 whiffs in 42 innings this year and is an upgrade over the guy we traded, Dacosta. I liked Dacosta for the future but couldn't pass up this chance especially with the Phillies picking up 100% of Scott's remaining salary (he's a free agent at year's end), keeping our options open over the next week before the deadline. Gomez is a marginal prospect and Horos is something less than marginal.

The third member of the Rays' big 3 starters, Joe Ryan, wasn't going to be upstaged by the other two and pitched 7 shutout innings in a 2-0 win over Oakland to complete the sweep. Ryan lowered his minuscule ERA to 1.88 and improved to 13-4 after a 7 6 0 0 2 8 outing, and Diego Castillo took care of the 9th for save #14 despite scaring everyone by putting a couple of runners on. The bats only squeaked out 4 hits, but one of them was a 2-run single by Kelly Crumpton in the second, and those two runs stood up for the duration.

Team record: 66-35. Next up: We take our longest (by distance) road trip of the season to play 3 in Seattle.

[Art Deco]

A tough series for the Rays as they dropped a pair of close ones to Seattle before salvaging the finale. The Yankees meanwhile swept San Antonio and shaved 2 games off the division lead, moving to within 5 1/2.

The Rays trailed for most of the opener 2-0 before rallying in the 8th to tie it up before Robinson Ortiz (3-3) served up a homer to Julio Rodriguez to allow Seattle a 3-2 win. JT Ginn pitched well (6.2 5 2 0 2 5) and both Seattle runs were unearned due to an error by Kelly Crumpton, who had a miserable night striking out all 4 times up. Alex Kirilloff came up with a clutch two-out, two-run double in the 8th to give the Rays new life, which J-Rod snuffed out in the 8th.

The second game saw the Rays take an early 2-0 lead and then come back twice to tie before succumbing 5-4 to the Mariners. Yoelqui Cespedes had a 2-run double in the 1st to get them an early lead, but Wennington Romero was terrible today (3.2 7 4 4 3 5) and Seattle went back in front. Kody Hoese tied up the game at 4 in the 7th with a double but like last night the Mariners responded right away and Tylor Megill (1-2) was touched for a run in the bottom of the inning. Corey Collins had a solo shot (#9) earlier in the game.

It was James Hays to the rescue in the finale as the Rays avoided being swept by taking a 5-3 win. Hays was a little more pitch-to-contact today and was able to take a shutout into the 9th before he put 2 on and gave up a Julio Rodriguez 3-run shot to make things dicey with one out. Tanner Scott then made his Rays debut and recorded the save by getting the final two outs on only three pitches. Hays was 8.1 6 3 3 0 11 and went to 12-3, 1.77 with Tampa Bay. Alex Kirilloff (3-5 on the day) had an RBI single and Adley Rutschman an RBI double in a 3-run first to get them going, and Marcus Semien added a 2-run homer (#6) in the 4th which proved to be the difference.

Team record: 67-37. We're back home for 3 vs the Red Sox and another date with Tyler Glasnow in the opener. Boston has been a hot team and is now two behind the Yankees and four games up on Minnesota in the second wild card spot.

[Art Deco]

The Rays took 2 of 3 from Boston at the Trop while the Yankees dropped 2 of 3 in Minnesota, so the division lead is back up to 6 1/2 games.

Tyler Glasnow was back at the Trop again with the Red Sox, and he shut out the Rays for 5 innings as they fell 3-0 to Boston. Dustin May (12-3) took the loss, going 6.1 5 3 3 2 6 and allowing two homers, the second of which was an inside-the-parker. They did have their chances, leaving 12 on base with Kody Hoese the main offender stranding 6.

The Rays took the second game 9-2 by hitting grand slams in consecutive innings. Victor Robles was the first, hitting HR #13 in the 2nd with the sacks full, and Kelly Crumpton followed suit with his 17th in the 3rd to make it 8-1. Ed Howard added a solo shot (#5) in the 4th. Joe Ryan (14-4) went 6 6 2 2 0 6 for the win.

Ed Howard had a big day and the Rays took the series from Boston with a 6-3 win. The second-year second-sacker had an RBI double and a solo HR (#6) in a 3-RBI day to lead the offense and Andrew Greckel hit an RBI triple in a 3-run first. The win went to JT Ginn (8-6) after a 5 6 3 3 1 7 outing and Yasunari Uehara pitched a perfect 9th for save #6.

Team record: 69-38. Next up: 3 big games in New York against the Yankees which could have a real impact on the race if either team were to sweep.

[Art Deco]

Having addressed the bullpen with the acquisitions of Yasunari Uehara and Tanner Scott, we set out to once again hopefully fix our perennial black hole at 1B. Kody Hoese has been alright at 263/333/458 but we should be doing better at the position, and Angelo DiSpigna just ain't gettin' it done either. So we did this:



Who is Luis Castro? Glad you asked:



Not too shabby, although given our track record with deadline acquisitions he'll probably hit 230/300/410 or something. He's having a career year and hitting somewhat over his head relative to his ratings and his last two years, so we're probably on the hook for the regression. We'll see. The price wasn't bad - I have pretty much given up on DiSpigna, and Zeke Villegas is a decent starting pitching prospect whom OSA really loves (potential 70 stuff!) but my head scout doesn't (60 with iffy control and movement). Castro is projected for $9M in arbitration next year so it's an open question of whether we'll be able to afford him or not in 2028. For now he slots in as our everyday 1B and he has no discernible platoon splits.

[Art Deco]

The Rays came into this series 6 1/2 up on the Yankees and left it 7 1/2 up after taking 2 of 3 and nearly pulling off a sweep.

Pitching was the name of the game in the opener as the Rays got a good (if short) start from Wennington Romero and the bullpen was brilliant in a 2-0 win. Romero went 4.1 3 0 0 4 7, pitching out of jams with big strikeouts but was pulled in the 5th on 89 pitches and a tough run of righties due up. Osvanni Gutierrez (5-1), the first of three relievers, got the win getting those righties out, and DL Hall completed the team shutout with save #13. There wasn't much offense, but new acquisition Luis Castro came through big in his first Rays at-bat by singling in a run in the 1st with two out and Kody Hoese, whose at-bats will be most impacted by Castro's acquisition, made his case for more by hitting HR #15 in the 4th.

It was time for our every fifth day tradition of sitting back and watching James Hays do his thing, and he didn't disappoint in a 4-1 Rays win over the Yankees. Hays was 7 3 0 0 0 10 in what has become a typical outing for him and improved to 13-3, 1.68 with Tampa Bay. Tylor Megill gave up a Gleyber Torres homer in the 9th or it would have been consecutive shutouts. Marcus Semien was the hero on offense, with three hits and three RBI and his 2-run single in the 7th gave Tampa Bay some breathing room. They probably could have scored 10 runs as they left 16 on base after getting 15 hits, 4 walks and 2 hit batters but 4 was more than enough with Hays on the mound.

The finale was a back-and-forth affair which finally went the Yankees' way when Byron Buxton hit his 2nd homer of the game in the bottom of the 9th off Yasunari Uehara (2-3) in the bottom of the 9th to walk it off 6-5 for New York and keep them from completely losing touch in the division race. Dustin May started and had a rougher time than usual, surrendering a grand slam to Buxton in the 4th inning to put the Yankees up 4-1. But the Rays fought back to tie it in the 5th on a 2-run Ed Howard homer (#7) and actually took a 5-4 lead in the 6th. May then gave up a Gleyber Torres homer to let New York equalize to finish 6 9 5 5 0 6 and the Rays squandered a great chance to score in the 9th with the bases loaded and nobody out before Buxton walked it off in the bottom of the frame.

Team record: 71-39. Next up: An off-day then 3 at home vs Houston.

[Art Deco]

The Rays pulled off a sweep of the Astros, knocking them out of first place in the AL West. Meanwhile the Yankees took 2 of 3 from Texas but that dropped them another game back with the division lead now an imposing 8 1/2 games.

Joe Ryan was sharp again and Kelly Crumpton had a career day as the Rays took the opener from Houston 10-4 at the Trop. The rookie 3B had a 2-run double to put them ahead to stay in the 2nd and then belted a 3-run homer (#18) as part of a 5-run 8th which truly broke the game open. Victor Robles opened the game for the Rays with HR #14 while Kody Hoese tripled and drove in a pair. Ryan improved to 15-4 thanks to a 5.2 4 1 1 3 4 outing and lowered his ERA to 1.92.

The Rays steadily built a lead for JT Ginn and he pitched well in a 6-1 win over the Astros. Luis Castro was 3-3 with a double and HBP, Andrew Greckel hit his MLB-leading 32nd homer and Marcus Semien drove in a pair to lead the offense. Ginn meanwhile went to 9-6, 3.82 on the back of a 5.2 5 1 1 2 2 performance.

Luis Castro, true Ray. The slugging 1B touted as the latest savior at the position for the Rays had his first signature moment in Tampa Bay courtesy of a walk-off homer leading off the 9th to give the Rays a 3-2 win and a series sweep of Houston. Castro had hit for average (7-17) over his first five Rays games but this time did the thing for which he was brought in: to put the ball in the seats. It was his 27th of the season overall, and made a winner of Yasunari Uehara (3-3) who pitched a scoreless 9th. Wennington Romero started and pitched well again, going 5 3 2 0 3 3 and lowering his ERA to 3.57 as he's settled down the 5th starter slot. Ed Howard continued his recent homer tear with #8 in the 6th inning, his 4th in 7 games.

Team record: 74-39. Next up: The homestand continues as Baltimore visits for 3.

MLB News: August 4th was a memorable night as two Chicago pitchers threw complete-game no-hitters. Chad Kuhl of the White Sox did the trick against the Angels, walking 2 and fanning 4 in a 93-pitch "Maddux". Over in the NL (and on the North side), the Cubs' Braxton Garrett no-hit the Brewers as he walked 4 and whiffed 6 on 115 pitches.

[Art Deco]

The Rays' winning bandwagon hit a speed bump against Baltimore as they prevailed in the opener but dropped the next two. Meanwhile the Yankees swept Cleveland, lopping two games off the division lead and pulling within 6 1/2.

James Hays took the mound in the opener, and well say no more the Rays won 6-0. Hays is having a season for the ages, reminiscent of 1999-2000 Pedro Martinez as he went 6 4 0 0 1 11 and is now 14-3, 1.61 since being acquired. Adley Rutschman's 2-run HR (#18) broke things open and the final 2 Tampa Bay runs came courtesy of pair of Kelly Crumpton solo shots as the rookie reached the 20-homer plateau.

It was not Dustin May's day as the normally reliable and consistent righty was lit up like a Christmas tree today in a wild 15-8 Orioles win. May's bad day went 3.2 8 8 8 2 4, finally chased by a 3-run Javy Baez homer. May fell to 12-4 and after giving up 5 runs in his previous start his ERA has climbed from 2.81 to 3.43. Levi Abbott was hit for 5 more runs in 2 1/3 including a pair of homers, giving him 11 yielded in 40.1 IP and leading me to return the Rule 5 draftee to Detroit. There were some offensive highlights including a 2-run Corey Collins homer (#10), a 2-run Yoelqui Cespedes triple, and a 3-run Alex Kirilloff shot (#18) but all came with the game decided.

Transaction: As mentioned, Levi Abbott was sent back to the Tigers, I wanted a better long reliever/mop-up guy and I couldn't stomach his 40 movement any longer. So Slade Cecconi is back up after pitching well at Durham in the rotation; he'll take over Abbott's role in relief.

The Rays could have used some of those 8 runs they wasted the night before as the bats were held in check in a 3-1 finale loss. Joe Ryan (15-5) pitched well once again (6 5 2 2 0 6) but he lost a 1-0 lead in the 6th on a 2-run DJ Stewart homer. Ed Howard's 9th homer in the 1st, his 5th in 10 games, was the sum total of Tampa Bay's offense today.

Team record: 75-41. Next up: 3 games in Kansas City.

[Art Deco]

The Rays' mini-funk continued as they dropped the first two to the Royals to make it 4 straight losses but they did salvage the finale as James Hays was on the mound. Amazingly the Rays gained ground on the Yankees as New York was swept in Oakland, so the division lead is back up to 7 1/2.

Transaction: Activated Heston Kjerstad from his rehab assignment at Durham, where he had a 2-homer game, and optioned Jhon Diaz to the Bulls. Kjerstad's return will relegate Kody Hoese to the bench.

The Rays lost a tough one to Kansas City to open the series as they battled back to tie the game at 3 on Ed Howard's 2-run HR (#10, 6th in his last 11) in the top of the 8th, only for DL Hall (2-4) to surrender a run in the bottom of the inning to send them to a 4-3 loss. JT Ginn turned in a decent start (5 4 2 2 3 5).

The second game was ugly as Wennington Romero didn't have it and the Rays were routed 7-1 by the Royals. The lefty was hit to the tune of 4.2 7 6 6 1 5 and gave up a pair of homers, including one to recent former Ray Angelo DiSpigna, who of course has hit 4 homers in 9 games since the trade for Luis Castro, who has just one for the Rays.

James Hays has been otherworldly this season and today he played the role of stopper as the Rays had lost the four games since his last turn in the rotation. He "struggled" today in a 5-0 win, if you can call 6 5 0 0 2 7 "struggling" as it took him 110 pitches and he actually was in a couple of jams. This was his third consecutive start covering 19 innings in which he hasn't allowed a run and he's now 17-3, 1.64 overall on the season. Forget the Cy Young, Hays should be the frontrunner for MVP. One guy who might give him some competition in that department is Andrew Greckel, who had a big offensive day including his AL-best 33rd homer, a 2-run shot in the 8th after he singled in the opening Rays run in the first. Heston Kjerstad also hit his 7th and first since coming back from his second IL stint of the year. Yoelqui Cespedes was ejected and suspended 3 games for charging the mound after being hit immediately following Kjerstad's homer.

Team record: 76-43. Next up: 3 games at home vs Detroit which has slumped of late, losing 4 straight and losing the best record in the AL to the Rays a little while back; they're now 72-48.

[Art Deco]

What a disastrous three days for the Rays. Not only were they swept by Detroit at home allowing 21 runs in the three games to make it 7 losses in 8 games, the Yankees swept Seattle and made it a race again pulling within 4 1/2 games. And in the cruelest blow of all, Wander Franco tore the abdominal muscle he was rehabbing and instead of returning within a week he needs surgery and is done for the year. Upon hearing that news, I considered calling up MI prospect Brennon McNair who was hitting 313/379/606 with 29 HR and 74 RBI at Durham, but he ruptured his Achilles the same night and is also done for the year. Finally out of desperation we agreed to a deal with the Angels to bring back former Rays SS Willy Adames provided he clears waivers (which he should).

Dustin May's recent woes continued as he was hit hard in a 9-4 loss to the Tigers in the series opener at Tropicana Field. May (12-5) was 2.1 8 6 3 1 4 in his third straight poor start. Marcus Semien did hit a 2-run HR (#7) in the 9th to make the score slightly more respectable.

Transaction: After the game we sent Christian Chamberlain, who gave up two more runs tonight and sports a 6.47 ERA, to Durham and purchased the contract of A.J. Puk, whom we signed about a month back after his inexplicable release by Detroit and had fanned 18 in 8 1/3 innings at Durham.

The second game was an exercise in frustration as Joe Ryan pitched well despite getting into a few jams but the bats couldn't come through in the clutch and Detroit ended up with a 5-1 win. Ryan was 5 7 1 1 1 4 in a no-decision and the game was 1-1 after 6 with the Rays failing to score in two bases-loaded situations, one with one out and another with nobody out. Alex Kirilloff's solo homer (#19) was their only run. A.J. Puk, who made his Rays debut in the 6th with a scoreless inning, ran into trouble in the 7th and Detroit scored twice to saddle him with the loss, and Robinson Ortiz gave up 2 more runs to seal the Rays' fate. And for the second straight series we had a player ejected and suspended as Andrew Greckel thought it would be wise to charge the mound after being hit with a pitch following Kirilloff's homer.

Transaction: Greckel was placed on the restricted list for his 3-game suspension and we recalled a blast from the past, Matt Higgins, from Durham. Higgins was up for a bit in 2025, hitting .328 in 58 at-bats and made one appearance last year.

JT Ginn was hit hard in the finale but the Rays had a chance to come back and once again squandered a good opportunity in a 7-5 loss. Ginn (9-7) was 5.1 8 5 5 0 7 with 3 homers allowed, putting them in a 5-0 hole by the 5th. Despite scoring 5 runs the Rays left 14 men on base, including the bases loaded in the 9th when Victor Robles capped an 0-6 day and saw his average drop to .226 by grounding out to end the game, leaving 8 men on base on the day. Kelly Crumpton was 0-5 with 8 LOB for dishonorable mention. Matt Higgins got a start and responded, going 3-5 with 2 RBI. Jhon Diaz tripled in a run in the 8th but injured his back and is IL-bound.

Team record: 76-46. Next up: A much-welcomed off day before heading to LA to take on the Angels where Willy Adames might come home with us.

[Art Deco]

Things are looking a lot better after a 3-game sweep of the Angels and although the Yankees took 2 of 3 from the Red Sox the lead is back up to 5 1/2 games.

The opener did not start well for the Rays as they trailed 4-2 after 6, but they scored 3 times in the 7th to go ahead. Although the Angels tied it with a Mike Trout homer off A.J. Puk, the Rays then scored 6 times in the 8th to take an 11-6 win. Yoelqui Cespedes continues to be an inspired acquisition as he blasted a pair of solo homers to give him 8 with the Rays and 12 overall, and added a 2-run single in that 6-run 8th to cap a 3-5, 4 RBI day. Cespedes is hitting 353/415/647 with 29 RBI in 43 games this year since the trade from the White Sox. Heston Kjerstad had 2-run HR in the 7th (#8) and Kelly Crumpton capped the 6-run 8th with a 2-run shot of his own (#21). Wennington Romero had another poor start (4 4 3 3 3 3) and three relievers allowed runs, including winner Tylor Megill (2-2).

After hitting four homers last night the Rays blasted four more in the second game to account for all their scoring in a 9-3 win. Adley Rutschman started things in the first with a 3-run no-doubter on which the outfielders didn't move (#19), Kelly Crumpton added a 2-run blast for the second straight day (#22), and Alex Kirilloff (#20) and Heston Kjerstad (#9) hit 2-run homers off former Ray Reid Detmers. James Hays started and looked semi-mortal, allowing a first inning homer to Brandon Marsh and going 7.2 4 3 2 3 6 but still went to 16-3, 1.58 as a Ray.

The Rays completed the sweep with a 6-3 decision over the Angels behind a bounceback start from Dustin May and more fun with the longball, hitting 2 more today to give them 10 for the 3-game series. May (13-5) rebounded from 3 bad starts to go 6 8 2 2 0 6 and Yasunari Uehara had a scoreless 9th for save #7. Kelly Crumpton stayed toasty by going 3-4 and homering for the third straight day (#23), driving in a pair, while Adley Rutschman went deep for the second straight game and joined Crumpton, Andrew Greckel and Alex Kirilloff in the 20-homer club. Heston Kjerstad contributed a 2-run double.

Team record: 79-46. Next up: Back home for 3 vs Toronto. The Jays, who were our chief competition for the East most of last season, have fallen to last in the AL East at 58-68.

And the deal is now official as Adames and his hefty salary (which the Angels picked up 70% of in the deal) cleared waivers:



Who says you can't go home again? Adames will become the everyday SS, taking over for Marcus Semien who stopped hitting (average down to .222), and will provide above-average defense at a key position (better than Wander's), something we badly need. The three guys we sent LA's way include a pair of 27-year-olds in complex ball and an 11th-round pick who can't hit.

Also I have made a surprise decision to move Tylor Megill into the starting rotation. His ratings look good as a starter (65 stuff) with the only drawback 40 stamina so it'll be 5 innings at best for him. Wennington Romero, who drops out of the rotation, will piggyback/tandem with him.

[Art Deco]

The Rays took 2 of 3 from Toronto while the Yankees did likewise with the White Sox, so the lead stays at 5 1/2 but 3 more days have come off the schedule.

Transaction: Andrew Greckel came off the restricted list after serving his suspension and Matt Higgins was optioned to Durham.

It was Heston Kjerstad day at the Trop in the opener as the slugging left-fielder drilled a pair of 2-run homers to provide all the offense in a 4-2 win over the Jays. He went deep with a man on in both the 2nd and the 4th to make it 11 on the season for him and 4 in his last 4 games. Joe Ryan got past giving up a homer to Bo Bichette to lead off the game and finished 5 5 2 1 2 4 to improve to 16-5, 1.95 and three relievers combined to get the final 12 outs with Yasunari Uehara recording save #8.

JT Ginn and a pair of relievers combined on a 6-hit shutout as the Rays topped the Jays again 3-0. Ginn was outstanding at 6.1 4 0 0 2 6 and is now 10-7, 3.81, Tanner Scott retired all 5 men he faced and DL Hall picked up his 14th save by striking out the side after allowing a couple of hits to start the 9th. Back-to-back solo homers from Alex Kirilloff (#21) and Andrew Greckel (#34) in the 4th were all the runs needed.

The Rays lost Tylor Megill's first start after joining the rotation 9-5 but Megill was excellent while the bullpen was horrible. Megill was a fine 5 5 1 1 1 7 on 72 pitches and left with a 2-1 lead. Wennington Romero (2-3), whose rotation spot Megill took, followed him in relief to start the 6th and loaded the bases, and Osvanni Gutierrez gave up a single and a grand slam and it was suddenly 6-2 Toronto. The Rays rallied for 3 in the bottom of the frame to get within 6-5, but AJ Puk continued to look terrible since being called up and he gave up 3 in the 9th on a pair of homers. Andrew Greckel had a solo homer (#35) and Victor Robles drove in a pair in a losing cause.

Team record: 81-47. Next up: 3 games in San Antonio.

[Art Deco]

The Rays normally have their way with the Alamos, but they dropped 2 of 3 to San Antonio while the Yankees took 2 of 3 from Houston so the division lead is back down to 4 1/2 games with the magic number sitting at 27.

They did take the opener behind a big game from Adley Rutschman and a good outing from James Hays, who won his 19th game overall in a 5-2 triumph over San Antonio. Rutschman was 3-4 with an RBI double in the 1st and a solo homer (#21) in the 6th, and Ed Howard had a key 2-run insurance double in the 9th. Hays gave up 2 runs in the 5th to let the Alamos tie but nothing else in a 6 6 2 2 1 11 outing. Yasunari Uehara struck out the side in the 9th for save #9 as Rays pitchers fanned 17 Alamos in total.

Dustin May looked like he was out of his slump after a good start last time out but gave up a grand slam in the 1st in a 5-4 loss. He did settle in to go 5 4 4 4 2 5 and the Rays rallied to tie it up at 4 in the 5th on back-to-back homers from Ed Howard (#11, a 2-run shot) and Alex Kirilloff (#22), but Robinson Ortiz (3-4) loaded the bases in the bottom of the 6th and walked in a run to give the Alamos the game winner.

Another rough start from a normally-reliable starter sent the Rays to their second straight 5-4 defeat to San Antonio. Joe Ryan was hit for 3 in the 1st inning, including a 2-run homer, and then gave up another 2-run shot in the 6th as his gopher-ball tendencies have returned of late. Ryan (16-6) finished 5.2 9 5 5 0 6 and his ERA rose to 2.17. Like yesterday the Rays mounted a comeback which fell short with Marcus Semien (#8), who also doubled in a run, Kelly Crumpton (#24) and Andrew Greckel (#36) all hitting solo homers.

Team record: 82-49. Next up: home for 3 vs Minnesota, which had tied Boston for the second wild card spot before being swept in their last series while the Red Sox swept Baltimore so they're now 3 out.

[Art Deco]

A great series for the Rays, who swept a team which has been tough on them in the past in the Twins. The Yankees took 2 of 3 from Baltimore but it wasn't enough to keep up, with the division lead up to 5 1/2 and the magic number down to 23.

JT Ginn has really turned things around since a rough start, and today marked the 13th time in his last 14 starts going back to June 2 in which he's allowed 3 runs or fewer in as the Rays took a 6-2 win over Minnesota at the Trop. Ginn improved to 11-7, 3.72 after going 5.2 4 2 1 2 5. He got support via the longball from Victor Robles (#15, a 2-run shot in the 3rd), Kody Hoese (#16, a solo homer in the 5th which put them ahead to stay) and Luis Castro (only his 2nd with the Rays in 23 games, a 3-run blast to break the game open in the 6th). DL Hall retired all 5 men he faced to record his 15th save.

The Rays came back to take a 7-5 win over Minnesota in the second game, hanging on after a 9th-inning scare. Tylor Megill made his second start and was dominating at times but gave up 3 runs to finish 5 6 3 3 0 9 and left down 3-1. His teammates had his back, as Kelly Crumpton homered (#26) in the 4th to cut the deficit to 3-2, Alex Kirilloff delivered RBI singles in the 5th and 7th to tie it and give them the lead, and Andrew Greckel launched a 2-run shot later in the 7th to tie him again with Spencer Torkelson for the league lead with 37. Corey Collins added a solo blast in the 8th (#11). Tanner Scott went two scoreless innings to pick up his first Rays win (and 8th of the year), but Yasunari Uehara made a mess with a 7-3 lead, allowing a pair of runs in the 9th before escaping on a line drive to the LF to end the game.

James Hays became the first 20-game winner of 2027 as the Rays completed the sweep of Minnesota with a 6-3 win. Hays was overpowering as usual, going 6 6 2 2 1 13, nicked for a 2-run Royce Lewis homer in the 6th. Overall he's 20-3 with a 1.75 ERA and a 24/278 BB/K ratio in 184.2 IP, God almighty. Alex Kirilloff (#23) and Luis Castro (#3/#29) each had 2-run homers in the 3rd to put Tampa Bay up 4-0 and Victor Robles was 3-4 with steal #34 and 2 RBI. Yasunari Uehara pitched much better today, striking out the side in the 9th for save #10 as Rays pitching fanned 19 Twins today, including Aaron Judge and Aaron Sabato who each whiffed in all 4 plate appearances. It's good to see Castro heating up with 2 homers in the 3-game series as he had been looking like the latest in a long line of big-name in-season acquisitions (and the latest in a long line of great hopes at 1B) who have struggled with the team. With the homers he's now 242/330/429 in 25 games with 3 HR and 10 RBI total, still disappointing numbers and paling in comparison to Angelo DiSpigna, who went the other way to KC and is 287/367/598 with 6 homers in the same span for the Royals.

Team record: 85-49. Next up: An off-day then the White Sox visit for 3.