The 2021 (and only 2021) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

The Rays only managed 9 runs over their three games with the Angels but it turned out to be enough to win two of them as they stayed 1/2 game up on Baltimore in first place.

The lack of offense did come back to bite them in the opener as they fell 5-2 to LA. Joe Marlette (4-5) was dominant through 5 but succumbed in the 6th as the Angels got three, leaving him at 6 5 3 3 0 12. A 2-run Danny Arroyave homer (#2) got them within 3-2 but that was as good as it got.

It took a while but Tampa Bay finally got its offense going, scoring 5 times in the 6th and 7th to defeat the Angels 5-1. Mario Urizar had to settle for a no-decision after going 5 6 1 1 2 2 as he left before they overturned a 1-0 deficit with 3 in the 6th keyed by a Wander Franco RBI double, one of his three hits on the game. Danny Mauricio (4-1) earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief.

The Rays took the rubber game from LA, although it was a struggle and they were outhit on the day 11-4 but they eked out a 3-2 win thanks to a 2-run Luis Berumen homer (#12) in the bottom of the 7th which reversed a 2-1 deficit. Danny Morales was a solid 5.2 6 1 1 2 7 and they used five relievers over the final 3 1/3 with Jake Bridgewater (1-0) getting the win and Jadon Smith collecting his 13th save with a perfect 2-whiff 9th.

Team record: 32-25. Next up: The homestand continues with 4 against Toronto. The Jays are only 1 1/2 back as well.

[Art Deco]

A frustrating series for the Rays as they held multi-run leads in all 4 games but had to end up settling for a split. As a result, they're now one game back of Baltimore in the AL East.

Transaction: The last of our injured stars is back as Danny Charlton returns with Duk-yoon Ko optioned to Durham to make room.

The Rays took the opener from Toronto 6-3 thanks to a 3-run 6th keyed by Alex Rivas' 2-run double. Luis Berumen gave them a quick 2-0 lead with HR #13 in the first and Joe Stack added a solo shot (#8) for some late insurance. Gabe Bryant started and went 5.2 6 3 3 0 7, Danny Mauricio (5-1) got the win, and Jadon Smith closed it out for save #14.

Normally a team would feel good about taking a 5-1 lead after the first two innings but Rays pitching was soon overwhelmed and they ended up on the wrong end a 13-6 loss to the Jays. Alex Rivas led the game off with his 2nd homer and Luis Berumen went yard for the second straight day (#14) to help them jump ahead but Joe Scheu (3-2) reverted to his poor early season form and ended up 4 6 7 7 2 1 and the pen wasn't much help from there.

Joe Marlette pitched one of his best games as a Ray, which is saying something, and Tampa Bay took a 7-3 win in the third game. The lefty was perfect through 6 innings, fanning 12 until he allowed a leadoff homer in the 7th. Marlette (5-5) finished 7 1 1 1 0 13 and lowered his ERA below 4 for the first time this season after a rough beginning to the season. Branden Gammage had to get the final out of the game for his 2nd save. The offense was led by Wander Franco, who homered twice (#7 & 8) and drove in 3 while Danny Charlton added a 2-run homer (#5), his first since returning.

The Jays returned the favor of the previous night, beating the Rays 7-3 in the finale. Wander Franco stayed hot with a 1st-inning 2-run homer (#9) to give them a quick 2-0 lead, but it didn't last long as Mario Urizar (4-5) had his struggles at 6.1 6 5 5 4 4. Tony Fisher did add a solo shot, his 13th.

Team record: 34-27. Next up: Back on the road with 3 in Boston.

[Art Deco]

A good series for Tampa Bay as they win 2 of 3 and move back into a first-place tie with Baltimore atop the AL East.

The Rays took a quick 3-0 lead in the opener but saw it slip away before Willie Gutierrez delivered a 9th-inning RBI double to give them a 4-3 over the Sox at Fenway. Danny Morales pitched well at 5.2 5 3 1 1 6, Ruben Abeyta (2-2) got the win and Jadon Smith earned his 15th save as they sent Boston to its 6th straight defeat.

It was a pitchers' duel in the second game which the Rays came out on the short end of in a 2-1 loss. Gabe Bryant (3-3) was outstanding in going 7.1 4 2 2 1 6 but after Tony Fisher delivered another clutch homer (#14) to tie it in the top of the 8th, Bryant lost it in the bottom of the inning.

The Rays took the finale, snapping a 4-4 tie in the 7th and then breaking it open with 5 in the 9th to best Boston 10-4. Wander Franco's solo homer (#10) was the winning blow and they also got longballs from Danny Charlton (#6) and Danny Arroyave (#3), the latter a 3-run pinch-hit blast in that 5-run 9th. Joe Scheu had his usual struggles at 5.1 6 4 4 1 2 and the win went to Danny Mauricio (6-1).

Team record: 36-28. Next up: We stay in the Northeast, heading to Citi Field for 3 against the Mets for some interleague action.

[Art Deco]

A miserable three days in Queens as the Rays were swept by the Mets thanks to a blown game and two others in which they couldn't get much offense going.

It wasn't like they tore the cover off the ball in the opener but 3 should have been enough as they took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the 9th before Jadon Smith reverted to his early-season form and blew it, giving the Mets a 4-3 win. A solo shot from Luis Berumen (#15) and a 2-run go-ahead blast from Alex Rivas (#3) combined with a fine 6 4 2 2 1 8 outing from Joe Marlette should have been enough for the win, but Smith (0-5) blew his 3rd save and first since April when he put two on with one out, wild-pitched them to 2nd and 3rd, gave up the tying run on a sac fly, and then wild-pitched the winning run home. Arrgh.

The Mets jumped on Mario Urizar for 5 runs in the first 3 innings and coasted to a 6-1 win in the second game. Urizar (4-6) to his credit hung in there and saved the bullpen, finishing 7.2 8 6 6 3 3 but it was one ugly game. Art Bing's solo homer in the 8th (#3) spared them being shut out.

The offense was AWOL again in the finale as the Rays were 2-1 losers to the Mets. Danny Morales (2-3) deserved a better fate after going 5.2 3 2 2 3 6 but Wander Franco's solo shot (#11) in the 3rd was it.

Team record: 36-31. The sweep turned into a real disaster as Baltimore swept its series, sending the Rays from 1/2 up to 2 1/2 behind. Next up: An off-day to travel south to Atlanta for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

The Rays tore the cover off the ball in a couple of comfortable wins but couldn't get the one run they needed in the finale and had to settle for 2 out of 3.

It didn't look so comfortable at the start in the opener for the Rays as they fell behind 4-1 to Atlanta, but a 7-run 6th turned things around and they took a 9-4 win. Gabe Bryant was victimized by a couple of homers and a key Wander Franco error to finish 4.2 5 4 2 1 3 but after he left his teammates went to town with 3-run homers from Luis Berumen (#16) and Justin Blackwell (#8) keying the big 6th. Berumen went deep again later for #17 and Willie Gutierrez put them on the board with his 4th. Jon Coggin (5-0) picked up the win in relief.

The Rays never seemed to stop scoring in the second game as they scored twice in the 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th to handle Atlanta 8-2. Joe Scheu (4-2) had a rare good start at 5.1 5 2 2 2 2 and they were homer-happy again with 5 longballs. Alex Rivas' 2-run shot in the 3rd (#4) got them going, Tony Fisher had a pair of solo shots (#15 & 16), Luis Berumen went yard again (#18), and Agustin Lopez had the biggest day of all, going 3-4 with a double and HR #3.

It was a frustrating finale though as the Rays had several chances to score but couldn't plate the run they needed in a 3-2 loss. Joe Marlette (5-6) had some early issues and went 5 8 3 3 0 7. Alex Rivas did his part, driving in both runs with a single and his second homer in as many days (#5).

Team record: 38-32. While taking 2 of 3 in Atlanta was good work, they still lost a game to Baltimore, who swept the Mets and moved 2 1/2 ahead in the AL East. Next up: We return to the Trop to play 3 against Detroit.

[Art Deco]

Another good series for the Rays as they took 2 of 3 from the Tigers, and with Baltimore losing 2 of 3 they've pulled to within 1 1/2 of the Orioles.

A 3-run 8th broke open a close game and Tampa Bay took the opener from Detroit 5-0. Mario Urizar (5-6) was in fine form at 6 6 0 0 2 3 and Ruben Abeyta, who came on in the 8th when it was 2-0, stayed in to pick up his 2nd save. Luis Berumen's solo homer (#19) in the first, his 4th in the last 4 games, turned out to be all they'd need.

Rays pitching twirled another shutout in the second game as Danny Morales and two relievers combined on a 3-hit whitewashing of Detroit in a 9-0 win. Morales (3-3) went 7.1 3 0 0 3 5 and had a no-hitter for 6 1/3 innings before giving up a single. Tony Fisher (#17) and Danny Charlton (#7) had early solo homers, while Luis Berumen's power surge continued with a 3-run shot in the 8th (#20), his fifth in as many games, to cap a 4-RBI day. Justin Blackwell also contributed a 2-run shot (#9).

Tampa Bay couldn't quite pull off the sweep as they fell 7-2 to the Tigers, although 4 runs allowed in the 9th belied what a close game it was. Gabe Bryant (3-4) deserved a better fate after going 5 5 2 2 1 6 but only the red-hot Luis Berumen was able to solve Detroit's Ivan Nedelka, one of the league's top young pitchers, with his 21st homer and 6 in 6 games.

Team record: 40-33. Next up: A day off then we travel cross-country starting with 3 in Anaheim against the Angels.

[Art Deco]

Not the greatest series as the Rays dropped 2 of 3, but things went well for them in another respect as Baltimore was swept, meaning they've crept within 1/2 game of the lead in a division nobody seems to want.

The opener was a disheartening experience as the Rays battled all the way back from a 6-0 deficit to tie by the 8th inning, only to allow a run in the bottom of the frame and fall 7-6 to the Angels. Joe Scheu's 2037 struggles continued as he went 3 7 6 5 1 0 but the bats took him off the hook. The red-hot Tony Fisher (#18) and Danny Charlton (#8) each had 2-run homers to pull them within 6-4 and Justin Blackwell's 2-run double in the 8th completed the comeback. Alas Danny Arroyave's second error of the game in the bottom of the inning allowed the winning run to score, saddling Ruben Abeyta (2-3) with the loss.

The Rays romped in the second game as Tony Fisher kept it going with two more homers in an 11-1 blowout of LA. His 2-run homer in the 4th and solo shot (#20) in the 6th blew the game open, and Joe Stack (a 2-run shot, #9) and Danny Arroyave (solo, #4) also went yard. Joe Marlette evened his record at 6-6, going 6.1 7 1 1 1 5.

The final score in the finale was 9-2 Angels, but until very late it was a much closer affair. Agustin Lopez had an RBI single and a solo homer (#4) to keep them in it at 3-2 but Mario Urizar (5-7) put the leadoff man on in the bottom of the 7th and Danny Mauricio committed arson instead of putting out the fire, allowing Urizar's man and four of his own to score and put the game out of reach. Urizar finished 6 5 4 4 3 4 and it was the second straight appearance in which Mauricio has allowed 4 runs.

Team record: 41-35. Next up: A chance to overtake the Orioles as we play a quick 2-game series with them in Baltimore.

[Art Deco]

The Rays didn't get the 2-game sweep to propel them into first place but they at least maintained the status quo by splitting with the Orioles and staying 1/2 game back in the AL East.

And they were glad to split because they dropped the opener 5-3 to Baltimore. Danny Morales (3-4) put them in a 4-0 hole by the second and finished 4 9 4 4 2 3. Tony Fisher's 2-run double helped get them back within 4-3 in the 3rd but that would be the last we'd hear from the offense.

Things didn't start off great in the second game when Gabe Bryant had to leave in the 2nd inning with hand soreness (he'll be fine) but Leo Gutierrez did a fine job in long relief and the offense came alive as the Rays took an 8-2 win to salvage the split. Gutierrez held things scoreless until the 5th when the bats put 4 on the board keyed by a Justin Blackwell RBI double and a 2-run homer from Art Bing (#4), who's been extremely productive (283/371/604) in limited action as the backup C. They kept tacking on after that including solo homers from the red-hot Tony Fisher (#21) and Joe Stack (#10). Meanwhile Gutierrez (3-1) earned the win going 4.2 4 2 2 0 5 in long relief.

Team record: 42-36. Next up: We head up I-95 for another 2-gamer, this time with Boston.

[Art Deco]

The Rays' highly frustrating season continued with a pair of losses at Fenway, including one of the more epic bullpen meltdowns you'll see.

It's about time to swap out Joe Scheu for Leo Gutierrez in the rotation as the former was terrible once again and the Rays weren't competitive in a 6-1 loss to the Red Sox. Scheu (4-3) was tagged for 2 7 5 3 0 1 and has now allowed a whopping 81 hits in 55 innings this season to go with a 7.53 ERA. Our team defense is lousy this year so Scheu already was at a disadvantage but he's simply become unstartable. Danny Arroyave's solo homer (#5) was all the offense could muster.

The second game? Hoo boy, just an unbelievable loss as Joe Marlette was a brilliant 6 4 1 1 2 9 and the offense gave them an 8-1 lead highlighted by Wander Franco's 4 hits and Tony Fisher's 3-5 with a 2-run triple. But then came the bullpen as four pitchers had a hand in allowing 8 runs over the final 3 innings to stick the Rays with a 9-8 loss. Kenny Battle and Danny Mauricio started it by combining to allow 5 runs in the 7th, Ruben Abeyta gave up a solo homer in the 8th and then the egregiously inconsistent Jadon Smith (0-6!) coughed up a pair in the 9th to lose it on a 2-run Vlad Jr. double. This was Smith's 4th blown save to go with 6 losses although in some cases like today he was charged with both in the same game. Either way, no bueno.

Team record: 42-38. Not enough that have we slipped 2 1/2 behind Baltimore, we're now a game out of the 3rd wild card. Next up: Back home for 3 against Toronto.

[Art Deco]

Where things stand around MLB:



Yes the Rays have slipped to third in the AL East and are tied with two other teams a game back of the third wild card. Early in the season the excuse was key players missing due to injury but lately they've just been downright mediocre.



There's good and bad here with the good being this is a better team than their record - 5 games better according to their Pythagorean record. The bad news is that they've blown lots of leads and one of the game's top closers in Jadon Smith has been miserable this year. And the defense is horrible, taking a team that is first in pitcher WAR with a great BB/K ratio and which keeps the ball in the park to middling numbers overall.



That's not to say the offense is off the hook for blame either. For every Luis Berumen or Tony Fisher having an incredible season there's a Danny Charlton, Joe Stack or Danny Arroyave vastly underachieving. Arroyave has been badly outplayed by his injury replacement Luis Cisneros in one of the more surprising developments of the season.



Aside from Scheu (the worst-case scenario of an extreme contact pitcher playing behind a terrible defense) the rotation has been outstanding. The real problem is the pen where our late-inning guys (Smith, Abeyta, Mauricio) have been downright awful and cost us several games. They're all well-rated with a good track record so all we can do is hope for some positive regression because we don't have money to add payroll.



The good news is that the farm system looks strong with 24 players in MLB's top 500. Marion was up briefly and could step in as the 5th starter if our move to Leo Gutierrez doesn't work out, Serrato is our next big slugger, and Doughty is ready to catch in the bigs.

[Art Deco]

Another series that encapsulated all that is wrong with the 2037 Rays as they dropped 2 of 3 including one due to another bullpen failure and won a game in a rout that will further cement their -5 difference with their Pythagorean record.

Mario Urizar gave up a couple of critical homers in the opener and although the offense fought gamely the Rays fell short 7-6 to the Jays. Urizar (5-8) went 5 7 6 6 2 7 and squandered a 4-2 lead by surrendering a 3-run homer in the 5th. Danny Charlton, Joe Stack and Agustin Lopez each had 2-run singles to provide the offense.

The second game was yet another loss chalked up to the bullpen as Danny Morales pitched his heart out with 7 shutout innings and left up 2-0 before the pen let it get away in a 4-3 loss to Toronto. Morales went 7 2 0 0 2 8 and lowered his ERA to 2.76 but took another no-decision when Jamie Arnold loaded the bases with nobody out and Ruben Abeyta let all the runners score to put the Jays ahead. Agustin Lopez came off the bench to deliver a clutch 2-out RBI double in the bottom of the 8th to tie it back up, but Abeyta (2-4) loaded the bases himself in the 9th and a Danny Arroyave boot at 3B helped allow the winner to score. Earlier the blazing hot Tony Fisher homered (#22).

The Rays took out their frustrations on Toronto in the finale, obliterating them 20-4. There was too much offense to chronicle so I'll post part of the box below and will note that Gabe Bryant (4-4) got the win going 5 9 3 3 2 7 after they were up 16-0 after 4. Here are the details:



Team record: 43-40, 2 back of Baltimore in the AL East but in third place behind the Jays as well. Next up: An off-day then fellow wild card rivals San Antonio (42-39) come to town for 3.

Also Fisher's recent exploits were recognized:

[Art Deco]

Another series of frustration for the Rays as they dropped 2 of 3 at home to a direct wild card rival, one of them in typically excruciating fashion for this squad. Changes may be afoot soon.

And it was the opener that epitomized the 2037 Rays as a seemingly-unassailable 8-1 lead turned into a 10-8 loss to the Alamos. They built that lead by the 3rd on a pair of 2-run singles by Wander Franco and a Luis Berumen grand slam (#23) but Leo Gutierrez, in his first start of the season, couldn't handle prosperity. Gutierrez gave up 4 runs in the 4th to let San Antonio within 8-5 and although he made it through the 5th to finish 5 8 5 5 1 7 the lousy bullpen took it from there with Jon Coggin and Jamie Arnold (3-1) combining to allow the Alamos to tie in the 6th and then Arnold and Danny Mauricio teaming up to allow the winning runs in the 7th. And although you can't blame the offense after putting 8 on the board, they did go completely silent over the final six innings.

They did bounce back to take a 6-1 win in the middle game thanks to a 2-homer game from Joe Stack and a solid outing from Joe Marlette. Stack was involved in both 3-run innings thanks to a 2-run homer in the 2nd and a solo shot (#12) in the 6th which followed a 2-run Danny Charlton (#9) dinger. Marlette (7-6) was dominant at times but not efficient so it took him 102 pitches to go 5 4 1 1 4 10. In a twist the bullpen was effective with four different relievers going a scoreless inning apiece.

But it was back to losing ways in the finale as they fell 5-2 to San Antonio. Mario Urizar (5-9) had his struggles at 5.2 8 4 4 4 2 and a Tony Fisher solo homer (#25) was one of the few highlights on offense.

Team record: 44-42. They're 3 1/2 back of Baltimore in 3rd in the division and in 6th place in the wild card race, 2 games out of third. Next up: The Yankees come in for 3 over the weekend before we hit the All-Star break.

[Art Deco]

A very low-scoring series (the teams combined for a total of 10 runs over the 3 games) that went the Rays' way as they took 2 of 3.

Danny Morales was brilliant again and this time got a win to show for it as he pitched the Rays to a 3-0 win over New York in the opener. Morales lowered his ERA to 2.56 in a 7.2 6 0 0 2 8 gem which evened his record at 4-4. Jadon Smith got the job done in relief, retiring the final four batters for his 16th save. Justin Blackwell's RBI double and Danny Charlton's solo homer (#10) were more than enough with Morales pitching.

Runs were tough to come by once again in the second game, but Tampa Bay did enough to eke out a 2-1 win thanks to an excellent effort from Gabe Bryant. The righty was a sterling 7 5 1 1 0 9 and improved to 5-4, 3.20 and for the second straight night Jadon Smith converted the save (#17) without incident. The winning run came on an RBI single from Wander Franco in the 7th.

The Rays were unable to complete the sweep as one of the game's better hurlers, Nathan Deschryver, shut them down in a 3-1 loss. Danny Arroyave's solo homer (#6) in the 7th was all they could push across against the righty and the loss went to Leo Gutierrez (3-2), who pitched decently at 5 3 3 3 1 7 but a couple of homers cost him.

Team record: 46-43. Still 3 1/2 back of Baltimore in the East but now one back of the third wild card in fourth place in that race. Next up: The All-Star Break and we return on Thursday with 4 big games in Baltimore.

We also had the Amateur Draft over the weekend and the next post will recap that, followed by All-Star coverage.

[Art Deco]

Jacquez: A college guy from the University of Minnesota with a very broad range of skills:



Camacho: A high-schooler from Oregon with potential 80 contact, 60 power, 60 eye, 70 speed and 80/65/75 projected defense across the outfield.

Rushdan: Prep 1B, an unfavored demographic by draftniks, but has potential 75 contact, 65 power and 65 eye. May not even be a 1B, since his defensive ceiling at the position is 35.

Castillo: Ohio high-school P with 65/75/55 potential, a groundballer who will need a better defense than we're currently putting on the field.

Evans: Massachusetts high-school OF (we always seem to end up with these cold-weather guys) with 70 contact and 65 power potential who will probably end up in a corner.

[Art Deco]

The rosters:

The American League All-Stars feature these players:

SP Nathan Deschryver (NYY) - 5-8, 3.46 ERA, 125.0 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 8.7 K/9, 3.2 WAR
SP Jerrod Keeshan (MIN) - 10-6, 2.82 ERA, 108.2 IP, 1.10 WHIP, 10.4 K/9, 2.1 WAR
SP Jose Lizarde (KC) - 13-1, 1.99 ERA, 113.1 IP, 1.01 WHIP, 8.9 K/9, 3.6 WAR
SP Danny Morales (TB) - 4-4, 2.56 ERA, 105.2 IP, 1.20 WHIP, 8.3 K/9, 3.0 WAR
SP Andy Stefl (TEX) - 5-3, 2.55 ERA, 77.2 IP, 1.15 WHIP, 11.0 K/9, 2.1 WAR
SP Joe White (BAL)* - 13-2, 2.27 ERA, 126.2 IP, 0.99 WHIP, 14.1 K/9, 4.8 WAR
SP Andy Williamson (LAA) - 8-7, 3.80 ERA, 106.2 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 9.2 K/9, 1.9 WAR
RP David Gomez (KC) - 4-2, 2.45 ERA, 51.1 IP, 0.86 WHIP, 5.6 K/9, 0.8 WAR
RP David Rivera (OAK) - 3-0, 2.61 ERA, 48.1 IP, 1.39 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, 0.3 WAR
CL Eric Buckey (DET) - 2-3, 17 SV, 2.43 ERA, 33.1 IP, 0.90 WHIP, 11.1 K/9, 1.7 WAR
CL Jorge Ochoa (HOU) - 3-3, 22 SV, 3.09 ERA, 35.0 IP, 0.91 WHIP, 9.5 K/9, 0.3 WAR
CL William Parra (SEA) - 2-3, 21 SV, 1.47 ERA, 36.2 IP, 1.25 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, 1.6 WAR
CL Devon Williams (LAA)* - 3-1, 19 SV, 2.52 ERA, 35.2 IP, 0.76 WHIP, 10.9 K/9, 0.9 WAR
C Howard McCullough (SEA) - .258/.332/.386, 236 AB, 5 HR, 99 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
C Willie Tellez (CWS) - .223/.299/.371, 251 AB, 9 HR, 84 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
C Raul Vu-Pham (CLE)* - .306/.359/.451, 288 AB, 10 HR, 123 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
1B Salvatore Garza (DET) - .298/.359/.568, 336 AB, 27 HR, 1 SB, 148 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (BOS) - .276/.338/.472, 337 AB, 14 HR, 3 SB, 119 wRC+, 1.3 WAR
1B Darius Williams (SA)* - .347/.416/.623, 329 AB, 22 HR, 183 wRC+, 4.6 WAR
2B Mario Guerrero (HOU)* - .271/.304/.445, 317 AB, 11 HR, 14 SB, 101 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
3B Quincy Jones (MIN) - .286/.322/.510, 304 AB, 16 HR, 2 SB, 122 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
3B Alex Molina (LAA) - .248/.324/.505, 303 AB, 22 HR, 1 SB, 126 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
3B Jermaine Nash (TOR) - .276/.347/.495, 297 AB, 16 HR, 1 SB, 130 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
3B Patrick Upchurch (HOU)* - .322/.359/.606, 264 AB, 19 HR, 161 wRC+, 2.3 WAR (Injured)
SS Jeremy Begley (OAK)* - .277/.320/.474, 325 AB, 14 HR, 6 SB, 113 wRC+, 4.1 WAR
LF Nicodemas Jacobson (HOU)* - .306/.392/.505, 333 AB, 12 HR, 25 SB, 143 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
LF Nate Miller (SEA)* - .301/.357/.627, 319 AB, 26 HR, 6 SB, 163 wRC+, 4.3 WAR
CF David Camposano (DET) - .260/.304/.587, 339 AB, 30 HR, 9 SB, 135 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
CF Josh Manuel (HOU)* - .291/.364/.500, 326 AB, 17 HR, 19 SB, 136 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
CF Dasadyu Sidhu (BAL) - .341/.403/.573, 314 AB, 13 HR, 30 SB, 165 wRC+, 4.5 WAR
RF Luis Berumen (TB)* - .341/.398/.690, 232 AB, 23 HR, 197 wRC+, 3.6 WAR
RF Tony Fisher (TB) - .275/.376/.581, 313 AB, 25 HR, 158 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
RF Shigekuni Nakayama (HOU) - .339/.402/.573, 330 AB, 20 HR, 166 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
RF Danny Rivera (SEA) - .286/.334/.531, 322 AB, 17 HR, 1 SB, 135 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
RF Spencer Torkelson (TOR) - .299/.379/.627, 271 AB, 25 HR, 2 SB, 172 wRC+, 3.8 WAR


On the National League All-Star roster will be:

SP Mike Blake (ARI) - 8-0, 1.75 ERA, 72.0 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 6.0 K/9, 1.7 WAR
SP Jimmy Carufel (NYM) - 7-4, 2.92 ERA, 98.2 IP, 1.21 WHIP, 7.3 K/9, 2.7 WAR
SP Ruben Cerrillo (CHC) - 10-1, 2.01 ERA, 107.1 IP, 0.87 WHIP, 9.3 K/9, 3.9 WAR
SP Kevin DiCostanzo (LAD)* - 8-5, 3.06 ERA, 123.2 IP, 0.97 WHIP, 9.0 K/9, 3.0 WAR
SP James Hays (LAD) - 7-2, 1.60 ERA, 67.2 IP, 0.87 WHIP, 12.1 K/9, 3.0 WAR
SP Markevian Hence (STL) - 7-6, 3.00 ERA, 93.0 IP, 1.00 WHIP, 11.4 K/9, 2.6 WAR
SP Abramo Sidotti (COL) - 8-4, 3.74 ERA, 113.0 IP, 1.22 WHIP, 11.8 K/9, 3.0 WAR
RP Pete Arambula (CHC) - 4-1, 1.99 ERA, 45.1 IP, 0.82 WHIP, 7.7 K/9, 1.3 WAR
RP Gabe Fehl (ARI) - 3-1, 5 SV, 1.63 ERA, 49.2 IP, 1.23 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 0.6 WAR
RP Jesus Leon (SF) - 4-1, 1.87 ERA, 62.2 IP, 1.02 WHIP, 9.0 K/9, 1.0 WAR
CL Chris Bohlig (WSH) - 2-3, 23 SV, 1.96 ERA, 41.1 IP, 0.99 WHIP, 11.5 K/9, 0.9 WAR
CL Marco Breindembach (MIA)* - 3-5, 8 SV, 3.94 ERA, 32.0 IP, 1.28 WHIP, 11.5 K/9, 1.2 WAR
CL Robbie McKeever (CIN) - 0-3, 19 SV, 3.77 ERA, 31.0 IP, 1.42 WHIP, 8.1 K/9, -0.2 WAR
C Joey Bart (SD)* - .243/.320/.434, 235 AB, 10 HR, 1 SB, 106 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
C Jon Born (NYM) - .232/.310/.417, 254 AB, 13 HR, 101 wRC+, 1.2 WAR
C Luis Campusano (STL) - .251/.320/.402, 239 AB, 8 HR, 99 wRC+, 1.0 WAR
1B Luis Medina (MEM) - .268/.321/.569, 306 AB, 26 HR, 3 SB, 139 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
1B Roger Perez (MIA)* - .264/.334/.484, 322 AB, 18 HR, 2 SB, 126 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
1B Arturo Vega (LAD) - .290/.363/.532, 314 AB, 18 HR, 10 SB, 144 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
2B Jimmy Coffey (WSH) - .264/.306/.558, 276 AB, 22 HR, 12 SB, 126 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
2B Jared McCrae (CHC)* - .328/.367/.482, 311 AB, 7 HR, 1 SB, 132 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
2B Jesus Orea (ATL) - .266/.304/.427, 316 AB, 10 HR, 2 SB, 97 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
3B Josh Beckelman (PHI) - .278/.329/.534, 313 AB, 22 HR, 130 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
3B Brodie Dawson (SD)* - .251/.315/.458, 295 AB, 14 HR, 2 SB, 112 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
SS Jorge Ortega (PHI)* - .309/.341/.398, 259 AB, 1 HR, 22 SB, 101 wRC+, 2.1 WAR (Injured)
LF Kevin Aguillard (CHC) - .304/.383/.589, 316 AB, 22 HR, 14 SB, 163 wRC+, 3.7 WAR
LF Melvin Archundia (CHC)* - .317/.358/.630, 265 AB, 24 HR, 166 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
LF Dave Guzman (EP)* - .295/.379/.627, 322 AB, 31 HR, 18 SB, 176 wRC+, 5.3 WAR
LF Naotaka Nakahara (LAD) - .341/.419/.659, 214 AB, 18 HR, 192 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
CF Victor Valero (STL) - .293/.337/.523, 352 AB, 14 HR, 5 SB, 134 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
CF Mario Velasguez (PHI)* - .368/.419/.681, 329 AB, 29 HR, 8 SB, 197 wRC+, 4.8 WAR
RF Jose Braud (CIN) - .258/.339/.631, 271 AB, 29 HR, 154 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
RF Rogelio Fitzgerald (MIL)* - .278/.375/.632, 299 AB, 29 HR, 171 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
RF Mario Medina (COL) - .276/.344/.565, 308 AB, 22 HR, 14 SB, 136 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
RF Edwin Vazquez (NYM) - .267/.351/.564, 296 AB, 24 HR, 1 SB, 151 wRC+, 2.8 WAR

It's the first all-star appearance for the 3 Rays selected (Morales, Berumen, Fisher)

The derby:



The game:



The AL may have lost but the Rays' representatives held their own with Berumen going 2-3 with an RBI single and RBI double, Morales hurling a perfect inning with 2 Ks and Fisher albeit going 0-2.

[Art Deco]

The big series to get back in the division race ended in a stalemate as the Rays returned to post-ASB action by splitting a 4-game series with Baltimore, one they should have taken 3 in if not for yet another blown game by the bullpen.

The offense apparently wasn't ready to come back from the break in the opener as they only managed three hits in a 2-0 loss to the Orioles. Joe Marlette was decent (5 3 2 2 5 5) but was wholly unsupported.

They didn't exactly tear the cover off the ball in the second game but thanks to a staff effort on the mound the Rays managed a 3-1 win. All three runs came in the 5th on a solo homer from Wander Franco (#13 and #300 of his career) and a 2-run double from Danny Charlton. Mario Urizar struggled with his control but limited the damage at 4.1 4 1 1 6 1. Four relievers took it from there, with Jamie Arnold (4-1) getting the win and Jadon Smith, who seems to have straightened things out with 5 straight scoreless appearances, earning save #18.

The third game was the one that got away as the Rays took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the night only to see Jadon Smith (0-7) load the bases with the first three batters he faced and then give a grand slam to the fourth, consigning them to a tough 6-4 loss. Guess the corner Smith appeared to turn had an oncoming train coming around it. Before that they got a fine long relief outing from Joe Scheu, who went 6.1 4 2 2 0 1 after taking over from Gabe Bryant who left in the 1st with a dead arm but shouldn't miss his next start. Justin Blackwell's bases-clearing triple gave them the lead they lost.

Tampa Bay did salvage the split with a 4-3 win over Baltimore in the finale. Danny Arroyave's 3-run homer (#7) in the first was the big hit, Leo Gutierrez (4-2) pitched perhaps his best game of the season at 5 5 2 1 0 7 and Branden Gammage closed out the 9th for save #3.

Team record: 48-45. Still 3 1/2 behind the Orioles, and 1 game out of the third wild card. Next up: 2 games in Toronto against the team we're chasing for the wild card.

[Art Deco]

As befitting a team hovering around .500, the Rays split their two games in Toronto as their offensive struggles continue.

They came up on the short end of the stick in the opener, falling 2-1 to the Jays despite a last-ditch rally in the 9th. Once again Danny Morales pitched very well with nothing to show for it and "hard luck" seems to be his middle name these days as he fell to 4-5 despite going 7 5 2 2 2 5 and keeping his ERA at 2.56. They almost came back in the 9th when Tony Fisher doubled with a man on and then Danny Charlton's infield single brought home their lone run. But Joe Stack struck out with men on 1st and 3rd, and pinch-hitter Luis Cisneros flied out to end the game.

While Stack failed to come through in the opener, he responded in a big way in the second game as his 3-run homer (#13) in the 6th erased a 1-0 Toronto lead and propelled the Rays to a 4-3 win and split of the 2-game series. Luis Berumen added a solo shot (#24) and that turned out to be important when the Jays scored in the bottom half of the frame to cut the lead to one. Joe Marlette (8-7) wasn't dominant at 5.1 5 2 2 1 3 but was effective, and Jadon Smith bounced back from his latest blown save to retire Toronto 1-2-3 in the 9th for save #19.

Team record: 49-46. 2 1/2 back of Baltimore and third in the division and one game out of the third wild card but in fifth place there. Next up: Another 2-gamer, this time at home against Baltimore with a chance to cut into the division deficit.

[Art Deco]

The Rays came through in their mini-showdown series with first-place Baltimore, taking both games and moving to within 1/2 game of the division lead.

Tampa Bay rode the longball and a solid outing from Mario Urizar to beat the Orioles 6-2 in the first game. Homers from Tony Fisher (#26), Joe Stack (#14) and a 2-run jack from Wander Franco (#14) staked them to a 4-0 lead and Urizar took it from there, nearly going the distance at 8.1 6 2 2 3 7 to improve to 6-9.

The Rays were comeback kids in the second game thanks to a 3-run Joe Stack pinch-hit homer (#15) in the 8th to provide them with a 4-2 win. Before that it was mostly a night of frustration for the bats, who didn't push across a run until the 7th despite facing a 40-stuff pitcher with poor numbers. Gabe Bryant pitched well in a no-decision (6 5 1 1 0 5), Jon Coggin (6-0) got yet another relief win, and with Jadon Smith having pitched the last two days Branden Gammage closed things out with a 2K perfect 9th for his 4th save.

Team record: 51-46. We're tied with Toronto 1/2 game behind Baltimore and also in a 3-way tie for the third wild card. Next up: Boston visits for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

The Rays took 2 of 3 from the Sawx and made a major acquisition to boost the bullpen in an eventful weekend. They're now tied for the division lead with Toronto but behind on percentage points and 1/2 game up on Baltimore.

Leo Gutierrez was in fine form and the bats took care of business in a 7-4 win in the opener. The second-year lefty looked sharp and improved to 5-2 after going 5.2 5 1 1 2 5 while they got homers from Luis Cisneros (#9) and Willie Gutierrez (#5) with Tony Fisher also plating a pair.

After the game we swung a deal:



This deal was too good to turn down as we acquired one of the game's better closers in Alicea, who's saved 138 games over the last 3 2/3 seasons. He's rated 80/70/55 and is under contract through next season which is great because we're essentially not paying him anything as Memphis is picking up 95% of his contract. He'll likely become our closer with the struggling Jadon Smith moving back into the setup role in which he thrived last year. We say farewell to Joe Scheu, who like so many on the roster, was great last season and is scuffling this year, and we do part with a pitching prospect in Dunlap, who was our #3 pick two years ago but hasn't quite developed as hoped and now looks like a future 5th starter.

The second game was a back-and-forth affair with the teams taking the lead from each other but Danny Charlton put an end to it with a 3-run walk-off homer (#11 and against a lefty no less) to give the Rays an 8-5 win over the Red Sox. Justin Blackwell's 11th homer gave Danny Morales a 2-1 lead which he lost in the 6th and finished 5.2 6 3 3 2 7 but a 3-run rally in the bottom of the inning keyed by a 2-run Alex Rivas double gave Tampa Bay a 5-3 lead. Alas Branden Gammage blew it in the 8th, allowing Boston to tie before Charlton sent us all home and made a winner of Jadon Smith for the first time this year against 7 losses.

The Rays were unable to complete the sweep, losing 5-4 to Boston in a 15-inning marathon. Joe Marlette was unusually wild today and put them in a 3-0 hole, going 5 4 3 3 6 3 but the bats battled back with a 2-run homer from Willie Gutierrez (#6) and a solo shot from Mal Stephens (#4). Boston went back ahead in the 7th but Agustin Lopez delivered an RBI double in the 8th to tie it and on and on we went from there. Tampa Bay did have multiple opportunities to win but couldn't get the big hit and the Red Sox finally broke through in the 15th for a run off the struggling Danny Mauricio (6-2). Tony Alicea did make his Rays debut and was impressive, fanning 4 over a pair of scoreless innings.

Team record: 53-47. Next up: We hit the road for 3 at Yankee Stadium.

[Art Deco]

A disappointing series in the Bronx as the Rays dropped 2 of 3 to New York. In the jumble that is the AL East they are now in second, a game behind Toronto and 1/2 up on Baltimore.

They did come back to take the opener 7-5. After tying it up in the 7th on a Joe Stack RBI single, they went ahead to stay in the 8th thanks to Wander Franco's RBI double. Earlier Art Bing, who has been very productive in the backup catcher role, blasted a 3-run homer (#5) and Danny Charlton went solo (#12). Mario Urizar had a rough start at 4.2 6 5 5 2 3 but the bullpen came through big for a change, shutting down the Yankees the rest of the way with Branden Gammage (2-2) getting the win and Jadon Smith pitching an uneventful 9th for save #20.

Transaction: Unfortunately Danny Arroyave is hurt again, having suffered a high ankle sprain in the series opener and will be out 3-4 weeks. It's been a season of injuries and underachievement for Arroyave, who's only hit 223/271/386 while healthy and had been a 30-homer, 3-WAR guy the last two seasons. Earlier this year he missed 6-7 weeks with an ab strain, and as we did then we called up veteran 3B Cristian Hernandez from Durham to platoon with Luis Cisneros, who's actually outproduced Arroyave this year while filling in for him.

The second game was a tough loss as after being shut down for most of the game they came back to tie it up at 2 in the 8th only to lose in the 9th when Ruben Abeyta (2-5) gave up a 2-out double to let the Yankees walk it off 3-2. Gabe Bryant pitched well again at 6 4 2 2 1 5 and Alex Rivas was 3-5 with a steal and run scored.

Pitching let them down in the finale as a 2-homer game from Luis Berumen was wasted in an 8-6 loss to New York. Leo Gutierrez (5-3) had his struggles, finishing 4.1 4 5 5 2 6 although Jake Bridgewater allowed a couple of his men to score. Berumen meanwhile kept getting the Rays back into the game with the first of his pair of 2-run homers cutting the deficit to 6-4 in the 6th and the second (#26) making it 8-6 in the 8th. Danny Charlton also had a 2-run homer, his 13th but those two were pretty much the offense getting 4 of the team's 6 hits.

Team record: 54-49. Next up: An off-day then another daunting road series with 3 in Texas against the 57-45 Rangers.

We have a trade! One last deal before the deadline in an effort to beef up our defense:



Price is a 60-rated CF with a +3.6 ZR this year, which is in stark contrast to incumbent Alex Rivas, who sits at an abysmal -10.5 ZR in 95 games this season. In fairness to Rivas he's much better suited to the corners but was playing there out of necessity as until now we didn't have a legit CF. Price is a similar hitter to Rivas, hitting 275/341/401 so far for the Twins and is a free agent at year's end. He'll take over and sit some against lefties with Rivas going to the bench except against tough lefties. As far as the price for Price, Riddick has been oft-injured and we already have three lefties in the pen. We would have to make a decision on him anyway as his second rehab assignment was almost up (he didn't make it through the first and had to be ILed again).