The 2020 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays - Page 104

Art Deco · 07-11-2022, 11:01 AM

January 3: The Hall of Fame voting is in, and it's Cristhian yes, Christian no:

The long-time Miami/Columbus slugging 3B Cristhian Rodriguez, with 667 career homers, makes it in on the first attempt and makes it in by his lonesome. Meanwhile our former ace Christian Little is close again with no cigar but it is a bump from his 62% the year before. And our former slugger Nate Clark makes an impressive first-year showing. Also knocking on the door for the fourth straight year is Shohei Ohtani with the 67% being a high-water mark for him.

February 12: Big news from the league as the Kansas City Royals leave Missouri to play in Austin as the Dukes:

February 22: Marc Gibson, in our rotation the previous year and a half, signed a 3/25 deal with division rival Baltimore.

March 2: Our former longtime catcher Tony Cordova became another former Ray to join rival Texas, signing for 1 year at a little over $3M.

March 8: Sad news as B.J. Turner, who was in our bullpen last year and went to the Dodgers in the Kevin Crater deal, tore his labrum and his career is over.

Spring training has completed (early on March 20 because we're using a schedule that has Oakland and Seattle opening in Japan) without any injuries of note.

Art Deco · 07-11-2022, 12:36 PM

We had some players who were out of options and had to go on waivers, but Ps Jonathan Melendez, Jimmy Leonard and Jon Cunningham, along with OF/P Josh Schwartzlow, all cleared waivers and were assigned to Durham.

One player who did make the OD roster because of his status was Micah Crickenberger, who had the right to refuse an option to the minors and did, so we'll give him a shot to start the season and send Chris Winkler to Durham.

The roster:

C-Bocardo, A.Suzuki
1B-S.Williams
2B-Morioka
SS-Frick
3B-Barela
IF-Davila, Laboy
LF-Saro
CF-Crater
RF-Johns
OF-A.Duran, Parham
DH-J.Castillo

Essentially the same group of hitters with Suzuki and Crater swapped out for Cordova and Gregory.

SP-Ager, Bookhart, Moses, Ramos, Riley.
LR-Crickenberger, O'Brien
MR-Rose, Morales, Mejia, D.Anderson
SU-Soto, Gray
CL-Minier

Caleb Ramos and Bob Riley take the rotation spots of Marc Gibson and Jim Brophy last year, while the returning-from-injury Dan Anderson, and new arrivals Jose Morales, Micah Crickenberger, and Abelado Gray take the bullpen spots of Josh Grote, BJ Turner, Sean Forbes, and Ramos who moved to the rotation.

The preseason predictions:

Art Deco · 07-11-2022, 04:49 PM

As always, we bring you the Opening Day box:

Mario Saro, third in last year's AL MVP voting, got a leg up on the 2047 voting by going 4-4 with a pair of homers in the Rays' Opening Day 3-2 win over Houston. He went deep in the 3rd and 4th inning and the new new-look bullpen held firm although Abelaldo Gray was touched for a solo homer in his Rays debut. Also debuting was Kevin Crater, 0-3 with a walk.

Game 2: Welcome to Tampa Bay (and Publix Park), Kevin Crater. The veteran slugger made his presence known by going deep twice, most significantly with a grand slam to cap a 6-run first inning as the Rays routed Houston 9-1. Luis Barela was the other big bat, going 3-4 with 3 RBI to back a solid outing from Greg Bookhart (1-0), who went 6 4 1 1 4 4.

Game 3: The Rays made it three straight wins to open 2047 as they hammered Houston once again 11-6. It was a 3-3 game in the bottom of the 5th when the Rays scored four times on a Jose Castillo single and a 3-run shot from Doug Johns (#1). Those two came through again in the 6th when they scored 4 more times including a 2-run single from Castillo and an RBI double from Johns. Earlier Kevin Crater went deep again with his 3rd homer, a 2-run shot. Ben Moses couldn't get through the 5th (4.1 6 3 3 3 6) so Chris O'Brien picked up the win in relief.

Game 4: Tampa Bay swept the opening 4-game series with another comfortable win over the Astros, 9-3. It was a team effort as seven of the nine in the lineup (including several reserves) drove in a run with Luis Barela and Juan Davila knocking in a pair while Alex Duran was 3-5 with a double and an RBI in his first action of the season. Akio Suzuki made his MLB debut behind the plate and contributed a sac fly. Bob Riley (who I keep wanting to call "Baba O'Riley") did his pitch-to-contact thing and won his Rays debut going 6 9 2 1 0 3.

Team record: 4-0. Next up: Colorado visits for 3 games.

Art Deco · 07-12-2022, 12:58 PM

Game 1: Whenever the Rays are behind by multiple runs in a game at Publix Park, the expectation is always that they'll come up with the big inning, and sure enough that was the case today as they scored 4 times in the 6th to erase a 4-1 deficit and beat the Rockies in the series opener to start the year 5-0. They were up against former Ray Johnny Soland and he kept them in check through 5. But in the 6th the Rays took advantage of a Colorado error and Doug Johns' 2-run double tied it up and Dave Frick's RBI infield single gave them the lead (and win). Their first run came on Kevin Crater's 4th homer of the young season. Caleb Ramos struggled some in his first start of the year (4.1 7 3 3 1 2), Mel Mejia picked up win #1 in middle relief and Satoshi Sato struck out the side in the 9th for his first save of 2047.

Game 2: It was a game those watching and in attendance were unlikely to forget, except for the fact the Rays have done this so many times before. Colorado held leads of 7-2 and 9-4, the Rays came all the way back to go ahead 11-9 after 7, Colorado got within 11-10 in the 8th, then scored 2 in the 9th off Willie Minier to retake the lead 12-11, only for Mario Saro to hit a 2-run walk-off homer (his second of the game and second 2-homer game in the season's first six) to give the Rays a wild 13-12 win. Saro had a 3-run shot in the 7th to put them ahead for the first time, and Jose Castillo, Luis Barela and Nelson Bocardo (who drove in 3 on the day) all hit their first round-trippers of the year. The less said about the pitching the better as Gordie Ager was unusually awful (3.2 9 7 7 2 3) and except for Dan Anderson and his 2 scoreless innings the bullpen was terrible culminating in Minier's blown save. Mel Mejia picked up his 2nd win in as many days thanks to getting the last hitter in the 9th.

Game 3: The finale was a much more sedate affair as the Rays required no comeback in a fairly routine 6-2 win to sweep the series and start the 2047 season 7-0. Greg Bookhart turned in another fine start (5 5 1 1 1 4) to start the year 2-0, Dave Rose hurled 2 scoreless innings, and Seth Williams and Dave Frick each had big 2-run singles.

Team record: 7-0. Next up: An off-day to travel to the west coast where the San Francisco Giants await us for a 3-game weekend series.

News that will shock no one: Texas has already put Dan Gregory on the IL with shoulder inflammation.

Art Deco · 07-13-2022, 10:56 AM

Game 1: The Rays stayed unbeaten in 2047 with a 6-4 win at Oracle Park over the Giants, thanks largely to an excellent outing from Ben Moses. The righty was 7 4 1 1 0 7 to earn his first win of the year and left ahead 6-1 before the bullpen made it interesting. Abelaldo Gray gave up a 2-run homer in the 9th to make it 6-4 but held on to finish. Longtime Dodger star Kevin Crater heard the boos from the San Fran faithful in his first time up and silenced the crowd with a 2-run homer in the 2nd (#5) and Doug Johns added a 2-run shot in the 8th (#2) which turned out to be the difference.

Game 2: Tampa Bay made in 9 in 9 for the new season behind an excellent outing from Bob Riley in a 2-0 win. The crafty lefty went 7 4 0 0 2 4 to make it two wins in two starts and Willie Minier bounced back from a blown save a few days back to notch his 2nd. A Tomas Laboy sac fly and Akio Suzuki RBI single accounted for the Rays scoring.

Game 3: The Rays stayed perfect in 2047 in a roller-coaster affair which saw them go up 7-1 before the Giants fought back to make it 7-6, before taking a 9-6 victory. A sloppy Giants 5th saw them commit a pair of errors for which Luis Barela made them pay with a grand slam (#2) to make it 7-1, but Caleb Ramos couldn't stand prosperity or make it out of the 5th as the Giants got 4 back and he left at 4.1 10 5 5 0 2. Dave Rose (1-0) took over and went 2 1/3 for the win despite allowing a run and a pair of runs in the 8th including a Mario Saro RBI triple gave them insurance. Satoshi Sato went the final two innings for his second save, and Seth Williams earlier launched a 2-run homer (#1).

Team record: 10-0. Next up: We try to stay unbeaten during a trip to MLB's newest locale, Austin as the relocated Royals (now the Dukes) are off to a nice 6-2 start themselves.

Art Deco · 07-14-2022, 10:09 AM

Game 1: Tampa Bay played its first game in Austin at the Dukes Grounds and suffered its first defeat of the season as the former Royals walloped the Rays 12-3. Kevin Crater's 6th homer of the year gave them a 3-1 lead in the 3rd but it was all downhill from there as Gordie Ager (1-1) struggled again (4.2 9 6 4 2 3) and Micah Crickenberger and Chris Parham were horrible in relief.

April 9: Placed DH Jose Castillo on the 10-day IL with blurred vision, recalled OF Jeremy Williams from AAA Durham.

Castillo banged his head during a collision on the bases and since the injury affects his hitting, the only thing he's on the roster for, he'll go in the IL. This will give Williams, our 1st round pick in 2043, a taste of The Show.

Game 2: Greg Bookhart went to 3-0 and the Rays jumped all over the Dukes early in a 9-2 win to avenge their only loss of the season. Bookhart was outstanding at 7 2 1 1 2 4 and the Rays were up 7-0 after 2 behind 2-run doubles from Tomas Laboy and Kevin Crater, who can't stop hitting. Seth Williams was 3-5 with 2 RBI and Doug Johns drove in a pair as well.

Game 3: Ben Moses and three relievers combined on a 5-0 shutout of Austin as the Rays took the series and went to 12-1. Moses (2-0) pitched out of multiple jams at 5 3 0 0 5 3 and Dan Anderson contributed two scoreless innings as he's a welcome sight back in the bullpen after missing most of last year due to injury. Nelson Bocardo was the star on offense, blasting a pair of homers (#2 & 3) and driving in 3 runs while Juan Davila brought the other two runs home with a double.

Team record: 12-1. Next up: An off-day then we travel to Toronto for 3.

MLB News: The Pirates are off to a dreadful start at 0-11 and former Ray Jimmy Leonard has homered 10 times in St. Louis' first 13 games.

Art Deco · 07-15-2022, 12:08 PM

Game 1: The phrase "refuse to lose" is a bit of a cliche but the Rays lived up to it today, winning 8-5 in 12 innings over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre after trailing 5-1 through 7 to improve to 13-1 as Seth Williams had a record-setting day. Toronto treated its former pitcher Bob Riley rudely as he went 5.1 9 4 4 1 2 and the Rays found themselves trailing late. But Tomas Laboy got the comeback going with a 3-run shot in the 8th (#1) and then in the 9th Seth Williams singled for his fifth hit of the day (including HR #2), driving in the tying run. And in the 12th Williams singled again to become the first Ray ever, including the thousands of games of this save, to record 6 hits in a contest. His single put a man on 3rd whom Doug Johns brought home with a sac fly and Luis Barela put the icing on the cake with a 2-run homer (#3). That made a winner of Abelaldo Gray for the first time as a Ray as he went the 11th and 12th perfect, fanning 4.

At this late date of the save it's rare to unlock an achievement but I did:

Game 2: The Rays keep on winning, going to 14-1 after a tight 2-1 triumph over Toronto. Caleb Ramos, who struggled in his first two starts, was lights-out today at 7 3 1 1 0 3 and won his first 2047 decision. Willie Minier gave up a pair of hits to start the 9th but retired the next 3 for save #3. The Tampa Bay runs came on a Nelson Bocardo sac fly and a Luis Barela single.

Game 3: Tampa Bay is off to a scintillating start this year despite the fact that its ace and reigning AL Cy Young winner Gordie Ager has been terrible, and he was again today in a rare 5-1 defeat. Ager (1-2) was hit for a trio of homers and finished 4.1 11 5 5 1 5 and has suffered both of the team's losses so far. Alex Duran was 3-4 with his first homer of the year for the lone Rays run as the bench was emptied on a Sunday. Jeremy Williams was 2-4 including his first MLB hit.

Team record: 14-2. Next up: An off-day then we return to Publix Park to play 3 against the Orioles with last season's rotation member Marc Gibson slated to start against us in the opener.

Art Deco · 07-16-2022, 12:29 PM

Game 1: It took the bats a time through the order to get going, but a 5-run 4th propelled the Rays to an 11-1 rout of the Orioles at Publix Park in their series opener. That 4th inning saw the Rays hit four consecutive doubles as they banged out 8 two-baggers in total along with a triple. Nelson Bocardo led the way going 3-4 with 3 RBI, Dave Frick and Doug Johns each drove in a pair and Seth Williams was 3-4 with an RBI. Greg Bookhart meanwhile went to 4-0, 1.44 after a fine 7 9 1 1 0 3 outing.

Game 2: The Rays kept fighting back and took a 5-4 win in 12 innings despite managing only one hit through the first 6 innings and trailing 3-0. Luis Barela's walkoff RBI single in the 12th was the winner, and they tied it on a wild pitch in the 10th after Satoshi Sato gave up a run in the top of the inning. Dave Frick's 2-run double in the 7th helped bring them back to get to extras. Ben Moses started and was going grat until he ran out of gas in the 5th, finishing 4.2 5 3 3 2 8 and Dan Anderson picked up his first win with 2 1/3 scoreless in relief.

Game 3: Another rout and another series sweep as the Rays blasted Baltimore 10-1. After not homering in the first two games they belted four longballs starting with Yuji Morioka's first of the season as he tries to shake off an early-season slump. Seth Williams (#3) went solo, Jeremy Williams hit his first MLB round-tripper, a 3-run blast and Kevin Crater added his AL-leading 7th. Bob Riley (3-0) was great again at 7 4 1 1 0 3 for the win.

Team record: 17-2. Next up: Boston visits for 3.

Art Deco · 07-17-2022, 10:49 AM

Game 1: Tonight's series opener will be remembered as the Randy Rappaport Revenge Game as the one-time Rays supplemental first-round pick blasted a pair of homers to lead the Red Sox to a 9-6 win, sending Tampa Bay to defeat for only the third time this season. Rappaport and his mates roughed up Caleb Ramos (1-1), who had his third poor start in four outing, to the tune of 4 7 9 9 2 0. Rappaport had a solo shot in the first and a 3-run blast in the 2nd, and although the Rays tried to fight back on a Doug Johns grand slam (#3), the deficit was too large to overcome.

Game 2: Drama at Publix Park as Nelson Bocardo's walk-off homer (#4) leading off the 9th gave the Rays a 4-3 win in a game which saw them lose the lead twice in the late innings. Reigning AL Cy Young winner Gordie Ager has struggled this year but tonight he was back in form at 6.1 6 2 2 0 4 but Dan Anderson gave up a hit scoring the second run to wipe out a 2-1 lead in the 7th built in part on Dave Frick's solo homer (#1). The Rays went back ahead on a Seth Williams RBI single in the bottom of the frame but Willie Minier put men on 1st and 3rd with one out and Satoshi Sato gave up a sac fly to allow Boston to equalize again. Sato pitched the 9th and got his first win thanks to Bocardo.

Game 3: The Rays trotted out their Sunday lineup full of reserves in the finale but one regular who stayed in led them to an 11-3 rout of Boston and a series win. Seth Williams had a massive game with a 2-run homer in the first, a 2-run double in the 2nd and a solo shot in the 8th (#5) to knock in 5 of the 11 runs. And another regular, Dave Frick, had a bases-clearing double while Juan Davila added an RBI triple. All of this support helped Greg Bookhart make it 5 wins in 5 starts this season, going 6 4 3 3 1 4.

Team record: 19-3. Next up: Detroit visits for 3 games.

MLB News: Seth Williams was named player of the week for his 13-26, 3 HR, 8 RBI performance, and 24-year-old lefty starter Juan Contreras of San Diego pitched a no-hitter against Cincinnati. He walked 4 and fanned 14 in a dominant 126-pitch outing.

Art Deco · 07-18-2022, 05:00 PM

April 22: Activated DH Jose Castillo from the 10-day IL, optioned OF Jeremy Williams to AAA Durham.

Game 1: After Detroit took a 4-0 lead in the 7th and the Rays stormed back with 4 in the bottom of the inning, it looked like a typical Tampa Bay comeback win was in the offing. But the Tigers struck back for 5 in the 8th and a last-ditch Rays rally wasn't enough in a 9-7 loss at Publix Park. Kevin Crater's 3-run shot (#8) and Yuji Morioka's solo blast (#2) tied it up but some really bad bullpen work in the 8th from Satoshi Sato (who allowed 5 runs without retiring a batter) and Dan Anderson (who let all 3 of Sato's runners he inherited score) doomed them. Ben Moses pitched well at 6 7 3 3 0 6 and the final two runs against him also were let in by a reliever (Abelaldo Gray). Alex Duran had a 2-run double in a 2-out, 3-run rally in the 9th which fell short. And even better news: Mario Saro had to leave with shoulder tendinitis and will be out 5-6 weeks.

April 23: Placed OF Mario Saro on the 10-day IL with shoulder tendinitis, purchased the contract of OF/P Josh Schwartzlow from AAA Durham.

The righty-hitting Schwartzlow will platoon with Alex Duran as they fill Saro's spot in the lineup.

Game 2: The Rays fell again, dominated by Detroit's Eric Rimbach in a 3-1 loss. The Tiger lefty went 8.2 2 0 0 0 10 and left one out short of a shutout with back spasms. Kevin Crater greeted the reliever with HR #9 but that was it for the offense. Bob Riley (3-1) suffered his first loss as a Ray, keeping them in it at 6.2 6 3 3 0 3.

Game 3: Tampa Bay suffered a rare series sweep at home after Detroit took a 4-3 win at Publix Park. Caleb Ramos was a little better today but not that much at 6 6 4 4 1 5, dropping him to 1-2 and lowering his ERA to 7.71. It was 4-1 Tigers before the Rays scored a run in the 8th and Tomas Laboy drilled a pinch-hit solo shot (#2) in the 9th to make it close.

Team record: 19-6, no longer the best record in MLB as the White Sox have gone to 20-5. Next up: A very rare two days off before playing a 2-game series on Saturday and Sunday at Fenway Park.

Art Deco · 07-19-2022, 12:10 PM

Game 1: Frustrated over being swept at home by the Tigers, the Rays took it out on Boston at Fenway Park in the opener 17-5. They were up 10-0 by the 4th and having a career game was Yuji Morioka, who hit a two-bagger, homered twice to double his season's total and drove in 8 runs. Luis Barela had a 2-run HR in the 1st (#4) and Doug Johns added a 3-run shot (#4) in the 4th. Gordie Ager (2-2) meanwhile turned in his best start of the year at 6 5 2 2 0 5 before giving way to Chris O'Brien, who had only pitched once in April and the rust showed as he was hit for 3 runs.

Game 2: Greg Bookhart had been the Rays' most consistent starter this year, coming with a 5-0, 2.03 record. He didn't have it today though as he went 3.1 6 5 5 2 4 and put Tampa Bay in a 5-1 hole. No problem for this offense though as they steadily chipped away at the lead and came back to take a 7-5 win and sweep of the 2-game series. Doug Johns started the comeback with a 2-run homer in the 6th (#5) to make it 5-3, they tied it in the 7th on Kevin Crater's RBI single and then won it in the 8th on a Yuji Morioka solo shot (#5) as the Japanese 2B had a big weekend. Abelaldo Gray (2-0) got the win and Willie Minier picked up save #4.

Team record: 21-6. Next up: A four-game series in Detroit which oddly has a Tuesday off-day followed by a Wednesday doubleheader.

Art Deco · 07-20-2022, 09:52 AM

Game 1: The Rays took a 3-1 win over Detroit in the opener of their 4-game set at Comerica, getting back at the Tigers after they were swept last week. All three runs came in the 2nd when Tomas Laboy laced an RBI triple and was brought home by Yuji Morioka's fourth homer in three games and 6th of the year. That was enough for Ben Moses (3-0), excellent at 5.2 6 1 1 1 7 with Willie Minier notching save #5 thanks to a perfect 9th.

Game 2: The teams played a doubleheader on Wednesday after an unusual Tuesday off-day and the Rays prevailed 6-1 thanks to a brilliant complete-game effort from Bob Riley who pitched to soft contact, improving to 4-1, 2.20 after a 9 7 1 1 0 1 outing. Luis Barela and Jose Castillo combined to drive in all 6 runs with Barela's 3 coming on a homer in the 5th (#5) while Castillo had an RBI single prior to Barela's homer and added a 2-run double in the 9th.

Game 3: The Rays completed the doubleheader sweep with another well-pitched game, coming out on top 4-2. Caleb Ramos (2-2) shook off his early season struggles by going 6 3 0 0 0 5 and Willie Minier picked up save #6 despite allowing a run in the 9th. Seth Williams was the offensive star, homering twice (#6 & 7) including a 2-run shot in the 9th to turn a 2-1 game into a 4-1 affair. Doug Johns contributed a solo shot, his 6th.

Game 4: Tampa Bay returned the favor of being swept at Publix Park and then some by taking all four games in the series from Detroit, finishing them off with a 9-1 rout. Alex Duran drove in three with a 2-run single and solo homer (#2) while Kevin Crater and Dave Frick were each 2-5 with 2 RBI. Gordie Ager has apparently gotten back into a groove and went 6 4 1 1 1 4 to improve to 3-2.

Team record: 25-6. Next up: Another quirky series in which we visit Baltimore for 2 games but get Sunday off.

Art Deco · 07-21-2022, 09:56 AM

Game 1: Marc Gibson was much better against his old team this time around and the Rays trailed Baltimore 2-0 after 6 in the opener of their 2-game series at Oriole Park. But as usual the Rays were playing possum and they erupted for 5 runs in the 7th to take a 5-3 win after Gibson had left. Kevin Crater's grand slam (#11) turned the game around as he now leads the AL in homers, RBI (29) and steals (9) in a dynamite first month-plus as a Ray. Greg Bookhart went to 6-0 with a 7 5 2 2 0 6 outing and Willie Minier finished up for save #7.

Game 2: In the reverse of yesterday's game it was the Rays who led early 3-0 behind Ben Moses who didn't allow the Orioles a hit through the first 4 innings. But Moses couldn't get anyone out in the 5th, giving up 4 straight hits to start the inning and eventually surrendering a 3-run homer as the Rays fell 6-4. Moses (3-1) took his first loss of the year after going 5.1 7 6 6 0 4. Alex Duran had a 2-run double and Doug Johns a solo homer (#7) for the Tampa Bay highlights.

Team record: 26-7. Next up: A rare Sunday off-day then we head back to Tampa for 3 against Arizona.

Art Deco · 07-22-2022, 12:42 PM

Game 1: Bob Riley was brilliant again as the Rays beat Arizona 6-2 in their series opener at Publix Park. The lefty went 7 5 2 2 0 2 to improve to 5-1, 2.25 and Mel Mejia finished up with two scoreless. Luis Barela had a 2-run double, Dave Frick drove in a pair, and Josh Schwartzlow was 3-3 with a double and an RBI.

Game 2: The Rays took a 6-2 lead after 2 and saw the Diamondbacks creep within 6-5 before putting away an 8-5 win. Dave Frick led a balanced attack going 2-4 with 2 RBI, Seth Williams knocked in a pair, and Yuji Morioka was 2-3 with an RBI double. Caleb Ramos (3-2) got the win but wasn't convincing at 6.1 9 5 5 0 0, the lack of walks and Ks an oddity. Willie Minier closed it out for save #8 by striking out the side.

Game 3: The Rays fought back to tie it up in both the 9th and 12th innings but ultimately fell short in a wild 11-10 loss in 14 innings in the finale. Jose Castillo's dramatic solo homer, only his 2nd, leading off the 9th sent us to extras and an Arizona error enabled Tampa Bay to tie in the 12th. But Micah Crickenberger (0-1) and Chris O'Brien were terrible in the 14th, allowing 5 Arizona runs. The Rays nearly tied it once again, scoring 4 times in the bottom of the inning before Luis Barela grounded out with a man on to end it. Way back in the first Kevin Crater hit HR #12, Castillo was on base 7 of his 8 trips to the plate with 4 hits and 3 walks and Seth Williams and Alex Duran had 2-run doubles. Gordie Ager started and gave up a couple of key homers to finish 6 6 4 4 1 7. Mel Mejia had to leave in the 10th with elbow tendinitis and will miss 3 weeks.

Team record: 28-8. Next up: An off-day then the Yankees visit for 3.

Art Deco · 07-23-2022, 02:25 PM

Game 1: The Rays didn't score in the first two innings in their opener at Publix Park against the Yankees, but they scored in every inning after that as they routed the New Yorkers 14-4. Kevin Crater was 3-5 with HR #13, a 3-run shot, Dave Frick drove in 3 with a homer (#2) and double, Doug Johns had a 2-run blast (#8), Alex Duran was 3-4 with HR #3 and Luis Barela capped a 3-hit day with his 6th round-tripper. Greg Bookhart looked great in going to 7-0 at 6 4 2 1 2 7.

Game 2: Different day, same story as the Rays routed the Yanks again 13-4. Alex Duran, fresh off going 3-4 yesterday, went 5-for-5 today with his 3rd & 4th homers and 4 RBI. Seth Williams (#8) and Luis Barela (#7) also found the seats. Ben Moses (4-1) picked up the win but labored to qualify for it as it took him 112 pitches to go 5 8 3 3 2 7.

Game 3: And now for something completely different as the Yankees bested the Rays 5-2 behind a strong outing from lefty Jose Anez, who went 7 4 1 1 0 8 against a somewhat makeshift Sunday lineup for Tampa Bay. Juan Davila's 2-run triple was the sum total of the offense. Meanwhile a guy who pitches to contact like Bob Riley is going to have days where the ball finds holes, and today was one of those days as he was 4.1 9 5 5 1 4 in dropping to 5-2.

Team record: 30-9. Next up: An off-day then we play a pair in Columbus.

Art Deco · 07-24-2022, 09:18 AM

Game 1: The Rays kept fighting back but ultimately succumbed to the Lightning 7-6 at Nationwide Ballpark in the opener. Gordie Ager's inconsistent 2047 continued as he was hit for a slam in the 1st and after settling down, gave up a 2-run shot in the 5th to finish 4.2 9 6 6 1 7. Keeping the ball in the park has been the big problem for Ager this year; after allowing only 17 and 15 homers the last two full seasons, he's already allowed 11 in 46.2 IP covering 9 starts. The bats did come back to tie at 4 after the slam including solo homers from Luis Barela (#8) and Nelson Bocardo (#5) and after Ager put them down again 6-4 Kevin Crater had a 2-run double to equalize again. But Columbus got a run off Satoshi Sato (1-2) in the 8th, and Dave Frick was thrown out at the plate in the 9th to end the game.

Game 2: Caleb Ramos has struggled with his move to the rotation this year but today he was on and led the Rays to a 6-1 win and a split of the 2-game series. After being roughed up in an outing in which he neither walked nor struck out anyone, Ramos (4-2) was 6 3 1 1 3 9 today and lowered his ERA to 5.73. I'm sure the 9 whiffs are a Rays high for him and probably a career one as well. He was supported by Jose Castillo, who had a big day with a 2-run double and solo homer (#3) while Doug Johns was 2-4 with a double and RBI as well.

Team record: 31-10. Next up: An off-day then we head east to play 3 at Yankee Stadium.

Art Deco · 07-25-2022, 01:47 PM

Game 1: What a wild roller coaster affair the series opener was as the Rays fell behind 8-1, came all the way to go ahead 12-8, blew the lead in the 9th, then won it extra innings 13-12. Greg Bookhart brought a 7-0 record into this game and wasn't very good at 3.1 9 7 7 2 2 but his perfect record remained intact after a 9-run 8th which saw the Rays improbably take the lead. Luis Barela and Doug Johns started the comeback with solo homers in the 7th, the 9th for each, and then they put 9 on the board in the 8th, capped by a Yuji Morioka bases-clearing double. But Abelaldo Gray and Satoshi Sato combined to give up 4 in the 9th to let the Yankees tie with Sato surrendering the tying homer before Dave Frick's RBI double, his third hit and second RBI of the day, won it. Willie Minier went the final 1 1/3 for his first win of the year while Johns ended up 4-5 with 3 RBI.

Game 2: The Rays came back to tie the second game up on three separate occasions, but the bullpen couldn't get the job done again and they dropped a 7-4 decision to the Yankees. Ben Moses had his issues (4.1 5 3 3 3 3 with 2 HR allowed) but the Rays tied the game back up in the 3rd, 4th and 7th before Satoshi Sato gave up another back-breaking homer, a 3-run shot with two of Dan Anderson's (1-1) runners aboard in the 7th. Kevin Crater homered for the 14th time in the 3rd.

Game 3: Different day, same story as the bullpen faltered again in a remarkable 9th inning for both teams. The Rays trailed 4-1 going into the final frame before erupting for 5 runs to take a 6-4 lead, only for Willie Minier (1-1) to give those 5 runs right back in the bottom of the inning capped by a walk-off grand slam from Rays killer Elias Aragune and lose 9-6. Before the madness Bob Riley had his second straight rough start (5 8 4 4 0 1) before they came back with five different hitters driving in runs in the 9th in what proved to be an ill-fated rally.

Team record: 32-12. Next up: An off-day then the Dodgers come to Publix Park for a pair.

Art Deco · 07-26-2022, 09:41 AM

Game 1: The Bucs beat the Rams 14-10, making a goal line stand at the end to preserve the win. Wait, that was the Rays over the Dodgers at Publix Park in one of those type of games this team seems to love to play. The Rays trailed early 4-0, blew past that go to up 11-4, saw the Dodgers come back to 11-10 before kicking a field goal, er adding three runs in the bottom of the 8th. Gordie Ager's rough start to the year continued as a he had a rough start to the game, giving up 4 in the first 2 innings but settling in from there to go 6 7 4 4 1 6 and improve to 4-2. But Jose Morales and Dan Anderson combined to give up 6 runs in the 8th with Anderson allowing a pair of homers. Abelaldo Gray got the final out of the inning and stayed on in the 9th for his 2nd save. Meanwhile the offense banged out 21 hits and Kevin Crater had a monster day against his old mates with a 2-run homer (#15) and a bases-clearing triple in the 8th which provided needed insurance. Crater was tagged out after the triple on the hidden ball trick. Alex Duran, who's hitting 422/475/688 filling in for the injured Mario Saro, doubled and homered (#6) driving in two, and Luis Barela (#10) and Yuji Morioka (#7) also went deep as everyone in the lineup had at least two hits and everyone drove in a run except Seth Williams.

Game 2: A much more sedate affair in the finale as the Rays edged the Dodgers 5-4 for the two-game sweep. Caleb Ramos (5-2) was just good enough at 5 4 3 3 4 2 for the win and Willie Minier closed it out for save #9. LA's Ben Danks walked four straight batters in a 3-run 4th, capped by Yuji Morioka's 2-run single and Jose Castillo's solo homer (#4) leading off the 5th put Tampa Bay ahead to stay.

Team record: 34-12. Next up: 4 games on the south side of Chicago against the White Sox.

Art Deco · 07-27-2022, 03:58 PM

Game 1: The Rays opened up a 4-game set with their closest peer the White Sox, who are off to a 33-15 start themselves and have been consistently the second best team in the AL the last several years (although they always flame out in the playoffs before we get to play them). And today's game was a hard-fought affair with the Rays scoring twice in the 9th to tie it and twice more in the 10th to take a 6-4 win. Seth Williams' 2-run double was the equalizer while Alex Duran's RBI single broke the tie in the 10th and Dave Frick followed with an RBI single of his own. Nelson Bocardo was 4-5 with an RBI as well. Greg Bookhart turned in a solid start at 7 3 2 2 2 6 but Satoshi Sato put them behind when he gave up a 2-run homer, the third he's allowed in his last four outings, not good. Abelaldo Gray (3-0) ended up with win and Willie Minier had a quick 1-2-3 10th for save #10.

Game 2: Chicago's Mike Schraub has become one of the toughest pitchers in the AL and he came in today's game with a 5-0, 1.66 record and left it 6-0 after shutting down the Rays in a 4-2 White Sox win. Jose Castillo was the only Ray who had his number, hitting a pair of solo homers (#5 & 6) but the rest of the lineup went meekly. Ben Moses (4-2) was the hard-luck loser after a pretty good 5.2 6 2 0 1 1 outing with a key Seth Williams error hurting him.

Game 3: It was an old-fashioned pitchers' duel today between the Rays' Bob Riley and Chicago's Bobby Woods and I mean old-fashioned in that the two starters each went 7 innings and only struck out one batter. But it was Riley who pitched to the softer contact in a 1-0 Rays win as the lefty improved to 6-2, 2.94 with a 7 3 0 0 3 1 outing in which he was wild by his standards. The game's lone run came courtesy of a Jose Castillo RBI single, making him responsible for all the Tampa Bay scoring the past two days. Willie Minier got all 3 outs via the whiff in the 9th for save #11. Riley has now pitched 64.1 innings with a 7/24 BB/K ratio, a real throwback.

Game 4: The Rays took the series from Chicago with a 6-3 win in the finale as Jose Castillo completed a big weekend in the Windy City with a 3-run homer (#7) which erased a 2-0 White Sox lead and put Tampa Bay ahead to stay. Gordie Ager (5-2) was a fine 6 4 2 2 3 6 although he did allow another homer as his longball struggles continue. Abelaldo Gray got the call in the 9th with save #3 while Luis Barela and Chris Parham were each 3-5 with Barela knocking in a run.

Team record: 37-13. Next up: Back home for 3 vs Toronto.

Art Deco · 07-28-2022, 01:54 PM

Game 1: The Rays hosted the Jays on Memorial Day and it was an elegy for their bats as former Tampa Bay farmhand Ivan Perez and a reliever shut them out 5-0. Perez, who was swapped for Bob Riley this past offseason, went 7 6 0 0 1 3 against the big club he never got to join. Caleb Ramos (5-3) was unconvincing at 5 6 4 4 2 3 and now sports a 5.83 ERA.

Game 2: You just knew after being shut out the night before the Rays would come out swinging today and they didn't disappoint in a 15-5 thrashing of Toronto at Publix Park. The red-hot Jose Castillo was 3-4 with HR #8 and 4 RBI, Luis Barela had a 2-run shot (#11) in the 1st to set the tone, the also red-hot Alex Duran was 3-4 with 2 doubles, a homer (#7) and 2 RBI, and Kevin Crater had an RBI double and a 3-run homer (#16). Greg Bookhart went to 8-0 but had to limp through 5 innings to qualify for the win, going 5 9 5 5 3 5 on 100 pitches.

Game 3: The Rays continued to take the opening-game shutout as a personal affront as they roasted the Jays again 8-2 to take the series. Right now you can't stop Jose Castillo, you can only hope to contain him as he went deep twice more to give him 10 on the season and 7 in his last 8 games. The other hot guys stayed hot with Alex Duran hitting HR #8 and is a mere 419/477/706 with 30 RBI in 40 games, and Kevin hit another Crater Tater (can't believe it took me this long into the season to come up with that), with two men on, his 17th. Ben Moses (5-2) didn't exactly part the Toronto lineup but was good enough scattering hits at 6 10 2 2 0 4 to earn this win.

Team record: 39-14. Next up: The homestand continues with 4 against Minnesota.

Transactional notes; OF Mario Saro (who is danger of getting Wally Pipped by Duran) and RP Mel Mejia have begun rehab assignments.

07-11-2022, 11:01 AM	#2061
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	2046-47 Offseason, Part 3 January 3: The Hall of Fame voting is in, and it's Cristhian yes, Christian no: The long-time Miami/Columbus slugging 3B Cristhian Rodriguez, with 667 career homers, makes it in on the first attempt and makes it in by his lonesome. Meanwhile our former ace Christian Little is close again with no cigar but it is a bump from his 62% the year before. And our former slugger Nate Clark makes an impressive first-year showing. Also knocking on the door for the fourth straight year is Shohei Ohtani with the 67% being a high-water mark for him. February 12: Big news from the league as the Kansas City Royals leave Missouri to play in Austin as the Dukes: February 22: Marc Gibson, in our rotation the previous year and a half, signed a 3/25 deal with division rival Baltimore. March 2: Our former longtime catcher Tony Cordova became another former Ray to join rival Texas, signing for 1 year at a little over $3M. March 8: Sad news as B.J. Turner, who was in our bullpen last year and went to the Dodgers in the Kevin Crater deal, tore his labrum and his career is over. Spring training has completed (early on March 20 because we're using a schedule that has Oakland and Seattle opening in Japan) without any injuries of note.

07-11-2022, 12:36 PM	#2062
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	2047 Opening Day Roster & Preseason Predictions We had some players who were out of options and had to go on waivers, but Ps Jonathan Melendez, Jimmy Leonard and Jon Cunningham, along with OF/P Josh Schwartzlow, all cleared waivers and were assigned to Durham. One player who did make the OD roster because of his status was Micah Crickenberger, who had the right to refuse an option to the minors and did, so we'll give him a shot to start the season and send Chris Winkler to Durham. The roster: C-Bocardo, A.Suzuki 1B-S.Williams 2B-Morioka SS-Frick 3B-Barela IF-Davila, Laboy LF-Saro CF-Crater RF-Johns OF-A.Duran, Parham DH-J.Castillo Essentially the same group of hitters with Suzuki and Crater swapped out for Cordova and Gregory. SP-Ager, Bookhart, Moses, Ramos, Riley. LR-Crickenberger, O'Brien MR-Rose, Morales, Mejia, D.Anderson SU-Soto, Gray CL-Minier Caleb Ramos and Bob Riley take the rotation spots of Marc Gibson and Jim Brophy last year, while the returning-from-injury Dan Anderson, and new arrivals Jose Morales, Micah Crickenberger, and Abelado Gray take the bullpen spots of Josh Grote, BJ Turner, Sean Forbes, and Ramos who moved to the rotation. The preseason predictions:

07-11-2022, 04:49 PM	#2063
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	March 28-31, 2047: vs Houston (4) As always, we bring you the Opening Day box: Mario Saro, third in last year's AL MVP voting, got a leg up on the 2047 voting by going 4-4 with a pair of homers in the Rays' Opening Day 3-2 win over Houston. He went deep in the 3rd and 4th inning and the new new-look bullpen held firm although Abelaldo Gray was touched for a solo homer in his Rays debut. Also debuting was Kevin Crater, 0-3 with a walk. Game 2: Welcome to Tampa Bay (and Publix Park), Kevin Crater. The veteran slugger made his presence known by going deep twice, most significantly with a grand slam to cap a 6-run first inning as the Rays routed Houston 9-1. Luis Barela was the other big bat, going 3-4 with 3 RBI to back a solid outing from Greg Bookhart (1-0), who went 6 4 1 1 4 4. Game 3: The Rays made it three straight wins to open 2047 as they hammered Houston once again 11-6. It was a 3-3 game in the bottom of the 5th when the Rays scored four times on a Jose Castillo single and a 3-run shot from Doug Johns (#1). Those two came through again in the 6th when they scored 4 more times including a 2-run single from Castillo and an RBI double from Johns. Earlier Kevin Crater went deep again with his 3rd homer, a 2-run shot. Ben Moses couldn't get through the 5th (4.1 6 3 3 3 6) so Chris O'Brien picked up the win in relief. Game 4: Tampa Bay swept the opening 4-game series with another comfortable win over the Astros, 9-3. It was a team effort as seven of the nine in the lineup (including several reserves) drove in a run with Luis Barela and Juan Davila knocking in a pair while Alex Duran was 3-5 with a double and an RBI in his first action of the season. Akio Suzuki made his MLB debut behind the plate and contributed a sac fly. Bob Riley (who I keep wanting to call "Baba O'Riley") did his pitch-to-contact thing and won his Rays debut going 6 9 2 1 0 3. Team record: 4-0. Next up: Colorado visits for 3 games.

07-12-2022, 12:58 PM	#2064
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	April 1-3, 2047: vs Colorado (3) Game 1: Whenever the Rays are behind by multiple runs in a game at Publix Park, the expectation is always that they'll come up with the big inning, and sure enough that was the case today as they scored 4 times in the 6th to erase a 4-1 deficit and beat the Rockies in the series opener to start the year 5-0. They were up against former Ray Johnny Soland and he kept them in check through 5. But in the 6th the Rays took advantage of a Colorado error and Doug Johns' 2-run double tied it up and Dave Frick's RBI infield single gave them the lead (and win). Their first run came on Kevin Crater's 4th homer of the young season. Caleb Ramos struggled some in his first start of the year (4.1 7 3 3 1 2), Mel Mejia picked up win #1 in middle relief and Satoshi Sato struck out the side in the 9th for his first save of 2047. Game 2: It was a game those watching and in attendance were unlikely to forget, except for the fact the Rays have done this so many times before. Colorado held leads of 7-2 and 9-4, the Rays came all the way back to go ahead 11-9 after 7, Colorado got within 11-10 in the 8th, then scored 2 in the 9th off Willie Minier to retake the lead 12-11, only for Mario Saro to hit a 2-run walk-off homer (his second of the game and second 2-homer game in the season's first six) to give the Rays a wild 13-12 win. Saro had a 3-run shot in the 7th to put them ahead for the first time, and Jose Castillo, Luis Barela and Nelson Bocardo (who drove in 3 on the day) all hit their first round-trippers of the year. The less said about the pitching the better as Gordie Ager was unusually awful (3.2 9 7 7 2 3) and except for Dan Anderson and his 2 scoreless innings the bullpen was terrible culminating in Minier's blown save. Mel Mejia picked up his 2nd win in as many days thanks to getting the last hitter in the 9th. Game 3: The finale was a much more sedate affair as the Rays required no comeback in a fairly routine 6-2 win to sweep the series and start the 2047 season 7-0. Greg Bookhart turned in another fine start (5 5 1 1 1 4) to start the year 2-0, Dave Rose hurled 2 scoreless innings, and Seth Williams and Dave Frick each had big 2-run singles. Team record: 7-0. Next up: An off-day to travel to the west coast where the San Francisco Giants await us for a 3-game weekend series. News that will shock no one: Texas has already put Dan Gregory on the IL with shoulder inflammation.

07-13-2022, 10:56 AM	#2065
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	April 5-7, 2047: at San Francisco (3) Game 1: The Rays stayed unbeaten in 2047 with a 6-4 win at Oracle Park over the Giants, thanks largely to an excellent outing from Ben Moses. The righty was 7 4 1 1 0 7 to earn his first win of the year and left ahead 6-1 before the bullpen made it interesting. Abelaldo Gray gave up a 2-run homer in the 9th to make it 6-4 but held on to finish. Longtime Dodger star Kevin Crater heard the boos from the San Fran faithful in his first time up and silenced the crowd with a 2-run homer in the 2nd (#5) and Doug Johns added a 2-run shot in the 8th (#2) which turned out to be the difference. Game 2: Tampa Bay made in 9 in 9 for the new season behind an excellent outing from Bob Riley in a 2-0 win. The crafty lefty went 7 4 0 0 2 4 to make it two wins in two starts and Willie Minier bounced back from a blown save a few days back to notch his 2nd. A Tomas Laboy sac fly and Akio Suzuki RBI single accounted for the Rays scoring. Game 3: The Rays stayed perfect in 2047 in a roller-coaster affair which saw them go up 7-1 before the Giants fought back to make it 7-6, before taking a 9-6 victory. A sloppy Giants 5th saw them commit a pair of errors for which Luis Barela made them pay with a grand slam (#2) to make it 7-1, but Caleb Ramos couldn't stand prosperity or make it out of the 5th as the Giants got 4 back and he left at 4.1 10 5 5 0 2. Dave Rose (1-0) took over and went 2 1/3 for the win despite allowing a run and a pair of runs in the 8th including a Mario Saro RBI triple gave them insurance. Satoshi Sato went the final two innings for his second save, and Seth Williams earlier launched a 2-run homer (#1). Team record: 10-0. Next up: We try to stay unbeaten during a trip to MLB's newest locale, Austin as the relocated Royals (now the Dukes) are off to a nice 6-2 start themselves.

07-14-2022, 10:09 AM	#2066
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	April 8-10, 2047: at Austin (3) Game 1: Tampa Bay played its first game in Austin at the Dukes Grounds and suffered its first defeat of the season as the former Royals walloped the Rays 12-3. Kevin Crater's 6th homer of the year gave them a 3-1 lead in the 3rd but it was all downhill from there as Gordie Ager (1-1) struggled again (4.2 9 6 4 2 3) and Micah Crickenberger and Chris Parham were horrible in relief. April 9: Placed DH Jose Castillo on the 10-day IL with blurred vision, recalled OF Jeremy Williams from AAA Durham. Castillo banged his head during a collision on the bases and since the injury affects his hitting, the only thing he's on the roster for, he'll go in the IL. This will give Williams, our 1st round pick in 2043, a taste of The Show. Game 2: Greg Bookhart went to 3-0 and the Rays jumped all over the Dukes early in a 9-2 win to avenge their only loss of the season. Bookhart was outstanding at 7 2 1 1 2 4 and the Rays were up 7-0 after 2 behind 2-run doubles from Tomas Laboy and Kevin Crater, who can't stop hitting. Seth Williams was 3-5 with 2 RBI and Doug Johns drove in a pair as well. Game 3: Ben Moses and three relievers combined on a 5-0 shutout of Austin as the Rays took the series and went to 12-1. Moses (2-0) pitched out of multiple jams at 5 3 0 0 5 3 and Dan Anderson contributed two scoreless innings as he's a welcome sight back in the bullpen after missing most of last year due to injury. Nelson Bocardo was the star on offense, blasting a pair of homers (#2 & 3) and driving in 3 runs while Juan Davila brought the other two runs home with a double. Team record: 12-1. Next up: An off-day then we travel to Toronto for 3. MLB News: The Pirates are off to a dreadful start at 0-11 and former Ray Jimmy Leonard has homered 10 times in St. Louis' first 13 games. Last edited by Art Deco; 07-14-2022 at 10:10 AM.

07-15-2022, 12:08 PM	#2067
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	April 12-14, 2047: at Toronto (3) Game 1: The phrase "refuse to lose" is a bit of a cliche but the Rays lived up to it today, winning 8-5 in 12 innings over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre after trailing 5-1 through 7 to improve to 13-1 as Seth Williams had a record-setting day. Toronto treated its former pitcher Bob Riley rudely as he went 5.1 9 4 4 1 2 and the Rays found themselves trailing late. But Tomas Laboy got the comeback going with a 3-run shot in the 8th (#1) and then in the 9th Seth Williams singled for his fifth hit of the day (including HR #2), driving in the tying run. And in the 12th Williams singled again to become the first Ray ever, including the thousands of games of this save, to record 6 hits in a contest. His single put a man on 3rd whom Doug Johns brought home with a sac fly and Luis Barela put the icing on the cake with a 2-run homer (#3). That made a winner of Abelaldo Gray for the first time as a Ray as he went the 11th and 12th perfect, fanning 4. At this late date of the save it's rare to unlock an achievement but I did: Game 2: The Rays keep on winning, going to 14-1 after a tight 2-1 triumph over Toronto. Caleb Ramos, who struggled in his first two starts, was lights-out today at 7 3 1 1 0 3 and won his first 2047 decision. Willie Minier gave up a pair of hits to start the 9th but retired the next 3 for save #3. The Tampa Bay runs came on a Nelson Bocardo sac fly and a Luis Barela single. Game 3: Tampa Bay is off to a scintillating start this year despite the fact that its ace and reigning AL Cy Young winner Gordie Ager has been terrible, and he was again today in a rare 5-1 defeat. Ager (1-2) was hit for a trio of homers and finished 4.1 11 5 5 1 5 and has suffered both of the team's losses so far. Alex Duran was 3-4 with his first homer of the year for the lone Rays run as the bench was emptied on a Sunday. Jeremy Williams was 2-4 including his first MLB hit. Team record: 14-2. Next up: An off-day then we return to Publix Park to play 3 against the Orioles with last season's rotation member Marc Gibson slated to start against us in the opener. Last edited by Art Deco; 07-15-2022 at 12:11 PM.

07-16-2022, 12:29 PM	#2068
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	April 16-18, 2047: vs Baltimore (3) Game 1: It took the bats a time through the order to get going, but a 5-run 4th propelled the Rays to an 11-1 rout of the Orioles at Publix Park in their series opener. That 4th inning saw the Rays hit four consecutive doubles as they banged out 8 two-baggers in total along with a triple. Nelson Bocardo led the way going 3-4 with 3 RBI, Dave Frick and Doug Johns each drove in a pair and Seth Williams was 3-4 with an RBI. Greg Bookhart meanwhile went to 4-0, 1.44 after a fine 7 9 1 1 0 3 outing. Game 2: The Rays kept fighting back and took a 5-4 win in 12 innings despite managing only one hit through the first 6 innings and trailing 3-0. Luis Barela's walkoff RBI single in the 12th was the winner, and they tied it on a wild pitch in the 10th after Satoshi Sato gave up a run in the top of the inning. Dave Frick's 2-run double in the 7th helped bring them back to get to extras. Ben Moses started and was going grat until he ran out of gas in the 5th, finishing 4.2 5 3 3 2 8 and Dan Anderson picked up his first win with 2 1/3 scoreless in relief. Game 3: Another rout and another series sweep as the Rays blasted Baltimore 10-1. After not homering in the first two games they belted four longballs starting with Yuji Morioka's first of the season as he tries to shake off an early-season slump. Seth Williams (#3) went solo, Jeremy Williams hit his first MLB round-tripper, a 3-run blast and Kevin Crater added his AL-leading 7th. Bob Riley (3-0) was great again at 7 4 1 1 0 3 for the win. Team record: 17-2. Next up: Boston visits for 3.

07-17-2022, 10:49 AM	#2069
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	April 19-21, 2047: vs Boston (3) Game 1: Tonight's series opener will be remembered as the Randy Rappaport Revenge Game as the one-time Rays supplemental first-round pick blasted a pair of homers to lead the Red Sox to a 9-6 win, sending Tampa Bay to defeat for only the third time this season. Rappaport and his mates roughed up Caleb Ramos (1-1), who had his third poor start in four outing, to the tune of 4 7 9 9 2 0. Rappaport had a solo shot in the first and a 3-run blast in the 2nd, and although the Rays tried to fight back on a Doug Johns grand slam (#3), the deficit was too large to overcome. Game 2: Drama at Publix Park as Nelson Bocardo's walk-off homer (#4) leading off the 9th gave the Rays a 4-3 win in a game which saw them lose the lead twice in the late innings. Reigning AL Cy Young winner Gordie Ager has struggled this year but tonight he was back in form at 6.1 6 2 2 0 4 but Dan Anderson gave up a hit scoring the second run to wipe out a 2-1 lead in the 7th built in part on Dave Frick's solo homer (#1). The Rays went back ahead on a Seth Williams RBI single in the bottom of the frame but Willie Minier put men on 1st and 3rd with one out and Satoshi Sato gave up a sac fly to allow Boston to equalize again. Sato pitched the 9th and got his first win thanks to Bocardo. Game 3: The Rays trotted out their Sunday lineup full of reserves in the finale but one regular who stayed in led them to an 11-3 rout of Boston and a series win. Seth Williams had a massive game with a 2-run homer in the first, a 2-run double in the 2nd and a solo shot in the 8th (#5) to knock in 5 of the 11 runs. And another regular, Dave Frick, had a bases-clearing double while Juan Davila added an RBI triple. All of this support helped Greg Bookhart make it 5 wins in 5 starts this season, going 6 4 3 3 1 4. Team record: 19-3. Next up: Detroit visits for 3 games. MLB News: Seth Williams was named player of the week for his 13-26, 3 HR, 8 RBI performance, and 24-year-old lefty starter Juan Contreras of San Diego pitched a no-hitter against Cincinnati. He walked 4 and fanned 14 in a dominant 126-pitch outing. Last edited by Art Deco; 07-17-2022 at 10:50 AM.

07-18-2022, 05:00 PM	#2070
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	April 22-24, 2047: vs Detroit (3) April 22: Activated DH Jose Castillo from the 10-day IL, optioned OF Jeremy Williams to AAA Durham. Game 1: After Detroit took a 4-0 lead in the 7th and the Rays stormed back with 4 in the bottom of the inning, it looked like a typical Tampa Bay comeback win was in the offing. But the Tigers struck back for 5 in the 8th and a last-ditch Rays rally wasn't enough in a 9-7 loss at Publix Park. Kevin Crater's 3-run shot (#8) and Yuji Morioka's solo blast (#2) tied it up but some really bad bullpen work in the 8th from Satoshi Sato (who allowed 5 runs without retiring a batter) and Dan Anderson (who let all 3 of Sato's runners he inherited score) doomed them. Ben Moses pitched well at 6 7 3 3 0 6 and the final two runs against him also were let in by a reliever (Abelaldo Gray). Alex Duran had a 2-run double in a 2-out, 3-run rally in the 9th which fell short. And even better news: Mario Saro had to leave with shoulder tendinitis and will be out 5-6 weeks. April 23: Placed OF Mario Saro on the 10-day IL with shoulder tendinitis, purchased the contract of OF/P Josh Schwartzlow from AAA Durham. The righty-hitting Schwartzlow will platoon with Alex Duran as they fill Saro's spot in the lineup. Game 2: The Rays fell again, dominated by Detroit's Eric Rimbach in a 3-1 loss. The Tiger lefty went 8.2 2 0 0 0 10 and left one out short of a shutout with back spasms. Kevin Crater greeted the reliever with HR #9 but that was it for the offense. Bob Riley (3-1) suffered his first loss as a Ray, keeping them in it at 6.2 6 3 3 0 3. Game 3: Tampa Bay suffered a rare series sweep at home after Detroit took a 4-3 win at Publix Park. Caleb Ramos was a little better today but not that much at 6 6 4 4 1 5, dropping him to 1-2 and lowering his ERA to 7.71. It was 4-1 Tigers before the Rays scored a run in the 8th and Tomas Laboy drilled a pinch-hit solo shot (#2) in the 9th to make it close. Team record: 19-6, no longer the best record in MLB as the White Sox have gone to 20-5. Next up: A very rare two days off before playing a 2-game series on Saturday and Sunday at Fenway Park.

07-19-2022, 12:10 PM	#2071
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	April 27-28, 2047: at Boston (2) Game 1: Frustrated over being swept at home by the Tigers, the Rays took it out on Boston at Fenway Park in the opener 17-5. They were up 10-0 by the 4th and having a career game was Yuji Morioka, who hit a two-bagger, homered twice to double his season's total and drove in 8 runs. Luis Barela had a 2-run HR in the 1st (#4) and Doug Johns added a 3-run shot (#4) in the 4th. Gordie Ager (2-2) meanwhile turned in his best start of the year at 6 5 2 2 0 5 before giving way to Chris O'Brien, who had only pitched once in April and the rust showed as he was hit for 3 runs. Game 2: Greg Bookhart had been the Rays' most consistent starter this year, coming with a 5-0, 2.03 record. He didn't have it today though as he went 3.1 6 5 5 2 4 and put Tampa Bay in a 5-1 hole. No problem for this offense though as they steadily chipped away at the lead and came back to take a 7-5 win and sweep of the 2-game series. Doug Johns started the comeback with a 2-run homer in the 6th (#5) to make it 5-3, they tied it in the 7th on Kevin Crater's RBI single and then won it in the 8th on a Yuji Morioka solo shot (#5) as the Japanese 2B had a big weekend. Abelaldo Gray (2-0) got the win and Willie Minier picked up save #4. Team record: 21-6. Next up: A four-game series in Detroit which oddly has a Tuesday off-day followed by a Wednesday doubleheader.

07-20-2022, 09:52 AM	#2072
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	April 29-May 2, 2047: at Detroit (4) Game 1: The Rays took a 3-1 win over Detroit in the opener of their 4-game set at Comerica, getting back at the Tigers after they were swept last week. All three runs came in the 2nd when Tomas Laboy laced an RBI triple and was brought home by Yuji Morioka's fourth homer in three games and 6th of the year. That was enough for Ben Moses (3-0), excellent at 5.2 6 1 1 1 7 with Willie Minier notching save #5 thanks to a perfect 9th. Game 2: The teams played a doubleheader on Wednesday after an unusual Tuesday off-day and the Rays prevailed 6-1 thanks to a brilliant complete-game effort from Bob Riley who pitched to soft contact, improving to 4-1, 2.20 after a 9 7 1 1 0 1 outing. Luis Barela and Jose Castillo combined to drive in all 6 runs with Barela's 3 coming on a homer in the 5th (#5) while Castillo had an RBI single prior to Barela's homer and added a 2-run double in the 9th. Game 3: The Rays completed the doubleheader sweep with another well-pitched game, coming out on top 4-2. Caleb Ramos (2-2) shook off his early season struggles by going 6 3 0 0 0 5 and Willie Minier picked up save #6 despite allowing a run in the 9th. Seth Williams was the offensive star, homering twice (#6 & 7) including a 2-run shot in the 9th to turn a 2-1 game into a 4-1 affair. Doug Johns contributed a solo shot, his 6th. Game 4: Tampa Bay returned the favor of being swept at Publix Park and then some by taking all four games in the series from Detroit, finishing them off with a 9-1 rout. Alex Duran drove in three with a 2-run single and solo homer (#2) while Kevin Crater and Dave Frick were each 2-5 with 2 RBI. Gordie Ager has apparently gotten back into a groove and went 6 4 1 1 1 4 to improve to 3-2. Team record: 25-6. Next up: Another quirky series in which we visit Baltimore for 2 games but get Sunday off.

07-21-2022, 09:56 AM	#2073
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	May 3-4, 2047: at Baltimore (2) Game 1: Marc Gibson was much better against his old team this time around and the Rays trailed Baltimore 2-0 after 6 in the opener of their 2-game series at Oriole Park. But as usual the Rays were playing possum and they erupted for 5 runs in the 7th to take a 5-3 win after Gibson had left. Kevin Crater's grand slam (#11) turned the game around as he now leads the AL in homers, RBI (29) and steals (9) in a dynamite first month-plus as a Ray. Greg Bookhart went to 6-0 with a 7 5 2 2 0 6 outing and Willie Minier finished up for save #7. Game 2: In the reverse of yesterday's game it was the Rays who led early 3-0 behind Ben Moses who didn't allow the Orioles a hit through the first 4 innings. But Moses couldn't get anyone out in the 5th, giving up 4 straight hits to start the inning and eventually surrendering a 3-run homer as the Rays fell 6-4. Moses (3-1) took his first loss of the year after going 5.1 7 6 6 0 4. Alex Duran had a 2-run double and Doug Johns a solo homer (#7) for the Tampa Bay highlights. Team record: 26-7. Next up: A rare Sunday off-day then we head back to Tampa for 3 against Arizona.

07-22-2022, 12:42 PM	#2074
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	May 6-8, 2047: vs Arizona (3) Game 1: Bob Riley was brilliant again as the Rays beat Arizona 6-2 in their series opener at Publix Park. The lefty went 7 5 2 2 0 2 to improve to 5-1, 2.25 and Mel Mejia finished up with two scoreless. Luis Barela had a 2-run double, Dave Frick drove in a pair, and Josh Schwartzlow was 3-3 with a double and an RBI. Game 2: The Rays took a 6-2 lead after 2 and saw the Diamondbacks creep within 6-5 before putting away an 8-5 win. Dave Frick led a balanced attack going 2-4 with 2 RBI, Seth Williams knocked in a pair, and Yuji Morioka was 2-3 with an RBI double. Caleb Ramos (3-2) got the win but wasn't convincing at 6.1 9 5 5 0 0, the lack of walks and Ks an oddity. Willie Minier closed it out for save #8 by striking out the side. Game 3: The Rays fought back to tie it up in both the 9th and 12th innings but ultimately fell short in a wild 11-10 loss in 14 innings in the finale. Jose Castillo's dramatic solo homer, only his 2nd, leading off the 9th sent us to extras and an Arizona error enabled Tampa Bay to tie in the 12th. But Micah Crickenberger (0-1) and Chris O'Brien were terrible in the 14th, allowing 5 Arizona runs. The Rays nearly tied it once again, scoring 4 times in the bottom of the inning before Luis Barela grounded out with a man on to end it. Way back in the first Kevin Crater hit HR #12, Castillo was on base 7 of his 8 trips to the plate with 4 hits and 3 walks and Seth Williams and Alex Duran had 2-run doubles. Gordie Ager started and gave up a couple of key homers to finish 6 6 4 4 1 7. Mel Mejia had to leave in the 10th with elbow tendinitis and will miss 3 weeks. Team record: 28-8. Next up: An off-day then the Yankees visit for 3.

07-23-2022, 02:25 PM	#2075
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	May 10-12, 2047: vs NY Yankees (3) Game 1: The Rays didn't score in the first two innings in their opener at Publix Park against the Yankees, but they scored in every inning after that as they routed the New Yorkers 14-4. Kevin Crater was 3-5 with HR #13, a 3-run shot, Dave Frick drove in 3 with a homer (#2) and double, Doug Johns had a 2-run blast (#8), Alex Duran was 3-4 with HR #3 and Luis Barela capped a 3-hit day with his 6th round-tripper. Greg Bookhart looked great in going to 7-0 at 6 4 2 1 2 7. Game 2: Different day, same story as the Rays routed the Yanks again 13-4. Alex Duran, fresh off going 3-4 yesterday, went 5-for-5 today with his 3rd & 4th homers and 4 RBI. Seth Williams (#8) and Luis Barela (#7) also found the seats. Ben Moses (4-1) picked up the win but labored to qualify for it as it took him 112 pitches to go 5 8 3 3 2 7. Game 3: And now for something completely different as the Yankees bested the Rays 5-2 behind a strong outing from lefty Jose Anez, who went 7 4 1 1 0 8 against a somewhat makeshift Sunday lineup for Tampa Bay. Juan Davila's 2-run triple was the sum total of the offense. Meanwhile a guy who pitches to contact like Bob Riley is going to have days where the ball finds holes, and today was one of those days as he was 4.1 9 5 5 1 4 in dropping to 5-2. Team record: 30-9. Next up: An off-day then we play a pair in Columbus.

07-24-2022, 09:18 AM	#2076
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	May 14-15, 2047: at Columbus (2) Game 1: The Rays kept fighting back but ultimately succumbed to the Lightning 7-6 at Nationwide Ballpark in the opener. Gordie Ager's inconsistent 2047 continued as he was hit for a slam in the 1st and after settling down, gave up a 2-run shot in the 5th to finish 4.2 9 6 6 1 7. Keeping the ball in the park has been the big problem for Ager this year; after allowing only 17 and 15 homers the last two full seasons, he's already allowed 11 in 46.2 IP covering 9 starts. The bats did come back to tie at 4 after the slam including solo homers from Luis Barela (#8) and Nelson Bocardo (#5) and after Ager put them down again 6-4 Kevin Crater had a 2-run double to equalize again. But Columbus got a run off Satoshi Sato (1-2) in the 8th, and Dave Frick was thrown out at the plate in the 9th to end the game. Game 2: Caleb Ramos has struggled with his move to the rotation this year but today he was on and led the Rays to a 6-1 win and a split of the 2-game series. After being roughed up in an outing in which he neither walked nor struck out anyone, Ramos (4-2) was 6 3 1 1 3 9 today and lowered his ERA to 5.73. I'm sure the 9 whiffs are a Rays high for him and probably a career one as well. He was supported by Jose Castillo, who had a big day with a 2-run double and solo homer (#3) while Doug Johns was 2-4 with a double and RBI as well. Team record: 31-10. Next up: An off-day then we head east to play 3 at Yankee Stadium.

07-25-2022, 01:47 PM	#2077
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	May 17-19, 2046: at NY Yankees (3) Game 1: What a wild roller coaster affair the series opener was as the Rays fell behind 8-1, came all the way to go ahead 12-8, blew the lead in the 9th, then won it extra innings 13-12. Greg Bookhart brought a 7-0 record into this game and wasn't very good at 3.1 9 7 7 2 2 but his perfect record remained intact after a 9-run 8th which saw the Rays improbably take the lead. Luis Barela and Doug Johns started the comeback with solo homers in the 7th, the 9th for each, and then they put 9 on the board in the 8th, capped by a Yuji Morioka bases-clearing double. But Abelaldo Gray and Satoshi Sato combined to give up 4 in the 9th to let the Yankees tie with Sato surrendering the tying homer before Dave Frick's RBI double, his third hit and second RBI of the day, won it. Willie Minier went the final 1 1/3 for his first win of the year while Johns ended up 4-5 with 3 RBI. Game 2: The Rays came back to tie the second game up on three separate occasions, but the bullpen couldn't get the job done again and they dropped a 7-4 decision to the Yankees. Ben Moses had his issues (4.1 5 3 3 3 3 with 2 HR allowed) but the Rays tied the game back up in the 3rd, 4th and 7th before Satoshi Sato gave up another back-breaking homer, a 3-run shot with two of Dan Anderson's (1-1) runners aboard in the 7th. Kevin Crater homered for the 14th time in the 3rd. Game 3: Different day, same story as the bullpen faltered again in a remarkable 9th inning for both teams. The Rays trailed 4-1 going into the final frame before erupting for 5 runs to take a 6-4 lead, only for Willie Minier (1-1) to give those 5 runs right back in the bottom of the inning capped by a walk-off grand slam from Rays killer Elias Aragune and lose 9-6. Before the madness Bob Riley had his second straight rough start (5 8 4 4 0 1) before they came back with five different hitters driving in runs in the 9th in what proved to be an ill-fated rally. Team record: 32-12. Next up: An off-day then the Dodgers come to Publix Park for a pair.

07-26-2022, 09:41 AM	#2078
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	May 21-22, 2047: vs LA Dodgers (2) Game 1: The Bucs beat the Rams 14-10, making a goal line stand at the end to preserve the win. Wait, that was the Rays over the Dodgers at Publix Park in one of those type of games this team seems to love to play. The Rays trailed early 4-0, blew past that go to up 11-4, saw the Dodgers come back to 11-10 before kicking a field goal, er adding three runs in the bottom of the 8th. Gordie Ager's rough start to the year continued as a he had a rough start to the game, giving up 4 in the first 2 innings but settling in from there to go 6 7 4 4 1 6 and improve to 4-2. But Jose Morales and Dan Anderson combined to give up 6 runs in the 8th with Anderson allowing a pair of homers. Abelaldo Gray got the final out of the inning and stayed on in the 9th for his 2nd save. Meanwhile the offense banged out 21 hits and Kevin Crater had a monster day against his old mates with a 2-run homer (#15) and a bases-clearing triple in the 8th which provided needed insurance. Crater was tagged out after the triple on the hidden ball trick. Alex Duran, who's hitting 422/475/688 filling in for the injured Mario Saro, doubled and homered (#6) driving in two, and Luis Barela (#10) and Yuji Morioka (#7) also went deep as everyone in the lineup had at least two hits and everyone drove in a run except Seth Williams. Game 2: A much more sedate affair in the finale as the Rays edged the Dodgers 5-4 for the two-game sweep. Caleb Ramos (5-2) was just good enough at 5 4 3 3 4 2 for the win and Willie Minier closed it out for save #9. LA's Ben Danks walked four straight batters in a 3-run 4th, capped by Yuji Morioka's 2-run single and Jose Castillo's solo homer (#4) leading off the 5th put Tampa Bay ahead to stay. Team record: 34-12. Next up: 4 games on the south side of Chicago against the White Sox.

07-27-2022, 03:58 PM	#2079
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	May 23-26, 2047: at Chicago White Sox (4) Game 1: The Rays opened up a 4-game set with their closest peer the White Sox, who are off to a 33-15 start themselves and have been consistently the second best team in the AL the last several years (although they always flame out in the playoffs before we get to play them). And today's game was a hard-fought affair with the Rays scoring twice in the 9th to tie it and twice more in the 10th to take a 6-4 win. Seth Williams' 2-run double was the equalizer while Alex Duran's RBI single broke the tie in the 10th and Dave Frick followed with an RBI single of his own. Nelson Bocardo was 4-5 with an RBI as well. Greg Bookhart turned in a solid start at 7 3 2 2 2 6 but Satoshi Sato put them behind when he gave up a 2-run homer, the third he's allowed in his last four outings, not good. Abelaldo Gray (3-0) ended up with win and Willie Minier had a quick 1-2-3 10th for save #10. Game 2: Chicago's Mike Schraub has become one of the toughest pitchers in the AL and he came in today's game with a 5-0, 1.66 record and left it 6-0 after shutting down the Rays in a 4-2 White Sox win. Jose Castillo was the only Ray who had his number, hitting a pair of solo homers (#5 & 6) but the rest of the lineup went meekly. Ben Moses (4-2) was the hard-luck loser after a pretty good 5.2 6 2 0 1 1 outing with a key Seth Williams error hurting him. Game 3: It was an old-fashioned pitchers' duel today between the Rays' Bob Riley and Chicago's Bobby Woods and I mean old-fashioned in that the two starters each went 7 innings and only struck out one batter. But it was Riley who pitched to the softer contact in a 1-0 Rays win as the lefty improved to 6-2, 2.94 with a 7 3 0 0 3 1 outing in which he was wild by his standards. The game's lone run came courtesy of a Jose Castillo RBI single, making him responsible for all the Tampa Bay scoring the past two days. Willie Minier got all 3 outs via the whiff in the 9th for save #11. Riley has now pitched 64.1 innings with a 7/24 BB/K ratio, a real throwback. Game 4: The Rays took the series from Chicago with a 6-3 win in the finale as Jose Castillo completed a big weekend in the Windy City with a 3-run homer (#7) which erased a 2-0 White Sox lead and put Tampa Bay ahead to stay. Gordie Ager (5-2) was a fine 6 4 2 2 3 6 although he did allow another homer as his longball struggles continue. Abelaldo Gray got the call in the 9th with save #3 while Luis Barela and Chris Parham were each 3-5 with Barela knocking in a run. Team record: 37-13. Next up: Back home for 3 vs Toronto.

07-28-2022, 01:54 PM	#2080
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 6,933	May 27-29, 2047: vs Toronto (3) Game 1: The Rays hosted the Jays on Memorial Day and it was an elegy for their bats as former Tampa Bay farmhand Ivan Perez and a reliever shut them out 5-0. Perez, who was swapped for Bob Riley this past offseason, went 7 6 0 0 1 3 against the big club he never got to join. Caleb Ramos (5-3) was unconvincing at 5 6 4 4 2 3 and now sports a 5.83 ERA. Game 2: You just knew after being shut out the night before the Rays would come out swinging today and they didn't disappoint in a 15-5 thrashing of Toronto at Publix Park. The red-hot Jose Castillo was 3-4 with HR #8 and 4 RBI, Luis Barela had a 2-run shot (#11) in the 1st to set the tone, the also red-hot Alex Duran was 3-4 with 2 doubles, a homer (#7) and 2 RBI, and Kevin Crater had an RBI double and a 3-run homer (#16). Greg Bookhart went to 8-0 but had to limp through 5 innings to qualify for the win, going 5 9 5 5 3 5 on 100 pitches. Game 3: The Rays continued to take the opening-game shutout as a personal affront as they roasted the Jays again 8-2 to take the series. Right now you can't stop Jose Castillo, you can only hope to contain him as he went deep twice more to give him 10 on the season and 7 in his last 8 games. The other hot guys stayed hot with Alex Duran hitting HR #8 and is a mere 419/477/706 with 30 RBI in 40 games, and Kevin hit another Crater Tater (can't believe it took me this long into the season to come up with that), with two men on, his 17th. Ben Moses (5-2) didn't exactly part the Toronto lineup but was good enough scattering hits at 6 10 2 2 0 4 to earn this win. Team record: 39-14. Next up: The homestand continues with 4 against Minnesota. Transactional notes; OF Mario Saro (who is danger of getting Wally Pipped by Duran) and RP Mel Mejia have begun rehab assignments.