The 2020 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

Game 1: It looked like the typical Publix Park Rays game - fall behind by multiple runs early then storm back for a win - except the bullpen didn't get the memo and allowed 7 runs in the final two innings to turn a 7-3 win into a 10-7 loss to the Twins. First in the 8th it was Jose Morales, who had been very good this year, failing to retire anyone and allowing three runs and then Abelaldo Gray gave up the tying run. Then Willie Minier (1-2) gave up an RBI triple to former Ray Josh Richardson and a 2-run homer and the defeat was complete. Before all that the Rays overcame the early deficit on a bases-clearing double by the insanely hot Alex Duran and went ahead a Yuji Morioka grand slam (#8). Bob Riley started and went 5.2 7 3 3 0 5, giving up a rare 3-run homer in the 1st.

Game 2: The Rays avenged yesterday's loss with a 9-2 shellacking of Minnesota, keyed by a 5-run 4th. Alex Duran (who else?) had an RBI double and then Akio Suzuki picked a good time for his first MLB homer, poking a 3-run shot to LF. We also had another Crater Tater from Kevin (#18) and Duran ended up with a 3-hit day. Gordie Ager (6-2) was decent against his old club, going 5.1 8 2 2 0 6 for the win and Chris O'Brien went an impressive 3 1 0 0 0 6 to finish the game for his first save.

Game 3: Tampa Bay laid the lumber on Minnesota once again in a 10-5 win at Publix Park. Seth Williams had a massive day, leading off the game with a double and then adding a 3-run inside-the-park homer in the 2nd (#9) and finished with a 4-5, 4-RBI game. Three other Rays homered: Luis Barela (#12), a 2-run shot, Yuji Morioka (#9), also with a man on, and a solo homer from Kevin Crater (#19). Doug Johns snapped out of a mini-slump, going 4-5 with an RBI as well. Caleb Ramos also got to start against his old team, and was barely adequate once again, improving to 6-3 with a lousy 5 9 5 5 1 1 outing.

Game 4: The bullpen faltered yet again in the finale but this time the Rays were able to overcome it in a 6-4 walk-off win in 10 innings to take 3 of 4 from the Twins. Satoshi Sato's sudden penchant for giving up homers is concerning as he surrendered a 2-run blast in the 8th to let Minnesota tie the game at 4 and he's coughed up 5 homers over his last 10 appearances covering only 7 innings. He may get shifted back to middle relief and Jose Morales could replace him as the late-inning lefty until Sato straightens himself out. Josh Schwartzlow was the hero today with his 2-run shot in the 10th to win it, his first homer since being recalled. Before that Greg Bookhart turned in a fine start (6 4 2 1 1 5) but Sato cost him the win. Luis Barela had a 3-run homer (#13) in the first.

Team record: 42-15. Next up: An off-day then we head to Cleveland for 3 games. The Amateur Draft is also on Tuesday the 4th.

Not only was Alex Duran named Player of the Week for this past seven days, he was named this:



Also earning monthly honors:



Rodriguez was up last September and may contend for the 1B job next year when Seth Williams departs for free agency.

[Art Deco]

We have a dearth of pitching prospects in our system so I've had to continually trade for new blood on the staff. Consequently I went for Black and took three starters among our first six picks. Black won't provide immediate help but I'm glad to bring him on:



And not only is Black a good-looking pitching prospect, he's also a good-looking hitting prospect who can play an infield corner as you can see from over on the far right. So even if he doesn't pan out pitching the bat can still carry him (although I'd prefer right now the arm pans out too).

Morales:



I had been going back and forth whether to take Black or Morales with the 1st round pick and fortunately Morales was still there six picks later in the supplemental round (the pick we got when Dan Gregory turned down our QO). Morales is a quality defensive catcher with elite bat-to-ball skills and as a college guy he should hopefully move quickly. The big drawback of course is almost complete lack of power or patience but we're not expecting Johnny Bench here.

Aguilar:



You can't really help your chances of hitting on a pitching prospect unless you take several, and Aguilar's someone worth taking a flyer on. He seems very projectable but of course is far away.

Mendoza:



Your typical high school 1B prospect - he's going to need to rake to make it, and maybe he will.

Evans:



A college OF with a good broad-based skill set, he could also move quickly. He doesn't look like a star but should be a solid player.

Ackerman:



Another high-school starter who projects as more of a groundball, pitch-to-contact, keep-the-ball-in-the-park guy. He's a lefty so he hopefully he grows up to be Bob Riley. Going to need to improve his control quite a bit though if that's his goal.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Cleveland's Willie Diaz kept the Rays' bats in check as they only managed 5 hits in a 4-1 loss in the series opener at Progressive Field. Diaz shut them out through 7 before Seth Williams hit a solo shot (#10) off the Cleveland pen. Ben Moses (5-3) wasn't his sharpest at 4.2 4 3 3 2 3 with a pair of homers yielded.

June 5: Activated OF Mario Saro and P Mel Mejia from their rehab assignments; waived and designated OF/P Josh Schwartzlow for assignment, optioned P Chris Winkler to AAA Durham.

Saro's return is welcome but gives us a bit of a dilemma since Alex Duran only hit 421/471/692 in his absence. We're going to have to give Saro and Doug Johns some extra off-days to keep Duran in the lineup more than he was before.

Game 2: Runs were scarce again in Cleveland but this time it was Bob Riley's turn to be especially stingy as the Rays took a 3-1 win to even up the series. Riley was an outstanding 8 5 1 1 0 7 with the seven whiffs a season high as he improved to 7-2, 2.88. Willie Minier had a tidy 1-2-3 9th for save #12. RBI doubles from Mario Saro in his return and Alex Duran were the key hits for Tampa Bay.

Game 3: The Rays finally got the bats going as they gouged the Guardians 11-2 behind a massive day from Luis Barela. Barela, who had a nice season last year but far below his 4-year MVP run, hasn't had as many of these days over the last year-plus but today he was 4-5 with HR #13 and 5 RBI. Also having a big day off the bench was C Akio Suzuki, his best in the USA as he went 2-5 with a 2-run single and a solo homer (#2) while Jose Castillo was on base five times with two hits, two walks and an RBI. Gordie Ager (7-2) meanwhile looked like his 2046 Cy Young self with a 6 4 1 1 1 5 outing.

Team record: 44-16. Next up: The road trips continues over the weekend with 4 in Boston, including a Saturday doubleheader so we'll have to call up someone from Durham to start.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays got their best start of the year from Caleb Ramos and took a 5-1 over Boston at Fenway Park in the series opener. Ramos (7-3) was 6 4 1 1 1 4 and really rolled after allowing a 1st-inning run. Chris O'Brien went the final 3 innings allowing only a single for his 2nd save. Alex Duran's 2-run double in the 3rd broke a 1-1 tie and they also got homers from Kevin Crater (#20) and Mario Saro (#5).

Game 2: A seesaw affair saw the Rays beat Boston again 7-4 in 10 innings in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader. They were up 3-0 behind Greg Bookhart before the Red Sox stormed back to take a 4-3 lead, only to tie it in the 8th and win it in the 10th. Luis Barela had a massive game with his 3-run homer (#16) in the 6th breaking open a scoreless game and his 2-run single capping the 3-run 10th. Jose Castillo tied it in the 8th with a single and Kevin Crater's RBI double brought home the winning run in the 10th. Bookhart finished 6.2 7 4 4 1 3 but stayed undefeated after the comeback. Willie Minier (2-2) got the win and Satoshi Sato struck out the side in the bottom of the 10th for save #3.

Game 3: I forgot we had a doubleheader so I accidentally simmed the second game and of course Boston won it 4-2. The AI started Ben Moses on short rest and he went 4 6 2 2 1 3, not bad considering and Dave Rose (2-2) took the loss allowing a pair of solo homers in middle relief. Doug Johns drove in both Rays runs with a double and a bases-loaded HBP.

Game 4: The Red Sox salvaged a split by essentially turning the tables from Game 2, winning 7-6 in 10 innings after tying it up late. Rookie prospect Chris Krisik was brought up from Durham for his MLB debut (he should have pitched yesterday's second game) and wasn't that great at 4 6 5 5 2 3 with a homer allowed, but he did leave with a 6-5 lead. Boston got a run off Dan Anderson in the 7th, and after a clean 9th Satoshi Sato (1-3) gave up a single to a lefty leading off the 10th and that man came around to score off Willie Minier to let the Sox walk it off. The Rays got a pair of solo Crater Taters giving Kevin 22 on the year and Seth Williams had a 2-run triple to highlight the offense.

Team record: 46-18. Next up: Back to Publix Park for 3 against Oakland.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Bob Riley was on the beam again and the Rays opened their series against Oakland at Publix Park with a 4-1 win. The lefty improved to 8-2, 2.75 after a 7 5 1 1 1 4 outing, and with the main bullpen tired Jose Morales picked up his 1st save as a Ray in four years. Doug Johns was 3-4 with a double and solo homer (#10) and Nelson Bocardo was 2-4 with a double and an RBI.

Game 2: The Rays handled Oakland easily in the second game 10-4. A 7-run explosion in the 4th and 5th broke the game open with Luis Barela leading the way, going 2-5 with a 2-run single and RBI double. Seth Williams tripled and drove in a pair and Nelson Bocardo had a key 2-run double in the outburst. Gordie Ager (8-2) pitched well until putting a couple on in the 7th and giving up a 3-run homer, briefly allowing Oakland back within 7-4. Ager finished 6.1 4 4 4 0 5 and allowed two more homers, a continuing problem with him this year. Mel Mejia put out the fire in the 7th and stayed on the rest of the way to earn his first save of 2047.

Game 3: The Rays completed the sweep with a stirring 9th-inning comeback to walk it off 4-3. Trailing 3-2 going into the final frame, they strung together 5 consecutive singles to start the inning with Dave Frick's driving in the tying run and Tomas Laboy coming off the bench to deliver the game-winner. Earlier Mario Saro went deep with the bases empty, his 6th. Caleb Ramos gave them a lousy start (4.1 4 3 3 4 3) but the bullpen was brilliant with Chris O'Brien going 2 2/3 scoreless and Dan Anderson (2-1) picking up the win after pitching the 9th.

Team record: 49-18. Next up: The Angels come to town for 4 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays took the opener from the Angels at Publix Park 7-5 but it was a costly win as all-everything CF Kevin Crater had to leave with plantar fascitis and will be lost for a month. Crater was 2-3 with an RBI double and a steal before departing while Luis Barela continued to flash his former MVP form by swatting a pair of homers and driving in 3 runs, giving him 17 and 59 on the year. Greg Bookhart didn't pitch well again at 4.1 9 4 4 1 3 but thanks to the run support remains undefeated at 8-0. Dan Anderson (3-1) got the win in relief and Willie Minier finished for save #13 despite allowing a couple of hits.

June 14: Placed OF Kevin Crater on the 10-day IL with plantar fascitis, purchased the contract of OF Steve Emerson from AA Montgomery.

Our first-round pick from 2042 finally makes The Show as we needed a CF to back up Chris Parham, who will take over the position every day. Mario Saro, who filled in last year for the oft-injured Dave Gregory, really can't play the position any more (35-rated). Emerson isn't exactly Andruw Jones out their either (45), but he was the best we had defensively in the upper levels of the minors.

Game 2: It was another game in which the Rays didn't pitch well but won anyway as they outslugged LA 11-6. Mario Saro had a monster game, homering twice (#s 7 & 8) among his 4 hits and driving in 5 runs while Yuji Morioka was 4-5 with HR #10 and 2 RBI. And Luis Barela stayed toasty with HR #18. Ben Moses, whom the scouts have just informed me lost a mile or two off his FB with his stuff downgraded to 55, still got the win at 5 7 3 2 0 3 to improve to 6-3 but relievers Chris O'Brien and Mel Mejia combined to allow 3 runs on 10 hits over the final 4 innings.

Game 3: The Rays won a low-scoring, well-pitched game for a change and it comes as no surprise that Bob Riley was the guy they had on the mound as he's been their most consistent starter this year. Riley was great at 8 6 1 1 1 5 and he had to be since the Rays only scored twice to prevail 2-1. Riley is now 9-2, 2.61 and shows how to win with stuff that isn't overpowering. Willie Minier saved again (#14) and the runs came on a Dave Frick solo shot (#3) and a Doug Johns RBI double.

Game 4: Tampa Bay completed the series sweep with a 7-2 win over the Halos at Publix Park behind a decent outing from Gordie Ager and some good hitting. Ager (9-2) seems to be rounding into form even he did give up yet another homer, finishing 6 3 2 2 2 7. Mario Saro led off the game with a homer (#9) and singled in an insurance run in the 8th as they scored twice, Jose Castillo had 3 hits including HR #11, and Steve Emerson had a nice debut, going 1-3 with a walk and a steal, the latter coming in that 8th inning with two out and he scored the insurance run Saro knocked in.

Team record: 53-18. Next up: 3 games at Yankee Stadium.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Doug Johns and Luis Barela were a two-man wrecking crew as the Rays annihilated the Yankees 18-3 at the Stadium in the series opener. Johns was 4-6 with 2 homers (#11 & 12) and 7 RBI, including a 3rd inning grand slam which broke the game open while Barela also went deep twice, driving in six with a pair of 3-run homers giving him 20 on the year as he's suddenly taken over the AL RBI lead with 67. Yuji Morioka chipped in a solo shot (#11) and Caleb Ramos went to 8-3 with a very good 6 4 2 2 0 7 outing.

Game 2: Greg Bookhart has pitched poorly of late but has hung onto his unbeaten record thanks to his usual robust run support. Today he earned going to 9-0 as he went 7 6 0 0 2 4 in a 4-0 win over New York. Satoshi Sato went the final two innings perfect for his 4th save while Jose Castillo swung the big bat, going 2-4 with an RBI single and solo homer (#12). Chris Parham was 3-4 with a pair of doubles, once of which brought home a run.

Game 3: The Rays completed the sweep and made it 10 straight wins with a tidy 6-1 triumph over New York. Former Yankee Ben Moses was sharp, improving to 7-3 with a 6.2 4 1 1 1 3 performance and Nelson Bocardo had the game's big hit, a grand slam (#7) in the 3rd. Doug Johns capped a big series by adding two more with his 13th longball.

Team record: 56-18. Next up: We head cross-country for 4 games in Oakland.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays rode a 5-run 3rd to take a 7-3 win at Oakland in the opener of their 4-game set. Yuji Morioka's grand slam (#12) was the big blow in the inning and Dave Frick added a 2-run double in the 9th for insurance. Bob Riley went to 10-2 despite not being his sharpest at 6 8 3 3 3 2 and Willie Minier got a rare 2-inning save, his 15th of the season.

Game 2: Tampa Bay's winning streak was snapped at 11 after a 4-2 loss to the A's. It was a night of frustration for the Rays offense as they managed 12 hits and 3 walks but stranded 11. Chris Parham left 7 on base as the primary individual culprit. Still the Rays led 2-1 going into the 8th when Gordie Ager put a couple of men on and Satoshi Sato faltered again, giving up a single and a double and three runs later Oakland had the win. Ager dropped to 9-5 after going 7.2 4 3 3 1 5 while keeping the ball in the park for a change while it was the 5th blown save already for Sato.

Game 3: Dave Frick and Caleb Ramos were the stars today as the Rays got back at Oakland with a 5-1 win. Frick, not known for his power, had what I believe is the first 2-homer game of his career with a 2-run shot in the 3rd and a solo blast in the 7th to give him 5 on the season. Mario Saro doubled and tripled twice, driving in a run. Ramos (9-3) meanwhile has rounded into form of late and went 6 6 1 1 2 5, lowering his ERA to 5.20 despite the gaudy W/L record.

Game 4: The Rays regularly dish these out but they usually don't take them as they were waxed by the A's in the final 12-1. Things looked good for an inning and a half after Doug Johns hit a solo homer in the 2nd (#14) but things went badly after that. After cheating his first loss of the season many times thanks to big run support, Greg Bookhart finally had his W/L sullied at 9-1 after a terrible 4 9 6 6 1 0 outing while Chris Krisik and Micah Crickenberger poured gasoline on the fire.

Team record: 58-20. Next up: An off-day then we head east for 3 at Minnesota.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays busted open a 3-3 game with 6 runs in the 8th inning to take a 9-3 win over the Twins in the series opener at Target Field. Doug Johns' 2-run single broke the tie, and Dave Frick's bases-clearing double broke it open. Jose Castillo also drove in 3 with a double and a pair of solo homers (#s 13 & 14). Ben Moses turned in a quality start (6 4 3 3 1 5) and Abelaldo Gray (4-0) got the win after a scoreless 7th.

Game 2: Tampa Bay looked like a loser in this one, trailing 7-5 going into the 9th but by now you know never to count them out as they had another big late inning, putting up 5 to take a 10-7 win. Luis Barela tied it with a 2-run double, Yuji Morioka won it with an RBI single and Dave Frick came through again with a 2-run double. Morioka earlier hit a pair of solo homers (#s 13 & 14) as did Tomas Laboy (#3). The late rally overcame a rough start from Bob Riley (5.1 8 5 5 0 4) and Micah Crickenberger picked up his first Rays win with Willie Minier notching save #16.

Game 3: The Rays completed the sweep, scoring 6 times in the first two innings and holding on for a 6-4 win. Seth Williams had a 2-run double and Jose Castillo a 2-run single to lead the way, and Gordie Ager (10-3) got the win despite a mediocre 5 9 3 3 0 2 outing. Satoshi Sato was given a shot at a save but let a run in and loaded the bases so Willie Minier had to bail him out and get the final two outs for save #17.

Team record: 61-20. Next up: Back home for 3 vs Texas and the next post will be our midseason review.

[Art Deco]

Another dominant regular season as we're on pace for 122 wins. No worries here.



The offense is its usual greatness but the pitching hasn't exactly been dominating this year. Looking at these numbers it's actually a little better than I thought (especially WAR-wise) but despite a good zone rating our DE and hence our BABIP are poor. Have two 70s up the middle in Frick and Morioka and a 65 CF in Crater (before he got hurt) so not sure what the issue is.



Is having 9 guys on pace for nearly 4 WAR or better (and a 10th for 3) a good thing? I think it is. If I wanted to nit-pick I'd note that reserves like Laboy and Davila have been pretty lousy so far).



Coming into the year who had Bob Riley as our best starter and Jose Morales as our top reliever? At least by WAR they are so far. Gordie Ager's homers allowed stand out like a sore thumb and I'm not sure what's wrong with Satoshi Sato. Yeah there's the .373 BABIP. But there's also the 5 homers allowed in 27 innings. One interesting guy here is Dave Rose. I've used him exclusively as a reliever and went he needed rehab at Durham the AI put him in their rotation and he made a couple of brilliant starts. Then I noticed he really does have 3 quality pitches, 70 stamina and 70 stuff as a starter. So I'm seriously considering moving him into the rotation especially with Caleb Ramos pretty pedestrian in the role after being so good in middle/long relief.

Bottom line is that this staff isn't currently filling me with confidence for getting through the playoffs. In this next month I'll maybe swing a deal (although every pretty good young starter I inquire about brings me back a "you have no player who makes this work" response) or give Rose a shot to see if the rotation can be improved.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Never count this team out, Part 23649. Down 6-4 in the 7th they rallied with a 4-run 8th to take a 9-6 win over Texas in the opener at Publix Park. They teed off against former Ray Vinny Willard, who had control issues and walked Yuji Morioka with the bases loaded to tie it and then Dave Frick's 2-run single won it, giving Frick 11 RBI in his last 5 games. Earlier Luis Barela had a 2-run homer (#21) and they got solo shots from Akio Suzuki (#3), Mario Saro (#11) and Chris Parham (#1). The Rays withstood a monster game from another former Ray Jose Mendez who drove in 5 with a pair of homers including a grand slam off Caleb Ramos, who was awful today at 4.2 6 6 6 2 6 with 3 homers in total allowed. Chris O'Brien (2-1) got the win with 3 1/3 scoreless in relief of Ramos and Abelaldo Gray handed the 9th for save #4.

Game 2: Greg Bookhart bounced back from his first loss of the year to pitch a gem and he got plenty of support in an 11-2 win over the Rangers. The lefty improved to 10-1 after going 6 3 1 1 1 8 and Mel Mejia, who needed the innings, went the final 3 for his 2nd save. Four different Rays drove in a pair, including Yuji Morioka with a 2-run homer (#15) while Mario Saro had 3 hits including HR #12, a solo shot and Alex Duran was 3-5 with a double and 2 RBI.

Game 3: The script was there in the finale once again as the Rays scored twice in the 8th to turn a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead. But what wasn't in the script was Texas scoring 6 times in the 9th off Satoshi Sato and Willie Minier to take an 11-8 win over the Rays and salvage a game from the series. Nelson Bocardo's 2-run homer in the 8th (#9) to cap a 3-RBI day looked like the winner but Sato (1-4, BS #6) immediately allowed Texas to tie and left a couple men on and then Minier didn't have it today, giving up 4 runs (although a Dave Frick error made 3 unearned). I'll give Minier a pass but Sato is completely unusable right now in high-leverage situations. Tomas Laboy had a 2-run homer (#4) early and Steve Emerson hit his first MLB dinger leading off the bottom of the 9th as the Rays scored twice in the inning and had the tying run at the plate but couldn't come back once again. They also got a poor start from Ben Moses (5 8 5 5 2 4).

Team record: 63-21. Next up: Baltimore visits for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Bob Riley was solid again and the Rays took a 6-2 win over Baltimore in their series opener at Publix Park. The lefty improved to 11-2 with a tidy 6 5 2 2 1 4 outing and Dan Anderson retired all 9 men he faced to notch his first 2047 save. Luis Barela continues to swing a hot bat and today he was 3-3 with 3 run-scoring hits including a double while Mario Saro was 4-5 with an RBI double.

Game 2: Another easy win for Tampa Bay as the Rays blasted Baltimore 9-3. Gordie Ager went to 11-3 after going 6 7 3 3 1 5 with all 3 runs coming on another homer he yielded. Mel Mejia was today's 3-inning save reliever, notching his 3rd. Nelson Bocardo leads the majors in batting average at .354 after a 4-5, 3-RBI day including a double. Alex Duran was beaned in the 5th and will be out 5 days with a concussion. Doug Johns came off the bench to replace him and blasted a 3-run homer (#15).

Game 3: The finale was rained out due to one of Florida's famous summer thunderstorms and will be made up on September 2.

Team record: 65-21. Next up: We celebrate the 4th at Publix Park as part of a 4-game series with the Yankees.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: There weren't that many fireworks on July 4 in the opener between the Rays and Yankees at Publix Park but Tampa Bay prevailed in the end 3-2. It was Dave Rose's debut in the rotation and the fireballing righty pitched well if not efficiently at 5 5 2 2 3 8 on 96 pitches for the win to improve to 3-1. The bullpen was outstanding as four relievers went an inning apiece allowing one hit in total with Willie Minier bagging save #18. All the offense came on one swing of the bat in the 3rd inning when the red-hot Luis Barela homered with two men on, his 22nd of the year.

Game 2: After a quiet game the day before, the Rays offense resumed its reign of terror on opposing pitchers in a 14-4 blowout of the Yankees. Dave Frick was 2-3 with 2 walks, 3 runs scored, a homer (#6) and 2 RBI, Luis Barela was 4-5 with a pair of doubles and an RBI, and Yuji Morioka and Mario Saro each drove in 3 runs. Greg Bookhart (11-1) was excellent at 6 6 2 2 3 8 for the easy win.

Game 3: Another day, another rout as the Rays stomped the Yankees 13-5. Whereas yesterday's scoring frenzy only saw one homer, today they broke out the longball as five different Rays went deep. Luis Barela remains unconscious as he started things off with a 2-run shot (#23) as part of a 3-4 day, Dave Frick made it homers in consecutive games with a 3-run shot (#7), Juan Davila launched his first of the year with two men on, and Jose Castillo (#15) and Doug Johns (#16) chipped in with dingers for good measure. Ben Moses wasn't his sharpest (5 8 2 2 2 5 on 100 pitches) but went to 8-3.

Game 4: It looked like the Yankees might actually win one as they had their ace Victor Bustamante on the mound and a 5-2 lead in the 8th. But like Lucy and the football, the Rays snatched away the hoped-for New York victory with a 3-run homer from - you guessed it - Luis Barela (#24) to tie it off the Yankee pen in the 8th and then Yuji Morioka walked it off with a 3-run shot in the 10th (#16) to give the Rays the 4-game sweep with an 8-5 win. Bob Riley, named to the All-Star team earlier in the day, was a bit scattershot at 5.1 8 3 3 1 4 and the win went to Satoshi Sato (2-4) thanks to a perfect 2-whiff 10th.

Team record: 69-21. Next up: The only thing that can stop this team from winning is the All-Star Break, which beckons. They'll resume play in Baltimore the following weekend with 4 games including a Saturday doubleheader.

[Art Deco]

Once again the AL All-Star Team is better known as "Tampa Bay Rays and friends", at least in terms of the lineup:





It is Riley and Bocardo's first appearance, Barela's 8th, Castillo and Saro's 2nd, Crater's 6th (first as a Ray) and Johns' 4th. Former Rays on the squads: AL: Vega, Mendez, Zerman; NL: Robinson, Williams, Zamora, Quintana, Leonard, Mathias.

The HR Derby:



This save was started when we had that weird glitch in the Derby where nobody hardly hits any homers, hence the low scores. Still waiting for a Ray to win this thing, Barela at least made the 2nd round.

The game itself:



The AL might have been blown out, but don't blame the Rays. All four hitters had at least one hit, including a Jose Castillo homer and a Luis Barela RBI double. Bob Riley, despite pitching Sunday, got into the game and got two outs on only two pitches by starting a 1-6-3 double play in the 9th.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays returned to action after the ASB with Gordie Ager getting hammered and falling just short of an epic comeback in a 10-9 loss at Baltimore. Ager's checkered post-Cy Young season continued with a brutal 4 7 7 7 3 5 outing that dropped his record to 11-4 and upped his ERA to 5.40. The bats sorta kept them in it at 10-5, then a furious 4-run rally in the 9th including Yuji Morioka's 3-run homer (#17) fell just short. Seth Williams drove in a pair and Nelson Bocardo was 3-5 with 2 doubles as he continues to lead MLB in hitting.

Game 2: The teams played a scheduled doubleheader on Saturday and in the matinee the Rays took a 5-3 win thanks to Greg Bookhart and a 4-run 7th-inning rally. The lefty was a solid 6 7 2 2 0 4 in improving to 12-1 and a 2-1 deficit turned into a 5-2 lead after Nelson Bocardo tied it with a single and Chris Parham cleared the bases with a double. Satoshi Sato had a 1-2-3 9th for save #5. Dave Frick sprained an ankle and will be lost for two weeks.

July 13: Placed SS Dave Frick on 10-day IL with a sprained ankle, recalled P Josh MacDonald from AAA Durham.

Yuji Morioka will slide over to SS and Juan Davila will play every day at 2B while Frick mends.

Meanwhile, MacDonald is a great story. The 34-year-old was in his 12th(!) season with Durham, having come over in a 2035 trade with Houston. He's mostly pitched in relief, is capable of starting, and dutifully signed minor league contract extensions every year. He has 80 stuff as a reliever and 70 stuff as a starter along with 65 movement. So why haven't we seen him before? Well he has 25 control (OSA) or 35 (my scout). So he's always been just effective enough for AAA (last year he had 10.2 BB/9 and 15.1 K/9 for example), yet a risky proposition for the big club. But the time has come to give him a shot and he's going to start the second game of the doubleheader.

Game 3: Welcome to the majors, 34-year-old Josh MacDonald! The righty waited 16 years to make The Show and he was outstanding in his debut, going 6.2 4 0 0 3 7 on 98 pitches to lead the Rays to a 7-2 win over Baltimore and a doubleheader sweep. MacDonald got early run support (4-0 by the 2nd) and was never in serious trouble. He's going back to Durham after the game but we probably haven't heard the last of him. Jose Castillo provided much of the support, going 4-4 with 2 doubles, a homer (#16) and 3 RBI while Doug Johns homered (#17) and drove in a pair.

Game 4: Similar to the first game of this series the Rays had a starter rocked, fell behind big (9-1 at one point), rallied (they actually tied it at 10 in the 9th), but still lost when Baltimore walked it off in the 10th to take an 11-10 win and a series split. Ben Moses was horrible (4 11 9 9 1 1 with 2 homers) but the bats miraculously got him off the hook when Seth Williams hit a bases-clearing triple in the 9th to cap a 4-RBI day and tie it up. Doug Johns also drove in 3, including a 2-run homer (#18) and Mario Saro was 4-5 with a triple and RBI. Unfortunately Willie Minier gave up a leadoff double in the 10th as he started his second inning and although Satoshi Sato came in and got a ground ball that nailed the runner at home, he then gave up two more singles that scored the winner. OOTP erroneously charged Sato with the loss when it was the replacement for Minier's runner on the fielder's choice who scored.

Team record: 71-23. Next up: 4 games at Yankee Stadium.

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Game 1: It was all Bob Riley once again as the stylish lefty tossed a complete-game shutout in a 6-0 win at Yankee Stadium in the series opener. It was his first career whitewash and second complete game of the season as he went 9 5 0 0 1 5 although you wouldn't know from that line it took him 122 pitches to get it done. Three hits accounted for all the Rays scoring: a 2-run homer from Tomas Laboy (#5) in the 2nd, a 2-run single from Doug Johns in the 3rd and a 2-run Mario Saro double in the 4th.

Game 2: The Rays topped the Yankees again 7-5 in the second game. Dave Rose (4-1) won his second start, but ran into trouble and just barely got through the 5th at 5 6 4 4 4 6. Willie Minier recorded save #19 after coming in for Satoshi Sato who had to leave with a sprained elbow. He'll go on the IL but should be right back. Luis Barela had a 2-run homer (#25) and Doug Johns (#19) and Akio Suzuki (#4) added solo shots while Tomas Laboy had a 2-run double.

July 17: Placed P Satoshi Sato on the 10-day IL, recalled P Brad Mabe from AAA Durham.

Mabe was claimed on waivers from Colorado over the All-Star Break and sent to Durham; he's a lefty who can start or relieve and has pretty good stuff (60 as a starter, 65 in relief) but iffy control (45). We'll get a look at him over the next 10 days.

Game 3: A 3-run 4th and a 4-run 6th led the Rays to their third straight win at Yankee Stadium, 8-3. Jose Castillo's solo shot (#17) and a 2-run Yuji Morioka jack (#18) got them the three in the 4th and Seth Williams added a solo homer (#11) in the 6th. Morioka knocked in another to give him 3 on the day and Nelson Bocardo plated a pair. Gordie Ager started and pitched decently but couldn't finish the 5th as he hit 103 pitches after going 4.1 5 2 2 2 8 but at least he kept the ball in the park. Chris O'Brien (3-1) relieved him and picked up the win.

Game 4: The Rays made it a 4-game sweep of the Yankees with a 5-3 win in the finale. They were up against a tough customer in New York ace Victor Bustamante but erupted for 4 runs off him in the 5th inning on a 2-run Seth Williams double followed by a 2-run Jose Castillo homer (#18). Doug Johns added a solo shot (#20) for insurance. Greg Bookhart (13-1) was excellent at 6 4 2 2 1 5 and Mel Mejia ended up with his 4th save despite allowing a solo homer in the 9th.

Team record: 75-23. Next up: We host the Austin Dukes for the first time as the former Royals franchise visits Publix Park for 3.

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Game 1: The artists formerly known as the Kansas City Royals came to town and won their first game in Publix Park as the Dukes bested the Rays 4-3 in 11 innings. Dan Anderson (3-2) surrendered a solo homer in a game the Rays' bats were pretty much held in check except for a sequence in the 7th when Mario Saro tripled in a run and scored on Jose Castillo's homer (#19). Ben Moses turned in a pretty good start at 6 5 2 2 0 6 but had nothing to show for it.

Game 2: Bob Riley followed his shutout by getting tagged for 5 runs in the 1st inning and it didn't get any better from there as the Dukes demolished the Rays 11-3. The lefty fell to 12-3 after a brutal 3.2 10 7 7 0 2 outing, and the lone Rays highlight of the day was a 3-run inside-the-park homer in the first inning from Tomas Laboy (#6).

Game 3: In a truly rare occurrence the Rays found themselves on the wrong end of a sweep at Publix Park as Willie Minier blew a 4-2 lead in the 9th against his old franchise and the Dukes took a 6-4 win in 10 innings. 2-run homers from Alex Duran (#9) and Doug Johns (#21) along with a fine start from Dave Rose (6 6 2 1 2 6) staked them to that 4-2 lead but Minier couldn't get it done, giving up a 2-run single with the bases loaded and two out in the 9th, a situation partially due to his own fielding error. And then Dan Anderson gave up a hit in the 10th which scored a couple of runners Jose Morales (0-1) put on and the Rays ended up with a lost weekend.

Team record: 75-26. Next up: Boston visits for 3 games.

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July 22: Activated OF Kevin Crater from the 10-day IL, optioned OF Steve Emerson to AAA Durham.

Game 1: Normal service returned at Publix Park as the Rays bounced back from being swept by Austin to take a 9-2 win over Boston. Mario Saro led the way, going 4-4 with a double, homer (#13) and 2 RBI and Kevin Crater celebrated his return from a month out with injury by homering (#23). Gordie Ager (12-4) was sharp but a bit inefficient, going 5 4 1 1 1 6 on 90 pitches.

Game 2: The Rays had their way with the Red Sox again, taking an 8-2 win. Greg Bookhart went to 14-1 (and 31-5 over the last two seasons) with an excellent 7 6 2 2 1 7 performance and he was amply supported by the likes of Luis Barela (3 RBI including HR #26), Juan Davila (2-4 with a double, homer #2 and 2 RBI) and Kevin Crater (homering again, #24).

Game 3: The sweep was completed when the Rays exploded for 5 runs in the 7th to come back and take a 7-4 win over Boston. Doug Johns had one of the best days of his career going 4-5 with a pair of homers and 5 RBI including a 3-run shot in that 7th to put them ahead, giving him 23 on the year. Ben Moses started and was decent (5 7 2 2 0 3), Abelaldo Gray (5-0) picked up the win in relief, and Willie Minier bounced back from a blown save last time out to pick this one up, his 20th.

Team record: 78-26. Next up: An off-day then we head to Toronto for 3.

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Game 1: Not the greatest day for the Rays as they fell 6-2 to the Jays and lost IF Yuji Morioka to a fractured shoulder blade for a month. Bob Riley's the kind of pitcher who relies on his defense and a key Juan Davila error led to four unearned runs as the lefty dropped to 12-4 after a 6 8 5 1 1 3 outing. Doug Johns' 24th homer was the team's highlight for the day.

July 27: Placed IF Yuji Morioka on the 10-day IL with a fractured shoulder blade, recalled IF Ed Herrera from AA Montgomery.

Herrera's been one of our better prospects the last couple of years, spending some time in the BNN Top 100 last year before dropping out. He's a slick fielder and has good power but is very iffy in the contact department. He'll start at SS until Dave Frick returns as Morioka had slid over there to fill in for Frick.

Game 2: The bats came back to life and the Rays came back as well to beat the Jays 8-6 with a 3-run 8th inning. Alex Duran came off the bench to deliver an RBI single to tie it and Jose Castillo's 2-run single proved the difference and capped a 3-RBI day for him. Kevin Crater was 3-5 with a 2-run HR (#25). Dave Rose started but once again ran out of gas in the 5th as he had only allowed 1 run through 4 but finished 4.1 6 6 6 2 1. Jose Morales (1-1) got the final out in the 7th to become pitcher of record and Willie Minier finished up for save #21.

July 28: Activated P Satoshi Sato from the 10-day IL, optioned P Brad Mabe to AAA Durham.

Game 3: It's almost the end of July and Rays ace Gordie Ager still doesn't have it figured out as they fell 7-2 to Toronto today. The lefty was 5 10 6 6 1 7 and dropped to 12-5, 5.43. The reigning AL Cy Young winner has been a victim of bad BABIP luck but also the architect of his own downfall with 21 homers allowed in 119 IP. The BB/K numbers (25/114) are still encouraging so hopefully he'll get some positive regression in the BABIP and HR numbers but I've been saying that for a while now. Today's bright spot: Luis Barela's 2-run homer, his 27th of the season and more importantly the 300th of his illustrious career.

Team record: 79-28. Next up: An off-day then we travel to Boston for three games. The trade deadline's just about here but I'm not anticipating any moves even though we can use a starter.

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Game 1: Greg Bookhart was dazzling and he and the Rays shut out Boston 6-0 in their opener at Fenway Park. Bookhart went to an eye-popping 15-1 thanks to a 6 2 0 0 2 8 outing and Caleb Ramos hurled 3 hitless innings for his first save of the year. Mario Saro had a double and a 2-run homer (#14) while Seth Williams was 4-5 with an RBI double to lead the offense.

Game 2: The Rays rolled to another win, beating Boston 7-2. Kevin Crater had a 3-run 1st-inning homer (#26) and Jose Castillo found the seats with a man on for his 20th. Ben Moses did his usual hit-scattering thing at 5 8 2 2 0 4 to improve to 9-3.

Game 3: Boston salvaged the series finale, edging the Rays 6-5 in 10 innings. Bob Riley's struggled a bit of late and he was 5 8 5 5 2 4. The pen held the game at 5-5 until the 10th when Satoshi Sato's lousy season continued when he allowed the walk-off winner, giving him 6 losses this year to go with 6 blown saves. Luis Barela hit #28 among his 3 hits and Nelson Bocardo stayed atop the batting average charts by going 3-5 with a double, triple and RBI.

Team record: 81-29. Next up: A rare Friday off-day then we host Columbus for 2 games.

Well we did make a trade for a starting pitcher at the deadline after all:



Delgado is a solid #3/4 starter who has 55 stuff, 65 movement and 65 control and was 8-8, 3.42 for the Jays with 1.9 WAR after a 13-10, 3.77 season good for 4.1 WAR last year. He beat us his last time out for Toronto with 8 1/3 innings of 2-run ball. The Dave Rose starting experiment is over, he'll move to long relief and Micah Crickenberger was DFA'd to make room for Delgado. As for what we gave up, Krisik was one of our better pitching prospects and was up briefly earlier this season, but his 40 control was always going to be a problem and now it's Toronto's. Cardenas' ceiling is a spot starter/swingman.

Some monthly awards:





Vinny is having quite a year at Durham as that final line in the blurb indicates, and of course he was up last September with us. With Seth Williams set for free agency the 1B job will be open and Vinny could factor in (other internal options include sliding Tomas Laboy or Juan Davila over).