The 2020 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays did it with pitching in the opener at Progressive Field, but a big homer won it for them as Ezequiel Avalos's 2-run shot (#9) in the 8th was the difference in a 3-1 victory. Melvin Lopez was excellent at 6 3 1 1 2 4 and the pen was strong with Willie Navarro (1-0) notching the win and Chris Hetzel stepping in for Mario Berumen and getting the final four outs for his first save. Berumen suffered a mild abdominal strain that he should be able to pitch through.

May 11: Activated P Steve Talbott from his rehab assignment at AAA Durham, designated P Joe Roberts for assignment and placed him on waivers.

It was a tough call figuring who to part with to activate Talbott, but Roberts was the odd man out for two reasons: 1) if he clears waivers he can be assigned to the minors, unlike Chris O'Brien who was the other choice; and 2) his $4.2M salary makes it less likely he's claimed.

Game 2: Steve Talbott gave up a homer in the 9th to let Cleveland tie it up in his return from the IL and that started a long day's journey into night that finally ended in the 15th when Jose Lozada delivered a 2-run triple in a 3-run inning to give the Rays a 6-3 win over the Guardians. Lozada's triple capped a 3-RBI day for him and made a winner of Steve Morris (2-0) who went 4 1 0 0 0 4 in relief and has an astounding season line of 26.1 15 2 2 3 31. Dave Rose had some control issues but limited the damage, going 5.1 4 2 2 5 5.

Game 3: The Rays concluded a weekend of outstanding pitching, eking past the Guardians 1-0 in the finale and completing a series in which they allowed only five runs in 33 innings. This one was decided in the 7th by Ezequiel Avalos's RBI double, making a winner of Tim Johnson (5-0) who was outstanding at 6 1 0 0 3 4. With most of the pen tired from yesterday's marthon, Chris Hetzel and the much-maligned Alan Rutherford picked up the slack over the final 3 innings with the latter picking up his first save as a Ray. He's still sporting a 5.25 ERA but has 18 whiffs in 12 innings this year.

Team record: 32-10. Next up: Back home for 3 vs Oklahoma City.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Sunbirds (12-29 coming in) shocked the Rays at Publix Park with a 4-1 win in the opener in what could be called the Chad Winger revenge game. The lefty had a fine (15-7, 3.34) season for the Rays last year before becoming a free agent and joining Oklahoma City and today he held his former team in check going 8 5 1 1 1 7. Alec McInerney (4-4) actually pitched well today at 5 6 2 2 1 6 for Tampa Bay.

Game 2: Surprise, surprise as once again the Sunbirds got the better of the Rays 6-2 thanks to a 5-run 2nd inning. Tampa Bay bounced out to a 2-0 lead in the first and briefly looked like order restored but OK City pounded Rogelio Espinoza (6-3) in the 2nd and the veteran righty finished a brutal 2.1 7 5 5 3 1. The bullpen was excellent the rest of the way but the expected Rays comeback never materialized as the bats struggled again.

May 15: Activated 1B Ruben Ramirez from the IL, optioned 1B Takayuki Tsujimura to Durham.

Game 3: In perhaps the most shocking series of this save which is in its 33rd season, the Oklahoma City Sunbirds who were 12-29 coming in swept the Rays at Publix Park and held them to 4 runs in the 3 games after a 3-1 win. Nesty de la Rosa's RBI single in the 4th gave the Rays a 1-0 lead and it held up until the 7th when the Sunbirds scored thrice off Mario Berumen (0-1), who blew his first save of the year after Melvin Lopez gave them a pretty good 5.1 4 0 0 4 2 start. Meanwhile the bats remained flaccid and going back to the Cleveland series they've only scored 5 runs in the last 4 games and 12 in the last 6.

Team record: 32-13. Boston has cut the division lead to 6 1/2 games. Next up: A day off to look for our bats then the Yankees come to town for 3 games.

MLB News: Longtime Rays star and old friend Doug Johns hit career homer #300 and we'll be seeing him with the Yankees coming up next. Veteran 3B Willie Rubio also reached the 300-dinger mark.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Yankees and Rays played a wild one at Publix Park in the opener with Tampa Bay ultimately prevailing 13-9 in 10 innings on a walk-off grand slam from Jon Morales. The lead changes hands twice before it looked like the Rays had it won in the 7th when they put 5 on the board to take a 9-5 lead with Morales hitting a key RBI double. But Steve Talbott's struggles since returning from the IL continued as he allowed a grand slam with two of Kevin Leonard's runners aboard in the 9th and off to extras we went. That brought us to the 10th where the Rays loaded the bases with nobody out and Morales deposited his 11th of the year and 2nd of the game into the RF bullpen to end it. Dave Rose started and went 5.2 7 5 5 3 6 and Alan Rutherford (1-1) picked up the win in relief.

Game 2: Jon Morales was the hero again as the reigning MVP won the game for the Rays with a homer for the second straight night, a solo shot in the 8th (#12) to break a 4-4 tie and give Tampa Bay a 5-4 win. This was after the Yankees tied it off Steve Morris (3-0) in the top of the frame, and Mario Berumen took care of the 9th for save #9. Tim Johnson was 5.2 7 3 3 1 4 and Ruben Ramirez had a 2-run homer (#8) earlier.

Game 3: The Rays dropped the finale after Alec McInerney and especially Jimmy Bernal were roasted for 9 runs in a 9-6 New York win. McInerney (4-5) wasn't terrible at 3 4 2 2 3 4 on 87 pitches but Jimmy Bernal certainly was as the Yankees got 7 off him in the 4th inning including a bases-clearing double and a 3-run homer. The Rays tried to climb back into it on a Luis Barela grand slam (#11) but 3 down was as close as they got.

Team record: 34-14. Next up: off to Washington for 3.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Rogelio Espinoza was rocked again and although we're paying him $9M this season his rotation spot may be in jeopardy as the Rays were routed 12-3 by the Nationals. Espinoza still has a 6-4 record but the ERA is now 7.20 after today's 3.2 12 8 8 1 1 shellacking. Jon Morales had a solo homer (#13) and Zeke Avalos was 3-4 with an RBI double.

Game 2: Lousy starting pitching did in the Rays again as they lost 5-3 to Washington. Melvin Lopez (3-3) was hit to the tune of 3.2 8 4 4 2 3 and although the pen did well to keep them in the game they couldn't generate enough offense. Luis Barela's 2-run homer (#12) in the top of the 1st was about it for them.

Game 3: Dave Rose to the rescue as the staff ace rebounded from a few mediocre outings of late to throw a complete-game shutout allowing the Rays to salvage the series finale 4-0. Rose scattered 9 hits but only walked 1 and fanned 11 to improve to 7-1, 2.48 in his second shutout of the season and third of his career. Nesty de la Rosa's solo homer (#7) in the 3rd held up as the game's only run until the 8th when de la Rosa tripled in a run and the next batter Jon Morales went deep with a 2-run shot (#14) to give Rose some breathing room.

Team record: 35-16. Boston shaved a game off our division lead, reducing the gap to 5 1/2 games. Next up: An off-day then we head across the country to play 3 in San Diego.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Rays kicked off their first visit to San Diego in I can't remember when with their second straight complete-game shutout as Tim Johnson was dominant in an 8-0 win. Johnson just missed a Maddux at 100 pitches but put up a Game Score of 91 in a 9 4 0 0 0 12 domination. Luis Barela started the scoring with 2052 HR #13 and career #496, a solo shot, and Ruben Ramirez had a big game going 3-4 with an RBI double, solo homer (#9) and 3 RBI. For good measure Jon Morales chipped in a 2-run blast in the 9th (#15).

Game 2: For 8 1/3 innings tonight it looked like the Padres would return the favor by shutting out the Rays, but Jon Lozada came off the bench to deliver a game-tying RBI single and Luis Barela won it in the 10th with a 2-run homer (#14) as Tampa Bay prevailed 3-1. Alec McInerney turned in his best start in a long time at 6 5 1 1 1 6 but looked to be a hard-luck loser until Lozada took him off the hook. Mario Berumen (1-1) pitched the 9th for the win and Steve Talbott got his first save since coming off the IL, #3.

May 26: Placed P Alan Rutherford on the 15-day IL with a herniated disc, purchased the contract of P Joe Roberts from AAA Durham.

Rutherford will miss 5-6 weeks after injuring himself in last night's game and Roberts get a second chance after clearing waivers last week.

Game 3: Sweep in San Diego isn't quite as catchy as Sleepless in Seattle but that's what the Rays did with a 6-3 win in the finale. Nesty de la Rosa's 3-run homer (#8) in the 2nd inning put them ahead to stay and Rogelio Espinoza (7-4) got the win on the mound where pitched for the first seven years of his career. Espinoza, who has been struggling over his last several starts to put it mildly, began the game roughly by allowing 3 runs in the first 2 innings but settled in to finish 6 5 3 3 2 3. The Steves took over from there with Morris going two scoreless and Talbott pitching a 1-2-3 9th for save #4. Jon McGovern also had a nice game, going 3-5 with 2 RBI.

Team record: 38-16. Boston took 2 of 3 in California as well (at San Fran), so the lead is up to 6 1/2 games. Next up: Back home for 3 against the Indianapolis Comets.

May 27: Claimed OF Brian Whittaker on waivers from Washington and optioned him to AA Montgomery.

For some reason the Nats waived their 3rd round pick from 2050. While Whittaker isn't going to be a superstar he looks like a very useful player with this profile:



Excellent OF defense, plenty of speed and great gap power and not terrible elsewhere (except perhaps in avoiding Ks). Since he has options we sent him to Montgomery since top prospect Jesus Avalos is manning CF at Durham.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Like their series a couple of weeks ago in which they were improbably swept at home by recent (2048) expansion team Oklahoma City, the Rays had trouble scoring runs tonight against the other expansion team Indianapolis, but Tampa Bay pitching was even better in a 2-1 win. Specifically it was Melvin Lopez (4-3), who went 7 4 1 0 3 7 for the win with Mario Berumen tossing a perfect 2-whiff 9th for save #10. David Morales' RBI double in the 7th broke a 1-1 tie.

Game 2: He did it again, and he was even better this time. Dave Rose pitched his second consecutive complete-game shutout and unlike the previous one in which he scattered 9 hits today he held the Comets to 3 hits, walking one and fanning 12 on 112 pitches in a 2-0 win. Rose is now 8-1, 2.20 on the year and has thrown three shutouts, and it was the third complete-game shutout from the staff in the last six games. A pair of solo homers was all the support he needed as Ruben Ramirez and Ezequiel Avalos each hit their 10th round-tripper of the season.

Game 3: Excellent pitching gave the Rays a sweep of Indianapolis as Tim Johnson didn't quite duplicate Dave Rose by throwing a second consecutive shutout but he was plenty good in a 5-2 win. The righty is proving to be everything we'd hoped when acquired from Columbus this winter as he went to 7-0, 2.70 after a 7 4 2 2 2 7 outing. Steve Talbott earned save #5 with a perfect 9th. Nesty de la Rosa's RBI double in the 5th broke a 2-2 tie and Mike Wood produced in a rare start as the light-hitting 2B tripled his season hit total by going 2-3 with an RBI double.

Team record: 41-16, now 8 games up on Boston. Next up: An off-day then we're off to play 3 at Yankee Stadium.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The bullpen was brutal and the bats didn't do enough as the Yankees walloped the Rays 9-3 in the opener at the Stadium. Alec McInerney left a 1-1 game after going 4.1 5 1 1 2 5 but four different relievers allowed runs, totaling eight, including Chris Hetzel (1-2), who relieved McInerney and gave up 3 runs on 4 hits in only 2/3 of an inning. Jon Morales had 3 singles and Cameron Holly had a solo shot (#3) for the Rays.

Game 2: Another ugly loss in the Bronx for Tampa Bay as the Yankees once again broke it open against the pen and once again the bats were anemic in a 7-2 loss. Rogelio Espinoza (7-5) wasn't great at 4.2 7 3 3 3 3 but for the second straight night every reliever who pitched gave up at least a run as New York pulled away. Jose Lozada was 4-4 with a double, two runs scored and a steal, the only Ray who did anything on offense.

Game 3: A forgettable weekend in New York concluded with the third straight lopsided loss to the Yankees as the Rays fell 6-1 in the finale and were outscored 22-6 in the 3-game series. Melvin Lopez (4-4) was terrible at 4 7 6 6 3 2 although for a change the bullpen didn't give up anything, not that it mattered with the offense only scrounging up one run on Jose Lozada's solo homer (#3) as he was 2-3 today and 6-7 in the last two games while his teammates forgot their bats again.

Team record: 41-19. Amazingly getting swept didn't cost the Rays any ground as Boston was swept too and remained 8 back, although the Sox have now been tied for second by the Yankees.

We did win some monthly awards:






Mastropietro's ERA actually rose during June despite being pitcher of the month which tells you how great a season he's having, and our top pitching prospect is MLB-ready but just needs an opening (although after how we pitched in New York I'm almost ready to bring him up anyway).

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Rays had a hard time scoring runs but Seattle had an even harder time as Tampa Bay eked out a 2-1 win in the opener at T-Mobile Park. Jon McGovern drew a bases-loaded walk in the 6th which broke a 1-1 tie and Luis Barela hit career HR #498 (#15) to provide the meager offense but it was enough for Dave Rose (9-1), dominant again at 7 5 1 1 1 7. Steve Talbott finished up for save #6.

Game 2: Deja vu as the Rays got by Seattle 2-1 once again in the second game. Tim Johnson (8-0) stayed toasty by going 6.2 8 1 1 0 7 and Steve Talbott closed it out again for his 7th save. Zeke Avalos' sac fly and David Morales' RBI single in the first two innings supplied all the run support that was needed.

Game 3: The Rays finally broke out of their offensive slump (10 runs in their last 5 games and 19 in their last 8) by putting a touchdown and an extra point on the board in a 7-3 win to sweep the Mariners. Jose Lozada isn't in the lineup every day but when he has been lately he's produced and today was no exception as he went 3-4 with HR #4 and 3 RBI to raise his average to .341, Jon McGovern had a solo homer (#6), and Dantel Chinchilla laced a big 2-RBI double. Alec McInerney (5-5) was very good until he ran out of gas and gave up a couple of solo homers with the big lead, finishing 5.2 5 3 3 0 5.

Team record: 44-19, now 9 up on Boston and the Yankees. Next up: An off-day then 3 games in Texas. We also had the amateur draft, which will be the subject of the next post.

[Art Deco]

Mattila: An 18-year-old out of Georgia, he's a possible staff ace of the future with 60/80/60 potential and four plus pitches.

Ovalle: Taken with our compensation pick for losing Greg Bookhart, the 18-year-old Mississippian has 65 contact and 65 power potential and could play an average defensive 3B.

Villagomez: A 17-year-old from the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy, Villagomez has 65 contact and power potential and is expected to be an above-average corner OF who can play a passable CF.

Arai: The 22-year-old Stanford product should be an above-average defensive 2B/SS with a decent bat (55 contact/50 power).

Young: 18-year-old from Indiana who profiles very similarly to Villagomez except 60 power potential instead of 65 and the same OF defense profile.

Saucedo: 18-year-old pitcher from Massachusetts who will need to develop a third pitch to be a starter where he'd profile with 55/45/65 potential.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Our offensive struggles continued but once again they didn't prevent us from winning as the Rays edged the Rangers 2-1 thanks to a solo homer from Ezequiel Avalos (#11) in the 9th inning. Rogelio Espinoza (5.2 7 1 1 1 4) was solid and the bullpen was in fine form with Mario Berumen (2-1) earning the win and Steve Talbott picking up his 8th save. Dantel Chinchilla was 2-2 with 2 walks and a triple to account for the other Rays run.

Game 2: The Rays scored only 2 runs once again but this time they were hammered by Texas 14-2. Melvin Lopez (4-5) wasn't very good at 4 6 4 3 4 2 but the bullpen was brutal today with Jimmy Bernal and Chris Hetzel each allowing 4 runs.

Game 3: I'm not sure I've seen this team in such an extended offensive slump in this save as they lost to Texas again 4-3 in 11 innings. They've only scored 26 runs in their last 11 games and only Dantel Chinchilla did anything for them today, going 3-5 with a 2-run homer (#5) that tied the game in the 6th. Dave Rose was solid at 6.2 4 3 2 2 5 and the pen held serve until Steve Morris (3-1) had to come in to replace an injured Kevin Leonard in the 11th and gave up a walk and 2 hits to let the Rangers plate the winner.

Team record: 45-21, still 8 up on the Yankees and Boston. Up next: Hoping that home cooking will get the bats going again as Toronto comes to Publix Park for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

June 10: Placed P Kevin Leonard on the 15-day IL with a hamstring strain, recalled P Randy Mastropietro from AAA Durham.

Let the Randy Mastropietro era begin. Our top pitching prospect was a 2nd round pick in 2046 out of high school and has worked his way up the ladder, spectacular at Durham this season (9-2, 2.09). He'll pitch in long relief for now but is first up for a rotation opening.

Game 1: Ruben Ramirez was the hero in the opener, hitting a 3-run walk off homer (#12) in the bottom of the 9th to give the Rays a 7-4 win over Toronto in the opener. Not only did he hit the walk-off winner Ramirez also hit a 2-run homer in the previous inning to give the Rays a 4-3 lead before Steve Talbott (2-0) blew his 4th save in the 9th but vultured the win. Tim Johnson started and was adequate at 5 8 3 3 2 6.

Game 2: It was late drama again for the Rays as they scored twice in the 8th to take a 3-2 win over the Jays. Jon Morales singled home the equalizer and Luis Barela doubled him home for the winner. Dantel Chinchilla had the first Rays run with a solo shot (#6). Alec McInerney was excellent at 6 5 1 1 0 6, Joe Roberts (2-0) picked up the win, and Willie Navarro notched his 2nd save.

Game 3: The Rays completed the sweep with still another walk-off win as they came back from a 4-2 deficit in the 7th to win 5-4 over Toronto. The winner came with two out in the 9th as Dantel Chinchilla, who led off the inning with a single, scored on a wild pitch. Jose Lozada was 3-5 with a double and 2 RBI, including the tying run in the 8th, and Cameron Holly had a key RBI double on which he tore his PCL and is done for the season. Rogelio Espinoza started and went 5 5 2 1 3 6 and Steve Talbott (3-0) picked up the win with a perfect 9th.

Team record: 48-21. We're now 9 up on Boston and the Red Sox come to Publix Park for 3 after an off-day.

MLB News: Veteran reliever Freddy Zamora, who was in the Rays bullpen during 2042-43, recorded career save #400 pitching for the Cardinals where he's still getting it done at 36.

[Art Deco]

June 14: Placed 2B Cameron Holly on the 60-day IL with a torn PCL, recalled 1B Takayuki Tsujimura from Durham.

Tsujimura gives us a RH bat to platoon at DH.

Game 1: The Rays pulled off their third walk-off win in four games, eking by Boston 5-4 in the opener at Publix Park. Jon Morales' RBI single, his 3rd hit of the game, brought home Jose Lozada with the winning run as the Rays went 10 games up on the Sox. Dave Rose struggled again at 6.1 9 4 4 1 6 and they trailed 4-0 before a 4-run 5th highlighted by Dantel Chinchilla's solo homer (#7) and a 2-run Ruben Ramirez blast (#13) equaled things up. Mario Berumen (3-1) picked up the win in relief.

Game 2: Nesty de la Rosa was the man as the Rays bounced Boston again 5-1. The rookie 1B had a 2-run homer in the 3rd (#9) and an RBI single in the 7th as he continues to hit a cool 348/399/552 in an impressive debut season. David Morales was 3-4 with 2 doubles and an RBI as well. The support made of winner of Melvin Lopez (5-5) who went 5 8 1 1 2 4 and along with three relievers Rays pitching scattered 12 hits but mostly kept Boston off the board.

Game 3: The Rays finished the sweep with a 5-0 shutout of the Red Sox as Tim Johnson went to 9-0. The righty lowered his ERA to 2.57 after going 6 5 0 0 1 4 and a pair of relievers finished off the whitewash. It was a weird day at the plate as the Rays only drove in 3 of their 5 runs with two of former Rays prospect Jonathan Melendez's 4 wild pitches bringing men home. And Jon Morales had 2 of those RBI on a groundout and a sac fly while going 0-3 while backup catcher Cesar Scroggins was 3-3.

Team record: 51-21. Next up: Our lengthy homestand concludes with 4 against Baltimore.

[Art Deco]

June 17: Optioned OF Chris Kidd to AAA Durham, purchased the contract of OF Jesus Avalos from the Bulls.

It's Jesus Avalos time in Tampa Bay as the top prospect finally gets the call as we look to boost the relatively struggling offense of late. Avalos was hitting 311/381/622 at Durham with 15 HR and 39 RBI and he'll take over in CF for Jon McGovern, who had a nice rookie season last year but has struggled in 2052 at 232/299/362. As Jesus joins fellow Avalos Ezequiel, our regular lineup against righties will feature 2 Avaloses along with 3 Moraleses (Ismael, Jon and David), giving the two surnames a majority.

Game 1: The Rays came back from 5-0 down to take a 6-5 lead and it looked like another patented Publix Park comeback was in order. But the bullpen (mainly Willie Navarro) couldn't hold the lead and the Orioles prevailed 10-7 in the series opener. Alec McInerney didn't have his stuff today, going 4 6 4 4 4 0 but the bats overcame the deficit highlighted by Luis Barela's 499th career homer, a grand slam in the 5th, and Dantel Chinchilla's 2-run double put them ahead. But Navarro gave up 4 runs on 4 hits without retiring a man in the 8th and the game was lost. Jesus Avalos did come off the bench in the 8th and doubled in his first big league at-bat.

Game 2: Baltimore bounced the Rays 7-2 in the second game as the offense didn't do much and the pitching was kind of lousy. Rogelio Espinoza (7-6) was mediocre at 6 8 4 4 3 5 and then rookie Randy Mastropietro gave up 3 runs in the 7th to put the game out of reach.

Game 3: The Rays bounced back with a 9-4 win in third game despite losing starter Dave Rose early. Rose was dazzling at 3 1 0 0 0 5 but left with mild hamstring strain that may push his next start back a day. Steve Morris (4-1) took over and picked up the win by throwing the middle 3 innings allowing only a run, and after Chris Hetzel let the Orioles within 6-4 in the 8th, Mario Berumen finished up for save #11, getting 4 of his 5 outs via the whiff. The bats were the story as the Morales trio drove in 8 of the 9 runs with Ismael going 4-5 with a double and 2 RBI, Jon hitting a 2-run shot for HR #16, and David adding a 2-run double.

Game 4: Tampa Bay salvaged a split by taking an 8-3 win in the final thanks in large part to a couple of seldom-used guys. Backup catcher Cesar Scroggins was 2-4 with a 2-run double and a solo homer (#2) and banjo-hitting 2B Mike Wood went back-to-back with Scroggins for his first Rays homer in a season and a half and finished the day with three hits. Jon Morales was also 3-4 with HR #17. Melvin Lopez started but couldn't quite finish the 5th at 4.2 6 1 1 4 8, leaving with the bases loaded. Chris O'Brien (2-0) ended up with the win, and after the pen loaded the bases in the 9th with two out Steve Talbott came on and got a strikeout to end the nonsense and earn save #9. It wasn't all good news though as Randy Mastropietro suffered a partially torn labrum and will be out 6 weeks.

Team record: 53-23. Next up: We head to New York to play 3 against the red-hot Yankees who have won 8 straight and shaved a couple of games off our division lead down to 8.

[Art Deco]

June 21: Placed P Randy Mastropietro on the 15-day IL with a partially torn labrum, purchased the contract of LHP Eddie Lilly from AAA Durham.

Mastropietro should be back around mid-August. Lilly is a lefty acquired at the deadline last year for Mike Bertram and is a marginal big leaguer.

Game 1: The Rays ran into a buzzsaw at Yankee Stadium as red-hot New York won its 9th straight game, routing the Rays 13-1. Tim Johnson (9-1) suffered his first Tampa Bay loss, dropping to 9-1 after being blitzed at 4.1 7 7 7 2 3 including allowing 3 in the first. Jon Morales was 4-5, scoring the only run which was driven in by Jesus Avalos, the rookie's first MLB RBI.

Game 2: It looked like another long day at the ballpark for the Rays when the Yankees jumped out to an early 6-3 lead, but massive games from the Avaloses led the Rays to an 11-7, 10-inning win over New York. Rookie Jesus Avalos had the game of his young MLB career, going 4-5 including a tie-breaking homer leading off the 10th and picking a great time to hit his first MLB longball after hitting an RBI double earlier. And Ezequiel followed later in the inning with a 3-run shot of his own, his second of the game (#14) capping a 4-hit, 5-RBI day. As a result Tampa Bay overcame a poor start from Alec McInerney (3.2 9 4 4 1 1) with Mario Berumen (4-1) grabbing the win with two scoreless innings of relief.

Game 3: History was made, but a win wasn't:



Barela's 500th homer (and 17th of the season) came leading off the 9th with the Rays trailing 8-4 and sparked a 3-run rally that fell short with the tying run on base. Barela drove in three on the day and the Rays also got another homer from Ezequiel Avalos (#15). But it all wasn't enough to overcome another disaster start from Rogelio Espinoza (7-7) who was knocked around at 3.2 10 7 7 0 1 with two homers allowed. If Randy Mastropietro had not gotten hurt he'd be taking Espinoza's spot but for now the vet will stay in the rotation.

Team record: 54-25. As a result of this series the Yankees have pulled within 7 games of the Rays. Next up: Off to Oklahoma City for 3.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays were up 4-0 and ace Dave Rose was cruising along - until suddenly he wasn't, giving up 6 runs in the 5th and dooming Tampa Bay to a 6-4 loss at Oklahoma City. Nesty de la Rosa's 10th homer of his rookie season was a 3-run shot to put them up 4-0 and Rose (9-2) had only allowed 2 hits through 4. But he gave up 4 runs on 4 hits and a couple of walks and then gave up a 2-run homer that proved to be difference, all in the 5th and finished 5 6 6 6 2 2.

Game 2: Tampa Bay bounced back to rout the Sunbirds 10-3 in the second game behind an 8-run 5th inning. Ruben Ramirez's 2-run single put them ahead 3-2 and then Ezequiel Avalos blew it open with a 3-run blast (#16) off former Ray Chad Winger. Ismael Morales was 4-6 with 3 runs scored, a steal and an RBI triple and Japanese 1B Takayuki Tsujimura launched his first MLB homer. Melvin Lopez (6-5) coasted to victory after going 6.2 6 3 1 0 4.

Game 3: It looked like another Rays rout as they went up 7-2 on Oklahoma City but instead they had to hang on for a 7-5 win. They put 5 on the board in the 1st thanks to another 3-run Ezequiel Avalos homer and the slugger added a solo shot later to give him 18 on the year. Ismael Morales added a 2-run double in that first inning and Tim Johnson was cruising through 6 before putting the first two men on in the 7th, and Willie Navarro made a mess letting those runners score along with one of his own. The pen held from there with Steve Talbott earning save #10 and Johnson improved to 10-1 after going 6 7 4 4 1 5.

Team record: 56-26. Despite taking 2 of 3 the Rays lost ground as the Yankees stayed red-hot with a sweep and reduced the division lead to 6 games. Next up: A day off then back home for 3 against Toronto and we'll have the midseason report as we've reached the halfway mark of the season.

MLB News: Houston's Pat Patterson is off to an absurd start through the first half of the season, hitting 351/422/788 with 37 HR and 82 RBI through 78 games and he capped his insane first three months with a 4-homer game against Texas, driving in 6.

[Art Deco]

It's been a bit of an odd season with the Rays of course still chugging along in first, but the offense is down some by its usual standards and run prevention remains an issue.



The Yankees are threatening to make it a race in the AL East after the Rays had opened up a 10-game lead at one point, so we're not in "count the days until the playoffs" mode quite yet.



One particular area of concern is that we're playing 6 games over our Pythageorean record thanks to a 15-3 record in one-run games which is going to be tough to sustain. We also are in the unaccustomed position of not leading MLB in run-scoring, as we've scored five fewer runs that the Yankees. And despite various efforts to improve it, our defense remains atrocious and is the main reason why we're a middle-of-the-pack team when it comes to runs allowed. Thankfully our staff is first in strikeouts because if we allowed any more balls in play things would be quite uglier.



As usual there's plenty to like on the offensive side of things with 8 players on pace for 3 WAR or better. Jon Morales seems to be settling into a Saberhageian career where he's way up in one season and down in the next, seasons 1 and 3 were MVP years with 8-9 WAR, season 2 was good but ordinary at 3.6 WAR and season 4 is now on pace for that same mark. The same thing has happened with his defense where he was one of the better RFs last year but sports a -2.2 ZR this year. Jesus Avalos has already proved to be an improvement over Jon McGovern, who was the weak link in the lineup, as he's doubled McGovern's WAR in only 9 games played.



As you can see there's a direct correlation between BABIP against and ERA with this club. While the starters after Rose and Johnson could be better, they've also been the unluckiest on balls in play. The bullpen has been pretty good as reflected in our 15-3 one-run record.



The farm system's better than it has been in recent years and apparently we had a good draft earlier this month with Mattila and Ovales installed as our #1 and #3 prospects. Avalos and Mastropietro (injured) are now up with the team, Machado should be our 2B next season, and Korean signing Yang has taken strides forward as a prospect.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: An ugly day all around for Tampa Bay as they were pasted by the Jays 8-0 in the opener at Publix Park. The bats were held to five hits and Alec McInerney (5-6) was pounded at 4.1 9 6 6 2 2.

Game 2: A 4-4 game in the 7th got away from the Rays as the bullpen was lit up in a 9-4 loss as Tampa Bay once again fell to a 30-54 Toronto team. A pair of Ezequiel Avalos homers (#19 & 20) giving him five in his last four games kept them in it but Steve Morris (4-2) was hit for a couple of runs in the 7th and Mario Berumen gave up 2 more in the 8th to let it get out of hand. Rogelio Espinoza turned in another mediocre start at 5.1 8 4 4 1 6.

June 30: Placed 3B Luis Barela on the 10-day IL with a pulled abdominal muscle, recalled 3B Kang-cheol Lee from AAA Durham.

Barela injured himself making a play in the 9th inning but will be back when the 10 days are up; it's a week injury but "moderate" so he was ILed. Lee was a MiLB free agent signing last year and the 30-year-old is a fine defensive 3B (60) and boasts MLB power (55) and an eye (60) albeit with only 45 contact. He was an impressive 277/398/540 at Durham and had already earned 3.3 WAR there.

Game 3: It took a late comeback but the Rays avoided the ignominy of a sweep by cellar-dwelling Toronto thanks to a 3-2, 10-inning win. The Avaloses were key with Jesus coming off the bench in the 8th to deliver a game-tying RBI single and Ezequiel winning it in the 10th with an RBI knock. As a result an excellent Dave Rose outing (7 5 2 2 0 10) did not go to waste with Steve Talbott (4-0) getting the win after pitching the 9th and 10th.

Team record: 57-28. The Yankees also dropped 2 of 3 in Baltimore so no ground was lost and the lead remains 6 games. Next up: Off to Oakland for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays tied the game with two out in the 9th and won it with a pair in the 11th as they got by the A's 7-5 in the opener at the Oakland Coliseum. Ismael Morales singled, stole second, and went to third with 2 out in the 9th before Jose Lozada beat out a weak grounder for a game-tying infield single and in the 11th David Morales drilled an RBI double to win it for Tampa Bay. Dantel Chinchilla was also 3-5 with a double and 2 RBI. Melvin Lopez went 5.1 7 4 4 1 8, Steve Talbott (5-0) got the win with two scoreless innings and Chris Hetzel had a clean 11th for his 2nd save.

Game 2: One big inning did in Tim Johnson and the Rays as Oakland scored 4 times in the 5th to take a 5-1 win. Tampa Bay had a 1-0 lead on Kang-cheol Lee's first MLB homer and Johnson had held the A's to 1 hit through 4 before it all fell apart in the 5th. He dropped to 10-2 after finishing 5 6 4 4 3 5 and the bats couldn't get anything else going, although Jose Lozada was on base 4 times with 2 hits and 2 walks.

Game 3: Another ugly game for Tampa Bay as they lost the game and the series to Oakland 10-6. The big inning did them in again as Oakland put 5 on the board in the 6th to break a 4-4 tie and never look back. Alec McInerney had another lousy start at 5 6 4 4 2 2 but it was Willie Navarro (1-2) who let things get away, walking 3 and allowing 4 runs while only retiring one batter, although Steve Morris didn't help by letting all those guys score on a grand slam allowed to the first man he faced. Nesty de la Rosa (#11) and Jon McGovern (#7) had solo homers after the game was lost. And McGovern was only in there because rookie Jesus Avalos strained an ab muscle which will sideline him for five weeks, a shame because he was hitting 370/442/587 in 14 games since being called up.

Team record: 58-30. The Yankees continue to creep up, moving within 5 games after taking 2 of 3. Next up: An off-day (on July 4?) then 3 games in Houston before we hit the All-Star break.

I'm not thrilled with how this team has been playing of late and some changes are coming so stay tuned for the next post.

[Art Deco]

Time for those changes I alluded to in my last post, starting with a trade:



Wood was dealt to make room for a callup which I'll get to in a minute, and in return we got a pretty decent lefty reliever in Ward who has 70 stuff (with 45 movement and 50 control). He's about a 1-WAR reliever, certainly useful.

July 5: Placed OF Jesus Avalos on the 10-day IL with a strained abdominal muscle and optioned P Eddie Lilly to Durham, recalled OF Brian Whittaker from AA Montgomery and purchased the contract of SS Juan de Oca from AAA Durham.

I've kind of had it with our terrible defense despite the very good record and these two moves (and the trade) was made with that in mind. Avalos - who goes on the IL - could definitely hit but is a bit of a suspect CF and Ismael Morales was lousy at 2B. So Whittaker, who had a 6.8 ZR at 3 different minor league stops in only 62 games will take over as the everyday CF. He's an OK if not terribly great hitter with blazing speed (31 SB in those 62 games) and was hitting .328 combined with 5 homers. de Oca meanwhile, was our 1st-round pick only two years ago out of South Alabama and is a wizard with the glove (70-rated, 10.4 ZR in 52 games at Durham) although he's a career 242/297/398 hitter since turning pro. He has a little pop - 18 HR in 245 career games, but isn't up for his bat. de Oca can also pitch a little - he was 5-5, 5.53 in the Bulls' rotation with a 24/50 BB/K ratio in 84 IP but his potential is 50/50/50 so his SS defense is going to have to carry him. He'll take over there and Dantel Chinchilla will move to 2B where he should be well above-average considering he's a pretty good SS himself. We'll sacrifice some offense here but the D will be better at the two most critical positions.

Game 1: The Rays rallied for 3 runs in the 8th to come from behind and take a 4-3 win over the Astros at Minute Maid Park in the opener. Juan de Oca, brought up for his defense, became one of the few (if any) Rays in this 33-season save to homer in first MLB at-bat in the 3rd inning and had the only Tampa Bay run until the 8th when David Morales drilled an RBI double and Dantel Chinchilla followed with a 2-run single. Rogelio Espinoza was mediocre as usual at 4.1 7 3 3 2 2 but the pen was outstanding with Jon Ward getting the win in his Rays debut thanks to a 1-2-3 7th and Steve Talbott finished for save #11.

Game 2: The new-look defense-first Rays won another low-scoring game from Houston, prevailing 3-2 in 14 innings. Dantel Chinchilla was the game-winning hero again as his RBI single in the 14th proved to be the difference and Jon Ward made it two wins in two Rays appearances by going the final 1 1/3. Dave Rose was his usual excellent self at 6 5 2 2 2 7 and Chinchilla added a homer (#8) to his game-winning single as part of a 3-hit day.

Game 3: It may be too early to declare the Rays' mini-makeover a success but so far, so good as they swept the Astros with a 5-2 win and allowed only 7 runs in the 3 games. In fact de Oca and Whittaker were on the bench today against a lefty, and it was Jose Lozada with the big blow, a 2-run homer in the third (#6) which put them ahead to stay. Jon Morales was 3-4 with a triple and Ruben Ramirez drove in a pair to support Melvin Lopez (7-5) who was 5 6 2 2 4 5. With much of the bullpen exhausted from the previous two nights a couple of less-heralded relievers got it done with 3 scoreless from Chris O'Brien and the save from Joe Roberts, his 1st.

Team record: 61-30. Next up: The All-Star break, after which we'll play 4 in Boston starting on Thursday.

[Art Deco]

The rosters:

Leading the way for the American League All-Stars will be:

SP Marco Agria (LAA) - 10-1, 2.26 ERA, 131.2 IP, 1.18 WHIP, 9.6 K/9, 3.9 WAR
SP Harris Bowness (NYY) - 10-2, 3.00 ERA, 105.0 IP, 1.23 WHIP, 8.7 K/9, 2.1 WAR
SP Victor Bustamante (LAA) - 7-2, 1.88 ERA, 95.2 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 7.0 K/9, 2.2 WAR
SP David Gonzalez (OAK)* - 10-6, 2.36 ERA, 114.1 IP, 1.08 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, 2.1 WAR
SP Jeff Gorton (OC) - 4-5, 3.00 ERA, 57.0 IP, 1.46 WHIP, 6.0 K/9, 0.8 WAR
SP Eric Rimbach (DET) - 7-3, 2.92 ERA, 101.2 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 7.4 K/9, 2.5 WAR
SP Dave Rose (TB) - 9-2, 2.71 ERA, 122.2 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 10.1 K/9, 3.2 WAR
RP Randy Kneib (MIN) - 1-0, 2.12 ERA, 46.2 IP, 1.20 WHIP, 12.2 K/9, 0.2 WAR
RP Steve Morris (TB) - 4-2, 1.93 ERA, 51.1 IP, 0.84 WHIP, 11.0 K/9, 1.6 WAR
CL Jake Cid (LAA)* - 1-2, 30 SV, 1.05 ERA, 42.2 IP, 0.91 WHIP, 9.9 K/9, 1.8 WAR
CL Caleb Elliott (SEA) - 2-3, 13 SV, 3.73 ERA, 31.1 IP, 1.47 WHIP, 9.5 K/9, 0.8 WAR
CL Mel Mejia (TEX) - 1-2, 25 SV, 3.09 ERA, 43.2 IP, 0.94 WHIP, 12.0 K/9, 0.7 WAR
CL Jesus Morales (AUS) - 2-3, 6 SV, 2.27 ERA, 47.2 IP, 0.92 WHIP, 5.3 K/9, 0.7 WAR
C Brent Casey (NYY) - .308/.366/.457, 247 AB, 8 HR, 1 SB, 133 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
C David Evans (TOR) - .278/.333/.471, 291 AB, 15 HR, 1 SB, 125 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
C David Morales (TB)* - .299/.338/.407, 268 AB, 2 HR, 107 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
1B Jose Castillo (NYY)* - .259/.344/.459, 290 AB, 16 HR, 1 SB, 124 wRC+, 1.1 WAR
1B Eric Decker (CLE) - .276/.372/.627, 217 AB, 20 HR, 171 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
1B Juan Delgado (AUS)* - .269/.317/.535, 346 AB, 22 HR, 1 SB, 132 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
1B Adrian Jimenez (BOS) - .256/.360/.539, 297 AB, 24 HR, 1 SB, 145 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
2B Alex Barnes (NYY) - .314/.381/.448, 366 AB, 7 HR, 19 SB, 136 wRC+, 4.4 WAR
2B Luis Chevez (CLE) - .305/.370/.447, 275 AB, 4 HR, 3 SB, 132 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
2B Juan Guerra (SEA) - .290/.342/.515, 355 AB, 20 HR, 142 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
2B Gerald Minotes (OAK)* - .278/.355/.478, 324 AB, 14 HR, 1 SB, 134 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
2B Danny Salais (CWS) - .258/.319/.455, 345 AB, 18 HR, 116 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
3B Luis Barela (TB)* - .260/.361/.463, 296 AB, 17 HR, 2 SB, 130 wRC+, 2.5 WAR (Injured)
SS Agustin Orozco (MIN)* - .275/.350/.431, 320 AB, 12 HR, 119 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
LF Ezequiel Avalos (TB) - .288/.341/.558, 337 AB, 20 HR, 147 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
LF Doug Johns (NYY) - .301/.368/.572, 292 AB, 19 HR, 162 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
LF Pat Patterson (HOU)* - .332/.409/.743, 319 AB, 38 HR, 1 SB, 221 wRC+, 5.9 WAR
CF Jayden Campbell (AUS)* - .317/.383/.508, 262 AB, 7 HR, 9 SB, 148 wRC+, 3.3 WAR (Injured)
CF Kevin Hill (BAL) - .382/.416/.629, 353 AB, 16 HR, 7 SB, 194 wRC+, 4.8 WAR
CF Henry Neri (BOS) - .333/.384/.483, 348 AB, 5 HR, 12 SB, 143 wRC+, 4.6 WAR
RF Juan Martines (CWS) - .252/.349/.515, 330 AB, 25 HR, 14 SB, 138 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
RF Jon Morales (TB)* - .259/.314/.453, 351 AB, 17 HR, 8 SB, 110 wRC+, 1.6 WAR
RF Omar Urrutia (NYY) - .326/.387/.628, 261 AB, 20 HR, 3 SB, 186 wRC+, 3.8 WAR


While the National League will feature these star players:

SP Luis de la Torre (SF) - 7-3, 1.95 ERA, 115.2 IP, 0.81 WHIP, 6.7 K/9, 3.6 WAR
SP Randy Heller (CHC) - 8-5, 3.47 ERA, 122.0 IP, 1.11 WHIP, 8.4 K/9, 3.2 WAR
SP Nick Jacques (PIT) - 9-4, 2.15 ERA, 113.0 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 6.5 K/9, 2.4 WAR
SP Josh Langford (COL) - 8-7, 3.23 ERA, 103.0 IP, 1.32 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 2.6 WAR (Injured)
SP Doug Miskinis (LAD) - 5-4, 2.70 ERA, 106.2 IP, 1.21 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, 2.3 WAR
SP Jesus Silva (CHC) - 11-5, 2.32 ERA, 124.0 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 7.5 K/9, 2.6 WAR
SP Ted Vanegas (COL)* - 11-6, 2.91 ERA, 117.2 IP, 1.01 WHIP, 11.5 K/9, 4.5 WAR
SP Heri Vasquez (ARI) - 2-3, 2.81 ERA, 89.2 IP, 1.12 WHIP, 9.9 K/9, 2.4 WAR
RP Steve Falcon (PHI)* - 5-3, 22 SV, 2.39 ERA, 37.2 IP, 1.01 WHIP, 9.1 K/9, 0.6 WAR
RP Jonathan Gonsales (COL) - 5-1, 2.22 ERA, 48.2 IP, 1.15 WHIP, 10.5 K/9, 1.0 WAR
CL Jose Gonzales (CLB) - 1-4, 22 SV, 3.04 ERA, 47.1 IP, 1.27 WHIP, 7.2 K/9, 0.9 WAR
CL Sam Roberson (LAD) - 2-9, 23 SV, 3.25 ERA, 52.2 IP, 1.27 WHIP, 9.2 K/9, -0.4 WAR
CL Bill Sutherland (SF) - 3-4, 27 SV, 0.95 ERA, 47.1 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 10.1 K/9, 2.6 WAR
CL Freddy Zamora (STL) - 4-3, 27 SV, 2.47 ERA, 47.1 IP, 1.08 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 1.7 WAR
C Ben Caperon (COL) - .236/.309/.391, 258 AB, 6 HR, 5 SB, 86 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
C Jose Picon (CHC) - .368/.386/.589, 95 AB, 5 HR, 172 wRC+, 1.4 WAR
C Ryan Rivera (SF)* - .270/.332/.450, 278 AB, 12 HR, 1 SB, 123 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
1B Jorge Quezada (IND) - .286/.328/.551, 294 AB, 19 HR, 143 wRC+, 1.6 WAR
1B Mike Sistare (MIL) - .268/.325/.524, 347 AB, 23 HR, 4 SB, 134 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
1B Joel Taylor (PHI)* - .288/.358/.554, 222 AB, 16 HR, 3 SB, 155 wRC+, 2.0 WAR (Injured)
2B Juan Davila (PHI)* - .293/.351/.563, 334 AB, 22 HR, 8 SB, 154 wRC+, 3.6 WAR
2B Bobby Fabela (SD) - .268/.299/.397, 257 AB, 5 HR, 10 SB, 90 wRC+, 0.7 WAR
2B Andy Steele (WSH) - .280/.361/.439, 289 AB, 6 HR, 3 SB, 122 wRC+, 1.3 WAR
3B Joe Baker (ATL) - .271/.358/.568, 317 AB, 28 HR, 155 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
3B Jim Furtado (STL)* - .262/.312/.434, 309 AB, 13 HR, 2 SB, 109 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
SS Edgar Pereda (CIN)* - .223/.309/.345, 296 AB, 7 HR, 8 SB, 82 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
LF Michael Love (ATL) - .284/.333/.585, 335 AB, 28 HR, 11 SB, 155 wRC+, 4.2 WAR
CF Hector Gomez (CHC) - .299/.324/.483, 385 AB, 10 HR, 17 SB, 123 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
CF Malik Sexton (SD) - .286/.341/.519, 283 AB, 14 HR, 10 SB, 143 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
CF Steve Stonecipher (MIL)* - .289/.383/.502, 329 AB, 13 HR, 9 SB, 152 wRC+, 3.5 WAR
CF T.J. Wade (STL) - .283/.359/.419, 346 AB, 9 HR, 20 SB, 123 wRC+, 4.0 WAR
RF Tim Gunter (PHI) - .266/.327/.580, 319 AB, 31 HR, 2 SB, 148 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
RF Devin Livingston (NYM)* - .285/.325/.633, 354 AB, 35 HR, 169 wRC+, 3.8 WAR (Injured)
RF Alex Mendoza (WSH) - .311/.374/.471, 289 AB, 2 HR, 30 SB, 134 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
RF David Ramos (CHC)* - .301/.377/.483, 352 AB, 15 HR, 6 SB, 142 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
RF Dave Schamp (CLB)* - .279/.340/.529, 323 AB, 20 HR, 142 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
RF Jaden Warfield (LAD) - .341/.372/.488, 346 AB, 8 HR, 9 SB, 143 wRC+, 3.1 WAR

Among the Rays selected, it's the 3rd appearance for Rose, the 1st time for Morris, 2nd for David Morales, 13th (consecutive for Barela, 1st time for Zeke Avalos, and 4th time in as many seasons for Jon Morales.

The home run derby:



Guess the wind was blowing in.

The game:



Not the best night for the AL but the Rays did OK, with Morris and Rose each throwing a scoreless inning and David Morales getting a hit.