The 2020 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Alex Brown brought his bat and Randy Mastropietro brought his arm as the Rays blanked the Rangers 8-0 in the opener at Globe Life Field. Brown's bases-clearing double keyed a 4-run 2nd and his 2-run double came in a 4-run 8th. Backup C Cesar Scroggins capped the scoring with a 2-run homer, his first of the year. Mastropietro (4-4) meanwhile continued his up-and-down season by being up at 5 3 0 0 2 7 on 88 pitches.

Game 2: Rays pitching was strong again and Doug Johns had a big day as Tampa Bay made it two straight over Texas with another shutout win 6-0. Brad Villarreal continues to be an inspired acquisition as he moved to 5-0, 2.68 after going 7.2 3 0 0 1 5 and Johns turned back the clock by coming through with a couple of key RBI singles and finishing his day with a solo homer (#6). Jose Lozada was 3-5 with a double and an RBI as well.

Game 3: Despite a dramatic 9th-inning comeback the Rays couldn't complete the sweep over Texas as the longball did them in a 4-3 loss in 10 innings. Trailing 3-1 and with two out and nobody on in the 9th, the Rays got a pair of singles off former teammate Melvin Delgado, serving as Texas' closer, and then Jesus Avalos brought both men home with a double. But after Tim Johnson gave up a pair of homers in going 6 5 3 3 0 3 (giving him 12 yielded in only 45.1 IP this year, a 2.4/9 rate after 1.1 and 0.7 the last two years), Edgar Voisin (2-4) allowed a leadoff walk-off homer in the 10th, the third he's given up in 18 IP.

Team record: 27-17. There's no gaining ground on the Yankees, who also took 2 of 3 and remain 6 ahead of the Rays. Next up: An off-day then the road trip continues with 3 games in Oakland.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: In a low-scoring affair the Rays outlasted the A's 3-2 in 12 innings with Jose Lozada's sac fly bringing home the winning run. Ben Hilton was solid at 6 7 2 2 1 5 and Edgar Voisin (3-4) picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief. Sung-min Yang was 3-5 with an RBI.

Game 2: Dave Rose and the Rays nearly squandered a 7-1 lead but held on to prevail 7-6. Jesus Avalos (with HR #12), Jose Lozada (double, steal, 3 runs) and Luis Barela each drove in a pair and Rose was cruising through 5 but the wheels came off in the 6th when Oakland scored 5 times off him and Chris Hetzel. Rose (5-3) still got the win, going 5.1 8 5 5 2 5 and Edgar Voisin had a perfect 9th for save #9.

Game 3: Tampa Bay completed the sweep in easier fashion, overcoming Oakland 8-3. A 4-run 6th broke open a 2-1 game with Cesar Scroggins' 2-run single the big hit while the Avaloses combined for 3 homers including 2 from Jesus (giving him 12 and who drove in 3) and one from Ezequiel (#11). Jose Lozada capped a great series with two hits and two more RBI. Randy Mastropietro (5-4) was in good form at 6 4 2 2 1 4 for the victory.

Team record: 30-17. The sweep was good enough to gain one game on the Yankees, who are now 5 ahead. Next up: Back home for some interleague action with 3 against Washington.

MLB News: Veteran SS Kevin Kane hit his 600th career homer. Still playing at 43, he's spent his last 14 seasons with Houston after starting his career with 5 in Baltimore. He's a career 237/324/470 hitter with only 36.2 WAR accumulated so he's been more about longevity than the Hall of Fame.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Things looked good as the Rays held a 3-0 lead and Brad Villarreal was cruising - until he wasn't in the 6th, giving up 4 runs and dooming Tampa Bay to a 5-3 loss at Publix Park in the opener against the Nats. Luis Barela was 3-4 with an RBI to help build the lead but Villarreal loaded the bases and gave up a grand slam to lose for the first time in a Tampa Bay uniform, falling to 5-1 after going 6 4 4 4 2 6.

Game 2: Another tough loss for Tampa Bay as they banged out 12 hits but couldn't get them at key times as they were edged 3-2 by Washington. Tim Johnson (2-3) was a pretty good 7 5 3 3 3 3 but his bugaboo the gopher ball bit him again as he allowed a 2-run homer in the 6th to break a 1-1 tie. Jesus Avalos had a solo homer (#13) and an RBI single to account for the Rays scoring.

Game 3: The Rays suffered a shocking sweep at home as Washington made it 3 wins in 3 games with a 9-5 decision. Ben Hilton (3-1) was brutal in his first loss of the season, going 2.2 4 7 7 4 5 and allowing 5 runs in a decisive 3rd inning. Sung-min Yang had a solo shot (#13) and Jose Machado a 2-run double for the Tampa Bay highlights.

Team record: 30-20. The good news is that the high-flying Yankees were also swept, by their crosstown rival Mets; the bad news is that the Rays squandered a golden chance to cut into the 5-game deficit. Next up: A day off then the Dodgers come to town for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: A 5-run 4th broke it open as the Rays downed the Dodgers 12-5 in the series opener at Publix Park. Jesus Avalos' bases-clearing triple was the big hit in the big inning, Jose Lozada was 3-6 with 2 RBI, Ezequiel Avalos had three hits including HR #12 and Manny Mendoza hit first MLB homer, a 2-run shot, to lead the charge. Dave Rose went to 6-3 despite a pedestrian 6 6 4 4 2 6 line.

Game 2: Tampa Bay beat LA again, scoring early and often to take a 7-2 win with all runs coming by the 4th inning. Luis Barela had a big day, going 3-3 with HR #11 and 3 RBI and Randy Mastropietro (6-4) was in good form at 6 6 2 2 1 2.

Game 3: It was not the Rays' day as the Dodgers salvaged the finale by obliterating them 19-3. Tampa Bay pitching gave up 27 hits on the day including 6 from former Ray Juan Viatoro. Brad Villarreal (5-2) was hit hard at 3.1 8 7 7 2 2 while Devin Cefalo (4 runs on 7 hits in 1 1/3) and Joe Roberts (5 runs on 6 hits in 2/3 of an inning) had days to forget. One hurler who won't forget this day was BJ Boys, who was thrust into action as a position player pitching and gave up the final 2 runs in the 9th. Jesus Avalos (#14) and Dantel Chinchilla (#3) did have solo homers in a losing cause.

Team record: 32-21, still 5 behind the Yankees who also took 2 of 3. Next up: Off to Indianapolis for 3 against the Comets.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays followed up a 19-3 loss to the Dodgers with a 15-4 loss in Indianapolis, in case you were wondering how things were going. They actually led this one 4-2 in the 5th before the Comets scored 4 times off Tim Johnson (2-4), whose poor start to the season (6.35 ERA) continued after a 4.1 7 6 5 3 5 outing. It stayed 6-4 Indy until Mario Berumen gave up 8 runs in a 9-run 8th. The Rays' four runs came on solo homers from Manny Mendoza (#2 & 3), Jesus Avalos (#15, leading off the game) and Doug Johns (#7).

Game 2: It was the worst of all possible worlds as not only did the Rays lose 9-8 to Indianapolis, it took them 19 innings to do so, meaning they had to burn through the bullpen and tomorrow's starter (Dave Rose) in doing so. Things again looked rosy early when they scored 5 in the top of the first on a solo Nesty de la Rosa shot (#8) and a Sung-min Yang slam (#14) and Jesus Avalos' solo shot (#16) put them up 6-1 in the 4th. But the #1-ranked Comet offense showed its stuff, jumping on Ben Hilton in the 4th (he finished 4 8 4 4 3 4) and then went ahead on a 3-run homer off Warren Dalton in the 6th. And while Ezequiel Avalos got our hopes up with a game-tying RBI single in the 9th, all that did was prolong our agony for 9 more innings. Finally Rose (6-4) was called on and while he breezed through the 18th he gave up the winner in the 19th.

June 3: Optioned 1B Manny Mendoza to AAA Durham, purchased the contract of P Alexis Colon from AAA Durham.

In need of an emergency starter having used Dave Rose in relief the day before, 2046 8th-round pick Colon was summoned from Durham where he was 4-5, 4.38 and had a couple of 12-win, mid-3 ERA seasons the two years before. Only rated 50/40/45 we're definitely throwing him to the wolves here, but desperate times...

Game 3: For three innings the Alexis Colon emergency start looked like it might work as he held Indy off the board. But the wheels came off in the 4th as he allowed 6 runs and the Rays suffered the sweep after a 6-1 loss. To his credit Colon stayed in and gave up nothing over the next three innings, finishing 7 8 6 6 3 1 and saving a heavily taxed bullpen, but even if he had pitched better it probably wouldn't have mattered as the bats managed only 4 hits including Doug Johns' solo homer in the 4th (#8) which briefly put them up 1-0.

Team record: 32-24. After the debacle in Indy the Rays have fallen a season-high 8 games behind the Yankees. They get a chance to do something about it as they head to New York for 4 games, but also run the risk of being out of the division race in early June. We also have the Amateur Draft today so that will be the subject of the next post.

[Art Deco]

Mendoza: A potential impact hitter taken from the University of Florida (Go Gators!), he's rated potential 70 contact and power and boasts a current/potential 55 eye. He's 45/40 current for contact and power so he'll need some seasoning in the minors but hopefully will be ready when Nesty de la Rosa starts getting too expensive.

Dominguez: A CF from Vanderbilt with some broad-based skills, including potential 70 contact, 55 power, along with 70 speed and potential 80/60/70 defense across the outfield, so a possible star in the making.

Snorton: A similar profile to Dominguez but a high-schooler so farther away and a bit riskier.

Gaona: A high-school starter from Michigan with 65/55/55 potential so we'll see.

Carrillo: 18-year-old OF from the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy who has 70 potential contact and 65 power but has little speed and doesn't look like much of a defensive outfielder.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays' losing streak hit five games as they dropped the opener of their critical series with New York 3-2 in 11 innings and fell 9 games behind the Yankees. Ezequiel Avalos' 2-run homer (#13) got them level but was only one of five hits, and Alan Rutherford (0-1) ended up allowing the winner in the 11th. Randy Mastropietro went 4.1 4 2 2 2 6 in his start.

Game 2: The bats were weak again and they never recovered from a 3-run Yankee first inning in a 5-1 loss, their sixth straight which put them a whopping 10 games behind. Brad Villarreal (5-3) didn't have it early, allowing 4 runs in the first two innings before settling in to finish 6 5 5 5 1 3.

Game 3: The Rays finally stopped the rot with a 9-5 win over the Bronx Bombers, led by Nesty de la Rosa who was 3-5 with a double, triple and 2 RBI. Doug Johns had 3 hits including a pair of doubles and an RBI while Jose Machado rapped a 2-run single to back Tim Johnson (3-4), who went 6 2 3 3 4 6 and didn't allow a hit until the 5th.

Game 4: After finally getting the bats going in the last game the Rays reverted to recent form and lost a 3-2 heartbreaker in the finale with Edgar Voisin (3-5) blowing a 2-1 lead in the 9th. Ezequiel Avalos' 2-run homer (#14) in the 6th broke a scoreless deadlock and Dave Rose was in fine form at 6.1 5 1 0 1 8 but the failure to add on the lead ended up biting them and they now find themselves 10 games back of New York again.

Team record: 33-27, now 1 game out of a wild card. Next up: We'll try to get right back home as Baltimore comes to Publix Park for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: After a brutal road trip it was good to be back home as the Rays routed the Orioles 8-0 behind a career game from Ben Hilton. The righty improved to 4-1, 4.39 after a truly dominating 7.2 2 0 0 2 13 outing and he had plenty of support. Jose Machado's 3-run homer (#2) in the 3rd broke open a 2-0 game and Sung-min Yang went solo (#15) among his 3 hits.

Game 2: One step forward two steps back for the Rays as they suffered an evening of frustration, losing 3-1 to Baltimore while leaving 12 men on base. The Orioles actually did likewise as the teams combined for 24 hits but could only push across 4 runs. Randy Mastropietro (6-5) is no stranger to giving up hits and he went 4 8 3 2 1 3. Fittingly on a day when they couldn't get hits with RISP the lone run came on a Zeke Avalos solo homer (#15).

Game 3: The Rays righted the ship for a day at least as they took the series from Baltimore with a 3-1 win in the rubber game. Brad Villarreal (6-3) was solid at 6.1 7 1 1 1 3 and Edgar Voisin had a perfect 8-pitch 9th for save #10. Jose Machado had the big hit, tripling in the 4th to break a 1-1 tie and then scoring on one of Alex Brown's 3 singles on the day.

Team record: 35-28. Next up: Cue the Spider-Man meme as we head to Chicago to play 3 against the 35-28 White Sox.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Twice the Rays came back to tie Chicago but couldn't do it a third time after the White Sox scored twice in the 8th and they fell 5-3. Tim Johnson had an OK start at 6 6 3 3 2 4 and it was Joe Roberts (2-2) who took the loss after loading the bases with nobody out in the 8th.

Game 2: The Rays' poor run of late hit perhaps its nadir today as somehow they contrived to lose a game they led 6-1 in the 8th with Dave Rose on the mound, falling 7-6 on a walk-off White Sox homer in the 9th off Edgar Voisin (3-6, never a good sign when your closer has 6 losses by mid-June). The big lead was built in part on solo homers from Doug Johns (#9) and Ezequiel Avalos (#16) and Rose was rolling through 7 but got into trouble in the 8th and Chris Parham was ineffective in relief and by the time the inning was over Chicago had scored five times to tie it, leaving Rose with a 7.1 8 5 4 2 8 line.

Game 3: The misery continued as the Rays weren't even in the finale, losing 6-1 and suffering another sweep on the road. Well they actually were in it for 3 innings, up 1-0 on a Dantel Chinchilla RBI single but that was all they'd get and Ben Hilton (4-2) wasn't that great at 5 8 4 4 1 4.

Team record: 35-31, now out of a wild card spot and 10 behind the Yankees in the division. Next up: 3 games at Fenway against the Sox.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The free fall continues as the Rays lost a tough one at Fenway, tying the game in the top of the 9th only to lose it in the bottom of the frame on a 2-run walk-off homer 7-5. Randy Mastropietro got knocked around (5 8 5 5 3 5) but Doug Johns' 3rd hit of the game was a game-tying RBI single in the 9th before Mario Berumen (0-2) coughed up a 2-run shot to let Boston win. The loss dropped the team to 35-32 and 3 games out of the second wild card.

Game 2: Tampa Bay turned the tables on Boston as this time it was the Sox who tied it late before the Rays prevailed 6-3 in 10 innings. Brad Villarreal gave them a solid start (6 8 2 2 2 5) but Mario Berumen was the goat again giving up a key homer for the second straight day, this time allowing Boston to tie it up in the 8th. Jesus Avalos however led off the 10th with HR #17 to provide the winning run and they tacked on two more, making a winner of Edgar Voisin (4-6), who went 2 1/3 scoreless. Dantel Chinchilla hit #4 earlier and Alex Brown was 3-4 with an RBI.

Game 3: Green shoots for the Rays as they won their second straight and took the series from Boston, going up 7-0 before holding on to prevail 8-4. Ezquiel Avalos' 3rd-inning slam (#17) was the big hit and Tim Johnson (4-4) didn't allow a hit until the 5th, finishing 6 2 0 0 0 7. The bullpen made things dicey as the Sox got within 7-4 in the 8th but David Morales' 3rd hit and 2nd RBI of the day in the 9th made things a little more comfortable.

Team record: 37-32. Still 3 out of the wild card but they did creep within 8 of the Yankees for the division lead as New York was swept. Next up: An off-day then on to Cleveland for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays climbed out of a 4-1 hole to come back and beat the Guardians 6-5 on Nesty de la Rosa's tie-breaking double in the 9th inning. de la Rosa had earlier homered (#9) to pull them within 4-2 and Sun-ming Yang went yard (#16) as well with 2 RBI on the day. Dave Rose was a mixed bag at 5 7 4 4 2 9, the win went to Chris Parham (3-0) and Edgar Voisin saved (#11) against the club he closed for the last several years.

Game 2: The comeback kids did it again, scoring 6 times in the 6th to overcome a 5-2 deficit and held on to beat Cleveland again 9-7. Jesus Avalos had a big day with a 2-run double in that 6th inning and then adding a solo homer (#18) in the 9th after the Guardians got back within 8-7, capping a 4-RBI day. Alex Brown's 2-run single was another key hit in the 6th-inning rally. Randy Mastropietro wasn't very good at 5 7 5 5 2 2 but still got the win to improve to 7-5 while Edgar Voisin closed again with a perfect 9th for save #12.

Game 3: No comeback needed in the finale as Ben Hilton was outstanding and the Rays coasted to a sweep of Cleveland, making it 5 straight with a 6-0 win. Hilton (5-2) was an excellent 7 2 0 0 2 8 and Steve Cleland completed the shutout with a couple of scoreless innings. It was a big day for Luis Barela, who picked up career hit #2500 with a solo homer (#12) while Jesus Avalos' 2-run shot (#19) in the first sent the Rays on their way.

Team record: 40-32. Still 8 behind the Yankees as they swept Oklahoma City but we've tied the White Sox for the second wild card. Next up: Back to Publix Park for 4 against the Jays.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Brad Villarreal was brilliant, retiring the first 15 Jays and allowing only 2 hits over 8 innings in an 8-0 Rays rout of the Jays at Publix Park. The righty improved to 7-3, 3.58 after going 8 2 0 0 1 10 and got four homers in support. One came from the unlikely source of Jose Lozada, who was 3-4 with only his 2nd longball of the year, a 2-run shot, while Sung-min Yang (#17) and Nesty de la Rosa (#10) also went deep with a man on and Jesus Avalos (#20) went solo.

Game 2: Tampa Bay had been playing some good ball over the last week-plus but that stretch came to an end today with a 7-1 stinker of a loss to Toronto. Jose Lozada improbably homered for the second straight day (#3) leading off the game but it went all downhill from there with Tim Johnson (4-5) getting knocked around at 5 7 4 4 2 3 before the pen gave up 3 more runs.

June 24: Placed 2B Jose Machado on the 10-day IL with chronic back soreness, recalled 2B/OF Cameron Holly from AAA Durham.

Machado was hurt in last night's game and Holly is back up after spending parts of the previous two seasons with the big club.

Game 3: A couple of homers in a 5-run 6th inning propelled the Rays to a 6-5 win over Toronto. With Tampa Bay trailing 2-1 Nesty de la Rosa went yard with a man on (#11) to give them the lead and Sung-min Yang, who earlier tripled and scored, capped the inning with a 3-run blast (#18). Yang's clout became important when Dave Rose (7-4) gave the Jays 3 runs back in the 7th to finish 7 8 5 5 1 8 but he still picked up the win when Edgar Voisin closed it out in the 9th for save #13.

Game 4: The Rays overcame Randy Mastropietro's exit in the 1st and the bullpen kept them in it allowing them to come back and tie in the 8th, but Edgar Voisin (4-7, that's a lot of losses for a closer at mid-season) gave up a homer in the 9th to give Toronto a 4-3 win and split of the 4-game series. Tampa Bay evened things up thanks to some Jays wildness as pinch-hitter Ezequiel Avalos walked with the sacks full and then Dantel Chinchilla was hit by a pitch to force in the equalizer. But Voisin was greeted in the 9th by Jays superstar C David Evans' homer and the bats had no answer in the bottom of the frame. Mastropietro left with a sore thumb and will make his next start.

Team record: 42-34. Fortunately the White Sox lost 3 of 4 so the Rays moved into sole possession of the second wild card. Next up: 40-35 Oakland visits for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The bats were held in check as Oakland took the opener 3-1. Ben Hilton (5-3) was solid at 7 5 3 3 3 8 but a 2-run homer he allowed in the 6th was the difference.

Game 2: The Rays bounced back from being shut down to rout the A's 12-2 in the second game. Sung-min Yang's 3-run blast (#19) in the first got them going and Jesus Avalos' 3-run homer (#21) in the 6th broke it open. Also going yard were David Morales (#2) and Dantel Chinchilla (#5), and they all made things easy for Brad Villarreal (8-3) who was excellent again at 7 3 1 1 2 6.

Game 3: Tampa Bay's sputtering first half of 2054 continued with maximum frustration as they left 14 men on base in a 4-2 loss at Publix Park to Oakland. Dantel Chinchilla may have doubled and scored one of their two runs but struck out his other 4 times up and left 8 on base, including the bases loaded to end the game. Meanwhile they were done in by a one-time Rays prospect as Francis Moranchel went 4-4 with 2 homers and 3 RBI off Tim Johnson (4-6) who was good otherwise at 5.1 6 3 3 1 6 but has now allowed 18 homers in 82 IP.

Team record: 43-36, just 1/2 game up on Oakland for the second wild card (and now a season-high 11 behind the Yankees in the division). Next up: Texas visits for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays took a 5-1 win over Texas to open their series behind a likely source (Dave Rose) and an unlikely one (B.J. Boys). Rose improved to 8-4 behind a tidy 6 4 1 1 2 4 and with some regulars in need of rest Boys got into the lineup and was 3-5 with 3 RBI off an RBI double and 2-run single.

Game 2: Tampa Bay got the better of Texas by the same 5-1 score as yesterday with a solid outing from Randy Mastropietro (8-5) who went 5.1 3 1 1 1 4 and a big 2-run homer from Alex Brown (#5) while Nesty de la Rosa was 2-4 with an RBI double.

Game 3: The Rays completed the sweep of Texas, taking an 8-5 win in the finale. Luis Barela snapped out of a long slump and went 2-4 with a solo homer (#13) and RBI single, Sung-min Yang got them on the board with a 2-run double in the first, and Cameron Holly was 2-4 with 2 RBI including a run-scoring triple. Ben Hilton (6-3) was unhittable at times but very hittable at others yet still got the win despite going 5.2 5 5 5 2 9, and Edgar Voisin closed it out for save #14.

Team record: 46-36. The sweep did enable the Rays to get the Yankees' division lead back to single digits at 9 and put them atop the wild card race although three teams are within 1 1/2 games of them. Next up: A day off and then off to Boston for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

It's been perhaps the most trying year in the save as the Rays are "only" on pace for about 90 wins, 9 games out of first and in a dogfight for one of two wild cards with three other teams. There's definitely a "whole is less than the sum of its parts" issue going on as the team in 2nd in WAR in both hitting and pitching but the defense is atrocious. The most unwelcome development of 2054 has been the fact that Father Time has finally caught up with 38-year-old legend Luis Barela. As recently as last season he was a 4.6-WAR player but he got old in a hurry this year as his 3B defense has cratered from 45/50 to 25/30 and he's only hitting 229/312/379, making him a 0-WAR player at the moment. And he has another year after this one on his contract at $30M. Maybe he'll do the right thing and retire after this season. The problem also is that we can't DH him since Sung-min Yang can't play the OF and we really don't have a viable replacement at 3B.



Still waiting for the Yankees to cool off and for us to get hot, but we're halfway through the season and neither has happened.



The offense remains pretty good despite Barela's limited contributions but we're a slow team lousy on the basepaths so it often takes 3-4 hits to score a run. And the starting pitching seems to have sequencing issues, giving up key homers and runs in bunches despite good underlying numbers. And although we're only one game off our Pythagorean record Edgar Voisin has had an up-and-down season at closer with 4 blown saves and 7 losses.



Jesus Avalos has become a superstar and most of the lineup outside of Barela has had a good season. One exception is Jose Lozada, a guy who needs to hit .300 to be valuable but is only hitting .260. I hate to take him out of the lineup since he's the only guy we have with speed and plays a decent LF but he might start losing time to Doug Johns if he doesn't start hitting. Alex Brown is probably starting the rest of the way at SS with Chinchilla sliding over to 2B as Jose Machado hasn't gotten it done at the plate and already was a terrible fielder, and then got hurt.



Despite a bloated ERA the rotation has been pretty decent outside of the homer-puking Tim Johnson, and as mentioned they just seem to have had a combination of bad luck in sequencing and (except for Villarreal) high BABIPs against.



The farm system is kind of a mixed bag, with a few high-end prospects and some depth but no real immediate help. Mattilla is at Durham but still has a ways to go before being MLB-ready as he's presently rated 45-55-35. This year's first-round pick Mendoza could be a quick mover but we're not really in need of a 1B. Denzel Mayo at 19 is interesting - he has pedestrian 35 stuff but is off-the-charts in control and movement. But he needs an excellent defense behind him and we certainly don't have one.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays managed to turn a 2-1 lead in the 7th over Boston at Fenway into a 9-2 loss as Chris Parham (3) and Chris Hetzel (5) managed to combine to allow 8 runs in the 7th and 8th innings. Parham (3-1) wasn't helped by a Nesty de la Rosa error which made 2 of the 3 runs unearned but he also gave up 5 hits in 2/3 of an inning. Dantel Chinchilla's 2-run double had just put the Rays ahead in the top of the 7th before things went bad, costing Brad Villarreal a win after an excellent 6 5 1 1 1 7 start.

Game 2: Jose Lozada capped a 3-hit day with a 9th-inning 2-run double to break a 3-3 tie and the Rays took a 5-3 decision over the Red Sox. Ezequiel Avalos' 2-run double gave them an early 3-1 lead which Tim Johnson couldn't hold due to giving up HRs #19 & 20 of the season although he did limit the damage at 6 4 3 3 4 7. Mario Berumen (1-2) picked up the win and Edgar Voisin earned save #15.

Game 3: The Rays took the series with a 10-4 rout of the Sox in the finale, scoring 5 times in the 8th to break open a game they led 4-2. The Avaloses led the way with Jesus blasting a 3-run homer (#22) among his 3 hits and Ezequiel doubling twice and homering (#19) wth 2 RBI while Dantel Chinchilla added a couple of RBI hits. Dave Rose (9-4) was in fine form at 7 4 2 2 1 9 for the win.

Team record: 48-37. Still 9 behind the Yanks but now 2 games up on the third team atop the wild card race. Next up: We head south on I-95 to play 3 in Baltimore.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays put 5 on the board in the 8th to break open a close game and took the opener at Camden Yards 8-4 from the Orioles. Dantel Chinchilla, whose 2-run homer (#6) in the 6th put them ahead to stay 3-2, capped a 4-RBI day with a 2-run single to cap the 8th while Ezequiel Avalos had 2 hits and 2 ribbies. Randy Mastropietro (9-5) was excellent at 7 3 2 2 2 7 in picking up the win.

Game 2: Baltimore blasted the Rays 13-3 in the second game although it was only 4-1 entering the 7th before lefty relievers Alan Rutherford and Warren Dalton combined to allow 9 runs over the final two frames. Ben Hilton (6-4) coughed up a couple of homers in a lousy 4.1 6 4 4 3 5. Tampa Bay did get solo homers from Nesty de la Rosa (#12) and in a nice moment with the game out of hand, the first MLB round-tripper for B.J. Boys.

Game 3: The Rays lost the series to Baltimore in a heartbreaker as Edgar Voisin gave up a 2-out solo homer in the 9th to let the Orioles tie before they went on to win 2-1 in 12 innings. Brad Villarreal was brilliant at 7 3 0 0 0 1 3 in lowering his ERA to 3.06 and Jesus Avalos' first-inning solo shot (#23) looked like it would hold up for a win but disaster struck with only one more out to get as Voisin blew his 4th save of the season. Joe Roberts (2-3) then gave up a couple of hits in the 12th to allow Baltimore the win. Of course the offense could have done something about this but didn't.

Team record: 49-39. A Yankees sweep now has the Rays 11 out of first, so unless things really start to change in that department there's no point in updating it. More realistically they're in the second wild card, 1/2 game behind the Angels and 2 1/2 up on third-place Oakland. Next up: A day off then 3 games in Austin before the All-Star break.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays couldn't generate enough offense and ended up losing a tough one 3-2 in 10 innings to the Dukes in Austin. Tim Johnson turned in a solid if not lengthy start (4.2 4 2 1 1 6) and the pen was good until Joe Roberts (2-4) put two on in the 10th and Edgar Voisin came in and gave up the winning hit.

Game 2: The mediocrity that is the 2054 Tampa Bay Rays was on full display today in Austin as the Dukes dominated them 9-2. The Rays stunk in all phases of the game as a Cam Holly error led to four unearned runs against Dave Rose (9-5) who went 4 6 4 0 3 9 and needed to make 105 pitches just to go that far. The bullpen then allowed five more runs but it didn't matter as the offense could only muster solo homers from Dantel Chinchilla (#7) and Luis Barela (#14).

Game 3: The bats finally woke up in the finale as the Rays held on for an 8-6 win to salvage a game from the series. Luis Barela was 2-4 with 3 RBI including a 2-run homer (#15) and Nesty de la Rosa went 3-5 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI to pace the attack. Randy Mastropietro (10-5) was adequate at 6 8 4 4 2 5 and Edgar Voisin notched save #16 despite allowing a run in the 9th after Mario Berumen allowed the Dukes within 8-5 in the inning prior.

Team record: 50-41. Not sure I've had a Rays team in this save 13 games out of first but that's where they are after the Yankees swept and are now 63-28. The good news is that they're still 2 up in the second wild card slot. Next up: The All-Star break followed by a return home for 3 against Oklahoma City.

[Art Deco]

Your all-star rosters:

This year's American League standouts are:

SP Marco Agria (HOU)* - 11-4, 2.51 ERA, 122.0 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 9.7 K/9, 3.6 WAR (Injured)
SP Harris Bowness (NYY) - 12-1, 2.68 ERA, 114.1 IP, 0.93 WHIP, 8.8 K/9, 3.1 WAR
SP Mario Guererro (MIN) - 10-2, 2.87 ERA, 113.0 IP, 1.03 WHIP, 9.5 K/9, 3.0 WAR
SP Randy Heller (HOU) - 10-2, 2.54 ERA, 117.0 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 10.3 K/9, 4.4 WAR
SP Mike Rojo (OC) - 2-2, 2.52 ERA, 50.0 IP, 1.02 WHIP, 12.1 K/9, 1.9 WAR
SP Chris Schiltz (BOS) - 6-4, 3.00 ERA, 108.0 IP, 1.31 WHIP, 5.4 K/9, 2.4 WAR
SP B.J. Staehle (HOU) - 3-0, 2.23 ERA, 44.1 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 11.0 K/9, 1.6 WAR (Injured)
SP Elias Trujillo (BAL) - 7-5, 3.31 ERA, 100.2 IP, 1.08 WHIP, 10.5 K/9, 2.7 WAR
SP Anthony Tucker (HOU) - 6-0, 0.97 ERA, 65.0 IP, 0.86 WHIP, 10.1 K/9, 2.4 WAR
RP Manny Aquino (LAA) - 3-3, 1.90 ERA, 47.1 IP, 0.91 WHIP, 9.1 K/9, 0.6 WAR
RP Julio Mendiola (NYY) - 4-5, 3.35 ERA, 99.1 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 4.3 K/9, 1.4 WAR
CL Jonathan Bolon (LAA) - 1-4, 21 SV, 2.39 ERA, 49.0 IP, 1.18 WHIP, 9.0 K/9, 0.8 WAR
CL Melvin Delgado (TEX) - 5-2, 20 SV, 2.72 ERA, 46.1 IP, 1.12 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 0.9 WAR
CL Mel Mejia (HOU) - 5-4, 22 SV, 2.49 ERA, 50.2 IP, 1.22 WHIP, 9.2 K/9, 1.0 WAR
CL Steve Talbott (DET)* - 4-3, 20 SV, 1.68 ERA, 48.1 IP, 0.99 WHIP, 8.9 K/9, 1.7 WAR
C Brent Casey (NYY) - .300/.373/.481, 243 AB, 7 HR, 1 SB, 140 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
C Mario Emanis (HOU) - .287/.352/.463, 240 AB, 9 HR, 1 SB, 130 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
C David Evans (TOR)* - .282/.321/.503, 298 AB, 16 HR, 129 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
1B Mike Collin (CWS)* - .271/.338/.545, 292 AB, 22 HR, 2 SB, 145 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
1B Eric Decker (CLE) - .268/.327/.570, 284 AB, 22 HR, 1 SB, 144 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
1B Mario Delgado (CWS)* - .370/.444/.578, 173 AB, 9 HR, 2 SB, 189 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
1B Julio Monjaras (LAA) - .307/.359/.508, 303 AB, 16 HR, 144 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
2B Alex Barnes (NYY)* - .375/.435/.551, 216 AB, 6 HR, 13 SB, 181 wRC+, 2.8 WAR (Injured)
2B Jerry Esparza (TOR) - .305/.354/.602, 256 AB, 23 HR, 3 SB, 166 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
2B Juan Guerra (SEA) - .258/.335/.378, 325 AB, 8 HR, 105 wRC+, 0.9 WAR
2B Danny Ramos (AUS) - .290/.348/.433, 210 AB, 2 HR, 7 SB, 118 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
3B Dan Brown (MIN)* - .293/.346/.424, 276 AB, 6 HR, 115 wRC+, 1.7 WAR (Injured)
3B Josh Quintana (OAK) - .269/.298/.382, 309 AB, 4 HR, 89 wRC+, 0.8 WAR
SS Ahmed Smith (DET)* - .317/.351/.473, 347 AB, 7 HR, 3 SB, 127 wRC+, 3.5 WAR
LF Sandy Almanzar (OAK) - .263/.338/.523, 331 AB, 21 HR, 2 SB, 139 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
LF Ezequiel Avalos (TB) - .288/.345/.533, 347 AB, 19 HR, 143 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
LF Juan Mendez (HOU) - .273/.313/.490, 341 AB, 16 HR, 2 SB, 120 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
LF Sung-min Yang (TB) - .292/.358/.560, 257 AB, 19 HR, 153 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
CF Jesus Avalos (TB)* - .319/.394/.611, 339 AB, 23 HR, 1 SB, 176 wRC+, 4.1 WAR
CF Keith Billingsley (TOR)* - .321/.368/.650, 343 AB, 30 HR, 9 SB, 182 wRC+, 5.4 WAR
CF Juan Herrera (LAA) - .285/.336/.442, 344 AB, 7 HR, 20 SB, 116 wRC+, 3.7 WAR
RF Juan Martines (CWS)* - .281/.371/.535, 327 AB, 21 HR, 17 SB, 155 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
RF Omar Urrutia (NYY) - .276/.343/.544, 333 AB, 26 HR, 3 SB, 146 wRC+, 3.2 WAR


The National League stars will be represented by:

SP Jeremy Engle (ARI) - 10-2, 2.51 ERA, 107.2 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 8.9 K/9, 2.6 WAR
SP Lienhard Moser (STL)* - 9-2, 2.90 ERA, 115.0 IP, 0.97 WHIP, 10.9 K/9, 3.5 WAR
SP Danny Pena (PIT) - 5-6, 3.14 ERA, 103.1 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 6.9 K/9, 1.2 WAR
SP Adrian Ramos (SD) - 9-5, 2.61 ERA, 113.2 IP, 1.12 WHIP, 10.7 K/9, 2.5 WAR
SP Eric Saenz (COL) - 6-7, 4.38 ERA, 102.2 IP, 1.36 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 2.6 WAR
SP Sean Scott (MIL) - 9-4, 2.07 ERA, 126.0 IP, 1.08 WHIP, 7.7 K/9, 3.3 WAR
SP Ted Vanegas (COL) - 8-4, 4.02 ERA, 105.1 IP, 1.28 WHIP, 10.7 K/9, 3.4 WAR
RP Kevin Alcala (SF) - 2-3, 2.49 ERA, 61.1 IP, 1.27 WHIP, 5.7 K/9, -0.1 WAR
RP Danny Gonzalez (NYM) - 6-2, 2.43 ERA, 55.2 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 6.3 K/9, 0.0 WAR
RP Randy Hawks (MIL) - 3-4, 2.55 ERA, 70.2 IP, 1.16 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 0.5 WAR
RP Jose Munos (WSH) - 1-0, 2.66 ERA, 47.1 IP, 1.31 WHIP, 7.8 K/9, 0.2 WAR
CL Steve Falcon (CHC)* - 3-2, 21 SV, 3.06 ERA, 32.1 IP, 1.05 WHIP, 12.0 K/9, 0.9 WAR
CL Bill Sutherland (COL) - 8-3, 25 SV, 2.88 ERA, 50.0 IP, 1.18 WHIP, 9.9 K/9, 1.4 WAR
CL Mike Weber (STL) - 1-2, 11 SV, 3.63 ERA, 17.1 IP, 1.21 WHIP, 12.5 K/9, 0.0 WAR (Injured)
C Mike Claggett (SD) - .257/.314/.361, 249 AB, 3 HR, 4 SB, 86 wRC+, 0.5 WAR
C Ruben Espanoza (STL) - .203/.302/.351, 202 AB, 9 HR, 86 wRC+, 1.8 WAR (Injured)
C Akiyuki Kobayashi (IND) - .239/.281/.355, 259 AB, 5 HR, 1 SB, 74 wRC+, 1.3 WAR
C Ryan Rivera (SF)* - .295/.370/.425, 268 AB, 7 HR, 130 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
1B Juan Banuelos (ARI) - .289/.355/.539, 356 AB, 24 HR, 148 wRC+, 3.4 WAR
1B Devin Livingston (NYM) - .232/.338/.523, 310 AB, 26 HR, 1 SB, 140 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
1B Manny Muniz (COL)* - .307/.362/.587, 361 AB, 26 HR, 1 SB, 153 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
1B Jorge Quezada (IND) - .316/.358/.602, 266 AB, 18 HR, 166 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
1B Jeremy Rutledge (IND) - .318/.366/.550, 289 AB, 16 HR, 1 SB, 155 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
2B Xavier Barraza (CHC)* - .267/.351/.365, 326 AB, 2 HR, 17 SB, 102 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
2B Josiah Brevard (IND) - .303/.375/.468, 314 AB, 7 HR, 4 SB, 137 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
2B Juan Davila (PHI) - .265/.335/.475, 343 AB, 15 HR, 5 SB, 122 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
3B C.J. Miller (LAD)* - .313/.354/.441, 374 AB, 6 HR, 38 SB, 125 wRC+, 3.5 WAR
SS Kareem Powell (ATL)* - .335/.414/.540, 328 AB, 14 HR, 9 SB, 170 wRC+, 5.7 WAR
LF Alex Arce (STL) - .303/.398/.583, 314 AB, 25 HR, 3 SB, 176 wRC+, 3.9 WAR
LF Ramon Herrera (CIN)* - .292/.366/.599, 339 AB, 29 HR, 165 wRC+, 3.6 WAR
LF Bill Jones (IND)* - .318/.399/.624, 327 AB, 25 HR, 1 SB, 181 wRC+, 4.4 WAR
LF Michael Love (ATL) - .325/.380/.602, 342 AB, 21 HR, 7 SB, 173 wRC+, 4.7 WAR
CF Nick Engram (PHI) - .368/.402/.597, 367 AB, 14 HR, 11 SB, 179 wRC+, 5.8 WAR
CF Danny Saldana (ARI)* - .282/.339/.559, 354 AB, 22 HR, 13 SB, 147 wRC+, 5.0 WAR
CF Tim Thompson (CLB) - .299/.356/.552, 355 AB, 22 HR, 25 SB, 155 wRC+, 4.4 WAR
RF Gregorio Salazar (IND)* - .312/.354/.615, 343 AB, 28 HR, 1 SB, 168 wRC+, 3.9 WAR (Injured)
RF Christian Slayden (COL) - .319/.367/.538, 357 AB, 14 HR, 9 SB, 143 wRC+, 3.4 WAR

As befitting our relative mediocrity only three Rays made the squad with nobody from the staff getting the nod. The Avaloses are rightly honored, with Jesus getting his 2nd selection and Zeke his 3rd. And Sung-min Yang is an All-Star for the 2nd time in as many big-league seasons. Former Rays joining those three include Steve Talbott, now closing for Detroit, Steve Falcon, doing likewise for the Cubs, and Juan Davila.

The HR Derby:



A real pot-boiler. Let's hope the game is better.



Nope, the game wasn't much better either. As for the Rays, Jesus Avalos was 0-3, Zeke got a pinch-single, and Sung-min Yang had his butt glued to the bench.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays returned to action after the All-Star break by thumping the Sunbirds 9-2 at Publix Park. Luis Barela, in the midst of his worst season as a pro, started heating up before the break and stayed hot today, going 3-5 with HR #16 and 3 RBI while Jesus Avalos added his 24th. Alex Brown and Nesty de la Rosa (leading the AL in batting average) each contributed 3 hits and a ribbie. Dave Rose (10-5) cruised for the win at 6 6 1 1 0 8.

Game 2: It was a little harder today but the Rays managed to edge Oklahoma City 3-2. Randy Mastropietro (11-5) was in fine form at 6 6 2 2 1 4 for the win and Edgar Voisin got out of his own jam in the 9th by turning a game-ending 1-6-3 double play to preserve the win with save #17. Ezquiel Avalos broke a 2-2 tie in the 5th with an RBI single to provide the margin of victory.

Game 3: A 4-run 8th inning enabled the Rays to turn a potential 6-3 loss into an actual 7-6 win over Oklahoma City to sweep their first post-ASB series. The big hit came courtesy of seldom-used rookie 1B Manny Mendoza, who drilled a game-tying 3-run homer (#4) in that 8th and then they rallied for the winning run when Luis Barela walked with the bases loaded and two out. Mendoza had earlier singled in a run and Ezequiel Avalos went yard (#20) to make it a 3-0 game but Tim Johnson's season of struggles continued as he was hit hard over the 3rd and 4th to finish 4 7 6 6 2 1 and saw his ERA rise to 5.69. But the bullpen put up zeroes from there with Devin Cefalo (1-0) earning his first Rays win and Edgar Voisin saving again (#18), remarkably getting three outs on three pitches.

Team record: 53-41, tied with the Angels for the two wild cards and 2 1/2 up on the White Sox. Next up: 3 games in Toronto.