The 2020 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

Your opening day box:



The Rays reunited with an old friend and treated him rudely as Sung-min Yang's 3-run homer in the 8th off former Tampa Bay reliever Chris Hetzel gave them a 5-2 Opening Day win at Publix Park. And one of Hetzels' bullpen replacements, Adan Guardado, pitched 2 scoreless innings for the win. Otherwise it was a typical Dave Rose start, great except for a solo homer or two, and Jesus Avalos started his MVP defense with an RBI double.

Game 2: Tampa Bay bats were held in check as the Rays lost for the first time in 2055 2-1 to Baltimore. Manny Cervantes was impressive at 6 5 1 1 1 3 but a key Luis Barela error led to an unearned run for the Orioles in the 8th off Chris Resnick (0-1) that proved to be the winner. The lone Rays run came on Jesus Avalos' 1st homer of the year in the 3rd.

Game 3: The Rays rediscovered their bats in an 8-5 win over the Orioles, scoring 4 times in the 4th and 5th to account for their scoring. And in both of those innings David Morales drilled 2-run doubles while the other four came on 2-run hits, an Ezequiel Avalos double and a Jose Machado single. Brad Villarreal (1-0) was in fine form at 7 7 2 2 1 6 and Julio Mattila's MLB debut saw him breeze through the 8th but load the bases after allowing a run to start the 9th, necessitating Mario Berumen to come on and get the save despite allowing 2 of Mattila's men to score.

Game 4: Tampa Bay took the series from Baltimore with another patented Publix Park comeback, erasing a 5-0 lead in the 6th to prevail 6-5. David Morales continued to be an RBI machine, following up his earlier RBI triple with an RBI single in the 8th off former teammate Chris Hetzel, who took the loss just as he did on Opening Day. Jose Lozada also had a 2-run double in a 5-run 6th that immediately wiped out the Oriole lead after they roughed up Randy Mastropietro (5.2 8 5 5 2 3). And also just like Opening Day, Adan Guardado went two innings for the win, this time staying on for the 9th with a pair of lefty hitters due up.

Team record: 3-1. Well we're already off to a rerun of last season as while the Rays' 3-1 start is impressive, the Yankees went 4-0 against Toronto to begin the year so we're behind them yet again. Next up: Cleveland visits for 3 games.

We also made a trade to free up some money, although we might have hurt ourselves for 2056:



Ben Hilton had a tremendous 2054, earning 4.1 WAR before blowing out his elbow late in the season and undergoing Tommy John surgery. He is out for all of this season, and we were paying him $7.3M but had him under contract for next year. So while he was useless to us now we're missing out on a great pitcher next year provided he makes a full recovery (not a sure thing). In return we get an interesting reliever in Sanchez who has blazing 80 stuff and wicked 65 movement but abysmal 35 control. The move did enable us to send Brandon Birth, who really didn't belong on an MLB roster, back to Durham, and as you can see above we're now $3.3M in the black. It's not going to buy us a lot but if a useful low-salaried reliever pops up on waivers we can afford him now.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays scored 3 in the first against Cleveland and made it hold up in a 4-2 win over the Guardians to open their series at Publix Park. Jose Lozada's 2-run single was the big hit and the early runs were all Phil Weststrom needed in his Rays debut as the went an effective 7 8 2 2 1 3 for the win and new acquisition Danny Sanchez handled the 9th for his first Tampa Bay save.

Game 2: It was a 2-2 game into the 7th before the Rays erupted for 5 runs in their final two frames to beat Cleveland again 7-2. Reigning MVP Jesus Avalos, who homered (#2) to lead off the game, had an RBI double to break the deadlock and Nesty de la Rosa followed with a 2-run single. Sung-min Yang homered (#2) with the bases empty in the 2nd and added an RBI triple in the 8th, backing Dave Rose who went 5 7 2 1 1 1 5. Chris Resnick (1-1) earned the win in relief.

Game 3: The Rays completed the sweep with a taut, tense 2-1 win over the Guardians in the finale. Manny Cervantes, who lost 5 MPH off his stuff according to the scouts, used his 38-year-old guile to go 6 4 1 1 2 3 to win his first decision with Adan Guardado notching his first Rays save as Cleveland sent two lefties to the plate in the 9th. The offense came courtesy of another geezer in 39-year-old 3B Luis Barela, whose 2-run shot in the opening frame was his first of the year and 588th of his career.

Team record: 6-1. Yes of course the Yankees swept Seattle to start the year 7-0, so 6-1 is only good for a wild card right now. Next up: A day off then the season-opening homestand concludes with 3 against Boston.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays' great start to 2055 continued as what was a close game in the early-mid innings became a 9-2 blowout of Boston as they kept tacking on runs. And the main tacker was Ezequiel Avalos, who finished the day 4-5 with a triple and 4 RBI while Alex Brown also had a big day going 3-4 with an RBI double. Brad Villarreal won his second straight start this year with a nifty 7 6 1 1 1 5 performance.

Game 2: It was a pitchers' duel as the Rays trailed 1-0 in the 6th before erupting for 3 runs and taking a 4-2 win over the Red Sox to make it 7 in a row. Jesus Avalos extended his hit streak to 13 with an RBI double that tied it and Nesty de la Rosa followed with a 2-run single to make a winner of Randy Mastropietro (1-0) who went 6 7 1 1 0 7. Mario Berumen went the final two innings for his 3rd save.

Game 3: A wild game that saw the Rays go up 4-1 before trailing 7-4 ended up their 8th win on the trot as they got by Boston 9-7 for another series sweep. Dantel Chinchilla's 2-run single in the 8th broke a 7-7 deadlock, Jose Lozada had a 2nd-inning grand slam (#1) and Luis Barela was 3-4 with an RBI as Tampa Bay relied on its bats to carry them to victory. Phil Weststrom's second Rays start was not very good (3 9 5 5 1 5) with Adan Guardado picking up his 3rd relief win already and Danny Sanchez converting his 2nd save as the new-look bullpen has been outstanding so far.

Team record: 9-1. Yes, the Yankees finally lost but just once so the teams are tied atop the AL East. Next up: Our first road trip of the year begins with 3 in Baltimore.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays failed their first road test of 2055, blown out 8-0 by the Orioles at Camden Yards. Dave Rose (0-1) was hit hard at 4.2 10 8 8 3 5 and the offense couldn't get a hit when they needed it despite putting 10 men on base. The only bright spot was 3 1/3 scoreless from rookie Julio Mattila, who had been horrendous in his previous outings.

Game 2: Baltimore got the better of the Rays again, battering Tampa Bay pitching in a 9-5 win. Manny Cervantes' diminished stuff was on full display as the righty dropped to 1-1 after a 4.1 7 8 8 2 2 torching. Ezequiel Avalos had 3 RBI in a losing cause.

Game 3: The Rays were roadkill in Baltimore, and although they finally got a good pitching performance they were shut out for the second time in the series, falling 2-0. Brad Villarreal (2-1) deserved better after a fine 6.1 6 1 1 2 4 outing but the bats only scraped together four hits.

Team record: 9-4. The Yankees deigned to lose a game so they're now 2 ahead of us. Next up: A day off to lick our wounds and travel to Boston for 3 games.

Rays news: He's back! After being released following signing a $3.6M, 1-year-deal with St. Louis we brought back starter Tim Johnson on a minor league deal, and he promptly celebrated that pact by hurling a complete-game 4-hit shutout with 9 whiffs in Durham's opener.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: It looked like it would be one of those games for the Rays as they left 12 men on base, including men on 2nd & 3rd with nobody out followed by loading the bases with nobody out only not to score, but they finally pushed a run across in the 9th to take a 2-1 decision over Boston for their first road win of 2055. Luis Barela's sac fly scored Jesus Avalos, who had the led the 9th off with a walk, making a winner of Danny Sanchez (1-0) for the first time as a Ray with Mario Berumen picking up his 4th save. Randy Mastropietro kept them in it going 6 6 1 1 2 5.

Game 2: Phil Weststrom had some early struggles, putting the Rays in a quick 3-0 hole but he and the rest of the squad settled down to take a 7-3 victory over the Red Sox. A 4-run 5th put them ahead to stay thanks to 2-run homers from Dantel Chinchilla (#1) and Luis Barela (#2) before Jose Lozada had a 2-run shot (#2) in the 9th for insurance. Weststrom (2-0) meanwhile hung in there to go 6 9 3 3 1 2 for the win.

Game 3: The Rays got a strong outing from Dave Rose although they had to hold on in the end to pull off the sweep of Boston with a 7-5 win. Rose (1-1) finally got his first win in start #4 this season going 7 7 2 2 0 9 but with the Rays up 7-2 going into the bottom of the 9th Steve Cleland made a mess, giving up 3 runs while only getting one out, forcing Mario Berumen into the game to earn save #5 on only 3 pitches. Jesus Avalos was on base all 5 times with 3 hits including an RBI double and two walks while Nesty de la Rosa went 3-5 with 2 RBI and Jose Lozada knocked in two more to give him a team-high 13. Luis Barela tacked on a solo shot in the 9th, his 3rd of the year and career dinger #590.

Team record: 12-4. We picked up a game on New York and now trail them by 1 and that's who we'll be playing for the next 4 games at Publix Park.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays really don't want a Groundhog Day repeat of 2054 where they were forever chasing the Yankees so this 4-game series loomed large, despite it coming very early in the season. Unfortunately though it was deja vu all over again as they dropped the opener 4-2 to New York. Manny Cervantes (1-2) went 4.2 7 4 4 0 2 as his diminished stuff continues on display, and the offense only managed 3 hits, all of them coming in the 6th including Luis Barela's 4th homer.

Game 2: Tampa Bay bounced back to even the series thanks to a 6-1 win buoyed by a 5-run 5th inning. Jesus Avalos homered to lead off the game (#3) and then in the 5th the big blow was a grand slam from the red-hot Luis Barela (#5) who went deep for the fourth straight game. Meanwhile Brad Villarreal (3-1) took care of business on the mound, twirling 8 5-hit shutout innings with 2 walks and 4 Ks on 110 pitches.

Game 3: The Yankees got the upper hand again in the third game, shutting out the Rays 4-0. The bats did 8 hits but couldn't plate any of those runners and Randy Mastropietro (1-1) was 5 6 3 3 2 3 in taking the loss.

Game 4: And we'll be looking up at the Yankees for the foreseeable future again after they took the series and a 3-game division lead with an 11-5 drubbing in the finale. For three innings things looked good with the Rays up 1-0 but Phil Weststrom (2-1) surrendered a slam in the 4th (finishing 4.1 4 5 5 2 3) and the Bombers battered Rays pitching the rest of the way, especially after Tampa Bay pulled within 6-5 after 7 as the bullpen was brutal. Jesus Avalos was on base 4 times with 3 walks and an RBI triple and Jose Machado had 3 hits.

Team record: 13-7. Next up: Seattle comes to town for 3.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays continued their hot start to 2055 against teams not named the Yankees with a 4-1 win over Seattle thanks to a dominant Dave Rose performance. The ace righty improved to 2-1 after an 8.1 6 1 1 0 13 outing which saw him take a shutout into the 9th before surrendering a one-out homer. The offense came courtesy of Jesus Avalos, who led the game off with a homer (#4) and a 2-run shot from Nesty de la Rosa in the 3rd (#2).

Game 2: Tampa Bay came out on top in a truly wild one, edging the Mariners 11-10 in 10 innings after rallying to take the load, blowing it in the 9th and then walking it off in the 10th. Things started badly as Manny Cervantes continues to be a problem, going 3 9 6 6 2 1 and putting them in early deficits of 4-1 and 6-3. It looked like they'd pull out the win though when Jesus Avalos blasted a 3-run homer (#5) in the 8th to put them up 10-8 but Mario Berumen gave up 2 runs on 4 hits in the 9th to send it to extras. The Rays then got a man to 3rd in the 10th and Avalos brought him home with a sac fly. Earlier they got a solo homer (#1) and a 2-run double from Ezequiel Avalos and a 2-run homer (#6) from Luis Barela. Danny Sanchez (2-0) picked up the win with a scoreless 10th.

Game 3: The Rays completed the sweep of Seattle with a tidy 4-2 win in the finale. Brad Villarreal (4-1) continued his excellent start to the season by going 5.1 5 1 1 2 4 (although that outing saw his ERA rise to 1.34) and Danny Sanchez earned his 3rd save by getting final two outs in the 9th. The unlikely offensive hero was backup catcher Cesar Scroggins, whose 3-run homer (#1) in the 5th broke the ice. Dantel Chinchilla chipped in a solo shot (#2).

Team record: 16-7. The Yankees deigned to lose a game so we're back within 2 of New York. Next up: We hit the road starting with 3 in Texas.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Randy Mastropietro was in fine form as the Rays got by Texas 2-0. The lefty went to 2-1 with a 6 2 0 0 4 6 outing and Chris Resnick earned his first save despite allowing 3 hits in the 9th (a double play helped). Jose Lozada led off the game with a homer (#3) and it stood up for the duration with Kang-Cheol Lee adding an RBI single in the 9th for insurance.

Game 2: The result was the same but it was an entirely different game from yesterday as the Rays outscored the Rangers 9-5. A 5-run 2nd set the tone for Tampa Bay and they got 2 RBI apiece from the Avaloses and Dantel Chinchilla with Jesus hitting HR #6. Phil Weststrom was lousy again and as a result missed out on the win after going 3.2 7 4 4 1 2 with a pair of homers allowed. Tim Johnson is lurking in Durham, I'm just saying. Instead rookie Julio Mattila picked up his first MLB win and Mario Berumen had to come on to get the final two outs for save #7.

Game 3: With Dave Rose toeing the rubber in the finale the Rays had to feel good about getting a sweep but Texas had other plans as the Tampa Bay ace was unusually wild and struggled in a 6-1 loss. Rose (2-2) was 4.2 6 3 3 5 7 with 2 homers allowed in an outing where he never found his groove and neither did the offense which was held to six hits.

Team record: 18-8. The Yankees are human after all, losing 2 of 3 at home so the Rays have crept back within a game of New York. Next up: After a day off the road trip resumes with 3 in Oklahoma City.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Manny Cervantes' woes continued and the Rays dropped the opener to the Sunbirds 7-3. The righty dropped to 1-3 and lost his third straight start after another rough outing at 4.2 5 5 5 3 3 and gave up 3 in the first to set the tone.

May 1: Purchased the contract of SP Tim Johnson from AAA Durham, optioned P Julio Mattila to the Bulls.

Johnson had the right to opt out of his MiLB deal and become a free agent so we brought up him up and he'll take the place of Phil Weststrom in the rotation. Mattila needs more seasoning at AAA as well.

Game 2: Another tough one for Tampa Bay as they miraculously rallied to tie the game at 5 with 4 runs in the 9th only to lose 6-5 in 10 innings to Oklahoma City. Down 5-1 with two out in the 9th in part due to Brad Villarreal's first poor start of the year (6 7 5 5 2 1), Jose Machado came off the bench to single in a run and then Jesus Avalos launched a 3-run homer (#7) to equalize only for Steve Cleland (0-1) gave up a single and an RBI double to start off the 10th to lose it.

Game 3: The Rays salvaged the finale, smashing the Sunbirds 9-4. It was a 2-2 game until the 7th, when they broke through with 3 runs on a Nesty de la Rosa RBI double and a 2-run Jesus Avalos blast (#8). The bullpen let OKC back within 5-4 after 8 but a 4-run 9th keyed by a bases-clearing David Morales double put it away. Randy Mastropietro was solid at 5.1 6 2 2 1 3 but the win went to Devin Cefalo (1-0) in relief.

Team record: 19-10. The Yankees swept Boston in Fenway to build their lead over us back to 3 games. Next up: A welcome return home for 3 against Seattle.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays outslugged the Jays 11-5 to take the opener of their series at Rogers Centre. Jose Machado was the star, blasting a 3-run homer (#1) as part of a 4-RBI day while Kang-Cheol Lee had a 2-run shot (#2), Jesus Avalos went solo (#9) and Luis Barela had a 2-run triple. Tim Johnson looked golden to pick up the win in his return to the Rays but couldn't get out of the fourth, going 3.1 6 4 4 4 5. Devin Cefalo (2-0) was the pitcher of record instead.

Game 2: Tampa Bay triumphed over Toronto again in another rout 12-3, but it came at the highest of prices. Reigning AL MVP and current MLB WAR leader (2.4) Jesus Avalos suffered a broken hand after being hit by a pitch in the 4th and will miss a month. Avalos had already hit his 10th homer earlier in the game and Jose Lozada had a big 5-RBI game including a 3rd-inning slam (#4) while Ezequiel Avalos went deep for the 2nd time. Dave Rose (3-2) cruised to victory at 6 3 2 2 3 7.

May 5: Placed OF Jesus Avalos on the 10-day IL with a broken hand, recalled OF Angel Vigil from AAA Durham.

It's going to be a tall order to replace Avalos and first crack goes to Vigil, a decent all-around player who can play a passable CF.

Game 3: Manny Cervantes is becoming downright unusable and he was shelled again as the Rays dropped the finale 9-3 to the Jays. The 38-year-old righty just doesn't have it anymore, battered today to the tune of 2.2 7 6 6 3 1 and dropping to 1-4 with an even 9.00 ERA. It might be time to turn to Chris Giles or put Phil Weststrom back in the rotation, they can't be any worse. And poor Angel Vigil - called up for his MLB debut he suffered an ab strain throwing the ball and will be out a week, necessitating another move.

Team record: 21-11. The Yankees also took 2 of 3 so we remain 3 back. Next up: A day off then home for 3 against Detroit.

Personal note: I noticed that since the previous post this thread went over 200,000 views so thanks again to all of those reading and following over the last few years as it's always nice to know I'm not shouting into the void.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays scored 3 times in the 7th to take a 5-2 win over Detroit in their opener at Publix Park. Nesty de la Rosa broke the deadlock with a solo homer (#3) leading off the inning and David Morales added a 2-run double later in the inning to make the margin comfortable. The homer was Nesty's 3rd hit of the day including a triple and he scored earlier on a sac fly from Luis Barela, who also singled home a run. Brad Villarreal (5-1) did his usual thing at 7 5 1 1 1 3 and Mario Berumen converted his 8th save.

Game 2: Tampa Bay comfortably handled the Tigers again, taking the second game 8-3. Jose Lozada was 4-4 with 3 doubles and 4 RBI to lead the way, and for the second straight game Nesty de la Rosa tripled and homered (#4), driving in a pair. Randy Mastropietro (3-1) earned the win at 5.1 6 3 2 1 3.

Game 3: The Rays couldn't quite complete the sweep, falling 3-2 to the Tigers in the finale. Tim Johnson (0-1) was doing well but was left in one batter too many and that resulted in a 2-run double that made it 3-0 and left his final line 5.2 7 3 3 2 4. The bats got a couple back but were quiet otherwise, only eking out 6 hits.

Team record: 23-12. New York also won 2 of 3 so we remain 3 behind. Next up: Those same Yankees visit Publix Park for 3 games, so a chance to put a dent into (or erase) their lead.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: It was early May but tonight's showdown between the top two teams in the AL had a playoff feel, and it played out like an epic playoff matchup with the Rays taking a 1-0 win behind a brilliant outing from the guy who is their Game 1 starter in the playoffs, Dave Rose. The righty (4-2) dominated at 8 4 0 0 0 12 and got the lone run he'd need in the 7th when Luis Barela and Dantel Chinchilla both hit doubles. Mario Berumen had a perfect 2-whiff 9th for his 9th save to secure a big Tampa Bay win.

Game 2: Unlike yesterday's tense affair the Rays poured on the offense and beat the Yankees again 11-5 to pull within one game of the division lead. Luis Barela hit career homer #594 with a man on (#7 on the year) as part of a 3-run first which gave them a lead they'd never relinquish. Jose Lozada was 4-5 with 3 doubles and an RBI, Ezequiel Avalos went 3-5 with 4 RBI and Sung-min Yang's third hit of the day was a 3-run homer (#3). Manny Cervantes started and actually had his best start since his first of the year, going 4 6 2 2 2 3 before being pulled after allowing the first two men in the 5th to reach in what was then a 4-2 game. Devin Cefalo (3-0) relieved him, got out of the inning unscathed, and picked up the win.

Game 3: The Rays couldn't quite complete the sweep as they fell just short 4-3 to the Yankees in the finale but still ended up a game better off than they were when the series started. Brad Villarreal (5-2), who had only walked 11 guys in 7 starts coming in, was unusually wild in going 4.1 6 4 4 5 5, and although the bullpen did a great job of keeping NY off the board the rest of the game, the offense couldn't quite complete the comeback. They came close, though, as down 4-2 Dantel Chinchilla doubled with 2 out and 2 on in the 9th, but they only plated one run as the lead-footed David Morales only made it to third and he was left there as the game ended.

Team record: 25-13. Next up: An off-day then Toronto comes to town for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays couldn't generate enough offense and lost a tough one 3-2 to the Jays in Toronto. They did get 10 hits but left as many on base with Brian Whittaker's RBI triple the highlight. Randy Mastopietro (3-2) took the loss after going 5 9 3 3 1 2.

Game 2: Tampa Bay had to win the game twice, but win it they did when Luis Barela blasted a 3-run homer in the 10th (#8, career #595) to lift them to a 7-4 victory after Mario Berumen blew a 4-2 lead in the 9th. Ezquiel Avalos homered (#3) and drove in a pair while Tim Johnson had a fine start at 5.1 4 1 1 3 8 to get them ahead in regulation before Berumen (1-0) blew his 2nd save but vultured the win.

Game 3: Similar to the opener, the Rays had 10 hits but only plated one run and lost the finale 3-1 to the Jays. And that run came on a Jose Lozada solo homer (#5) so they really couldn't drive anyone in. As a result Dave Rose (4-3) took the loss despite going 5 7 1 1 0 5.

Team record: 26-15. Of course the Yankees swept their series so the Rays are now 4 games back. Next up: 3 games in Houston.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Rays had the lead twice but couldn't hold either one, falling 4-3 to Houston in the opener. Jose Machado had a 2-run homer (#2) and they actually got a really good start from Manny Cervantes for once (6 7 2 1 0 1) but the bullpen couldn't hold it with Danny Sanchez (2-1) taking the loss although two Tampa Bay errors led to two unearned runs as well.

Game 2: Deja vu all over again as for the second straight night the Rays bullpen couldn't hold a lead and they lost by the same 4-3 scoreline again to the Astros. This time they held a 3-1 lead in the 7th and lost it. Brad Villarreal gave up the 2nd Houston run but still was excellent at 6.1 5 2 2 2 6 and they got out of the 7th before Danny Sanchez (2-2) was rough again, allowing 2 runs to lose it in the 8th as he failed to retire a batter.

Game 3: For the third straight night the Rays took a slender lead into the late innings but for a change they held on to it and took a 2-1 win over Houston, salvaging the finale. The big blow came courtesy of rookie Angel Vigil's first-ever MLB homer, a 2-run shot in the 5th which made a winner of Randy Mastropietro (4-2), who went 5 5 1 1 3 2 on 93 pitches. Devin Cefalo threw two big scoreless innings and while Mario Berumen did his best to blow the save by allowing 3 runners in the 9th, he got out of it thanks to a double play and game-ending groundout to earn his 10th save.

Team record: 27-17. Amazingly the Yankees lost 3 of 4 at home to Boston, so we gained half a game to move within 3.5 back. Next up: A day off then 3 in Oakland.

[Art Deco]

May 21: Claimed P Melvin Lopez on waivers from the Yankees, designated P Chris Giles for assignment.

After bringing back Tim Johnson we continue to mine our recent past for pitching upgrades. Lopez was a fine 4-1, 2.13 for New York but for some reason they waived him and who were we to decline a claim? Lopez did struggled for us over parts of the last two seasons but is rated 60/70/50 as a reliever and only drops to 55 stuff as a starter. We'll use him in relief for now.

Game 1: The Rays had to go deep into the California night but came away with a 5-3 win over Oakland in 13 innings to open their series with the A's. David Morales tripled in the winner, scored on a sac fly, and then Kang-cheol Lee added his 3rd homer for insurance. Steve Cleland (1-1) gave up a solo shot of his own in the bottom of the 13th but it didn't matter. Tim Johnson had another good start at 6 7 2 1 1 3.

Game 2: Dave Rose was dominant and so were the Tampa Bay bats in a comfortable 9-2 win over Oakland. Rose (5-3) was 7 6 2 2 0 13 in taking over the AL strikeout lead with 82 and he got much of his support from Jose Lozada, who had a 2-run double in the first and a 2-run homer (#6). Also going yard were Nesty de la Rosa (#6) with a 2-run blast and Takayuki Tsujimara for the first time this year.

Game 3: Manny Cervantes' woes continued as he was hammered in an 8-3 loss to the A's in the finale. The righty was tattooed to the tune of 3 6 8 8 4 2 and fell to 1-5, 8.59 as his days in the rotation are likely numbered and Melvin Lopez could get a shot.

Team record: 29-18. The good news is that the Yankees lost 2 of 3 as they've cooled off and we're within 2 1/2 of the them now. Next up: Back home for 3 against Philadelphia.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays had to come back to better the Phillies 7-5 in their series opener at Publix Park. Brad Villarreal was cruising along with a 2-0 lead into the 6th thanks to Takayuki Tsujimara's 2-run homer (#2) before surrendering a 3-run homer of his own to lose the lead but his teammates scored twice in the bottom of the frame to go ahead for good. Brian Whittaker had the tying single and Dantel Chinchilla drove in two more. Villarreal finished 5.1 6 3 3 2 3, Devin Cefalo (4-0) got the win, and Mario Berumen closed for save #11 after Danny Sanchez gave up 2 runs to start the 9th.

Game 2: The Rays romped in the second game, shutting out Philly 8-0 behind Randy Mastropietro. The lefty was marvelous and had to be most of the game as it was only 1-0 through 6 1/2 while he was in there, going 7 1 0 0 3 5 to improve to 5-2. Three in the 7th and four more in the 8th broke it open with Brian Whittaker driving in four of those with a single and a double while a 2nd-inning Takayuki Tsujimara homer (#3) was once again the early scoring for Tampa Bay.

Game 3: Tampa Bay completed the sweep with a 2-1 walk-off win thanks to Jose Machado's 2-out RBI single in the 9th scoring Jose Lozada after the latter reached with his third hit of the day. Tim Johnson continues to look like an inspired pickup as the righty was excellent at 7 2 1 1 2 4 and Mario Berumen (2-0) earned the win after pitching around a pair of walks in the 9th.

Team record: 32-18. Some further good news as the Yankees lost 2 of 3 in Atlanta enabling the Rays to pull within 1/2 game of New York (and even in the loss column). Next up: A day off then San Diego visits for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays rode a 6-run 1st inning to a comfortable 9-2 win over the Padres at Publix Park in the series opener. Brian Whittaker and Nesty de la Rosa hit back-to-back doubles to start the game and Alex Brown capped the inning with a 2-run double. They also got solo homers from Sung-min Yang (#4) and Luis Barela (#9), the 596th of his career. Dave Rose (6-3) cruised to the win at 6 7 2 2 1 7 and Phil Weststrom picked up his first Rays save going the final 3 scoreless.

Game 2: Melvin Lopez's return to the Rays rotation was a mixed bag and San Diego came away with a 5-3 win over Tampa Bay. Lopez looked good through 4 with a 2-1 lead thanks to another Sung-min Yang homer (#5) but he put the first two on in the 5th and came out on 90 pitches. The normally reliable Devin Cefalo came on, an error loaded the bases and then former Rays star Jon Morales launched a grand slam, his 2nd homer of the game, to put San Diego on top for good. Lopez (0-1) finished 4 6 3 3 1 4.

May 30: Activated OF Jesus Avalos from the IL, optioned OF Angel Vigil to AAA Durham.

We welcome back our superstar and reigning AL MVP, although the team did pretty well in his absence.

Game 3: The Rays took the rubber game of the series, blowing open a scoreless game with 7 runs in the 6th and 7th and going on to beat San Diego 7-3. Dantel Chinchilla and the red-hot Sung-min Yang combined to knock in all seven runs, with Chinchilla hitting a 2-run single and 2-run double and Yang knocking in 3 with a pair of singles. Brad Villarreal (6-2) was outstanding and went deep at 8 7 2 2 0 4 on an economical 91 pitches for the win.

Team record: 34-19. Stop the presses! After the Yankees lost 2 of 3 the Rays are now in first place in the AL East for what is probably the first time since the 2053 season as I believe the Yankees essentially went wire-to-wire last year with Tampa Bay getting off to a poor start from which they never recovered. Next up: Off to Pittsburgh for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Not often your staff pitches a shutout when the starter leaves after one batter but that's what the Rays did today against Pittsburgh in a 6-0 win. Randy Mastropietro left in the 1st with forearm soreness which should only push his next start back a day or two but Manny Cervantes (2-5) came through with 2 2/3 scoreless and Phil Weststrom went the final four innings to complete a team 4-hit shutout and earn his 2nd save. The offense made it easy on the bullpen thanks to a 5-run fifth capped by a Takayuki Tsujimura grand slam, his 4th homer of the year.

Game 2: Tim Johnson had a rough start and the Rays fell 6-2 to the Isotopes in the second game. Johnson (0-2) was tagged for four runs in the 1st but hung in there to give the stretched bullpen some relief, finishing 6 6 6 6 4 6. Alex Brown hit his first homer of the year.

Game 3: Dave Rose was dominant and some late offense gave Tampa Bay a 3-1 triumph in the finale. Aside from a solo homer in the 2nd Rose (7-3) was untouchable on the day, going 7 1 1 1 3 11. Adan Guardado got the final four outs for his 2nd save as Pittsburgh had lefties stacked in the 9th. The winning hit came courtesy of Jose Lozada, whose 2-run single in the 7th put the Rays ahead to stay.

Team record: 36-20. The Yankees continue to plummet back to Earth as they lost 2 of 3, expanding the Rays' division lead to 1 1/2 games. Next up: Back home for 4 against Toronto.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Takayuki Tsujimura had one of the greatest game in Rays history, tying the team single-game record for homers and RBI after slugging a trio of 3-run homers in a 13-3 rout of the Blue Jays at Publix Park. And he did it early, going deep in the 1st, 2nd and 4th innings to put things well out of reach. The 3 homers ties a club record set by many (but the first one in five years) and the 9 RBI tied the team record set by Wander Franco on July 28, 2022. Jose Machado was also 3-5 with HR #3 while Melvin Lopez (1-1) won his first game as a Ray in two seasons by going 5.2 7 3 3 1 6.

Game 2: Things were much tighter tonight but Tampa Bay still prevailed 4-3 over Toronto thanks to a 3-run homer in the 5th from Luis Barela, the 597th of his career and 10th of the season. They also got a solo shot from Nesty de la Rosa (#7) in the first and made a winner of Brad Villarreal (7-2) who went a solid 6.1 7 3 3 2 4. Mario Berumen got all 3 outs via the strikeout for save #12.

Game 3: With Randy Mastropietro still nursing a sore forearm, Phil Weststrom got the spot start and reminded us all why he was dropped from the rotation earlier this season as Toronto clubbed him and the Rays 9-1. Weststrom (2-2) was hit for 6 runs in the first inning and although he settled in from there the damage was done as he finished 5 7 6 6 3 5. The bats were held to only 3 hits with Jesus Avalos' solo homer (#11) leading off the game the full extent of their offense.

Game 4: Tim Johnson couldn't keep the ball in the park and although they mounted a valiant comeback the Rays fell short and ended up with a series split after an 8-6 loss to the Jays. Johnson (0-3) went 6.1 5 5 5 3 7 and allowed 3 homers before Manny Cervantes came on and gave up 3 more runs. Those runs allowed by Cervantes proved critical as a Jesus Avalos slam (#12) in the 7th brought them within 8-5 and David Morales' 1st longball of the year leading off the 9th got them within two. They put two more on with two out and Avalos at the plate but he flied out to end the game.

Team record: 38-22. With the Yankees sweeping their series against Baltimore the Rays fell back into a tie for first with New York. Next up: Off to Austin for 3 against the Dukes.

[Art Deco]

That time of year again, although with the draft in mid-July IRL and in all my other Rays saves it always seems to come as a surprise in this one. Our top picks:

Bonilla: A high-school lefty out of St. Louis, he has a chance to be an ace with 75/55/65 potential according to my scouts but OSA sees him more as a mid-rotation type.

Polk: A high-school kid from Illinois who looks like he can stay in CF (55 potential with much higher on the corners) to go with 70 contact and 60 power potential.

Thompson: A less athletic OF than Polk and perhaps a future DH or 1B, the Colorado prepster boasts 75 contact/65 power potential.

Cross: Our first college player taken (albeit from Canada), he projects as a utility IF type with a chance to start if he lives up to his 60 potential in the field as a SS and get the contact to 55 and the power to 50 as he could.

Robledo: Another high-school who is listed as a "catcher" but isn't viewed to have more than 30 potential at the position. His calling card of course is his bat and if he lives up to his 70 contact and 60 power potential he'll make a fine DH.