The 2020 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Jayden Woodard had the game of his MLB career, leading the Rays to a 9-5 win over the Jays at Rogers Centre in the series opener. The infielder doubled his homer total for the season with a pair as he went 3-3 with 3 runs scored, 3 RBI, a walk and a steal as he stuffed the box score. It was a 3-man offense today as Henry Dominguez also went yard twice (#6 & 7) and drove in 3 while Jesus Avalos was 4-5 with 2 doubles, a homer (#14) and the other 3 RBI as he seems back in all-star form. Randy Mastropietro couldn't make it through the 5th with the lead, going 4.1 6 4 4 2 4 so Victor Boria (3-0) got the win with 2 2/3 in relief.

Game 2: Steve Swords was put to the sword by Toronto as the Jays thumped the Rays 7-1. Swords (3-3) was hit to the tune of 5.1 7 6 5 1 7 and Manny Flores kept the Rays from being shut out with a solo homer (#4/6).

Game 3: Jayden Woodard was the hero in the opener but today he was the goat as his key error in the 3rd opened the door to a 5-run inning for Toronto with only one run earned against Jorge Barraza (3-6) in a 4.1 7 5 1 1 1 outing as the Rays lost 7-5. Jesus Avalos' 2-run double gave Tampa Bay a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the 3rd but things went awry almost immediately thereafter and Tampa Bay dropped the series.

Team record: 30-18. The Yankees are putting on real pressure, sweeping their series and cutting the Rays' division lead to 1 1/2 games. Next up: 3 games at the ballpark of the best team in the league as they travel to face the 34-14 Phillies.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: A 5-run rally in the 9th transformed a 4-2 loss into a 7-4 win for the Rays as they took the opener in Philly against MLB's top team. The winning blow was a bases-clearing double from rookie Terry Jackson, who had earlier hit an inside-the-park homer (#2) and capping a night to truly remember for him. Also having a big night was backup C Alex Gonzalez (not to be confused with our DH Alex Gonzales), who went 4-4 with his 2nd homer and 2 RBI. Elijah Whitaker gave them a solid start (5.1 4 2 2 4 6). Josh Meenach (2-0) ended up with the win despite allowing a pair of solo homers in the 8th which put Philly ahead, and Devin Tadlock fanned a pair in the 9th for save #8.

Game 2: Tampa Bay lost a tough one in the second game, coming up just short in a 7-6 loss to the Phillies after losing a 3-0 lead. A 2-run shot from Jesus Avalos (#15) and a solo Alex Brown homer (#1) gave them that lead and with Dave Rose on the mound things looked good but Rose (6-2) ran into serious trouble, giving up a pair in the 4th and 5th to lose the lead and then with two out in the 6th he was hit for a 3-run homer and finished an ugly 6 11 7 7 2 7 with 3 homers allowed. Dantel Chinchilla's 2-run blast (#6) in the 7th got them back within 7-6 but despite a couple of attempted rallies they couldn't push across the equalizer.

Game 3: The Rays took the rubber game from Philadelphia 8-5, winning a series in the ballpark of the team with MLB's best record. Manny Flores belted a 2-run homer (#5/7) to highlight a 3-run 3rd, and then they opened up a 7-0 lead in the 6th when Alex Brown cleared the bases with a double. Randy Mastropietro (5-1) had been cruising along but he and Victor Boria combined to let Philly back in the game with 4 of their own in the bottom of the 6th, and Mastropietro finished 5.2 3 3 3 3 5. Despite a few shaky moments thereafter the Rays saw it out with Devin Tadlock earning his 9th save.

Team record: 32-19. The Yankees remain persistent, also taking 2 of 3 and staying 1 1/2 games back. Next up: This road trip concludes with a cross-country excursion to play 3 in San Francisco with a travel day off.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Steve Swords was magnificent on a night that saw the teams combine for a mere two runs and seven hits and thanks to him those two runs were scored by the Rays as they shut out the Giants. Swords (4-3) wasn't overpowering but he was effective, going 8 4 0 0 3 4 on a tidy 91 pitches before giving way to Devin Tadlock, who had a 6-pitch 1-2-3 9th for save #10 as Rays pitching combined for a Maddux. Angel Gonzales' 2-run homer (#6) held up for the duration as his mates only managed two more hits.

Game 2: Tampa Bay pitching was dominant again as the Rays took another low-scoring affair from San Francisco 3-0. This time it was Jorge Barraza (4-6) who was in control at 7 2 0 0 3 5 and once again Devin Tadlock finished off the game, fanning a pair in the 9th for his 11th save. It should have been a much bigger win given the Rays left an absurd 15 runners on base but thanks to the pitching it didn't matter. Angel Gonzalez went deep again (#7) with a solo shot and the other runs scored on sac flies as the big hit was missing today.

Time for another big surprise trade:



Yes we've traded one of our top hitters this year, a guy in his first full season. What's up with that? Not Colon's production of course (268/385/506 with 11 HR) but our ridiculous glut of 1B. In addition to Angel Gonzales (who's serving as the DH), we have ready-now guys Rodrigo Aponte (rated 65/60 and hitting 406/450/653 at Durham) and Ruben Brown (also rated 65/60 and was hitting 317/392/625 at Montgomery before being promoted to the Bulls). I figured Colon had the best trade value since he's done it at the big-league level and he ended up bringing us Guzman, a 24-year-old righty rated 65/75/50 as a starter. Despite his ace-like ratings the Mariners have been using him as their closer where he had 12 saves and had already earned 1.0 WAR in relief. He's going into our rotation and Randy Mastropietro will head to the bullpen.

May 27: Optioned P Julio Mattila to AAA Durham, recalled 1B Rodrigo Aponte from the Bulls.

Mattila pitched well in middle relief for us and still has a future spot in the rotation but has an option and Mastropietro will replace him as the second lefty/longman in the pen. Aponte now gets the 1B job against RHP and we'll see how his great ratings and gaudy AAA numbers translate.

Game 3: The Giants turned the tables on the Rays, winning a low-scoring shutout 2-0 in the finale of a series that saw both teams combine for a lousy seven runs. Elijah Whitaker (4-4) deserved a far better fate after an outstanding 6 4 1 1 3 5 outing but his teammates could only scratch out three safeties, two of which came off the bat of Paul Mayes. Rodrigo Aponte was 0-4 and struck out to end the game, so not the debut he or I was hoping for.

Team record: 34-20. The Yankees also won 2 of 3 to stay 1 1/2 back. Next up: We return home for more interleague action as the Cubs visit for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Dave Rose did his thing again and the Rays took a 4-1 win over the Cubs in the opener at Publix Park. The ace righty went to 7-2 thanks to a 6 4 1 1 2 6 outing and the bullpen held with Devin Tadlock retiring the side in order in the 9th for his 12th save. Henry Dominguez had a big game, going 3-5 with two steals and a ribbie while Dantel Chinchilla was 2-4 with an RBI double.

Game 2: I always talk about the Rays' "Patented Publix Park Comebacks" but today's was definitely one of the most memorable as they came back from 6-0 down in the 8th and 7-3 in the 9th to pull out an 11-inning, 8-7 win over Chicago. Tony Guzman made his Rays debut and was a mixed bag at 7 6 4 4 1 6 but the offensive was stifled for most of the game. And after the bullpen gave up a couple more in the 8th it looked like the most lost of causes. But the comeback started with a 2-run homer from Manny Flores (#6/8) and a solo Angel Gonzales (#8) shot to halve the Cubs lead and that set the stage for the improbable 9th. Despite Chicago adding on to its lead in the top of the 9th to make it 7-3, Dave Gonzalez went solo (#4) to make it 7-4 and then they managed to load the bases for Gonzales, who brought everyone home with a two-out double to tie it up. Finally in the 11th Paul Mayes singled home Henry Dominguez, who was 3-3 even though he didn't enter the game until the 8th, to walk it off. Jake Cid (4-1) picked up the unlikely win in relief.

Game 3: Oops, they did it again. After the Cubs broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the 9th off Devin Tadlock with the help of an Alex Brown error to go up 4-2, Joel Bland answered in the bottom of the inning with a 3-run homer (#5) to give the Rays their second consecutive late-inning walk-off comeback win. While not as improbable as yesterday's it was still a thrilling turnaround. Before all the late dramatics it was a fairly sedate affair with Steve Swords going 5.1 4 2 2 2 3 and Tampa Bay tying it up on solo homers from Rodrigo Aponte (his first as a Ray and his first hit after going 0-9 since his callup) and Brown (#2).

Team record: 37-20. The sweep of Chicago, combined with the Yankees dropping 2 of 3 to defending champion Pittsburgh at home, means the Rays now lead the division by 3 1/2 games. Next up: After a day off we're in Toronto for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays took the opener from Toronto 5-2 behind a solid performance from Elijah Whitaker. The lefty went 6 5 2 2 3 4 to improve to 5-4 and Devin Tadlock closed for save #13. Paul Mayes was 3-3 with a 2-run double, Angel Gonzales tripled home a run and the last two came on a Jesus Avalos homer (#16).

Game 2: Tampa Bay weathered a brutal start from Jorge Barraza and overturned deficits of 4-0 and 6-4 to come back and beat the Jays 9-6. Barraza couldn't keep the ball in the park, going 3 8 6 6 1 1 and allowing 3 homers but the offensive led by Joel Bland (who homered twice to give him 7) kept fighting back. Alex Brown went yard (#2) as did Dave Gonzalez (#5) solo and Jesus Avalos (for the second straight day a 2-run shot). Julio Baez (2-0) picked up the win with two scoreless in relief of Barraza and Devin Tadlock turned in a one-two-three 9th for his 14th save.

Game 3: The Rays completed their second straight series sweep, winning all 6 games on the homestand after drubbing Toronto 10-4. Rodrigo Aponte had gotten off to a slow start (3-18 with a homer) since the big trade sending out Vinny Colon to make room for him and today he finally justified the move by going 4-5 with HR #2 and 3 RBI to lead the way. And Gonzales & Gonzalez got into the act with Angel hitting #9 and backup catcher Dave launching his 3rd longball of the year. Meanwhile on the mound Dave Rose had a schizophrenic day, dominating most of the time but giving up a trio of solo homers in a 7 6 4 4 0 12 outing to improve to 8-2.

Team record: 40-20. The Yankees hung tough by also sweeping to stay 4 games back. Next up: Off to Texas for 3 games and we have the Amateur Draft.

[Art Deco]

Not a very deep draft so I'm a bit underwhelmed with our haul.

Escobedo: A 17-year-old from Maryland who could be a 70/65/60 guy and therefore an ace - "his talent is that of a future multiple-time Cy Young Award winner" says the scouting report. But he's a long, long way away and a lot can happen.

Camacho: With the supplemental pick for closing C David Morales we grabbed this 18-year-old 3B out of North Carolina. He could end up an average-fielding 3B or an average-fielding 1B or LF and could go 55 contact/65 power.

Aguilar: Yet another high-schooler, this Ohio C is a bat-first guy with 55 potential contact and power, and an 80-potential eye. 45 seems his defensive ceiling though.

Gomez: You guessed it - still another high-school kid. This one's a SP with 55/65/60 potential, a groundballer from Wisconsin.

Cardinal: Not content with American high schoolers we took one from Canada, a catcher. Like Aguilar he's a bat-first guy with 55/60 potential.

Simmons: Finally grabbed a college guy. This Georgia Tech OF is a superior defender (in the corners) but may not hit much (45/50 potential).

Way too much high school but that's what this weak draft gave me.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Rays couldn't overcome a poor start from Tony Guzman just fell short 6-5 against the Rangers in the opener at Globe Life Field. Guzman struggled at 4.2 8 5 5 4 3 and a first-inning lead thanks to Jesus Avalos' 2-run homer (#18) quickly evaporated. Longballs from Manny Flores (#7/9, a 2-run shot) and Rodrigo Aponte (#3) got them level in the 6th but Jake Cid (4-2) coughed up a run in the 8th and that was the difference.

Game 2: Another poor start doomed Tampa Bay as Steve Swords (4-4) was hit hard and they lost again to Texas 7-4. Swords went 2 7 5 5 1 1 in a brutal outing although they did climb back to 5-4 with Jesus Avalos homering yet again (#19) with a man on before the Rangers got a pair of unearned runs off Danny McMullan in the 8th thanks to a key Dantel Chinchilla error.

Game 3: It looked like the Rays might salvage the finale as they took a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the 9th but for the second time in three games Jake Cid (4-3) gave up the losing runs, this time allowing a single and a homer to start the 9th and the Rangers walked it off 6-5 to sweep. Elijah Whitaker had a mediocre start at 5 6 4 4 1 4 but the Rays fought back to tie it with a pair in the 6th and went ahead in the 7th on a Manny Flores solo shot (#8/10). The blast capped a 4-4 day for Flores who also doubled and drove in another run. And Jesus Avalos made it homers in all three games of the series (and five of his last six) with a first-inning 2-run jack (#20).

Team record: 40-23. Luckily the Yankees lost 2 of 3 so the division lead only dropped to 3 games. Next up: A day off then the road trip continues with 3 in Seattle against a 30-32 Mariners club.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays were swingless in Seattle, managing only four hits as the Mariners shut them out 4-0. Jorge Barraza (4-7) gave up runs in each of the first two innings but settled in to finish a solid 6 8 2 2 1 5 before Victor Boria gave up a couple more which didn't matter since the bats couldn't do anything.

Game 2: Tampa Bay finally won a game on this road trip thanks to another dominant Dave Rose performance as they got by Seattle 6-1. Rose (9-2) went 8 4 1 1 1 9 with his only blemish an RBI double off the bat of recently-traded former Ray Vinny Colon. Meanwhile Rose's mates with the bats hit a quartet of solo homers to back him: Angel Gonzales (#10), Jesus Avalos (#21), Alex Gonzalez (#4) and Paul Mayes (#4).

Game 3: The Rays dropped the finale as they were blanked again by the Mariners 3-0. This time they did manage 6 hits and drew 6 walks but left everyone on base, a total of 11. Steve Swords (4-5) took the loss, giving up a trio of solo homers including one to Mr. Colon.

Team record: 41-25. Luckily the Yankees are in a slump as well and they stayed 3 back after losing 2 of 3. Next up: A welcome return home where they'll square off for 3 against those very New Yorkers.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: It all came undone in the 8th inning for Tampa Bay as the bullpen blew a 4-3 lead and 6 runs later the Yankees had a 9-4 win over the Rays at Publix Park to shave the division lead to two games. A solo homer from Angel Gonzales (#11) and a 2-run Rodrigo Aponte blast (#4) helped them to that lead and Tony Guzman was a solid 7 5 3 3 2 6 in his Tampa Bay home debut. But Devin Tadlock was terrible in the 8th and an Aponte error loomed large as the Yankees did the damage with two out, scoring a couple off Tadlock (2-4, 3rd blown save) and then rapping out 3 more hits off Jake Cid to blow it open.

Game 2: The Rays bounced back nicely from yesterday's bitter defeat by rolling over New York 7-3 in a game not really even that close. A 3-run first highlighted by Dave Gonzalez's 2-run single set the tone, Paul Mayes had a 2-run triple and Angel Gonzales homered again (#12) with a man on to break it open. Elijah Whitaker (6-4) was in good form at 6 3 1 1 4 5 for the win.

Game 3: Tampa Bay took the rubber game of the series, again routing the Yankees 9-2 and opening up a 4-game lead atop the AL East. You never know what you'll get from Jorge Barraza (5-7) but today he was brilliant at 7.2 5 1 1 2 6 and he had plenty of support. Dave Gonzalez homered (#7) and knocked in a pair, Dantel Chinchilla added a 2-run single, and Angel Gonzales homered for the third straight day (#13), his fourth in his last five games.

Team record: 43-26. Next up: A day off then Oklahoma City comes to Tampa for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Dave Rose was dominant and Angel Gonzales homered for the fourth straight game to lead the Rays to a 5-0 win over the Sunbirds to kick off their series at Publix Park. Like a vintage wine the 36-year-old Rose (10-2, 2.36) continues to get better with age, going 7 3 0 0 2 6 and is looking to finish with a higher WAR than the previous season for the 8th straight year - he's on pace for 7 which would blow away least year's career-best 5.7. Gonzales meanwhile had a key RBI single in a 3-run 3rd and then later socked a solo homer (#14) to keep his longball streak alive. Paul Mayes was 2-4 with a steal and an RBI double.

Game 2: It was a case of too little, too late as Angel Gonzales kept his homer streak alive with a 2-run shot in the 9th but that was all the offense mustered today as they fell 3-2 to OKC. Steve Swords (4-6) wasn't bad today and left with the bases loaded in the 6th down 1-0 but Victor Boria gave up a 2-run single to leave Swords with a 5.2 2 3 3 4 3 line while the offense was stuck in third gear. After Gonzales' homer Paul Mayes singled and stole second but was stranded there when Dantel Chinchilla grounded out to end the game.

Game 3: The Rays struggled on offense, failing to get a hit until the 5th, but woke up late and took a 5-1 win over the Sunbirds to take the rubber game of their series. Tony Guzman (1-0) had by far the best of his four outings since joining the Rays, going 7 2 1 1 4 6 but it was a 1-1 game when walked off the mound. Fortunately for him and Tampa Bay, Manny Flores came through with a tie-breaking 2-out grand slam in the bottom of the inning (#9/11) to win it. Angel Gonzales saw his five-game homer streak end but was still 2-4 and drove in the Rays' first run with a single.

Team record: 45-27. Unfortunately for the Rays the Yankees swept their series in Toronto to move back within 3 games in the division. Next up: Off to Boston for 4 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Elijah Whitaker tossed 8 shutout innings and the bats came up big as the Rays bounced Boston 7-0 to open their series at Fenway Park. Whitaker (7-4) went 8 3 0 0 3 4 and was backed by Paul Mayes (2-5, triple, 3 RBI), Manny Flores (2-run homer, #10/12) and Angel Gonzales (3-5, double, 2 RBI).

Game 2: The Rays suffered with some lousy pitching as they fell to the Red Sox 10-5. Jorge Barraza (5-8) continued his up-and-down season by being down at 4.1 7 5 5 2 6 and the bullpen equaled that by giving up 5 runs of their own. Dave Gonzalez drove in a pair in a losing cause.

Game 3: Tampa Bay bounced back and shook off an abbreviated start by Dave Rose to pummel the Sox 13-3. Rose had to leave in the second after he retired the first five men he faced with a back tweak but will be fine for his next start. Meanwhile his mates picked him up - Angel Gonzales stayed red hot going 3-6 with a double and 3 RBI and Rodrigo Aponte had an RBI single and a 3-run homer (#5) to lead a 15-hit attack. Randy Mastropietro (6-1) picked up the win in relief.

Game 4: The Rays took the series from Boston thanks to their third rout in four games, closing out the series with a 14-1 laugher. The Red Sox started their #1 pick (and #2 overall) of two weeks ago Luis San Inocencio right out of college and while he blanked the Rays over the first three innings things fell apart in the 4th when they scored 5 off him as his 35 control came home to roost with 3 walks in the inning. They then added 8 more runs over the next two innings to blow it open as light-hitting SS Alex Brown had a career game, going 4-5 with a triple, homer (#4) and 6 RBI while Henry Dominguez had an RBI single and a 3-run jack (#8). While all the hitting was going on Steve Swords (5-6) cruised at 6 5 1 1 2 7.

Team record: 48-28. Despite the fine showing at Fenway the Rays lost ground in the AL East as the Yankees stayed blazing hot, sweeping a 3-game series and cutting Tampa Bay's division lead to 2 1/2. Next up: Back home for 3 against Toronto.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays blew a 6-3 lead in the 7th but came back to tie it before Jesus Avalos walked things off with a solo homer (#22) in the bottom of the 9th to give them an 8-7 win over Toronto in opener. The Rays had a 2-run homer from Joel Bland (#8) and a solo shot from Alex Gonzales (#16) to build that early lead. But Tony Guzman put on a pair to start the 7th and Jake Cid melted down, allowing Guzman's men to score and two of his own to put them behind and leaving Guzman with a 6 5 5 5 3 6 line. Fortunately Dantel Chinchilla went yard (#7) in the bottom of the 7th to tie it, setting up Avalos's heroics and enabling Devin Tadlock (3-4) to pick up the win.

Game 2: No need for late drama in the second game as the Rays completely obliterated the Jays by the football score of 17-0 in the second game. Eljiah Whitaker pitched a complete-game 2-hit shutout on 111 pitches, walking one and fanning 9 to improve to 8-4 and go the distance for the first time in his MLB career. The bats made things easy for him of course, led by Rodrigo Aponte (4-5, 2 doubles, 3 RBI), Alex Brown (3-5, 2 doubles, 3 RBI), Henry Dominguez (3-6, double, 2 RBI) and Jesus Avalos (2 RBI including homer #23).

Game 3: The Rays completed the sweep with a 9-7 win over the Jays which was only that close thanks to the bullpen allowing 5 runs in the 8th inning of a 9-2 game. Joel Bland led the way going 3-4 with 4 RBI including a 3-run homer (#9) while Dantel Chinchilla's 3-run jack (#8) in the first inning got things going. Jorge Barraza (6-8) pitched well for a change at 6.1 6 2 2 3 5 but Victor Boria made a mess in the 8th, failing to retire any of the four men he faced, all of whom scored. As a result Devin Tadlock had to pitch the 9th and picked up his 15th save.

Team record: 51-28. We did gain a game on the Yankees to go up 3 1/2 and we'll be host the New Yorkers for 3 games up next.

I've been less than 100% satisfied with the bullpen and this series showed why, so I made a big move to improve it:



Welcome back Willie Navarro, who pitched in our bullpen from 2049-53. He's led a vagabond life since, pitching for five different teams including the Cubs, but boasts impressive 75/70/70 ratings and has amassed 91 saves in past 2 1/2 seasons although he was struggling with a 6.00 ERA this year in Chicago. We'll chalk that up as a short-term blip. The price wasn't steep for the free agent-to-be as Infante was a minor league reliever with a future as the last man on an MLB staff.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays took the opener of their big mid-season series with New York, riding their offense and Dave Rose to a 7-3 win at Publix Park. Rose won his AL-best 11th game after going 6 3 0 0 3 9 in a vintage performance and Dantel Chinchilla had the first 5-hit game of his career, going 5-5 with a solo homer (#9). Manny Flores had a nice game as well, 3-5 with a 2-run shot (#11/13). Joe Rose made a mess in the 9th giving up 3 runs so Willie Navarro made his first Rays appearance in four years getting the final out.

Game 2: Drama in the second game as the Rays pulled off yet another Patented Publix Park comeback, erasing a 3-0 deficit late and walking off a 4-3 win in the bottom of the 9th over New York on Henry Dominguez's RBI single. Steve Swords was hit for 3 runs in the 2nd and the offense was in third gear for most of the game until ex-Yankee Jayden Woodard belted a 3-run homer (#5) in the 7th to tie things up, setting the stage for Dominguez to come through, driving home pinch-runner Brian Whittaker who had stolen second. Jake Cid (5-3) earned the win after pitching the final two innings while Swords ended up 5 7 3 3 1 5.

Game 3: Alas there was to be no sweep as Tony Guzman was plastered for 6 runs in less than 2 innings and the Yankees roughed up the Rays 9-3 in the finale. The controversial Vinny Colon-for-Guzman trade earlier this year hasn't cost them on offense as Colon's replacement Rodrigo Aponte has raked but Guzman hasn't held up his end of the bargain, now 1-1, 6.48 in 6 starts after today's 1.2 7 6 6 3 2 pounding. Henry Dominguez did have a solo homer (#9) for Tampa Bay.

Team record: 53-29. The series win enabled the Rays to extend their lead to 4 1/2 over New York. Next up: After a day idle we're off to Baltimore for 3 games. The Orioles lurk in 3rd 7 games back.

The midseason review is next.

[Art Deco]

It's been a good first half for the Rays, who are looking to return to the summit after coming oh-so-close last year, losing the World Series in 7 games to Pittsburgh. The offense has been very good and the defensive makeover of the club has finally resulted in a top 10 (so far) defensive efficiency rating. The bullpen has been iffy at times but overall there are few complaints.

Around the league:



The Yankees have been worthy competition all year, preventing us from running away with the division. We'll see if they can sustain it in the second half.



As I said no real complaints. The offense has been marvelous, even the baserunning as we're not only providing quantity (first in steals) but quality (first in the baserunning metric). If I had to nit-pick, I'd say the rotation after Dave Rose has been a bit inconsistent.



A lot to like here. Jesus Avalos has already exceeded last year's full-season WAR as he's returned to superstar form and second-year guy Henry Dominguez has really taken a step forward as has Angel Gonzales, seriously raking as the full-time DH. Alex Brown and Jayden Woodard have done a great job filling in for the injured Aaron White and as mentioned in the previous post Rodrigo Aponte has replicated what Vinny Colon was doing before he was traded. The one disappointment here is Dave Gonzalez, who's a mediocre-to-bad defensive catcher and hasn't been hitting enough to stay above replacement value. That's one spot we could look at upgrading over the next month.



As I've pointed out before Dave Rose just keeps getting better with age, and he and Whitaker make an enviable 1-2 punch. After that the rotation is a bit more inconsistent as Swords has been up and down of late after a hot start and Barraza has been eternally a rollercoaster ride. And of course the hope was that Guzman was going to be an upgrade on Mastropietro but he's struggled since the trade despite better stuff/ratings. Still think he'll get it together eventually. The bullpen struggled early in the season but has settled down although we added Navarro since Cid and Tadlock, while good, haven't been lights-out. Meenach has been solid though.



The farm system hasn't been stellar for a long time although it's produced some key players for us of late (Dominguez, Whitaker). This year's #1 pick Escobedo is our top prospect and is highly regarded but he's a long way away. One thing not picked up on here is that our Durham team is an amazing 53-20 and boasts several MLB-ready players who might not be elite prospects but will keep us from missing a beat in case of injuries:



A couple of veteran IFAs we signed have been intriguing with Kim capable of putting up big numbers in MLB should we need him to step in, and the Cuban Estudillo excelling in the rotation and could pitch at the back end of our rotation.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays jumped to an 8-0 lead by the 3rd and went on to blast Baltimore 14-2 to open their series at Camden Yards. Jayden Woodard had a career game, going 3-4 with a double, homer (#6) and 5 RBI, backup C Alex Gonzalez was 3-5 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI and Henry Dominguez went 3-5 with a double and 2 RBI to lead the attack. That made things easy for Elijah Whitaker (9-4), who cruised and 6 4 2 2 2 5 while Joe Rose went the final 3 for his first save.

Time for another big trade:



As alluded to in the midseason review above catcher was the one area earmarked for improvement given Dave Gonzalez's defensive issues (and relative lack of hitting) and we addressed that emphatically by acquiring Rivera, a very good all-around catcher. He's not a superstar but he's an excellent defensive catcher and one of the best framers in the league, and has a decent bat for the position, usually good for .250 with 15 HR and that's about where he was this mid-season (.253 & 8 HR). The pitching staff should get an upgrade with his receiving. Rivera's a rental, and we sent a grab-bag of prospects to Indy for him with Snorton the best of the lot, a 3rd round pick in 2054 who has borderline starter/4th OF potential while the 32-year-old Estudillo is the Cuban we signed in the offseason who was excelling with Durham but is a 4th/5th starter at best. The other two are relievers. To make room on the active roster Terry Jackson was sent back to Durham so we'll carry 3 catchers although Dave will serve primarily as a bench bat and occasional DH. Durham OF Ethan Windom was DFA'd to make room for Rivera on the 42-man roster.

Game 2: A much tighter game but the result was the same as Tampa Bay topped the Orioles 4-2. Ryan Rivera made his Rays debut behind the plate (0-3 with a walk at it) and Jorge Barraza (7-8) must have liked working with him as Barraza went 6 3 1 1 2 4 for the win while Jake Cid got the final four outs for his 5th save. Jesus Avalos and Joel Bland each had 3 hits and an RBI to lead the bats with Bland doubling twice.

Game 3: Over the years the Rays have relied on Dave Rose to pick them up whenever they needed a win so it was only right that the offense picked up Rose when he had a bad day as Tampa Bay completed the sweep of Baltimore and made it 10 wins in their last 11, coming out on top in a 12-7 slugfest. A 6-run 4th turned things around for the Rays as they turned a 3-1 deficit into a 7-3 lead they never relinquished. Alex Brown's RBI double and Joel Bland's 3-run homer (#10) were the big blows in the frame and Jesus Avalos capped it with a solo shot (#24). New catcher Ryan Rivera got into the act with a 5th-inning bases-empty blast (#1/9) and Rodrigo Aponte capped a 3-RBI with a 2-run swat (#6). Rose (12-2) meanwhile had far from his best stuff and finished with an ugly 5 10 5 5 0 6, 2HR line but still earned the win thanks to his teammates.

Team record: 56-29. The lead is up to 5 1/2 on the Yankees. Next up: The road takes us to Oakland for 3.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: A wild, weird game that saw the Rays fall behind 4-0 early, go ahead 7-4, blow that lead in the late innings and then finally score 5 in the 10th to beat the A's 12-7. Steve Swords got off to a rough start by allowing 4 runs in the 1st but settled down to go 5 8 4 4 1 5 and that bought time for the offense to come back with 2-run singles from Paul Mayes and Dantel Chinchilla and Angel Gonzales' solo homer (#17) leading the way. But Josh Meenach gave up a homer in the 8th to let Oakland within 2 and Devin Tadlock (4-4) blew the save by surrendering a 2-run homer allowing the A's to equalize. That didn't deter the Rays though as Chinchilla's solo homer (#10) broke the deadlock in the 10th and they added four more capped by Jesus Avalos' 3-run blast (#25).

Game 2: A more straightforward affair in the second game as the Rays bested Oakland 5-3. Tony Guzman (2-1) took a shutout into the 7th before giving up a 2-run homer and after Willie Navarro made a mess in the 9th allowing a run and tiring, Josh Meenach came on for his first Rays save in getting the final out. Joel Bland's 2-run single in the first and a solo shot from Alex Brown (#5) were the big blows on offense.

Game 3: Tampa Bay stunk up the joint in the finale, losing 7-1 to the A's. The offense for a change couldn't get anything going, only eking out 5 hits. Elijah Whitaker (9-5) wasn't bad at 5 6 2 2 2 6 but the bullpen was as Erik Witten and Julio Baez combined to allow 5 runs over the last 3 innings to let it get out of hand.

Team record: 58-30. The Yankees were swept by arch-rival Boston so the Rays' division lead has grown to a season-high 7 1/2 games. Next up: An off-day then a trip south to face the Angels in Anaheim for 3.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Not a lot of offense in this game but the Rays didn't that much of it to take a 4-1 win over the Angels. Jorge Barraza (8-8) is on a mini-roll, pitching well again at 6 3 1 1 3 7 for the win and the pen did its job with Devin Tadlock fanning a pair in a 1-2-3 9th for his 16th save. Ryan Rivera's 2-run single in the 5th was his biggest hit as a Ray so far and Rodrigo Aponte gave Tampa Bay needed insurance with a 2-run blast (#7) in the 9th.

Game 2: Runs were at a premium once again and like last night that didn't faze Tampa Bay as Dave Rose and three relievers combined for a 2-0 shutout win. Rose improved to 13-2, 2.44 even though he wasn't his sharpest, going 6 6 0 0 4 8 and Devin Tadlock saved again (#17). The Angels threatened almost the entire game, leaving 12 men on base, but Rays hurlers made the big pitch when needed. As a result RBI singles in the 2nd by Alex Brown and Angel Gonzales held up for the duration.

Game 3: And Tampa Bay completed the sweep thanks to yet another strong pitching performance, taking the finale 4-2 from LA. They trailed 2-0 after 6 before Joel Bland's 2-run double in the 7th tied it, and then in the 8th Angel Gonzales singled in the go-ahead run and Paul Mayes doubled in an insurance run in the 9th. Steve Swords started and went 6 4 2 2 0 5, blemished only by a pair of solo homers, Victor Boria (4-0) got the win in relief, and Jake Cid closed it out for his 6th save.

Team record: 61-30, now the best record in MLB and now 9 1/2 up on the Yankees so the division is pretty much in hand at the All-Star break barring the mother of all collapses. Next up: The break followed by 4 at home against Baltimore starting Thursday.

[Art Deco]

A special All-Star Week for the Rays as the festivities are being held for the first time at Publix Park.

The teams:

American League:

SP Danny Arellano (AUS) - 6-5, 3.95 ERA, 93.1 IP, 1.39 WHIP, 7.5 K/9, 0.9 WAR
SP Danny Godinez (DET) - 7-6, 2.88 ERA, 118.2 IP, 1.21 WHIP, 8.3 K/9, 4.1 WAR
SP Randy Heller (HOU)* - 7-6, 3.35 ERA, 113.0 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 9.5 K/9, 3.5 WAR
SP Adrian Ramos (MIN) - 9-2, 2.78 ERA, 110.0 IP, 1.13 WHIP, 10.1 K/9, 2.3 WAR
SP Dave Rose (TB) - 13-2, 2.44 ERA, 118.0 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 10.7 K/9, 3.7 WAR
SP Anthony Tucker (HOU) - 7-4, 2.50 ERA, 100.2 IP, 1.20 WHIP, 11.1 K/9, 2.9 WAR
SP Brad Villarreal (LAA) - 10-6, 2.72 ERA, 106.0 IP, 1.02 WHIP, 6.0 K/9, 2.2 WAR
RP Jeremy King (LAA)* - 5-1, 1.98 ERA, 59.0 IP, 0.86 WHIP, 7.9 K/9, 1.1 WAR
CL Roel den Heijer (SEA) - 0-3, 11 SV, 1.95 ERA, 32.1 IP, 0.90 WHIP, 10.6 K/9, 0.7 WAR
CL Jimmy Faber (NYY) - 1-2, 22 SV, 2.18 ERA, 33.0 IP, 0.91 WHIP, 10.6 K/9, 0.9 WAR
CL Jerry Hobson (OAK) - 3-5, 20 SV, 4.59 ERA, 33.1 IP, 1.38 WHIP, 10.5 K/9, 0.2 WAR
CL Eddie Knowlton (MIN) - 2-4, 19 SV, 3.11 ERA, 37.2 IP, 1.25 WHIP, 8.8 K/9, 0.9 WAR
CL Alex Melendez (CLE) - 3-2, 22 SV, 2.40 ERA, 45.0 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 0.9 WAR
C Bernie Sapp (BAL)* - .304/.342/.392, 260 AB, 4 HR, 1 SB, 101 wRC+, 1.6 WAR
C Paul Singletary (LAA) - .296/.332/.392, 240 AB, 4 HR, 99 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
C Marvin Underwood (CLE) - .281/.336/.457, 256 AB, 11 HR, 1 SB, 114 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
1B Angel Gonzales (TB) - .308/.402/.526, 312 AB, 17 HR, 153 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
1B Mario Pineda (BAL)* - .310/.367/.604, 364 AB, 28 HR, 162 wRC+, 3.7 WAR
2B Jerry Esparza (TOR)* - .274/.322/.588, 347 AB, 33 HR, 3 SB, 143 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
2B Danny Fernandez (BOS) - .264/.434/.405, 296 AB, 7 HR, 27 SB, 141 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
2B Danny Salais (CWS) - .333/.422/.564, 321 AB, 18 HR, 1 SB, 173 wRC+, 3.5 WAR
3B Danny Arriaga (NYY)* - .320/.388/.722, 291 AB, 34 HR, 1 SB, 197 wRC+, 4.6 WAR
3B Joe Clardy (CLE) - .311/.366/.474, 331 AB, 10 HR, 4 SB, 131 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
3B Zach McKinney (TEX)* - .251/.310/.446, 303 AB, 14 HR, 103 wRC+, 0.9 WAR
SS Agustin Orozco (MIN)* - .277/.369/.479, 242 AB, 11 HR, 129 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
SS Ahmed Smith (DET) - .315/.375/.497, 302 AB, 10 HR, 2 SB, 137 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
LF Keith Billingsley (TOR)* - .293/.366/.612, 317 AB, 29 HR, 6 SB, 164 wRC+, 3.9 WAR
LF Joel Bland (TB) - .317/.396/.541, 246 AB, 11 HR, 21 SB, 154 wRC+, 3.4 WAR
LF Danny Cobos (BAL) - .301/.347/.567, 282 AB, 17 HR, 15 SB, 144 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
LF Juan Velasco (DET) - .292/.369/.581, 308 AB, 24 HR, 1 SB, 156 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
CF Jesus Avalos (TB) - .294/.366/.599, 327 AB, 25 HR, 153 wRC+, 3.7 WAR
CF Juan Mendez (OC)* - .295/.361/.578, 332 AB, 21 HR, 17 SB, 152 wRC+, 3.9 WAR
RF Juan Martines (CWS)* - .323/.414/.649, 325 AB, 28 HR, 12 SB, 185 wRC+, 4.9 WAR
RF Ed Silver (OC) - .346/.428/.593, 327 AB, 12 HR, 23 SB, 176 wRC+, 4.5 WAR

National League:

SP Rich Barnhill (WSH) - 4-1, 2.14 ERA, 67.1 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 10.7 K/9, 2.0 WAR
SP Sam Chapman (LAD) - 7-3, 3.59 ERA, 102.2 IP, 1.12 WHIP, 11.6 K/9, 2.0 WAR
SP Josh Habig (COL) - 7-4, 3.63 ERA, 94.1 IP, 1.30 WHIP, 9.0 K/9, 2.5 WAR
SP David Marrero (MIL) - 8-3, 2.63 ERA, 136.2 IP, 1.05 WHIP, 8.8 K/9, 3.8 WAR
SP Lienhard Moser (NYM) - 7-7, 3.04 ERA, 118.1 IP, 1.10 WHIP, 8.8 K/9, 2.1 WAR
SP Mario Uribe (ATL)* - 8-3, 2.91 ERA, 99.0 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 8.4 K/9, 2.4 WAR
SP Ben Williams (CLB) - 8-6, 2.18 ERA, 103.1 IP, 1.18 WHIP, 6.3 K/9, 2.3 WAR
RP James Bligen (SD) - 5-4, 3.58 ERA, 78.0 IP, 1.27 WHIP, 5.1 K/9, 2.1 WAR
RP Ramão Cameira (PIT) - 4-0, 2.82 ERA, 54.1 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 7.5 K/9, 0.4 WAR
RP Manny Lopez (WSH) - 3-4, 2.79 ERA, 51.2 IP, 1.01 WHIP, 6.4 K/9, 0.4 WAR
RP Bill Sutherland (PHI)* - 2-1, 3 SV, 1.42 ERA, 25.1 IP, 0.87 WHIP, 10.7 K/9, 1.0 WAR
RP Nate Trevathan (ATL) - 6-1, 2.22 ERA, 48.2 IP, 0.82 WHIP, 5.5 K/9, 0.5 WAR
RP John Washington (PIT) - 7-2, 2.72 ERA, 43.0 IP, 1.12 WHIP, 9.4 K/9, 0.7 WAR
CL Mario Berumen (STL) - 1-5, 23 SV, 2.27 ERA, 39.2 IP, 1.08 WHIP, 10.7 K/9, 0.3 WAR (Injured)
C Jorge Banuelos (CLB) - .284/.399/.483, 261 AB, 12 HR, 2 SB, 146 wRC+, 4.3 WAR
C Ben Caperon (COL) - .316/.373/.504, 256 AB, 5 HR, 7 SB, 129 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
C Pete Welch (PHI)* - .289/.353/.664, 280 AB, 31 HR, 172 wRC+, 4.0 WAR
1B Jordan Daniels (NYM)* - .305/.338/.554, 361 AB, 25 HR, 1 SB, 145 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
1B Chris Davison (COL) - .280/.359/.558, 321 AB, 23 HR, 3 SB, 140 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
1B Jesus de la Rosa (COL) - .299/.351/.529, 361 AB, 21 HR, 2 SB, 128 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
1B Andres Miranda (IND) - .290/.334/.549, 317 AB, 21 HR, 136 wRC+, 1.6 WAR
1B Jesus Munoz (ATL) - .305/.368/.538, 325 AB, 18 HR, 3 SB, 147 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
2B Juan Davila (PHI)* - .253/.327/.488, 336 AB, 18 HR, 1 SB, 120 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
2B Mario Herrera (LAD)* - .278/.322/.459, 338 AB, 11 HR, 7 SB, 112 wRC+, 3.5 WAR
3B Adrian Eke (MIL) - .318/.387/.486, 333 AB, 8 HR, 13 SB, 138 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
3B Ricky Ulloa (SF)* - .281/.352/.464, 317 AB, 10 HR, 4 SB, 125 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
SS Willie Irizarry (ARI) - .265/.332/.449, 343 AB, 14 HR, 3 SB, 110 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
SS Nick Villafana (PIT)* - .281/.380/.557, 334 AB, 25 HR, 1 SB, 155 wRC+, 4.3 WAR
SS Isaiah Williams (SD) - .299/.354/.431, 174 AB, 3 HR, 116 wRC+, 1.0 WAR
LF Ramon Herrera (CIN)* - .312/.393/.606, 330 AB, 27 HR, 171 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
LF Bill Jones (IND)* - .355/.443/.741, 197 AB, 20 HR, 216 wRC+, 3.0 WAR (Injured)
CF Oscar Cervantes (COL)* - .342/.428/.603, 146 AB, 6 HR, 172 wRC+, 1.8 WAR (Injured)
CF Hector Gomez (CHC) - .291/.340/.439, 358 AB, 9 HR, 25 SB, 111 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
CF Henry Neri (PIT) - .334/.372/.521, 305 AB, 14 HR, 14 SB, 146 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
CF Kaden Spearman (COL) - .387/.424/.613, 173 AB, 5 HR, 13 SB, 169 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
RF Chris Parchman (PIT) - .256/.369/.560, 309 AB, 27 HR, 1 SB, 152 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
RF Torao Rodrigues (ATL) - .331/.395/.676, 275 AB, 25 HR, 189 wRC+, 3.5 WAR

Former Rays in Italics.

Among this year's honorees for Tampa Bay, it's somehow only the second selection for Rose, one of the game's best pitchers over the last 6-7 years (he went in 2052) while it's the fifth straight (and fifth overall) appearance for Avalos. Gonzales and Bland are first-timers.

The Derby (no Rays featuring):



No idea what's up with these low numbers. Maybe there was a gale blowing in.

The game:



A tough for the AL as Pittsburgh's second-year star Nick Villafana's 3-run homer was the game's big hit and he was named MVP as a result. Publix Park has been very kind to Villafana as he and his Isotopes teammates celebrated a Game 7 World Series win on this turf last fall. As for the Rays Rose didn't appear since he had pitched over the weekend, Avalos was 1-2 with an infield single and Bland and Gonzales were both hitless in their lone plate appearances with Gonzales making the game's final out.

[Art Deco]

Transaction: 2B Aaron White, out since May 12 with a strained biceps, was activated and tough decision was made to send SS Alex Brown back to Durham after he hit 261/318/445, played great defense and earned 1 WAR over the two months White was out.

Game 1: The Rays resumed action after the All-Star break and didn't miss a beat as they obliterated the Orioles 14-1 at Publix Park. Rodrigo Aponte had the biggest day with a 3-run homer (#8) and a 2-run double, Jesus Avalos was 2-3 with 2 RBI including a 1st-inning solo shot (#26) and Ryan Rivera commemorated his home debut as a Ray with a homer (#2/10). Elijah Whitaker (10-5) dominated on the mound, going 7 3 1 0 1 8.

Game 2: Late drama in the second game as Angel Gonzales walked it off in the bottom of the 9th with a grand slam (#18) as the Rays beat Baltimore again 7-3. Dave Rose had an unusually wild outing at 5 7 3 3 6 7 and put Tampa Bay in a 3-1 hole before Paul Mayes' 2-run double in the 6th tied it, setting the stage for Gonzales' heroics. The bullpen was excellent as well with 4 scoreless and Devin Tadlock (5-4) got the win after handling the 9th.

Game 3: After scoring 21 runs in the first two games the Rays' offense was squelched in the third as Tampa Bay fell 5-0 to Baltimore. The bats were held to five hits and Steve Swords (5-7) saw his struggles continue as his 4.2 6 5 5 1 3 outing upped his ERA to 4.50.

Game 4: Normal service restored in the finale as the Rays handled the Orioles 6-1. Tony Guzman (3-1) had perhaps his best game as a Ray since coming over from Seattle with a 7.1 4 1 0 2 5 performance and Angel Gonzales had another big day, going 2-3 with a 3-run homer (#19). Jayden Woodard's 2-run double in the 2nd got them going.

Team record: 64-31. Next up: Boston visits for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: It took them a little while to get going but in the end the Rays romped over Boston 7-2 in the opener. Boston actually took a 2-0 lead off Jorge Barraza (9-8) but that would be all he'd allow going 6 6 2 2 0 5, buying time for Tampa Bay to rally with 4 in the 6th including a 3-run homer from Alex Gonzalez (#5) that put them ahead for good. Joel Bland added a 2-run shot (#12) in the 7th to break it open.

Game 2: The Rays pulled off another Boston Massacre, routing the Red Sox 12-3 in the second game. A 6-run 2nd inning got things going as Angel Gonzales hit the first of his two homers, a grand slam, and he added a solo shot in the 4th (#21). Also going yard twice for Tampa Bay was Rodrigo Aponte, who his #s 9 and 10 while driving in 3 and Paul Mayes contributed 4 hits including a triple. This all made things easy for Elijah Whitaker (11-5), who went 6 3 3 3 3 7.

Game 3: Tampa Bay couldn't have asked for much more than a quick 4-0 lead with Dave Rose on the mound, but Rose couldn't hold the lead and offense dried up enabling Boston to take a 5-4 win in 10 innings and keep the Rays from sweeping. Ryan Rivera had a 2-run single and Rodrigo Aponte homered for the third time in two games (#11) but Rose gave up 3 runs in the 6th including a 2-run homer to let the Red Sox equalize and he ended up going 6 6 4 4 1 9. We stayed even until the 10th when a tiring Devin Tadlock (5-5), in his second inning of work, gave up three straight hits with two out to let Boston score and the offense had no answer.

Team record: 66-32. Next up: A day off then we head to Chicago for 3 against the White Sox.