The 2020 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays - Page 146

Art Deco · 09-25-2025, 03:32 PM

Game 1: The Rays prevailed in a rain-shortened game, getting the better of the Tigers 7-3 when the proceedings were halted in the top of the 7th. As a result Tony Guzman (9-5) was credited for a complete game in his final regular season start after going 6 7 3 3 2 4. But the bats were the story today led by Manny Flores, who clubbed a pair of homers and drove in 3, giving him 15 Rays homers and 17 overall. Also going yard were Jayden Woodard with a 2-run shot (#8) and who else but Angel Gonzales (#41) who went solo as part of a 3-3 day.

Game 2: Erik Witten got a rare start for Tampa Bay but was downright horrible (3 10 6 6 0 3, 2 HR). It didn't matter thought as his teammates with the sticks picked him up and outslugged Detroit 9-8. A solo shot from (broken record alert) Angel Gonzales (#42) and a 2-run Joel Bland jack (#25) spotted Witten with a 3-run first inning lead but he ended up giving all of it back even with Jesus Avalos adding a solo shot (#36) in the 3rd. But they tied it back up in the 6th and an inning later went ahead for good on a 3-run homer from Aaron White (#8), the second-sacker's first since coming off a lengthy IL stay. Joe Rose (2-0) got the win in relief and Devin Tadlock picked up the shakiest of saves (#31), allowing 2 runs on 4 hits in the 9th to almost lose the lead.

Game 3: The Rays closed out the regular season on a 7-game win streak, sweeping the Tigers in another wild one 9-6. Randy Mastropietro got the ball for the finale, going a typical 6 7 4 4 0 4 but in line for the win before Victor Boria allowed one of Mike Alexander's men to tie it in the 7th. And as so often happened this year Boria (10-0) vultured the win when Alex Gonzalez's sac fly broke the deadlock and Manny Flores went deep again (#16/18) with a 2-run homer in the 9th to pad the lead. Josh Meenach finished up for his 2nd save. Earlier, Jesus Avalos got the start on the final day at 97 RBI with the hope he'd hit the century mark and he did just that with a 3-run 3rd-inning homer (#37) and he then added an RBI single for good measure.

Final Regular Season Record: 112-50. Next up: Game 1 of the ALDS at Publix Park against either the White Sox or the Yankees as those two square off in Chicago for a winner-take-all game.

MLB Playoff Race Update: Three days ago it looked like we could have maximum chaos in the AL West and with the second NL Wild Card but Texas took control of the former and Indianapolis finished one game ahead of a crowded field in the latter. It's the first postseason appearance for the Comets in their 10th year of existence and they'll play a single game at Colorado for a NLDS berth.

Meanwhile could it have been anyone else?

Final standings/stats post next.

Art Deco · 09-25-2025, 04:35 PM

Quite a few Rays ended up on the leaderboards with Angel Gonzales topping the league in RBI and OPS, Elijah Whitaker in ERA and Dave Rose in wins. Not shown here is that Rose was tied for second in strikeouts in the AL as well.

The playoff tree:

Team stats:

What a finish to the season, going 23-3 in September. First in virtually every offensive category except we struck out more than anybody (sue us), great pitching and one of the better defensive clubs we've put out there, only a couple of years removed from being one of the worst.

What a year for Gonzales, who went from a platoon player with us last season to one of the league's best hitters. And had he not missed nearly a month Bland would have been north of 7 WAR in a real breakthrough season for him. Avalos bounced back nicely although quite to his early-career MVP form and Mayes and Dominguez took strides in their second seasons. Really no disappointments other than Aponte tailing off badly in September (191/247/250) yet he and the traded Colon still combined for 3.1 WAR at first. White couldn't stay healthy but at least he came back at the end of the season so we'll be strong for the playoffs.

We had twin aces in Rose and Whitaker and with the way Barraza pitched in the second half, triplets. Guzman had the weirdest season, good for 2.7 WAR in only 119 innings yet he had a 4.29 ERA and it wasn't BABIP-related (.286) nor did he give up the homers (only 9). It seemed that every time the damage against him was clustered in one inning where he gave up 2-3 runs. Cid turned out to be our best reliever although Tadlock was victimized by a .378 BABIP, out of character with the defense over the season. Navarro was very good after coming over in trade as well.

A not great but not terrible farm system. Gaitan had a cup of coffee at the end of the year and projects as our #1 catcher next season, while Diaz is woefully underrated at #18 in our system as he totally mashed with the big club as you can see in the hitting stats above.

Art Deco · 09-28-2025, 08:18 PM

The NL was played first, with the Indianapolis Comets' first-ever postseason game:

And they'll have to wait at least another year to play a second as they fell to the Rockies in a low-scoring game at Coors. Colorado advances to play defending champion Pittsburgh in the NLDS.

Meanwhile the next night the Rays found out the identity of their ALDS opponent:

Instead of their umpteenth playoff matchup with the Yankees the Rays instead will tangle with a team that haven't seen that often in the postseason, the White Sox. That series will start on the 5th.

Art Deco · 10-01-2025, 12:59 PM

Another miracle finish...

The Rays looked like they'd start the ALDS in an 0-1 hole tonight as they found themselves down 3-2 in the bottom of the 9th with 2 out and nobody on base. But Dantel Chinchilla and pinch-hitter Manny Flores drew walks, and Henry Dominguez, who had been 0-4 on the night with 3 strikeouts against a tough lefty, doubled over the head of the Chicago CF to bring home both the runners and give Tampa Bay a thrilling 4-3 win to open the series on the right foot. They took an early 2-0 lead thanks in part to a Rodrigo Aponte homer but Dave Rose continued his maddening pattern of dominating and then having a bad inning as the White Sox put the first two on in the 5th before they were tripled home by Juan Herrera, who then scored a sac fly. Elijah Whitaker will go tomorrow to try to send the Rays to the Windy City with a commanding series lead.

In the other ALDS opener:

Yesterday's NLDS openers:

And today's Games 2:

Looking like a Pittsburgh-LA NLCS is in the offing.

Art Deco · 10-01-2025, 03:26 PM

Another tight win...

Once again the Rays had to overcome a deficit, but this time they did it a little earlier as Paul Mayes' 2-run homer in the 7th broke a 3-3 tie and the Rays went on to beat the White Sox 5-3 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their ALDS. Elijah Whitaker, like Dave Rose the day before, pitched well outside of a rough inning that saw him relinquish the lead with today's problems coming in the 4th. But they came back to tie and then go ahead with the bullpen doing a terrific job again, especially Devin Tadlock who picked up a 2-inning save while fanning 5. Although it looks in the box like he had a clean 9th, he actually hit a man and defensive replacement Alex Brown committed an error, so Chicago had 2 on in the 9th before Tadlock whiffed the final two batters to preserve the win. Jorge Barraza, nearly untouchable over the second half of the season, goes for the clincher on the South Side in a couple of days.

Meanwhile all four DSes are now 2-0 after Texas took down the Twins again:

Art Deco · 10-01-2025, 04:17 PM

Bring on the TBDs....

The Rays rode the longball in Chicago to a series sweep of the White Sox after mashing a half-dozen in a 9-4 clinching win. Series MVP Rodrigo Aponte belted a pair as did Angel Gonzales and Tampa Bay overcame an uncharacteristically poor start from Jorge Barraza to win. The bullpen was outstanding again, going 10 shutout innings over the three games and it was a close one tonight until Aaron White and Gonzales went yard in the 9th. Barraza meanwhile lost leads of 3-0 and 4-2 in allowing his first runs after going 23 1/3 scoreless to close out the regular season but he still picked up the win. Now we await the winner of the Rangers-Twins series at Publix Park for Game 1 of the ALCS with Dave Rose toeing the rubber.

And the Twins did stay alive, grabbing a late come-from-behind road win in Arlington:

Meanwhile in the NLDS yesterday:

The Phillies and Rockies both stave off elimination for at least a day.

And today:

The Dodgers advance to the NLCS while the Rockies have forced the series back to Pittsburgh for a deciding Game 5 as the Isotopes' title defense is suddenly in some jeopardy.

Art Deco · 10-01-2025, 04:27 PM

And it'll be Texas facing off against the Rays in the ALCS after their series-clincher in Game 4:

And the deciding Game of the Pirates-Rockies NLDS:

We will have a new champion in 2057 after the Rockies came back to shock the Isotopes, overturning a 2-0 series deficit and taking Game 5 in extra innings. They'll face the Dodgers in the NLCS.

Meanwhile, a couple of Durham Bulls swept the International League end-of-season awards:

His closest competition was teammate Kim. As you can see from his career numbers Tafoya can hit at the AAA level, but he's a corner IF type without much glove and rated 55/50 at the plate so it's been tough to work him into the big club, and he's 28 now.

Weststrom meanwhile has been up with the big club in 2055 and 2056 but is a free agent heading into 2058.

Art Deco · 10-03-2025, 09:29 PM

Another thriller...

The Rays opened the ALCS at Publix Park much as they did in the two games here in the ALDS: by winning late. And this time it was courtesy of a Henry Dominguez infield single after they had loaded the bases in the bottom of the 9th that gave them a 3-2 Game 1 victory. This after Devin Tadlock, who has allowed some homers at inopportune times this year, gave up a 2-out game-tying solo shot in the top of the inning. It didn't keep the Rays from winning but it did keep Dave Rose from winning after an excellent 7-inning outing that was his best in a while. But at this time of year a win's a win and they'll try to go up 2-0 tomorrow with Elijah Whitaker on the mound.

Meanwhile in the NLCS:

Art Deco · 10-03-2025, 09:45 PM

Halfway to the Series...

The Rays remained undefeated in this postseason and took a 2-0 ALCS lead thanks to tonight's 6-0 shutout of the Rangers. Combined with a 7-game win streak to close out the regular season Tampa Bay has now won 12 straight games overall and as a result are halfway to the World Series. Elijah Whitaker was outstanding and the offense scored early and often against 2-time Cy Young winner Marco Agria, who now at 36 has lost a lot of life on his fastball and isn't the dominating pitcher he once was. Paul Mayes led the attack, going 3-4 with a double, a steal and a 2-run single in the 3rd that broke the game open. Jorge Barraza will toe the rubber in Texas as the Rays seek a stranglehold on the series.

Art Deco · 10-03-2025, 10:06 PM

Rolling through....

The Rays are on the verge of a return to the World Series after dispatching the Rangers 5-1 to take a 3-0 ALCS lead as they run their regular/postseason win streak to 13. Jorge Barraza wasn't dominant but he was much better than he was in the ALDS and Rodrigo Aponte just can't stop hitting homers as he belted his fifth in six postseason games this year, a 2-run shot in the 5th which broke open a 3-1 game. We did get a scare in the 9th when Devin Tadlock had to leave after two batters but it turned out to be a minor calf strain. We may not need him again until the World Series anyway. Tony Guzman will make his Tampa Bay postseason debut on the mound tomorrow as we try to close this one out.

Meanwhile it looks like we could be playing the Series at altitude based on the run of the NLCS so far:

Art Deco · 10-03-2025, 10:29 PM

Hold that Rockies-Rays World Series for now....

They're mortal. The Rays finally tasted defeat for the first time this postseason and for the first time in over two weeks as Texas prevented them from celebrating a return to the World Series for at least one more day. Tony Guzman wasn't sharp, perhaps as a result of his 2+ week layoff since he wasn't needed in the ALDS, and the Rays were fortunate to keep it as close as they did, stranding 14 Texas baserunners. They had a chance in the 9th when Joel Bland was hit by a pitch leading off the inning, but he was gunned down attempting to steal second. The game did feature yet another homer from Rodrigo Aponte, who went deep for the third straight game and sixth time in seven playoff games. So tomorrow Dave Rose will look to replicate his Game 1 magic to keep this series from returning to Tampa.

And the Dodgers said "not so fast" as well, staying alive in Colorado:

Art Deco · 10-03-2025, 10:44 PM

Welp...

It was all there for the Rays: a 4-0 lead in the 7th with Dave Rose spinning a shutout, and then it all went terribly wrong. Rose put a couple men on with one out in the inning and Willie Navarro came on and made a massive mess, allowing Rose's runs to score and two of his own to let Texas tie it up. And then after the Rays squandered an opportunity in the 10th after Ryan Rivera led off the inning with a double, Jake Cid gave up a walk-off homer in the bottom of the frame to send this series back to Tampa with the Rays still looking for that clinching win. It'll be Elijah Whitaker to try and stop the bleeding and prevent a Game 7 that nobody saw coming a couple of days ago.

Art Deco · 10-03-2025, 11:04 PM

Delayed but not denied...

The Rays are headed back to the World Series after curb-stomping the Rangers in Game 6, finally doing the trick on the third time of asking. Elijah Whitaker was simply brilliant, taking a one-hit shutout into the 8th inning and only losing it after the game was well in hand. They got a couple of early runs including a Joel Bland homer and kept tacking on until they blew it open in the 6th with Angel Gonzales (who was quiet the whole series up until that point) homering deep into the Tampa night with a pair on to make it 8-0 and ensuring a Game 5 repeat wasn't in the offing. Paul Mayes added a grand slam in the 8th to make the rubble bounce and Rodrigo Aponte made it 2-for-2 in playoff MVP honors, taking the ALCS nod after doing so in the ALDS as well. We'd all be glad to see him complete the hat trick. Jorge Barraza will get the ball for Game 1 of the World Series at Publix Park and it will be those Colorado Rockies serving as the opposition as they took their Game 6 as well:

Art Deco · 10-07-2025, 04:56 PM

Not a great start (in more ways than one)...

Jorge Barraza may have been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the second half of the season, but his playoff outings this year have been iffy and today he was hit for 4 runs in the first inning as the Rays dropped the World Series opener at Publix Park. 3 of those runs came on an inside-the-park homer by Colorado's Kaden Spearman, as it was one thing after another in the opening frame. Meanwhile the Rays' bats were put in the deep freeze by Eric Saenz, a lefty who had his way especially against the Rays top lefty hitters (Dominguez, Avalos, Bland and Aponte). But even their top RH bat, Gonzales, managed to fan 3 times and leave 6 men on base. Fortunately it's a 7-game series and Dave Rose will try to get them even before they head to the thin air of Denver.

Art Deco · 10-07-2025, 05:10 PM

A necessary response...

The Rays evened up the World Series with Colorado thanks to a 6-3 win with Dave Rose pitching like the ace he is and the keystone combo of Dantel Chinchilla and Aaron White combining to drive in 5 runs. The heavy hitters in the middle of the lineup have struggled (Gonzales is 1-7 with 6 Ks in the two games for example) but fortunately the offensive depth of the team has come through and kept us from going to Colorado in an 0-2 hole. Elijah Whitaker will get the unenviable task of pitching in Coors Field in two days but hopefully excellent pitching travels anywhere.

Art Deco · 10-07-2025, 06:10 PM

Rocky Mountain High...

The Rays and Elijah Whitaker destroyed the Rockies in sub-freezing weather to take a 2-1 lead in the World Series. Whitaker improved to 3-0, 1.73 in these playoffs with a masterful performance in the toughest park for a pitcher, retiring the first 12 Colorado batters. The offense meanwhile came to life with Joel hitting a "Bland Slam", breaking open the game in the 3rd inning and giving the Rays a 6-0 lead. Later on Ryan Rivera hit his first postseason Tampa Bay homer, a 3-run jack that put them in double figures on the night. Tony Guzman will now try to pitch them to a 3-1 lead but it'll probably end up decided by the bats.

Art Deco · 10-07-2025, 06:25 PM

Back to even...

Unlike his teammate Elijah Whitaker, Tony Guzman wasn't ready for prime time (or Coors Field) and the bats woke up too late in a 5-4 loss that saw the Rockies even up the series at 2. Guzman was hit for back-to-back-to-back homers in the 3rd inning after the Rays leveled things at 2, and while the bullpen was excellent in holding Colorado at 5 it wasn't until Rodrigo Aponte delivered a 2-run double in the 8th that they made a game of it, but he was stranded and they could only manage a 2-out walk in the 9th. So it'll be Jorge Barraza tomorrow and the way he's pitched lately and the park he's pitching in aren't inspiring a lot of confidence at the moment.

Art Deco · 10-07-2025, 07:10 PM

In trouble now...

Just like last year the Rays find themselves heading back to Publix Park down 3-2 in the World Series. Last season they took Game 6 from Pittsburgh before succumbing in Game 7, which shows taking the final two will be a tall order. This was a tough one for Tampa Bay, especially with things looking good as they got 3 in the first against Eric Saenz, who dominated them in Game 1, and Jorge Barraza was pitching brilliantly for a change into the 6th before giving up a game-tying 2-run homer. Still, Ryan Rivera's RBI single put them back in front in the top of the 7th and they turned to their "A" pen of Cid/Navarro/Tadlock which turned out to be a disaster, mainly on the part of Cid. The veteran lefty immediately served up a tying homer which apparently rattled him as Colorado strung together three singles to load the bases and ended up scoring all of those runners. The Rays got back within 8-6 and had two men on in the 9th but Jesus Avalos, who homered in the 8th, and Angel Gonzales both struck out in the clutch. So now it's back to Tampa and the one thing going for the Rays is that their top two pitchers, Dave Rose and Elijah Whitaker, are slated for Games 6 & 7.

Art Deco · 10-07-2025, 07:39 PM

A record-setting rout...

It's a good thing for the Rockies that the World Series isn't decided on aggregate runs scored as after the Rays emphatically forced a Game 7 by setting World Series records for runs in an inning (11) and runs in a game (19) that stat sits at 47-24 Tampa Bay. They broke the records of 1968 Tigers and 1929 Athletics who each had scored 10 in an inning of a World Series game, and the record of 18 runs in a Fall Classic outing by the 1936 Yankees. There isn't much else to say that isn't covered in the box score and of course it only counts as one game as it will be 0-0 starting tomorrow night with a World Championship on the line. Elijah Whitaker will hope to continue his brilliant postseason run in the biggest game of his life.

Art Deco · 10-07-2025, 08:28 PM

Back on top!...

After two seasons of coming up short in the World Series, including losing a Game 7 last season at home, the Rays are finally champions again, ending a four-year and one title in the last seven drought after their come-from-behind Game 7 win over the Rockies. Elijah Whitaker looked mortal tonight, giving up a 3-run homer to put them behind 3-0 and after Angel Gonzales answered with solo homer Whitaker gave up another run to make it 4-1 and things were not looking good on the west coast of Florida. But a 3-run rally keyed by Aaron White's 2-run triple tied it in the 6th, and then Gonzales, after Jesus Avalos was intentionally walked ahead of him, ripped a 3-run opposite-field homer into the RF bullpen to make it 7-4 and that was all she wrote. Gonzales, who had a miserable start to the series by fanning 6 times in his first 7 at-bats, wound up World Series MVP after tonight's 2-homer performance on top of his huge Game 6. The title makes the Rays only the second team in MLB history to hit the 20-championship mark as they trail only the Yankees who have 27. And all 20 of the Rays' titles have come since New York last won it all 48 years ago. Here's a look at the scene at the end:

09-25-2025, 03:32 PM	#2901
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	September 28-30, 2057: at Detroit (3) Game 1: The Rays prevailed in a rain-shortened game, getting the better of the Tigers 7-3 when the proceedings were halted in the top of the 7th. As a result Tony Guzman (9-5) was credited for a complete game in his final regular season start after going 6 7 3 3 2 4. But the bats were the story today led by Manny Flores, who clubbed a pair of homers and drove in 3, giving him 15 Rays homers and 17 overall. Also going yard were Jayden Woodard with a 2-run shot (#8) and who else but Angel Gonzales (#41) who went solo as part of a 3-3 day. Game 2: Erik Witten got a rare start for Tampa Bay but was downright horrible (3 10 6 6 0 3, 2 HR). It didn't matter thought as his teammates with the sticks picked him up and outslugged Detroit 9-8. A solo shot from (broken record alert) Angel Gonzales (#42) and a 2-run Joel Bland jack (#25) spotted Witten with a 3-run first inning lead but he ended up giving all of it back even with Jesus Avalos adding a solo shot (#36) in the 3rd. But they tied it back up in the 6th and an inning later went ahead for good on a 3-run homer from Aaron White (#8), the second-sacker's first since coming off a lengthy IL stay. Joe Rose (2-0) got the win in relief and Devin Tadlock picked up the shakiest of saves (#31), allowing 2 runs on 4 hits in the 9th to almost lose the lead. Game 3: The Rays closed out the regular season on a 7-game win streak, sweeping the Tigers in another wild one 9-6. Randy Mastropietro got the ball for the finale, going a typical 6 7 4 4 0 4 but in line for the win before Victor Boria allowed one of Mike Alexander's men to tie it in the 7th. And as so often happened this year Boria (10-0) vultured the win when Alex Gonzalez's sac fly broke the deadlock and Manny Flores went deep again (#16/18) with a 2-run homer in the 9th to pad the lead. Josh Meenach finished up for his 2nd save. Earlier, Jesus Avalos got the start on the final day at 97 RBI with the hope he'd hit the century mark and he did just that with a 3-run 3rd-inning homer (#37) and he then added an RBI single for good measure. Final Regular Season Record: 112-50. Next up: Game 1 of the ALDS at Publix Park against either the White Sox or the Yankees as those two square off in Chicago for a winner-take-all game. MLB Playoff Race Update: Three days ago it looked like we could have maximum chaos in the AL West and with the second NL Wild Card but Texas took control of the former and Indianapolis finished one game ahead of a crowded field in the latter. It's the first postseason appearance for the Comets in their 10th year of existence and they'll play a single game at Colorado for a NLDS berth. Meanwhile could it have been anyone else? Final standings/stats post next. Last edited by Art Deco; 09-25-2025 at 04:37 PM.

09-25-2025, 04:35 PM	#2902
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	Final 2057 Regular Season Standings and Rays Stats Quite a few Rays ended up on the leaderboards with Angel Gonzales topping the league in RBI and OPS, Elijah Whitaker in ERA and Dave Rose in wins. Not shown here is that Rose was tied for second in strikeouts in the AL as well. The playoff tree: Team stats: What a finish to the season, going 23-3 in September. First in virtually every offensive category except we struck out more than anybody (sue us), great pitching and one of the better defensive clubs we've put out there, only a couple of years removed from being one of the worst. What a year for Gonzales, who went from a platoon player with us last season to one of the league's best hitters. And had he not missed nearly a month Bland would have been north of 7 WAR in a real breakthrough season for him. Avalos bounced back nicely although quite to his early-career MVP form and Mayes and Dominguez took strides in their second seasons. Really no disappointments other than Aponte tailing off badly in September (191/247/250) yet he and the traded Colon still combined for 3.1 WAR at first. White couldn't stay healthy but at least he came back at the end of the season so we'll be strong for the playoffs. We had twin aces in Rose and Whitaker and with the way Barraza pitched in the second half, triplets. Guzman had the weirdest season, good for 2.7 WAR in only 119 innings yet he had a 4.29 ERA and it wasn't BABIP-related (.286) nor did he give up the homers (only 9). It seemed that every time the damage against him was clustered in one inning where he gave up 2-3 runs. Cid turned out to be our best reliever although Tadlock was victimized by a .378 BABIP, out of character with the defense over the season. Navarro was very good after coming over in trade as well. A not great but not terrible farm system. Gaitan had a cup of coffee at the end of the year and projects as our #1 catcher next season, while Diaz is woefully underrated at #18 in our system as he totally mashed with the big club as you can see in the hitting stats above.

09-28-2025, 08:18 PM	#2903
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 2-3, 2057: The Wild Card Round The NL was played first, with the Indianapolis Comets' first-ever postseason game: And they'll have to wait at least another year to play a second as they fell to the Rockies in a low-scoring game at Coors. Colorado advances to play defending champion Pittsburgh in the NLDS. Meanwhile the next night the Rays found out the identity of their ALDS opponent: Instead of their umpteenth playoff matchup with the Yankees the Rays instead will tangle with a team that haven't seen that often in the postseason, the White Sox. That series will start on the 5th.

10-01-2025, 12:59 PM	#2904
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 4-5, 2057: ALDS Game 1 & NLDS Games 1-2 Another miracle finish... The Rays looked like they'd start the ALDS in an 0-1 hole tonight as they found themselves down 3-2 in the bottom of the 9th with 2 out and nobody on base. But Dantel Chinchilla and pinch-hitter Manny Flores drew walks, and Henry Dominguez, who had been 0-4 on the night with 3 strikeouts against a tough lefty, doubled over the head of the Chicago CF to bring home both the runners and give Tampa Bay a thrilling 4-3 win to open the series on the right foot. They took an early 2-0 lead thanks in part to a Rodrigo Aponte homer but Dave Rose continued his maddening pattern of dominating and then having a bad inning as the White Sox put the first two on in the 5th before they were tripled home by Juan Herrera, who then scored a sac fly. Elijah Whitaker will go tomorrow to try to send the Rays to the Windy City with a commanding series lead. In the other ALDS opener: Yesterday's NLDS openers: And today's Games 2: Looking like a Pittsburgh-LA NLCS is in the offing.

10-01-2025, 03:26 PM	#2905
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 6, 2057: ALDS Game 2 Another tight win... Once again the Rays had to overcome a deficit, but this time they did it a little earlier as Paul Mayes' 2-run homer in the 7th broke a 3-3 tie and the Rays went on to beat the White Sox 5-3 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their ALDS. Elijah Whitaker, like Dave Rose the day before, pitched well outside of a rough inning that saw him relinquish the lead with today's problems coming in the 4th. But they came back to tie and then go ahead with the bullpen doing a terrific job again, especially Devin Tadlock who picked up a 2-inning save while fanning 5. Although it looks in the box like he had a clean 9th, he actually hit a man and defensive replacement Alex Brown committed an error, so Chicago had 2 on in the 9th before Tadlock whiffed the final two batters to preserve the win. Jorge Barraza, nearly untouchable over the second half of the season, goes for the clincher on the South Side in a couple of days. Meanwhile all four DSes are now 2-0 after Texas took down the Twins again:

10-01-2025, 04:17 PM	#2906
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 7-8, 2057: ALDS Game 3 & NLDS Games 3-4 Bring on the TBDs.... The Rays rode the longball in Chicago to a series sweep of the White Sox after mashing a half-dozen in a 9-4 clinching win. Series MVP Rodrigo Aponte belted a pair as did Angel Gonzales and Tampa Bay overcame an uncharacteristically poor start from Jorge Barraza to win. The bullpen was outstanding again, going 10 shutout innings over the three games and it was a close one tonight until Aaron White and Gonzales went yard in the 9th. Barraza meanwhile lost leads of 3-0 and 4-2 in allowing his first runs after going 23 1/3 scoreless to close out the regular season but he still picked up the win. Now we await the winner of the Rangers-Twins series at Publix Park for Game 1 of the ALCS with Dave Rose toeing the rubber. And the Twins did stay alive, grabbing a late come-from-behind road win in Arlington: Meanwhile in the NLDS yesterday: The Phillies and Rockies both stave off elimination for at least a day. And today: The Dodgers advance to the NLCS while the Rockies have forced the series back to Pittsburgh for a deciding Game 5 as the Isotopes' title defense is suddenly in some jeopardy.

10-01-2025, 04:27 PM	#2907
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	Rest of the 2057 DS round And it'll be Texas facing off against the Rays in the ALCS after their series-clincher in Game 4: And the deciding Game of the Pirates-Rockies NLDS: We will have a new champion in 2057 after the Rockies came back to shock the Isotopes, overturning a 2-0 series deficit and taking Game 5 in extra innings. They'll face the Dodgers in the NLCS. Meanwhile, a couple of Durham Bulls swept the International League end-of-season awards: His closest competition was teammate Kim. As you can see from his career numbers Tafoya can hit at the AAA level, but he's a corner IF type without much glove and rated 55/50 at the plate so it's been tough to work him into the big club, and he's 28 now. Weststrom meanwhile has been up with the big club in 2055 and 2056 but is a free agent heading into 2058.

10-03-2025, 09:29 PM	#2908
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 12-13, 2057: ALCS Game 1 & NLCS Games 1-2 Another thriller... The Rays opened the ALCS at Publix Park much as they did in the two games here in the ALDS: by winning late. And this time it was courtesy of a Henry Dominguez infield single after they had loaded the bases in the bottom of the 9th that gave them a 3-2 Game 1 victory. This after Devin Tadlock, who has allowed some homers at inopportune times this year, gave up a 2-out game-tying solo shot in the top of the inning. It didn't keep the Rays from winning but it did keep Dave Rose from winning after an excellent 7-inning outing that was his best in a while. But at this time of year a win's a win and they'll try to go up 2-0 tomorrow with Elijah Whitaker on the mound. Meanwhile in the NLCS:

10-03-2025, 09:45 PM	#2909
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 14, 2057: ALCS Game 2 Halfway to the Series... The Rays remained undefeated in this postseason and took a 2-0 ALCS lead thanks to tonight's 6-0 shutout of the Rangers. Combined with a 7-game win streak to close out the regular season Tampa Bay has now won 12 straight games overall and as a result are halfway to the World Series. Elijah Whitaker was outstanding and the offense scored early and often against 2-time Cy Young winner Marco Agria, who now at 36 has lost a lot of life on his fastball and isn't the dominating pitcher he once was. Paul Mayes led the attack, going 3-4 with a double, a steal and a 2-run single in the 3rd that broke the game open. Jorge Barraza will toe the rubber in Texas as the Rays seek a stranglehold on the series.

10-03-2025, 10:06 PM	#2910
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 15-16, 2057: ALCS Game 3 & NLCS Games 3-4 Rolling through.... The Rays are on the verge of a return to the World Series after dispatching the Rangers 5-1 to take a 3-0 ALCS lead as they run their regular/postseason win streak to 13. Jorge Barraza wasn't dominant but he was much better than he was in the ALDS and Rodrigo Aponte just can't stop hitting homers as he belted his fifth in six postseason games this year, a 2-run shot in the 5th which broke open a 3-1 game. We did get a scare in the 9th when Devin Tadlock had to leave after two batters but it turned out to be a minor calf strain. We may not need him again until the World Series anyway. Tony Guzman will make his Tampa Bay postseason debut on the mound tomorrow as we try to close this one out. Meanwhile it looks like we could be playing the Series at altitude based on the run of the NLCS so far:

10-03-2025, 10:29 PM	#2911
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 17, 2057: ALCS Game 4 & NLCS Game 5 Hold that Rockies-Rays World Series for now.... They're mortal. The Rays finally tasted defeat for the first time this postseason and for the first time in over two weeks as Texas prevented them from celebrating a return to the World Series for at least one more day. Tony Guzman wasn't sharp, perhaps as a result of his 2+ week layoff since he wasn't needed in the ALDS, and the Rays were fortunate to keep it as close as they did, stranding 14 Texas baserunners. They had a chance in the 9th when Joel Bland was hit by a pitch leading off the inning, but he was gunned down attempting to steal second. The game did feature yet another homer from Rodrigo Aponte, who went deep for the third straight game and sixth time in seven playoff games. So tomorrow Dave Rose will look to replicate his Game 1 magic to keep this series from returning to Tampa. And the Dodgers said "not so fast" as well, staying alive in Colorado:

10-03-2025, 10:44 PM	#2912
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 18, 2057: ALCS Game 5 Welp... It was all there for the Rays: a 4-0 lead in the 7th with Dave Rose spinning a shutout, and then it all went terribly wrong. Rose put a couple men on with one out in the inning and Willie Navarro came on and made a massive mess, allowing Rose's runs to score and two of his own to let Texas tie it up. And then after the Rays squandered an opportunity in the 10th after Ryan Rivera led off the inning with a double, Jake Cid gave up a walk-off homer in the bottom of the frame to send this series back to Tampa with the Rays still looking for that clinching win. It'll be Elijah Whitaker to try and stop the bleeding and prevent a Game 7 that nobody saw coming a couple of days ago.

10-03-2025, 11:04 PM	#2913
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 19-20, 2057: ALCS Game 6 & NLCS Game 6 Delayed but not denied... The Rays are headed back to the World Series after curb-stomping the Rangers in Game 6, finally doing the trick on the third time of asking. Elijah Whitaker was simply brilliant, taking a one-hit shutout into the 8th inning and only losing it after the game was well in hand. They got a couple of early runs including a Joel Bland homer and kept tacking on until they blew it open in the 6th with Angel Gonzales (who was quiet the whole series up until that point) homering deep into the Tampa night with a pair on to make it 8-0 and ensuring a Game 5 repeat wasn't in the offing. Paul Mayes added a grand slam in the 8th to make the rubble bounce and Rodrigo Aponte made it 2-for-2 in playoff MVP honors, taking the ALCS nod after doing so in the ALDS as well. We'd all be glad to see him complete the hat trick. Jorge Barraza will get the ball for Game 1 of the World Series at Publix Park and it will be those Colorado Rockies serving as the opposition as they took their Game 6 as well:

10-07-2025, 04:56 PM	#2914
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 22, 2057: World Series Game 1 Not a great start (in more ways than one)... Jorge Barraza may have been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the second half of the season, but his playoff outings this year have been iffy and today he was hit for 4 runs in the first inning as the Rays dropped the World Series opener at Publix Park. 3 of those runs came on an inside-the-park homer by Colorado's Kaden Spearman, as it was one thing after another in the opening frame. Meanwhile the Rays' bats were put in the deep freeze by Eric Saenz, a lefty who had his way especially against the Rays top lefty hitters (Dominguez, Avalos, Bland and Aponte). But even their top RH bat, Gonzales, managed to fan 3 times and leave 6 men on base. Fortunately it's a 7-game series and Dave Rose will try to get them even before they head to the thin air of Denver.

10-07-2025, 05:10 PM	#2915
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 23, 2057: World Series Game 2 A necessary response... The Rays evened up the World Series with Colorado thanks to a 6-3 win with Dave Rose pitching like the ace he is and the keystone combo of Dantel Chinchilla and Aaron White combining to drive in 5 runs. The heavy hitters in the middle of the lineup have struggled (Gonzales is 1-7 with 6 Ks in the two games for example) but fortunately the offensive depth of the team has come through and kept us from going to Colorado in an 0-2 hole. Elijah Whitaker will get the unenviable task of pitching in Coors Field in two days but hopefully excellent pitching travels anywhere.

10-07-2025, 06:10 PM	#2916
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 25, 2057: World Series Game 3 Rocky Mountain High... The Rays and Elijah Whitaker destroyed the Rockies in sub-freezing weather to take a 2-1 lead in the World Series. Whitaker improved to 3-0, 1.73 in these playoffs with a masterful performance in the toughest park for a pitcher, retiring the first 12 Colorado batters. The offense meanwhile came to life with Joel hitting a "Bland Slam", breaking open the game in the 3rd inning and giving the Rays a 6-0 lead. Later on Ryan Rivera hit his first postseason Tampa Bay homer, a 3-run jack that put them in double figures on the night. Tony Guzman will now try to pitch them to a 3-1 lead but it'll probably end up decided by the bats.

10-07-2025, 06:25 PM	#2917
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 26, 2057: World Series Game 4 Back to even... Unlike his teammate Elijah Whitaker, Tony Guzman wasn't ready for prime time (or Coors Field) and the bats woke up too late in a 5-4 loss that saw the Rockies even up the series at 2. Guzman was hit for back-to-back-to-back homers in the 3rd inning after the Rays leveled things at 2, and while the bullpen was excellent in holding Colorado at 5 it wasn't until Rodrigo Aponte delivered a 2-run double in the 8th that they made a game of it, but he was stranded and they could only manage a 2-out walk in the 9th. So it'll be Jorge Barraza tomorrow and the way he's pitched lately and the park he's pitching in aren't inspiring a lot of confidence at the moment.

10-07-2025, 07:10 PM	#2918
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 27, 2057: World Series Game 5 In trouble now... Just like last year the Rays find themselves heading back to Publix Park down 3-2 in the World Series. Last season they took Game 6 from Pittsburgh before succumbing in Game 7, which shows taking the final two will be a tall order. This was a tough one for Tampa Bay, especially with things looking good as they got 3 in the first against Eric Saenz, who dominated them in Game 1, and Jorge Barraza was pitching brilliantly for a change into the 6th before giving up a game-tying 2-run homer. Still, Ryan Rivera's RBI single put them back in front in the top of the 7th and they turned to their "A" pen of Cid/Navarro/Tadlock which turned out to be a disaster, mainly on the part of Cid. The veteran lefty immediately served up a tying homer which apparently rattled him as Colorado strung together three singles to load the bases and ended up scoring all of those runners. The Rays got back within 8-6 and had two men on in the 9th but Jesus Avalos, who homered in the 8th, and Angel Gonzales both struck out in the clutch. So now it's back to Tampa and the one thing going for the Rays is that their top two pitchers, Dave Rose and Elijah Whitaker, are slated for Games 6 & 7.

10-07-2025, 07:39 PM	#2919
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 29, 2057: World Series Game 6 A record-setting rout... It's a good thing for the Rockies that the World Series isn't decided on aggregate runs scored as after the Rays emphatically forced a Game 7 by setting World Series records for runs in an inning (11) and runs in a game (19) that stat sits at 47-24 Tampa Bay. They broke the records of 1968 Tigers and 1929 Athletics who each had scored 10 in an inning of a World Series game, and the record of 18 runs in a Fall Classic outing by the 1936 Yankees. There isn't much else to say that isn't covered in the box score and of course it only counts as one game as it will be 0-0 starting tomorrow night with a World Championship on the line. Elijah Whitaker will hope to continue his brilliant postseason run in the biggest game of his life.

10-07-2025, 08:28 PM	#2920
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,489	October 30, 2057: World Series Game 7 Back on top!... After two seasons of coming up short in the World Series, including losing a Game 7 last season at home, the Rays are finally champions again, ending a four-year and one title in the last seven drought after their come-from-behind Game 7 win over the Rockies. Elijah Whitaker looked mortal tonight, giving up a 3-run homer to put them behind 3-0 and after Angel Gonzales answered with solo homer Whitaker gave up another run to make it 4-1 and things were not looking good on the west coast of Florida. But a 3-run rally keyed by Aaron White's 2-run triple tied it in the 6th, and then Gonzales, after Jesus Avalos was intentionally walked ahead of him, ripped a 3-run opposite-field homer into the RF bullpen to make it 7-4 and that was all she wrote. Gonzales, who had a miserable start to the series by fanning 6 times in his first 7 at-bats, wound up World Series MVP after tonight's 2-homer performance on top of his huge Game 6. The title makes the Rays only the second team in MLB history to hit the 20-championship mark as they trail only the Yankees who have 27. And all 20 of the Rays' titles have come since New York last won it all 48 years ago. Here's a look at the scene at the end: