The 2022 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 5-10 L. LP-Moran (3-3). Starter-Rasmussen (4 8 5 5 1 5). The Rays came back to tie this one up by the 6th after falling behind 5-0 after 4, only to see the bullpen give up five runs to lose it. Albies was 3-5 with a double 3 RBI while DeLoach was 2-4 with 2 doubles and an RBI. Garrett Whitlock made his Rays debut with 2 scoreless innings.

Game 2: 9-6 W. WP-McClanahan (10-2, 5.2 7 6 5 2 5). S-Fairbanks (18). HR-Pinto (1), Torkelson (27/31), Franco (19). On paper this looked like it'd be a pitchers' duel between Mac and Shane Bieber but instead it turned into a slugfest. Wander had a 2-run double and 2-run homer and a 6-run 4th was pivotal as the Rays scored enough to offset a rare poor start from McClanahan.

Game 3: 1-3 L. LP-Swanda (7-9, 5 6 3 3 3 3). Rays were dominated by Cleveland's Tink Hence in this one (7 3 1 1 2 10) but had great chances against the Guardian bullpen to tie or go ahead in the 8th (bases loaded) and 9th (two men on) but couldn't get the key hit they needed as they dropped another series.

Team record: 52-57, as their lack of wins finally is starting to catch up with them as combined with a Toronto sweep they now find themselves a season-high 4 1/2 out in the division and 5 back of the third wild card. Barring a ridiculously hot run they've shown no signs of embarking on, this is really shaping up to be a lost season.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 4-5 L. LP-Ashby (0-5, 5.1 5 2 2 1 4). HR-Cartaya (8), Albies (13). Aaron Ashby's made two excellent starts since joining the rotation but received no support as the Rays didn't score until the 8th when they were already 5-0 behind on a pair of 2-run homers from Cartaya and Albies. They dropped a season-high (or low) 6 games below .500.

Game 2: 8-5 W. WP-Whitlock (1-0). S-Fairbanks (19). Starter-Bradley (4.2 6 4 4 1 5). HR-Franco (20), Wood (3). Taj lost a 4-0 lead in the 5th but the Rays bounced back with an RBI double from Nathaniel Santana while Marco Luciano knocked in a pair as they finally won one.

Game 3: 3-2 W. WP-Rasmussen (5-8, 6.1 4 1 1 0 6). S-Fairbanks (20). HR-Santana (4/18), Mead (17). Rays actually took a series and strung together two straight wins behind a great Ras outing and a couple of big homers.

Team record: 54-58. Despite taking 2 of 3 they actually lost ground to first-place Toronto (5 1/2 back) and they're 5 out of the wild card so there's no point in looking at the playoff picture until and unless they get on a roll and start making up ground.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 7-6 W. WP-Scott (2-3). S-Moran (2). Starter-McClanahan (3.2 10 6 6 1 6). Things looked bleak after Mac was pounded for 6 runs on 3 homers and 10 hits and the Rays found themselves behind 6-0, but they fought back and won the type of game they've lost quite a bit this year. Nathaniel Santana was the hero as his 2-run single tied it in the 5th and his RBI double won it in the 7th. 5 1/3 scoreless from the bullpen was a big factor as well.

Game 2: 6-3 W. WP-Swanda (8-9, 5.2 2 2 1 2 8). Swanda was excellent and the offense was a team effort as nobody had more than one hit or one RBI but they still scored six times.

Game 3: 11-5 W. WP-Ashby (1-5, 5 2 0 0 4 5). HR-N.Santana (5/19), Torkelson (28/32). Aaron Ashby finally picked up his first Rays win despite an ERA with the club of now 2.90 and he got plenty of support led by Santana who drove in 4 more runs, Tork who was 3-5 with the homer and 3 RBI, and Wander who was 4-5. It was an 11-1 game before JP Sears got in trouble mopping up in the 9th and gave up a grand slam to JD Martinez. But with the series sweep over the top team in the AL coming in (KC was 61-51) the Rays made it 5 straight wins.

Team record: 57-58. And amazingly Toronto was swept so the Rays now find themselves second in the AL East, 2 1/2 games out and only 2 in the loss column. As I've said all it takes is a hot streak to get back into things in this league of parity and the Rays have done that; now the trick will be keeping it up. Next: An off-day then 3 games in Chicago against the White Sox.

MLB News: Milwaukee's Christian Yelich hit his 300th career homer.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 1-6 L. LP-Bradley (8-7, 2 7 5 5 1 5). HR-Franco (21). Taj is now in a slump after his third straight poor start, this one the worst with a pair of homers allowed and being ran in the 3rd before getting an out.

Transaction: Luis German left the game with shoulder inflammation and will be out a couple of weeks, so he goes to the 15-day IL and reliever Charlie Ruegger, claimed on waivers earlier this year and optioned to Durham, is recalled.

Game 2: 6-3 W. WP-Gau (6-1). S-Fairbanks (21). Starter-Rasmussen (5.2 3 1 1 4 1). HR-Torkelson 2 (30/34), N.Santana (6/20). Homers were the story for Tampa Bay as Tork's 2nd of the game broke a 3-3 tie in the 8th. Santana's 2-run shot in the top of the 7th put them up 3-1 before Gau gave up a 2-run shot of his own in the bottom of the inning but he still picked up the win.

Game 3: 3-4 L. LP-McClanahan (10-3, 4 5 4 4 4 1). HR-Luciano (9/13), Franco (22). One step forward, two steps back: the story of the 2026 Rays season. Mac's personal 10-game win streak came to an end in his second straight poor start and a couple of late homers weren't enough.

Team record: 58-60, now farther out in the division (4 1/2) than the wild card (3). Next up: An off-day then 3 games in Boston.

MLB News: The Guardians have lost closer Emmanuel Clase to shoulder inflammation; he's done for the season.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 13-4 W. WP-Whitley (2-0). Starter-Ashby (3.2 5 3 3 2 4). HR-Albies (14). Ozzie Albies had a big game with a 2-run homer, 2-run triple and 5 RBI while Mead and Wander each had 2 hits and 2 RBI as every Ray had at least one hit, including two who came off the bench. It was a costly win though as Aaron Ashby tore his UCL and will undergo Tommy John surgery, lost for the rest of this year and all of 2027 as well.

Transaction: Ashby of course goes on the 60-day IL and we purchased the contract of veteran starter Frankie Montas to take his place. Also Luis Castillo was sent on a rehab assignment where he'll probably just make one start so the rotation is covered.

Game 2: 9-2 W. WP-Montas (1-0, 7 6 0 0 0 6). HR-Franco (23). Another rout of the Red Sox with Frankie Montas brilliant in his Rays debut and may end up forcing someone else out when Luis Castillo is ready to return. Wander was 3-4 with the solo HR and Tork was 2-2 with 2 walks, a HBP and 3 RBI while Mead was 3-6 with 2 more ribbies.

Game 3: 4-2 W. WP-Fairbanks (3-4). Starter-Swanda (5.1 2 2 1 2 5). HR-N.Santana 2 (8/22). Nathaniel Santana to the rescue as his second homer of the day was a 3-run shot in the 9th which turned a potential 2-1 loss into a 4-2 win. Until then it looked like a day of frustration as the Rays short-circuited rallies by having two guys picked off and another caught stealing. Instead they got the sweep and moved back over .500 for the first time in a couple of weeks.

Team record: 61-60, 2 1/2 back in the division and 2 back of the third wild card, so they've fought their way back to relevance with this recent 8-2 run. Now to keep it up as they return home for 3 against the Yankees, who have fallen a couple of games back of the Rays.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 0-11 L. LP-Rasmussen (5-9, 4.2 3 2 2 5 4). Ras wasn't bad but the bullpen was, and it got to the point where backup C Rene Pinto pitched the 9th and after walking the first two got a double play and a fly ball for a scoreless inning. That was the extent of the excitement as Gerrit Cole, who had missed much of the year for New York, pitched a 2-hit shutout.

Game 2: 5-3 W (10). WP-Fairbanks (4-4). Starter-McClanahan (6 5 3 3 2 7). HR-Torkelson (31/35), Mead (18), DeLoach (9). A much-advertised pitchers' duel between Mac and Jacob deGrom ended in a draw with each giving up 3 runs before Zach DeLoach sent the Trop crowd home happy with a 2-run walk-off homer in the 10th.

Game 3: 6-7 L. LP-Bradley (8-8, 3 7 6 6 1 2). HR-Cartaya (9). Taj was terrible for the 4th straight start, helping put them in a 7-0 hole that they almost climbed out of before falling just short as they once again followed up a good series with a lousy one which is why they're a .500 team.

Team record: 62-62. We're 3 back in the division and 2 1/2 in the wild card, which might be exciting if this team could ever get out of its own way. Next up: An off-day then 3 games in Houston.

Transaction: After his latest terrible start Taj Bradley was optioned to Durham to make room for Luis Castillo, who was sharp in his rehab start, and Frankie Montas will stay in the rotation for now.

MLB News: Washington's Simeon Woods Richardson tossed a no-hitter against the Cubs, a BABIP-aided one as he walked 4 and only struck out 3. Also Phillies superstar Bryce Harper reached the 2000-hit mark.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 2-11 L. LP-Montas (1-1, 3.1 8 6 6 1 1). Frankie Montas' second start was the polar opposite of his first and the Rays were routed at Minute Maid Park. And to make matters worse their only effective pitcher today, Forrest Whitley, suffered a season-ending elbow strain after pitching two scoreless.

Transaction: Whitley goes on the 60-day IL and Taj Bradley gets a reprieve from Durham. He'll take Whitley's long/middle relief role for now.

Game 2: 3-1 W (10). WP-Scott (3-3). S-Fairbanks (22). HR-DeLoach 2 (11). Starter-Castillo (6.2 6 0 0 1 5). Luis Castillo made a triumphant return from the IL and Zach DeLoach's second homer of the game was a 2-run shot in the 10th to win it. Tanner Scott earned the win when he came on to strike out former Ray Kyle Tucker with the bases loaded and 2 out in the bottom of the 9th.

Game 3: 11-3 W. WP-Rasmussen (6-9, 5 8 2 2 3 1). HR-Torkelson (32/36). Tork had a big day with a 3-run homer and RBI single while Wander was 3-4 with 3 doubles and 3 RBI as the Rays routed the 'Stros. Rene Pinto was also 3-5 with a double and RBI in a rare start.

Team record: 64-63. Despite taking 2 of 3 the Rays are still 3 1/2 out in the division and 3 in the wild card. Next up: home for 3 vs Cleveland.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 4-0 W. WP-McClanahan (11-3, 6.2 1 0 0 3 6). HR-Luciano (5/14). Another big-time pitching matchup with Mac up against Shane Bieber again and Mac come out on top with a brilliant outing while Luciano's 2-run homer off Bieber was all the Rays needed to win.

Game 2: 0-2 L. LP-Swanda (8-10, 6 7 2 1 1 3). The bats were held to 6 hits and another good pitching performance was wasted.

Game 3: 5-1 W. WP-Montas (2-1, 6 1 1 1 4 5). HR-DeLoach (12), Wood (4), Mead (19), Luciano (6/15). The offense scored all 5 runs in the first 2 innings on the 4 homers and took the rest of the day off, but a brilliant outing from Montas meant they could.

Team record: 66-64. The good news is that with Toronto being swept they're only 1 1/2 back in the division; the bad news is that the red-hot Yankees swept their series and leapfrogged the Rays into second place in the division. They're 3 1/2 back in the wild card. Next up: A huge 3-game series with those very Yankees in New York. One break for the Rays though: the Yankees will be without superstar and former Ray Juan Soto for the rest of the regular season with a hamstring strain.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 1-8 L. LP-Castillo (5-10, 4.1 9 8 7 1 4, 3 HR). Biggest game of the year and the Rays laid an egg with Luis Castillo particularly awful, although the bats did their part by only getting 5 hits, shackled again by Gerrit Cole.

Game 2: 1-4 L. LP-Rasmussen (6-10, 4.1 10 4 3 1 2). HR-Mead (20). Rinse and repeat, today they only managed 4 hits with Mead's career-high 20th homer averting a shutout in the 9th.

Game 3: 8-0 W. WP-McClanahan (12-3, 7 3 0 0 2 8). HR-Torkelson (33/37), Wood (5), N.Santana (9/23). Mac won another marquee pitching duel as his mates got the better of Jacob deGrom although it was a 3-0 game before they exploded for 5 in the 8th.

Game 4: 3-4 L. LP-Moran (3-4). Starter-Swanda (4 3 2 2 3 4). HR-Franco (24). The story of the 2026 Rays season: Follow up a blowout win with a close loss, and today they led 3-2 going into the 8th when Jovani Moran served up a 2-run homer after they squandered several opportunities to add to their lead. Losing 3 of 4 in this series essentially brings the curtain down as they're 3 1/2 back in the division and the wild card with teams closer than them.

Team record: 67-67. Next up: Back to the Trop for 3 against the Angels.

Some awards, though:





Diaz projects as a 4th OF at his peak.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 6-8 L. LP-Feyereisen (2-1). Starter-Montas (4 8 5 4 0 6). HR-DeLoach (13). Feyereisen gave up 3 runs in the 8th including a 2-run Mike Trout homer as the Rays lost a 6-5 lead and the game. Luciano and Santana each drove in a pair. Montas developed a blister significant enough to put him on the IL.

Transaction: Frankie Montas to the IL with his blister and Brian Gonzalez was called up from Durham. He's the lefty we acquired from the Mets in the Christian Vazquez deal and he's impressed with the Bulls with a line of 19.1 9 1 1 6 26 and 8 saves in 17 outings. Taj Bradley is back in the rotation.

Game 2: 8-4 W. WP-German (1-1). S-Fairbanks (23). Starter-Bradley (3.2 4 4 4 5 5). HR-Torkelson (34/38), DeLoach (14), Albies (15). Wander's 2-run double put the Rays ahead to stay in the 4th and DeLoach and Albies' solo shots put it away.

Game 3: 2-1 W (11). WP-Fairbanks (5-4). Starter-Castillo (7 4 1 1 0 6). HR-Torkelson (35/39). Luis Castillo was brilliant but the Rays trailed 1-0 until the 8th when DeLoach (who had a big weekend) singled in the equalizer and Tork won it in the 11th with a walk-off homer.

Team record: 69-68. Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. The Yankees and Jays were swept this weekend so with the two wins the Rays are only 1 1/2 back in the division and their playoff chances are up to 33%. I've seen about a dozen false dawns before in this season so I'm not getting too carried away. Next up: 3 at home vs Detroit.

[Art Deco]

Transactions: Forgot to mention this a couple of posts back but for September roster expansion we called up deposed 3B Casey Schmitt and activated P Luis German from the IL.

Game 1: 1-0 W (13). WP-Feyereisen (3-1). Starter-McClanahan (7 1 0 0 3 8). HR-J.Jackson (3). Rays pitching was brilliant tonight, holding the Tigers to only two hits over 13 innings with Mac his usual excellent self. The pitching had to be good since the offense was almost non-existent but Jeremiah Jackson finally sent everyone home with a walk-off blast in the 13th.

Game 2: 9-0 W. WP-Rasmussen (7-10, 9 4 0 0 0 9). HR-J.Jackson (4), Torkelson (36/40). Drew Rasmussen pitched the game of his life (and perhaps the game of this save as apparently it was the first-ever CG shutout in the nearly 5 seasons they've played as I had an achievement unlocked message after it was over) and the bats came out to play as well. Tork and last night's hero Jackson homered and drove in 3 while Albies was 3-5 with 2 RBI and the Rays made it 4 straight wins and only one run allowed in their last 3 games.

Game 3: 3-1 W. WP-Swanda (6.1 3 1 1 4 6). S-Fairbanks (24). HR-Torkelson (37/41). Ladies and gentlemen, your first-place Tampa Bay Rays! Yes with the sweep and losses by Toronto and the Yankees the Rays moved into a tie atop the AL East with the Jays, 1/2 game ahead of New York. Today it was great pitching again which made it 5 straight wins and only two runs allowed in the last 4. Tork's 2-run 6th-inning homer against his former team broke a 1-1 tie and he now leads the AL in homers with 41.

Team record: 72-68. We were off Thursday and the Yanks and Toronto both won, so we're now tied New York 1/2 game behind Toronto. Next up: After that off-day we head to the desert to play 3 against the Diamondbacks.

MLB News: Edwin Diaz of the Phillies recorded his 300th career save.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 1-5 L. LP-Bradley (8-9, 5 7 2 2 0 1). Rays were dominated by Deivi Garcia, who fanned 11 and held them to 4 hits. Brian Gonzalez made his Tampa Bay debut and it was a disaster, allowing 3 runs in the 8th to put the game out of reach.

Game 2: 5-4 W (14). WP-Feyereisen (4-1). Starter-McClanahan (5 9 3 3 0 7). HR-Torkelson (38/42), Suzuki (3/6). Seiya Suzuki had his biggest hit since joining the club, a 14th-inning solo shot to give them a hard-fought win after they tied it up in the 9th. The pen was stellar, giving up 1 run over 9 innings.

Game 3: 6-4 W. WP-Castillo (6-10, 6 7 3 3 3 5). S-Fairbanks (25). HR-Franco (25). Luis Castillo won for the first time since June 16 as the Rays scored 4 times in the 7th to turn the game around. Suzuki was big again, going 3-4 with 2 RBI including an RBI double in that 7th while Zach DeLoach was 3-4 with an RBI.

Team record: 74-69; I believe the 5 games over .500 are a season-high and they're tied with the Yankees in first place, 1/2 game up on Toronto. Next up: A day off then we head to Baltimore for 3.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 7-5 W. WP-Ruegger (1-0). S-Fairbanks (26). Starter-Rasmussen (5 6 3 3 4 2). HR-Franco 2 (27), DeLoach (15), Albies (16), Torkelson (39/43), Suzuki (4/7). Rays scored all their runs on six homers with Tork's the only 2-run shot with Wander and he going deep to break a 3-3 tie in the 7th, giving them 8 wins in 9 games.

Game 2: 2-7 L. LP-Bradley (8-10, 4 5 5 5 4 3). HR-Mead (21), Luciano (7/16). Baltimore's Cole Winn came into this game 0-14, 7.32 with the club but somehow held the Rays to 7 6 1 1 1 7 as Taj was torched once again and is back out of the rotation (replacement TBD, probably Luis German).

Game 3: 6-7 L. LP-Ruegger (1-1). Starter-McClanahan (5 10 6 5 2 4). HR-Torkelson (40/44), Albies (17), Suzuki (5/8). Mac picked a bad time to have a bad start and this was a gut-punch loss as they came back with 5 in the 7th to erase a 6-1 deficit, only to give up the winning run in the bottom of the inning. Seiya Suzuki is finally heating up and was 3-4 with the homer and 3 RBI, giving him 3 longballs in his last 5 games.

Team record: 75-71, 1 behind the Yankees and 1/2 game up on Toronto, which happens to be our next opponent for 3 at the Trop.

MLB News: Although the Yankees took over sole possession of first the news wasn't all good for them as Gerrit Cole, who missed much of the season but gave them 10 great starts after coming back (6-2, 2.49) tore his rotator cuff and is done for the year as well as just about all of 2027.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 3-2 W (16). WP-German (2-1). Starter-Swanda (6.1 4 0 0 1 5). HR-Mead 22, Santana (10/24). Santana's 16th-inning homer put an end to the marathon after Chris Gau gave up a 2-run Bo Bichette homer in the 8th to send us to extras. Swanda was excellent and has been over his last 5 starts (5 ER in 28 IP).

Game 2: 12-3 W. WP-Castillo (7-10, 5.2 4 3 3 4 7). HR-Mead (23), Luciano (8/17), Suzuki (6/9). Curtis Mead's grand slam with the help of a couple of Jays errors opened the door for an 8-run 2nd and the rout was on. The resurgent Seiya Suzuki had 4 hits including a homer.

Game 3: 2-4 L. LP-Rasmussen (7-11, 5.1 4 3 1 0 6). HR-Franco (28). Although he hit a 2-run homer and moved into the AL WAR lead at 6.4, Wander's key error led to 3 unearned runs in the 6th which cost them the game. Gau came up small again as well, giving up a 2-run single which scored the deciding runs, and the bats were chilled once again by former Ray Jonathan Loaisiga who always seems to shut them down.

Team record: 77-72. The Yankees also took 2 of 3 so it's status quo one game behind in the East, although they at least put a little more distance between themselves and Toronto. Next up: An off-day then some late-season interleague play as 74-76 Cincinnati comes to town for 3.

MLB News: Good news and bad news for the Cardinals' young star 3B Jordan Walker, who has clubbed over 100 HR the last 3 seasons. The good: he was signed to an 8/145 extension. The bad: he strained his hamstring and is out for the season. St. Louis is in the third NL wild card spot, 3 games up.

Also Suzuki's recent hot streak was recognized by the league:

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 6-4 W. WP-German (3-1). S-Fairbanks (27). Starter-McClanahan (4.1 7 4 4 2 6, 2 HR). Rays overcome Mac's third straight subpar start to come back and win with Luciano's 2-run go-ahead single and Cartaya's earlier 2-run double the big hits.

Game 2: 8-5 W. WP-German (4-1). Starter-Montas (4 8 5 5 0 1, 2 HR). Similar to yesterday the Rays had to overcome a poor outing from their starter but did so scoring 4 runs in the 8th with Natanael Santana's RBI single the winner. Luciano, Suzuki and Cartaya each drove in a pair.

Game 3: 3-4 L (15). LP-Feyereisen (4-2). Starter-Swanda (6 6 3 3 1 3). A tough loss in a game the Rays really needed as a 3-2 lead after 6 was short-lived and they couldn't get the big hit they needed in extras. Mead and Wander each had 3 hits, although Wander was caught stealing twice which didn't help.

Team record: 79-73. The Yankees also took 2 of 3 to stay a game ahead, and with New York having won the season series 9-5 it's effectively a 2-game lead with only 10 games left in the season. Next up: the Rays will have to make hay against Pittsburgh, which visits for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 5-1 W. WP-Rasmussen (8-11, 6 3 1 1 3 6). S-Fairbanks (28). HR-DeLoach (16), Torkelson (41/45), Mead (24). Ras was solid, DeLoach led the game off with a homer and the Rays rolled to victory.

Game 2: 5-2 W. WP-Castillo (8-10, 6 7 2 2 2 5). S-Ruegger (1). HR-Mead (25). Castillo was solid and Mead was the hitting star with a 2-run homer and bases-loaded walk as the Rays moved into sole possession of first place in the AL East.

Game 3: 6-4 W. WP-McClanahan (13-3, 7 6 4 4 0 11). S-Fairbanks (29). HR-Torkelson (42/46), Franco (29). It looked like "here we go again" with Mac, who has struggled mightily in September, after he gave up 4 runs in the first 2 innings but he got locked in and the bats rode to his rescue as Wander was 3-4 with the homer and Tork drove in a pair with a single and a homer.

Team record: 82-73. The Yankees were swept in St. Louis so the Rays are now 2 games up on New York as we head into the season's final week. Of course with the tiebreaker favoring the Yankees it's effectively a one-game lead. The home portion of the schedule is over, and next up we'll play 4 games in Baltimore before closing the season out with 3 in Toronto.

Here's a look at the MLB standings, including a crazy 4-way race in the AL Central where it looks as though all 4 of those teams will make the playoffs:



Not only do the Rays have a good shot at the division they also have a shot at a bye if they can stay ahead of Seattle, but they'll have to do it on the road.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 5-6 L. LP-Fairbanks (5-5). Starter-Montas (1.2 5 4 4 3 1). HR-Franco (30), N.Santana (11/25). It looked like the Rays had pulled out a thrilling victory on Cartaya's RBI single in the 9th (his second of the day) but Pete Fairbanks picked a bad time to allow his first runs in 21 appearances, allowing the O's to score twice in the bottom of the inning without recording an out. With the Yankees winning the division lead was reduced to 1 and with the Yanks holding the tiebreaker the Rays' margin for error is gone.

Game 2: 11-1 W. WP-Swanda (10-10, 7.1 4 1 1 2 6). HR-N.Santana 2 (13/27), Torkelson (43/47). They bounced back admirably from last night's heartbreak in routing Baltimore. It was a 3-man offense with Santana hitting a pair of 2-run homers, Tork knocking in 3 and Rene Pinto driving in 3 with a double and single. Swanda meanwhile remains the team's hottest pitcher and is set to pitch on the final day of the regular season in what could be a make-or-break game.

Game 3: 7-4 W. WP-Moran (4-4). S-Ruegger (2). Starter-Rasmussen (3.2 8 4 4 0 4). HR-Torkelson (44/48), N.Santana (14/28). Ras put them in a 4-1 hole but they fought back and Santana's 3-run homer in the 9th, his 4th in 3 games this series, won it. 5 1/3 scoreless from the pen was huge as well.

Game 4: 4-3 W. WP-Castillo (9-10, 6 6 3 3 3 3). S-Fairbanks (30). HR-Cartaya (10), Albies (18). Luis Castillo gave up 3 in the 1st and they were down early once again, and once again they fought back with Albies' 2-run shot, his 3rd hit of the game, in the 6th the difference. The pen came through again with Gau, Ruegger and Fairbanks tossing scoreless frames.

Team record: 85-74. Unfortunately the Yankees swept their 4-game series with the Red Sox, so they remain a game back and only need to tie the Rays to win the division. The good news for Tampa Bay is that there's a possible escape route via the wild card as Cleveland has also dropped to 85-74. However the Guardians also have the tiebreaker on the Rays as they have a better intradivision record (the teams split their 6 games this season). The even better news is that Cleveland and the Yankees will play each other on the final weekend while the Rays are in Toronto. This means that the Rays can guarantee a playoff spot by winning two of three regardless of what happens in New York. Of course a sweep of Toronto guarantees the division and a sweep by either the Yankees or Cleveland would mean the Rays are in with one win. Should they take the division they'll likely get a bye as Seattle, tops in the west, is 2 back of them.

MLB Playoff Update: Aside from the scenarios involving the Rays detailed above, the AL Central remains as wild as ever with Kansas City, Chicago and Detroit all tied and one game up on Cleveland. Seattle leads its division by 3 on Texas but the Rangers do hold the tiebreaker so they'd have to win all 3 and Seattle lose all 3. The playoff field in the NL is set but two divisions are up for grabs: Philly leads Atlanta by a game and Colorado leads Arizona by the same margin. Milwaukee has clinched the Central and St. Louis has clinched a wild card.

A surprise AL Rookie of the Month winner:



We've used him sparingly of late but he's produced when called upon.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 1-2 L (10). LP-Scott (3-4). Starter-McClanahan (7 1 0 0 1 8). HR-Torkelson (45/49). Tork homered in the 7th to put the Rays up 1-0 behind a brilliant Mac performance, but the bullpen blew it with Feyereisen giving up the tying run in the 8th and Scott the winner in the 10th. Combined with a Yankee win the Rays dropped into 2nd in the division on the tiebreaker, but at least Cleveland lost to drop into a wildcard tie.

Game 2: 1-0 W. WP-Sears (2-1). S-Fairbanks (31). Starter-Montas (1.2 0 0 0 0 2). Runs remained scarce north of the border and the Rays got the only one in this game on a Mead groundout in the 4th. Frankie Montas had to leave with a blister and JP Sears came to the rescue with 3 perfect innings as he's been an unsung hero of the staff this year. The Yankees keep winning but at least it means the Rays move into sole possession of a wild card.

Game 3: 4-1 W. WP-Swanda (11-10, 7.1 9 1 1 1 5). S-Fairbanks (32). The Rays are in the playoffs, but as a wild card as the Yankees completed a sweep of Cleveland, knocking the Guardians out. New York ended up winning its last seven games. Luciano was the hitting hero today with a double and 2 RBI, including one in the 6th when they broke a 1-1 tie although it turned out they'd get in even if they had lost.

Final Regular Season Record: 87-75. Next up is the AL Wild Card Round and with the White Sox losing a pair the Rays are actually the second wild card and will travel to first wild card Detroit.

The playoff race: Kansas City emerged from the crowded Central field to take the division and earn the top seed while of course the Yankees won the East and will also earn a bye. Third seed and AL West winner Seattle will host the White Sox in the other Wild Card round. Over in the NL the Braves managed to make up 9 games on the Phillies over the final two weeks as Philadelphia lost 12 straight games(!) to end the season and fall to second in the NL East. They're still in the playoffs though as a wild card and will travel to Arizona while Atlanta hosts St. Louis in the other NL wild card series, with Milwaukee and Colorado earning byes.

Leaders: Spencer Torkelson led MLB in homers with 49 and Shane McClanahan won the AL ERA title at 3.25.

[Art Deco]

An incredible year of parity in MLB, especially in the AL where nobody won 90 games, something I'm not sure I've ever seen in all my years following baseball. In fact only one team (Milwaukee) won more than 90 games.



Of course had we played anywhere near our Pythagorean record there wouldn't have been talk about the lack of a 90-win team in the AL. Still we did play very well down the stretch (21-10 in Sep/Oct) to get into the playoffs and nearly win the division as it took a Herculean effort from the Yankees over the final week to pip us. The offense was pretty good even though we were allergic to taking walks, and the pitching was fine but the defense was brutal (typical of most every team I've had in any of my saves) with the Franco/Albies middle infield combo particularly bad in the field.



While the offense was pretty good, it was largely a 3-man affair (Franco, Tork, Mead), and we gave hundreds of at-bats to sub-replacement hitters you can see in detail at the bottom of the above list. Once we weeded them out things did get better later in the season.



The pitching was a strength when it wasn't being undermined by the defense and Pete Fairbanks in particular was a victim, with a BABIP over .400 during the first half before things stabilized in the second.

[Art Deco]

Ugh...



The Rays fought back to tie a game they trailed 3-0 only to lose in extras when Chris Gau couldn't find the plate, coming in with a man on and one out and walking the next two before hitting Riley Greene with a pitch to force in the winner and send the team one game from elimination. Tampa Bay should have won in regulation with all the chances they had, including Diego Cartaya grounding into a double play with the bases loaded and one out, Curtis Mead getting thrown out at third trying to stretch a double into a triple leading off an inning, Jeremiah Jackson* being thrown out at home and consecutive strikeouts with the bases loaded and one out in another inning. So it's up to Shane McClanahan, the one guy we would want pitching an elimination game, tomorrow to save the season.

*I forgot to mention in the last post that Ozzie Albies seriously sprained an ankle and is out 4 weeks, so Jackson became the 2B starter and Brooks Lee was called up from Durham.

In the other AL WC game:



Former Ray Austin Meadows helping the White Sox jump out to the advantage.