The 2021 (and only 2021) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

A not-great series with the Rays dropping 2 of 3 in Kansas City, and we finally brought the Nick Lodolo nightmare to an end.

Transaction: Placed OF Heston Kjerstad on the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain, recalled OF Jose Aguilar from AA Montgomery. Let the Aguilar era begin, kind of. Aguilar has been rated a top-40 prospect in MLB for a few years since we acquired him from the Dodgers a couple of years back when we fire saled Pete Fairbanks and Devin Williams. He hit 322/368/437 at Montgomery last year and was hitting 275/327/484 so far this season. Scouts have him rated 65-70 potential contact and power. He got the call over some others as he's a RHB.

Things started off swimmingly with an 11-3 rout of the Royals in the opener behind a massive 3-homer performance from Adley Rutschman, which just happened to be his first 3 homers of the year. Rutschman was 4-6 with 5 RBI in the game. He had been hitting for average without the power but put it all together today. Had Rutschman not had a huge game the story would have been Kody Hoese, who had a monster game as well going 4-6 with a HR (#3), 2 doubles and 4 RBI as they were a two-man wrecking crew today. Joe Ryan coasted at 6 5 0 0 2 4 to improve to 3-2, 2.73 as he's cut his homers allowed almost in half from 2.1/9 last year to 1.1/9.

The Royals returned the favor in the second game by routing the Rays 8-2. JT Ginn had his first disaster start of the season, hit to the tune of 2.1 7 6 6 3 2 and dropping to 1-2, 5.10. Kody Hoese stayed hot by supplying all the Rays offense, 3-4 with HR #4 and 2 RBI.

After routs going both ways the teams played a close one in the finale which saw KC win 4-3. Nick Lodolo was horrible again (3.1 7 3 3 0 3) and was traded after the game (more on that in a minute). He finished his brief but disastrous Rays tenure 0-3, 9.64. They tried coming back from his hole-digging but fell short with Kody Hoese once again having a 3-hit game (giving him 10 in the series) and driving in a run. They had some chances but left 9 on base. Jose Aguilar started and got his first MLB hit on an infield single, but suffered a high ankle sprain beating it out and will go the IL.

Team record: 16-14, now 3 behind the Yankees who swept their series. Next up: Back home vs a tough Detroit team for 3.

Now the trade:



Cespedes was .260-23-73 last year so this is a deal of two guys having bad years so far. Cespedes will take Jose Aguilar's spot on the roster and fill in defensively (a 65 in RF) and start against lefties until Heston Kjerstad returns. Slade Cecconi will be called up to take Lodolo's rotation spot when that spot is due, but for the next few days Landon Knack will be called up to help the bullpen.

[Art Deco]

A good series overall as the Rays took 2 of 3 (since sweeping Texas in the second series of the year, every other series this season has seen someone win 2 of 3) from a very good Detroit team, although the way they suffered the one loss was shocking.

And it was in the opener that they were shocked as James Hays was shelled by the Tigers for 8 runs in 4 innings in an 8-2 Detroit win. After completely dominating the opposition in his first 3 starts with Tampa Bay, Hays had to know he was in for a rough ride when Spencer Torkelson took him deep for a 2-run homer in the 1st and it didn't get better when he gave up 3 more in the 2nd. He finished 4 8 8 8 2 4 and actually fell to 1-2 as a Ray. Kody Hoese doesn't seem to care how bad the rest of the team has been playing, though, as he continued his absurd run by going 3-3 with a solo homer (#5), making him 13 for his last 17 with 3 HR and 8 RBI in his last 4 games. Also Landon Knack made his MLB debut and pitched 3 scoreless innings.

Welcome to Tampa Bay, Yoelqui Cespedes! The new acquisition from the White Sox delivered a pair of huge hits in a 6-1 Rays win over Detroit in the second game. His first was an RBI single to break a 1-1 tie in the 5th and then he broke the game open in the 7th with an RBI triple and scored on Ed Howard's sac fly. And all Corey Collins ever does is produce when put in the lineup and he added a 2-run HR to give him 4 HR and 9 RBI in 9 starts this year with a 321/375/821 slash line. Dustin May - now with run support! - was pretty good going 5 8 1 1 0 6 to improve to 4-1, 3.43.

The Rays took another comfortable win over Detroit in the finale behind the red-hot Joe Ryan 8-2. The righty was dazzling, going 6 6 1 0 0 10 and is now 4-2, 2.31 with those 4 wins coming in his last 5 starts in which he's allowed only 3 ER in 28 1/3 IP. He's also now gone 4 starts (one of which was abbreviated) without allowing a homer. Yoelqui Cespedes got the offense going again today with a 2-run homer in the 2nd, his first as a Ray and 5th overall, Andrew Greckel was 3-5 with a double, homer (#8) and 3 RBI, and Adley Rutschman hit HR #4.

Team record: 18-15. Next up: 3 games in Anaheim against the Angels, whose power-hitter deluxe Jorge Soler belted 4 solo homers in a game against the Twins, becoming the latest to tie the MLB single-game record.

Also it was interesting to note a couple of former Rays (or Rays prospects) on the waiver wire today as Minnesota DFA'd Vidal Brujan and Boston did likewise with Roberto Hernandez. I'm not claiming either.

[Art Deco]

The Rays dropped a couple of close ones to the Angels before winning a close one in the finale. Meanwhile the Yankees stayed hot and swept the Red Sox at Fenway so they've dropped a season-high 5 back of New York.

Tampa Bay fell in the opener 5-3 after Christian Chamberlain coughed up a 2-run homer in the 6th which broke a 2-2 tie. JT Ginn pitched pretty well but he left after putting a man on in the 6th and Chamberlain was hit for the homer by the only righty due up against him. Ginn finished 5.1 5 3 3 1 5 and dropped to 1-3. Andrew Greckel hit his 9th HR for the Rays.

Transaction: Optioned P Landon Knack to AAA Durham and activated P Clayton Kershaw from his rehab assignment at Durham. The original plan was to bring up Slade Cecconi but I wasn't paying attention and he pitched at Durham the night before so we brought Kershaw back slightly early to make the start tonight.

Clayton Kershaw made his Rays debut in a familiar locale as the long-time Dodger pitched for the first time for another team in nearby Anaheim, and while he pitched OK the Rays fell 4-3 on a walk-off walk in the 9th issued by DL Hall. Kershaw gave up a couple of solo homers as he went 5 5 3 3 1 6 and left with the game tied at 3 after Kelly Crumpton homered (#4) and Yoelqui Cespedes rapped a 2-run single. It became a battle of the bullpens and after Diego Castillo (2-1) put the leadoff righty on in the 9th, Hall gave up a single, walked a man to load the bases, and then walked Mike Trout to force in the winning run.

James Hays bounced back from his bad start and returned to his dominant self again as the Rays salvaged the finale 4-2. Hays went 7 1 1 0 1 8 with the only run against scoring on a Wander Franco error as he evened his Rays record at 2-2 and went to 4-2 overall. Diego Castillo put a couple on in the 9th but got out of it for save #5. Andrew Greckel's solo homer (#10) in the 6th broke a 1-1 tie and Franco atoned for his error by singling in a run in the 7th, as did Alex Kirilloff who also doubled in the first run.

Team record: 19-17. Next up: An off-day then home for 3 vs Toronto.

Transaction I forgot to mention: Back on April 30 we signed former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes to a minor league contract. Burnes was traded by Milwaukee to Atlanta in the offseason, and Atlanta put him in their bullpen and then waived him where he went unclaimed. He's not the stud he once was of course, but pitched OK in Atlanta's pen this year with a 4/18 BB/K ratio in 13 innings and he's had two great starts at Durham since the signing going a combined 14 11 3 3 2 16 in them. He still has 60 stuff as a starter but his problem is 40 control, which hasn't manifested itself so far this season. He's got a chance to help us at some point soon.

[Art Deco]

For only the second time this season a Rays series ended in a sweep, and Tampa Bay came out on the right side of it taking all 3 from Toronto at the Trop. Combined with the Yankees dropping 2 of 3 in Chicago, the Rays have cut the division lead to 3 games.

The Rays had to work overtime to take the first game as Angelo DiSpigna's 13th inning homer (#3) let the Rays walk it off in the opener 5-4. It was a comeback win as the Rays trailed 4-2 going into the 8th when Adley Rutschman blasted a 2-run HR (#5) to tie things up. Andrew Greckel earlier went deep for #11. Dustin May started and was 5.2 8 4 4 1 6, and the fifth Rays reliever, DL Hall (1-2) earned the win.

Tampa Bay rode the longball to take a 6-2 win over the Jays in the second game. After Toronto took an early 2-1 lead, Alex Kirilloff led off the 4th with HR #4 and a few batters later Angelo DiSpigna went deep for the second straight day with a man on, his 4th and the Rays were ahead to stay. Marcus Semien doubled and drove in a pair as well to back another excellent Joe Ryan start in which he went 7 4 2 2 2 8 to improve to 5-2, 2.35. He did finally give up a pair of homers but they were solo shots of course.

JT Ginn bounced back from a couple of rough starts and held Toronto off the board until the 6th as the Rays swept the series with a 4-1 win. The righty went to 2-3 after an impressive 7 4 1 1 3 7 outing, and DL Hall picked up his 4th save after Diego Castillo had to leave two outs into the 9th with a sore shoulder which will only shelve him for a few games. Adley Rutschman stayed hot by delivering a 2-run double in the 1st, and Kelly Crumpton went yard in the 5th with bases empty for his 5th homer.

Team record: 22-17. Next up: 3 games in San Antonio.

[Art Deco]

It was a good series for the Rays which should have been a great series had the bullpen not suffered an epic meltdown in the second game as they ended up taking 2 of 3, which is what the Yankees did so the division deficit remains 3 games.

The opener was the most un-Rays-like of games as they beat the Alamos by a football score of 16-10. Clayton Kershaw made his second Tampa Bay start and fell behind 3-0 before the Rays put a 9-spot in the board in the 4th. Despite being given new life, Kershaw couldn't make it through the 4th and finished 3.2 10 4 4 0 4. The 9-run inning was primarily the work of Kody Hoese (a grand slam, HR #6) and Victor Robles (a 3-run shot, #4). Andrew Greckel later added a 2-run shot (#12) and Adley Rutschman went deep as well (#6). When they weren't homering they were walking as Alamo pitchers doled out 11 bases on balls. Levi Abbott ended up with the win, his first in the bigs, despite allowing 3 runs in 3 2/3 (they came in his last inning when we pushed him with the huge lead).

James Hays probably has to be wondering what he needs to do to get a win around here after pitching brilliantly for the fifth time in six starts since joining the club yet having only two wins to show for it. Today he did his part, going 7 7 1 1 0 8 and left with a 5-1 lead, but Tylor Megill, Christian Chamberlain and Osvanni Gutierrez (4-1) combined to allow 5 runs in the final 2 innings, including 4 in the 9th and the Rays pissed away a win to San Antonio 6-5. Gutierrez was pressed into action with Diego Castillo temporarily sidelined with a sore shoulder and his absence likely cost them the game. They jumped out to the early lead thanks to RBI triples from Wander Franco and Kody Hoese, along with a solo homer from Corey Collins (#5) who always produces.

Dustin May nearly pitched a complete-game shutout as the Rays took the rubber game of the series 5-0 at San Antonio. May was at his best, no-hitting the Alamos until the 5th and taking a 1-hitter into the 9th before he gave up a pair of hits. May (5-1) was 8.1 3 0 0 2 10 in a dominant performance and Tylor Megill fanned the last two batters to preserve the whitewashing. Yoelqui Cespedes was the hitting star, coming through with a 2-run triple in the 2nd and adding an RBI single in the 9th for some insurance. Andrew Greckel also went yard again (#13) as well as contributing an RBI triple and he's now tied for 2nd in the AL in homers.

Team record: 24-18. Next up: 3 games at the Trop vs Minnesota.

[Art Deco]

I don't have any quick way to check this but anecdotally it seems the team that has given the Rays the most fits in this save has been Minnesota (going back to their 2021 ALDS sweep) and sure enough they were swept by the Twins at the Trop, the first time this season they didn't win at least one game in a series. It could have been worse but the Yankees dropped 2 of 3 to Baltimore, so the Rays only dropped to 4 games behind.

The bullpen and a lack of hitting cost them the opener as Joe Ryan was brilliant again but left with only a 2-0 lead after 6 and the pen turned it into a 5-2 Minnesota win. Ryan went 6 4 0 0 1 6 on 89 pitches to lower his ERA to 2.08. With lefties due in the 7th I turned to Franklin Dacosta, who had pitched great but hadn't handled many high-leverage situations this year and it turned into a disaster as he allowed 4 runs and that was the game. Adley Rutschman was 3-4 with an RBI in a losing effort.

The second game was a blowout as the Twins romped 9-1. It was a 1-0 Minnesota lead going into the 5th before the walls fell in on JT Ginn (2-4), who had control issues which finally caught up with him as he was 4 4 5 5 5 6 and his ERA is up to 5.05 after 3 bad starts in his last 5. Corey Collins got the start and that meant he came through again for the Rays' only run, a solo homer, his 6th in 39 at-bats.

The finale was a strange game which saw the Twins score 3 in the first off Clayton Kershaw on a 3-run Kyle Tucker homer but the Rays answer right back with 3 of their own in the bottom of the inning including an Alex Kirilloff RBI double against his old team. The game then stood at 3-3 until the 8th when old friend Jarren Duran, who went the other way in that Kirilloff trade, doubled off Christian Chamberlain and came around to score on a sac fly to give the Twins a 4-3 win. Kershaw settled down after the bad first and finished 5.2 5 3 3 1 1 in his first start at the Trop as a Ray.

Team record: 24-21. Next up: 3 games at home vs the White Sox, the team with whom we're tied for the 2nd wild card. The opener features a premium pitching matchup of James Hays vs Lucas Giolito.

[Art Deco]

After a frustrating loss in the opener the Rays bounced back to take the next two from Chicago and pull within 3 of the Yankees after New York lost 2 of 3 to Kansas City. The Rays are also tied with Minnesota for the 2nd wild card at the moment.

They just aren't going to win James Hays starts, are they? Hays either gets no run support or the bullpen blows the game for him, and this time it was the former as the Rays lost 2-0 to the White Sox in the opener. Hays was great again at 7 7 1 1 0 9, sports an absurd 4/63 BB/K ratio in 45 innings over 7 starts with the team but is now 2-3 as a Ray. After Jarren Duran got the winning hit for Minnesota against them the day before, this time it was another old friend who did them in as Taylor Walls had an RBI single for the only run off Hays. Meanwhile the bats did get 8 hits but couldn't get anyone home, the story of the season as they're 2nd in the AL in OBP but 10th in runs scored.

It looked like more frustration as the Rays trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the 6th in the second game, but that man again - Corey Collins - came through with a grand slam to lead Tampa Bay to a 5-2 win. Dustin May was doing his usual thing and eventually wound up with the win to go to 6-1 after a 7.1 8 2 2 0 5 outing but he looked like a hard-luck loser until the Rays loaded the bases with nobody out in the 6th. After a strikeout, a wild pitch tied the game and after an intentional walk up stepped Collins who took one into the seats for his 7th HR. Speaking of absurd numbers, look at what Collins has done in his starts giving Adley Rutschman a breather:



Unbelievable. I'm tempted to DH him to get him into the lineup more. It's not sustainable, but I think that every time I see him in the lineup. Diego Castillo went the final 1 2/3 for his 6th save.

The Rays took the series finale with another 5-2 win, this time picking up Joe Ryan who scuffled throughout but limited the damage. Ryan (6-2) fell behind 2-0 early and had lots of runners on in a 5 6 2 2 3 3 outing but got out of a couple of jams and the Rays scored 3 times in the 4th to put him ahead. Alex Kirilloff tied things up with a 2-run HR (#5) and Andrew Greckel and Kody Hoese hit back-to-back doubles to put them ahead. With a tense 3-2 lead into the 8th, Adley Rutschman allowed them to breathe easier with a 2-run HR of his own (#7) and DL Hall finished up for save #5.

Team record: 26-22. Next up: An off-day then we play 3 in Texas with the third game featuring James Hays returning to his old mound. Meanwhile the ace of the Rays for the last several years prior to this season, Tyler Glasnow, has struggled big-time in Boston. After getting rocked again by Detroit Glasnow is now 2-6, 6.51 in Beantown with a rough 25/43 BB/K ratio in 47 IP with 7 HR allowed.

[Art Deco]

Ladies and gentlemen, your first place Tampa Bay Rays. The only way that could have happened coming into this series was for the Rays to sweep and the Yankees to be swept, and that's what the Rays did to Texas while now 35-16 Detroit did it to New York.

The first game saw a dominant performance from JT Ginn and just enough offense to take a 4-2 win at a half-empty Globe Life Field. After a hot start Ginn (3-4) had struggled of late, especially with his control, but he turned that around today with an 8 7 0 0 1 12 outing. Wander Franco broke out of his season-and-a-half-long funk with 2 solo homers (#s 4 & 5) and a double to lead the offense with Kelly Crumpton 2-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI.

The Rays won the second game but lost Clayton Kershaw for 3 months as the fragile veteran lefty left in the 4th with an elbow strain. He was 3.1 4 1 1 0 0 before leaving and won't be seen again until September most likely. Slade Cecconi (1-0) relieved him and got the win despite allowing a couple of runs and may take his place (Corbin Burnes is another possibility). The offense got it done though as Victor Robles, struggling with his BA down below .220, had a 2-run HR (#6) and an RBI single while Wander Franco stayed hot with a double, triple and RBI and Alex Kirilloff drove in a pair. Diego Castillo had a 1-2-3 9th for save #7.

The Rays actually scored runs for James Hays in his return to Texas and the bullpen didn't blow the lead as they completed the sweep with a 7-2 win. Hays was electric as usual at 7 5 2 2 0 9 to even his Rays record at 3-3. His only blemish was a 2-run Ryan Mountcastle homer. Robinson Ortiz loaded the bases in the 9th so Diego Castillo picked up another save (#8) by getting the final out. Kody Hoese was 3-4 with 3 RBI, Andrew Greckel was 3-5 with an RBI and Alex Kirilloff launched a solo homer (#5).

Team record: 29-22. Next up: 3 at home vs Cleveland.

[Art Deco]

After reeling off five wins in a row (actually six with a win in the first game), the Rays came back to earth by dropping 2 of 3 at the Trop to the Guardians. Coupled with the Yankees sweeping the Angels, the Rays have dropped 2 games behind New York in the division race but are in the first wild card spot, a game up on the Angels and Mariners.

The series started off well when the Rays put 5 on the board in the first two innings and went on to a 6-4 win over Cleveland, their 6th straight win. Andrew Greckel bashed a 3-run homer in the 1st (#14), Kelly Crumpton added a solo shot in the 2nd (#7) and Wander Franco stayed hot going 2-4 with a double, steal and RBI. Later Jhon Diaz hit his first MLB homer for some insurance. Dustin May was excellent one again, improving to 7-1 with a 7 5 3 2 0 5 outing and DL Hall had a 1-2-3 9th for save #6.

The bats, which had been on a roll, went mostly silent in a 3-1 loss to Cleveland in the second game. Aided by a 2-out Kelly Crumpton error, Cleveland scored 3 off Joe Ryan in the first and while that was all they'd get, it was also all they needed. Ryan (6-3) pitched well and lowered his ERA to 2.14 after going 6 4 3 1 1 6. Alex Kirilloff's 7th-inning solo shot (#7) was the sum total of the offense.

After fighting back from 4-0 down to cut the Cleveland lead to 4-3, the Rays bullpen served up another soul-crushing homer to let the Guardians pull away for a 7-3 win. Nolan Jones tagged Christian Chamberlain for a 3-run shot (Jones homered in each game of the series) in the 7th which short-circuited the comeback, the 3rd homer Chamberlain's allowed in 16 IP this year. JT Ginn was hit for a 4-run 3rd including a 3-run homer and they fell behind 4-0 but Angelo DiSpigna had a 2-run double to help cut the lead down to 4-3. Ginn (3-5) finished 6 7 5 5 0 3, with the Jones homer bringing in the leadoff man he allowed to reach in the 7th.

Team record: 30-24. Next up: 3 games in Oakland.

After the finale we made a trade:



The deal taking weeks was BS, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing as Tylor Megill came off the IL and I wanted to keep Landon Knack up as he'd pitched so well since being recalled (a combined line of 6.2 7 0 0 1 10 over 4 appearances) so someone had to go. And that was Detmers, who was out of options and never really pitched well at all for us after being claimed on waivers from these same Angels late last season. I think we did well in return getting Busch, giving us another option at 1B who will go to Durham. Busch is more of a doubles/OBP guy than a slugger and was hitting 321/406/463 in AAA after hitting 290/382/461 last season. He's 29 so we're not talking a lot of upside though.

[Art Deco]

The Rays took 2 of 3 in Oakland, and coupled with the Yankees dropping 2 of 3 they're back within one game of New York in the East and sit in the first wild card spot.

Slade Cecconi pitched well in his return to the rotation but the weak link of the team, the bullpen, let things get away as the Rays dropped the opener at Oakland 7-4 to make it 3 straight losses. Cecconi was 6 6 2 2 1 3 and left trailing only 2-1 but a 4-run 8th for Oakland put the game away. Andrew Greckel, who had driven in the first run, had a 3-run shot in the 9th (#15) to make the final more respectable.

No run support issues for James Hays today as he was staked to an 8-0 lead by the third inning as the Rays routed the A's 14-2 to even up the series. It was bombs away as Alex Kirilloff got things going in the 1st with a 2-run blast (#8), Kelly Crumpton followed with the first of his two homers with a man on in the 2nd, and Ed Howard hooked one inside the LF fair pole with two men on for his 3rd in the 3rd. Crumpton launched another 2-run shot in the 6th to give him 8 on the year and his first career MLB 2-HR game. Hays meanwhile was his usual overpowering self at 6 4 1 1 0 11 as he's now 4-3, 2.33 as a Ray and his insane BB/K ratio got even crazier at 4/83 in 58 IP with the Rays and 5/103 in 77 IP overall this year. I've not quite seen anything like that.

The story in the finale was Dustin May as the veteran righty tossed a 5-hit shutout in a 6-0 Rays win. He was an outstanding 9 4 0 0 1 9 on 122 pitches in the gem and improved to 8-1, 2.70 on the year, with his 8 wins leading the league and only two fewer he had in all of 2026 when he didn't get any run support. That's not a problem for him this year as today Kody Hoese was 3-4 with an RBI, Adley Rutschman had a 2-run HR (#8) and Angelo DiSpigna ripped a 2-run double.

Team record: 32-25. Next up: Back home for 3 vs Seattle.

The next morning the following news came down from the league office as May was the AL Pitcher of the Month for....May:

[Art Deco]

The Rays dropped another series at home, losing 2 of 3 to the Mariners while the Yankees took 2 of 3 from San Antonio, dropping them 2 behind New York and into a tie with the White Sox for the 2 wild card spots, 1 game up on the Angels. It's been a real stop-start season so far and this is around the time of year they've gotten going in other seasons they've had slow starts like 2023 and 2025 so we'll see.

Things started well in the opener as the Rays beat Seattle 5-2. Joe Ryan was solid at 5 5 2 2 1 7 to improve to 7-3, 2.25 and the bullpen was in fine form as Diego Castillo secured save #9 with a 1-2-3 9th. Most of the damage came from the top of the order today with Victor Robles 3-5 with a solo homer (#7) and Wander Franco 3-4 with 3 RBI.

Seattle hit JT Ginn hard and went on to rout the Rays 8-1 in the second game. Ginn (3-6) was 4.1 6 5 4 3 4 and saw his ERA rise to 5.01 as he's struggled for consistency lately. Kody Hoese was 3-4 with a solo homer (#7) for the lone Rays run.

Another Rays starter struggling for consistency is Slade Cecconi, and he was ineffective in an 8-6 loss to the Mariners. Cecconi was hit for 7 runs on 7 hits with 3 walks in 4 2/3 and fell to 1-2, 5.86. Seattle went up 8-2 and the Rays furiously tried to come back, closing the gap to 8-6 and having the bases loaded in the 9th before Angelo DiSpigna struck out to end the game. Ed Howard was 3-4 with a double and solo homer (#4) and Andrew Greckel was 3-5 with a triple and RBI.

Team record: 33-27. Next up: An off-day then 3 games at Fenway.

[Art Deco]

A great series for the Rays but not great for the faint of heart as they took three tense 1-run games from the Red Sox at Fenway and pulled into a tie atop the division with the Yankees as New York dropped 2 of 3 to Minnesota.

The opener looked destined to be another brilliant James Hays start for naught due to lack of run support but Andrew Greckel delivered a 2-run homer (#16) in the 7th off lefty AJ Minter to give the Rays a 2-1 win. Hays kept rolling on with a 7 4 1 1 1 11 outing and improved to 5-3, 2.22 since joining the club. Diego Castillo fanned a pair in a 1-2-3 9th for his 10th save as the Rays won despite only managing 4 hits.

The Rays had the second game won twice and blew it before finally prevailing 7-6 in 13 innings on a solo homer by Adley Rutschman (#9). 2-run homers from Victor Robles (#8) and Kelly Crumpton (#9) helped stake them to a 5-2 lead, and Dustin May was very good at 6 7 2 2 1 4. But the at-times shaky bullpen couldn't hold that lead in the 8th with Christian Chamberlain charged with all 3 runs, the last of which came on a double allowed by Diego Castillo. They thought they had it won again in the 11th on a Kody Hoese RBI double but Robinson Ortiz gave up an RBI double in the bottom of the inning to let Boston tie. Finally Rustchman's homer got Ortiz his 1st Rays win and Franklin Dacosta came in to whiff Rafael Devers to end the game with two men on for his first MLB save.

The Rays completed the sweep with another nail-biter, edging the Red Sox 4-3. Joe Ryan was magnificent once again, leaving up 4-1 after going 7 4 1 1 1 6 and improving to 8-3, 2.16 but Landon Knack put two men on and the slumping Christian Chamberlain let them score to pull Boston within 1. With the bullpen thin after yesterday's marathon, Tylor Megill was called upon in the 9th and made it through despite putting two on with one out for his 1st save of the year. Andrew Greckel's 17th homer of the year, a solo insurance shot in the 8th, turned out to be the difference while Kelly Crumpton was 2-4 with an RBI double in the 6th and scored on Ed Howard's single.

Team record: 36-27. Next up: The division lead is on the line as the Yankees visit the Trop for 3 games.

Transaction news: Busy comings and goings as we optioned Slade Cecconi to Durham and recalled Wennington Romero, whom we had acquired from Cincinnati back in April for Brett Baty. The lefty will join the rotation after a nice run at Durham which saw him go 2-1, 2.20 in 8 starts with 16 BB and 48 Ks in 45 innings and only 2 homers allowed. Meanwhile Heston Kjerstad was sent to AAA Durham on a rehab assignment and we signed veteran OF Teoscar Hernandez to a minor league contract to play at Durham. Hernandez still has 65 power but has only hitting .123 with 2 HR when let go by Cleveland, his 4th MLB team since leaving the Jays after 2023.

[Art Deco]

The Rays entertained the Yankees for 3 games with the teams tied for the division lead coming in, and Tampa Bay sent them home in second place after taking 2 of 3 including a record-setting outing from James Hays in the rubber match.

Things didn't start off great in the opener as the Rays lost a heartbreaker to the Yankees 4-3, giving up the go-ahead run in the 9th after dramatically tying it up in the 8th. JT Ginn had an up-and-down start, giving up 3 solo homers including a pair to last year's Rays rental Luke Voit, and went 6 6 3 3 1 5. They trailed 3-1 going into the bottom of the 8th when they put a man on with two out and Angelo DiSpigna was sent up to pinch-hit with the express purpose of hitting a homer and that's what he did, his 5th. But Robinson Ortiz (1-2) was tagged for a run in the 9th and the Yankees took the win.

The Rays evened the score with a 7-3 win in the second game. Wennington Romero made his Rays debut with the start and breezed through the first 3 innings before giving up 3 in the 4th and putting the Rays behind 3-0. He put two more on in the 5th and left after going 4.2 6 3 3 2 4, decent enough to get another start. Landon Knack took over and got his first MLB win when they came back with 2 in the 4th, 2 in the 5th and 2 more in the 6th, including a 2-run Kody Hoese shot (#8). Hoese added a sac fly while Yoelqui Cespedes was 2-3 and had a solo homer (#2/#6).

The finale was a game those who watched aren't likely to forget as James Hays set the Rays' single-game strikeout record in a truly dominant outing as Tampa Bay took the series and first place with a 2-0 win. Hays was 8 3 0 0 1 16 with the 16 whiffs breaking the record of 15 held by Chris Archer and James Shields. Hays is now 6-3, 1.97 as a Ray and his BB/K ratio gets more and more absurd by the start, now 7/130 on the season overall. He didn't get much run support but today two runs were enough as Kody Hoese hit HR #9 in the first and Wander Franco #6 in the 3rd. Diego Castillo saved Hays' win with a 1-2-3 six-pitch 9th for save #11.

Team record: 38-28. Next up: 3 games in Houston.

[Art Deco]

The Rays continued their winning ways of late by pulling off a sweep in a tough place, Houston. They needed it as the Yankees also swept their series so the Rays' division lead stands at a game. And we also made a trade that paid immediate dividends.

The opener was a tough game in that the Rays kept scoring runs, but Houston kept answering before the Rays ultimately prevailed 8-6. Alex Kirilloff, who drove in 3, got things started with an RBI double in a 3-run first and they added 2 more in the 2nd. But the Astros answered with 3 as for a change it was the bats who had to pick up Dustin May and not the other way around. He still got the win to go 9-1 but was 5.2 7 5 5 2 3 in one of his poorer outings. Andrew Greckel (#18) and Kody Hoese (#10) went back-to-back with solo shots in the 5th, and ultimately DL Hall notched the save (#7) by going the final two innings.

Transaction: The offense has been pretty decent this year (we're between 4th & 6th in the league in the main categories) and the starting rotation, while a little iffy on the back end, has been very good. That leaves our weakness as the bullpen which has had a lot of ups and downs this year and is 6th in the AL in ERA. So we made a deal to shore it up:



Uehara is an elite-caliber reliever even if the Mets didn't use him in save situations and will likely become our closer with Diego Castillo moving into a setup role. We needed a big-time bat-misser and here are Uehara's particulars:



That should work. His salary is $7M and he's arb-eligible so I'm looking at him as more of a rental that we can trade for something in the offseason. We say goodbye to Schnell, who should be a useful big-leaguer but didn't have a path to playing for us, and Castillo was a "make it work" throw-in.

Back to baseball. Joe Ryan's brilliant (and contract) year continues as he was 6.1 4 0 0 0 9 in a 3-0 win over Houston. Ryan lowered his ERA to a minuscule 1.99, upped his record to 9-3 and has put himself in the Cy Young conversation. New pickup Yasunari Uehara made his Rays debut with a scoreless 9th for the save. All 3 runs came via homer: Andrew Greckel's 19th with a man on in the 1st and a solo shot from Alex Kirilloff (#9) in the 3rd.

The Rays completed the sweep by taking a real back-and-forth affair with Houston 5-4 in 10 innings. Kody Hoese led off the 9th with a solo homer off former Ray Nick Sandlin to tie it up and then in the 10th they loaded the bases against Sandlin and Andrew Greckel's sac fly brought home the winner. They took an early 3-1 lead thanks largely to Victor Robles, who scored twice and knocked one in on 3 hits, but Houston tied it off Diego Castillo with a homer and scored another off the slumping Christian Chamberlain to go ahead. JT Ginn pitched decently at 5 6 2 2 0 4 and new boy Yasunari Uehara was put to work again, this time pitching the 9th and preserving his own win in the 10th.

Team record: 41-28. Next up: The road swing continues with 3 in Baltimore.

[Art Deco]

The win streak increased to 8 as the Rays swept Baltimore behind some fine pitching (4 runs allowed total in the series). Meanwhile the Yankees needed to score twice in the bottom of the 9th of their finale against Cleveland to avoid a sweep, so the division lead is up to 3 games.

The opener was the toughest of the lot for Tampa Bay as they had to fight back after losing a 2-0 lead to take a 5-2 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards. Wennington Romero started and pitched decently even if he did lose the 2-0 lead handed him. He went 5.1 6 2 2 0 3 and most teams would take that from their 5th starter every time out. Marcus Semien's solo homer (#3) in the top of the 7th was the game-winner and Kelly Crumpton, who had singled in a run earlier, had a 2-run blast (#10) in the 8th to provide insurance. Adley Rutschman homered (#10) earlier as well. DL Hall got the final 4 outs against his old team to record save #8 while Franklin Dacosta earned his first MLB win.

It was James Hays day in the second game, which has become an informal holiday around the Tampa Bay area as his outings are must-see TV and he didn't disappoint in another 5-2 Rays win. Hays retired the first 12 Orioles and gave them very little in a 7 2 0 0 1 10 outing. It was his 4th straight 10-whiff, >4 hit outing and he's now 7-3, 1.90 with the Rays and 9-3, 1.91 overall with an 8/140 BB/K ratio. The bullpen tried its best to blow the game with Osvanni Gutierrez allowing back-to-back homers and Tylor Megill finally getting the last out for save #2. Andrew Greckel had a 3-run 1st-inning homer (#20) to make things comfortable for Hays and Kody Hoese had 3 hits including a double.

Not to be outshone, Dustin May was brilliant again in the finale as the Rays completed the sweep of Baltimore with a 4-0 win. The veteran righty went to 10-1, 2.84 after a 7 5 0 0 0 6 gem. Diego Castillo, struggling of late, loaded the bases in the 9th with one out so Yasunari Uehara was forced into action to get the final two outs for his 2nd save. May got the run support he needed on solo homers from Adley Rutschman (#11) and Angelo DiSpigna (#6) in the 2nd and a solo shot from Andrew Greckel (#21), who also singled in a run in the 3rd.

Team record: 44-28. Next up: A day off then back home for 3 vs Kansas City.

[Art Deco]

The Rays took 2 of 3 games from the Royals at home before we head into the (always early with OOTP's expansion-based schedules) All-Star break while the Yankees took 2 of 3 as well so they remain 3 games up in the AL East.

So what if I told you the Rays had a game where they scored 13 runs and Joe Ryan threw 6 shutout innings? You'd estimate their likelihood of winning such a game at about 99.9999999%. But no, they didn't as the bullpen amazingly allowed 15 runs over the final 3 innings to enable the Royals to take a 15-13 win in the most bizarre game among the thousands I've ever managed. So bizarre in fact I'm going to share the box score:



Just truly unbelievable. What's not captured here is that Wander Franco had a 3-run inside-the-park homer that got them back within 15-12 and then Alex Kirilloff hit his 2nd of the game to go back-to-back with him. They blew the 4-0 lead to fall behind 7-4, scored 5 times to go back ahead 9-7, but no matter who I brought in from the pen, they were simply horrible.

Order was restored in the second game as JT Ginn tossed his best start as a big leaguer and although it took 4 relievers to preserve it the Rays shut out Kansas City 3-0. Ginn went 6 4 0 0 2 6 on 93 pitches to improve to 4-6, and after Yasunari Uehara had to leave in the 9th with a sore shoulder, DL Hall recovered from yesterday's debacle and picked up his 9th save. Uehara's injury isn't that bad, only for 6 days and with the break coming he won't need an IL trip. Alex Kirilloff doubled in a run in the 3rd and Adley Rutschman singled him home, and then Ed Howard added an RBI triple in the 4th for the Rays' scoring.

It normally would have been Wennington Romero's turn in the rotation but thanks to the off-day preceding the series James Hays was available on full rest so it was a pretty easy decision to start the best pitcher in baseball (albeit denying him an All-Star start). The decision paid off as Hays was overpowering as usual and the Rays took a 6-1 win to make it 2 of 3 against the Royals. Hays went 6 3 1 1 1 15 for his 2nd 15+-whiff game in 3 starts and improved to 8-3, 1.78 as a Ray and a 9/155 BB/K ratio in 105 innings overall. (I'd say these are video game numbers but I guess technically this is a video game). Kelly Crumpton's 2-run homer (#11) and Heston Kjerstad's 2-run double were the big hits for Tampa Bay while Wander Franco stayed hot going 2-3 with an RBI triple.

Team record: 46-29. Next up: The All-Star break before we return to action with 3 games in Detroit against the best team in baseball, the 52-23 Tigers.

[Art Deco]

For some reason this year I didn't get the email listing the All-Star rosters so I won't be posting that here as I usually do. Five Rays did make the game: the terrific trio of starters James Hays, Dustin May and Joe Ryan along with C Adley Rutschman and OF Andrew Greckel. It was the first All-Star nod for Hays and Greckel, the second for May and Ryan, and the fifth for Rutschman. Greckel was selected to participate in the Home Run Derby, and well...



In both this save and the other one, which now have combined for 32 seasons, I've never had a Ray win the Derby and Greckel didn't even come close.

On to the game:




The Rays' representatives acquitted themselves very well. As you saw from the recap above, Adley Rutschman was named MVP of the game thanks to a 2nd-inning solo homer and a single, Andrew Greckel had an RBI single in the 8th to put the AL up 3-1, and Dustin May had a perfect inning in relief. Joe Ryan and James Hays didn't pitch.

[Art Deco]

All things considered it was a good series for the Rays, taking 2 of 3 in Detroit from the team with the best record in baseball. But if not for some bullpen failures in the finale it could have been a sweep. The Yankees took 2 of 3 in Seattle so the Rays' division lead remains 3 games.

Joe Ryan turned in his third consecutive scoreless start and the Rays took the opener at Comerica Park from the Tigers 4-1. Ryan has only allowed 1 run in his last 4 starts covering 25 innings and his ERA has dropped to a microscopic 1.74 to go with a 10-3 record. He was hooked up in a scoreless duel with 2025 AL Cy Young Winner Francis Martes and Martes blinked first, putting the first two on in the 6th and giving up a 3-run homer to Adley Rutschman (#12). Alex Kirilloff added a solo shot (#12 for him as well) and Diego Castillo broke out of his funk to take care of the 9th for save #12.

Adley Rutschman and Andrew Greckel had huge days at the plate as the Rays took another one from the Tigers 8-3. Rutschman doubled and homered for the second straight day (#13), driving in 4, while Greckel went yard twice among his 3 hits and drove in 3. He now is tied for the AL lead in homers with 23. Ed Howard was also 3-4 with a pair of doubles. Wennington Romero started and was adequate at 5 6 3 3 2 6 for his first Rays win with the bullpen turning in 4 scoreless innings with 1 hit allowed and 7 whiffs.

Pitching sensation James Hays got the ball for the finale and the Rays took a 4-1 lead as a sweep looked imminent. But Hays ran a pitch count and had to leave after putting two men on in the 6th. They both came around to score, Franklin Dacosta gave up the game-tying homer in the 7th, and Yasunari Uehara, perhaps not fully recovered from his sore shoulder, gave up a walk-off grand slam to Austin Allen with 2 out in the 9th to allow the Tigers an 8-4 win. Adley Rutschman homered for the third straight day (fourth if you count the All-Star Game), his 14th, and Andrew Greckel was 3-5 with 2 runs scored to help the Rays to that middle-inning lead, but Hays wasn't as dominant as usual (although 5 7 3 3 1 9 is dominant for most pitchers) and the bullpen couldn't get the job done today.

Team record: 48-30. Next up: We finish the first half of the season with 3 games at home vs the Angels.

[Art Deco]

Another good series for the Rays as they closed out the first half of the season by taking 2 of 3 from the Angels at Tropicana Field. The Yankees did likewise against the Red Sox so it remains a 3-game lead in the division for Tampa Bay. But it wasn't all good news as a key player suffered a significant injury.

JT Ginn was solid in the opener as the Rays took a 3-2 lead after 3 innings and nursed that lead for the final 6 innings to beat the Angels. Ginn improved to 5-6 after going 6 4 2 2 2 6, DL Hall pulled a Houdini act by putting men on 1st and 3rd to start the 8th and got out of it, and Yasunari Uehara took care of the 9th for his 3rd save. The 3 Rays runs came via the homer: a 2-run Andrew Greckel blast in the 1st (#24), and a game-winning solo shot from Wander Franco (#8) in the 3rd.

The Rays won more comfortably in the second game, breaking open a 1-1 affair in the 4th with a 6-run inning to beat the Angels 7-1. Kelly Crumpton and Marcus Semien had RBI singles to make it 3-1, Adley Rutschman ripped a 2-run double, and Andrew Greckel capped the inning with his MLB-leading 25th homer, a 2-run shot off former Ray Reid Detmers. Dustin May enjoyed the run support once again in a 180 from last year, going to 11-1, 2.74 after a 7 7 1 1 0 5 outing. The win was marred, however, by an injury to Wander Franco. After doubling in the 1st, he tore an abdominal muscle and will be out about a month and a half which is most unfortunate as he's been one of our hottest hitters of late.

Transaction: Placed Wander Franco on the 10-day IL and recalled IF Jelfry Marte from AAA Durham. Marcus Semien will take over as the everyday SS.

Tampa Bay had been 18-5 in the month of June so they were kind of due for a clunker, and clunk they did as the Angels turned the tables from yesterday and took their own 7-1 win. Joe Ryan gave up his first homer in five starts (last year he couldn't go 5 innings without allowing a longball), a 3-run shot to Jorge Soler in the 1st, and LA went from there. Ryan dropped to 10-4, 1.92 after finishing 5.1 5 5 3 3 4. Kelly Crumpton's 2nd-inning RBI triple accounted for the lone Tampa Bay run.

Team record: 50-31. Next up: 3 games in Toronto.

[Art Deco]

All in all a good first half for the 2027 Rays. The MLB standings/leaders:



A look at our team stats:



It's nice the see the offense has bounced back from its abysmal 2026, although we still need to do a little better job of converting our baserunners into runs. The starting pitching has been elite, but the bullpen has been spotty to put it charitably. The arms are mostly good but the results haven't been there. The defense being atrocious isn't helping either as we have no defenders who can be considered top-notch with Robles in CF and Kjerstad in LF the best. The individual batting stats:



Plenty to like here for a change as Andrew Greckel is putting up MVP-worthy numbers and Adley Rutschman has turned it on in his contract year. Wander will be missed, and hopefully Victor Robles can get going as we're stuck with him on that big contract. Kody Hoese has kind of settled 1B down - he's not a true masher but has been good enough. The individual pitching stats:



James Hays' numbers are downright pornographic and May and Ryan have been very good although the latter has been helped by some BABIP luck but at least he's done a much better job of keeping the ball in park this year. None of the relievers are downright horrible but none of them have been really good either.