The 2021 (and only 2021) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

It was a rough series for the Rays with the starting pitching almost universally terrible (even not that great in the James Hays-started game) and it took a minor miracle to win the one game they did. Of course Toronto is a good offensive team with several very dangerous hitters, but they weren't this much trouble in recent seasons with our outstanding starting pitching. The good news to be taken out of the series though is that the offense looks like the team's best in years as it kept them in every game.

The Rays actually got their best-pitched start in the opener as Shane Panzini made his Tampa Bay debut and was shutting down the Jays through 5 with a 5-1 lead. But he started running out of gas in the 6th and a Vlad Guerrero Jr triple brought in a run and then he scored off the pen, leaving Panzini at 5.1 5 3 3 0 5 but encouraging nonetheless. Unfortunately the bullpen imploded in this one with Landon Knack allowing 3 runs and Osvanni Gutierrez 2 and they fell 8-6. As a result a good game from the hitters was wasted as Brayden Jobert had a huge game in his maiden MLB start, going 3-4 with a solo homer, his first in the bigs. Wander Franco was 3-5 with a double and 2 RBI and Andrew Greckel drove in a pair.

Longtime prospect Dave Cedeno finally made his MLB debut and it was a mixed bag in a 6-5 loss to the Jays. Cedeno held the Jays to one run through the first 4 (back-to-back doubles to start the game), but the wheels came off in the 5th and he ended with a 4 7 4 4 2 6 line. There was still enough there to be impressed by, but not a storybook debut by any means. The Jays went up 6-1 and the Rays mounted a furious rally to get close, but Franmil Reyes threw out Wander Franco at home with the potential tying run on Andrew Greckel's 2-run double in the 8th. Franco earlier hit a solo homer (#1) and drove in a pair and Kelly Crumpton homered again (#3) with the bases empty.

The third game was one of the more thrilling Rays fans will see this year as longballs from Victor Robles (#1) and Home Run (Ed) Howard off Alex Manoah tied the game in the 9th and then Howard went deep again leading off the 13th to walk off a 5-4 Tampa Bay win. Had the Rays lost the big story would have been how mortal James Hays looked, as he surrendered a pair of homers and was in trouble through most of his start at 5 7 3 3 3 6, with only striking out the side in his final inning making the line look semi-respectable. But for a change the bats picked him up, with Andrew Greckel commencing his 5-hit day with a first inning solo shot (#1) to go with the later taters. Howard is off to an incredible start with 4 through the team's first 6 games, especially for a guy with 10-15 HR power.

Joe Ryan was bombed for the second time in two starts this season and like the second game, a late Rays rally wasn't enough to climb out of the hole the starter created in another 6-5 loss. Ryan was brutal and stayed in as long as he did as the bullpen was fried from the previous 3 games. He gave up 3 in the first and finished 5 7 6 6 2 4 with 3 homers allowed. Slade Cecconi did an admirable job of buying time for the offense with 4 scoreless innings of relief, and it was the usual suspects coming through with 2-run homers from Kelly Crumpton (#4) and Andrew Greckel (#2, now hitting .500) to get them back into it. A 9th-inning rally saw Ed Howard come through in the clutch again with an RBI single, but with the tying run in scoring position and 2 out Wander Franco grounded out to end the game, although he did earlier extend his hitting streak to 16 games.

Team record: 3-4. Despite the bad series, we're only 1 game off the division lead so no early holes dug. Next up: We visit Detroit for 3 in a rematch of the last two ALCSes.

[Art Deco]

This was never going to be an easy series for the Rays with the Tigers the defending AL champs and starting the season 7-0 while the Rays threw two rookies at them. And it wasn't as Detroit took two of three even though the rookie starters weren't bad.

Instead it was veteran JT Ginn who turned in a second terrible start to begin the year as 4-run 9th made the final scoreline of 8-5 Detroit look a little more respectable for the Rays. Ginn was 2.2 11 6 6 1 1 and there's no sugarcoating that as he starts the year with a 14.85 ERA. It was 8-1 with the Rays only managing 4 hits through 8 before a 3-run Heston Kjerstad homer (#1) in the 9th.

The Rays bounced back to rout Detroit in the second game 10-1 behind an excellent start from rookie Shane Panzini. The young righty was 6 5 0 0 2 4, picking up his first MLB win and handing Detroit their first 2028 loss, and he had plenty of run support. They put 4 on the board in the 2nd and then Victor Robles broke the game open with a 3-run homer (#2) in the 4th. Kelly Crumpton had 4 hits and Kody Hoese drove in a pair in his first action of the season.

Transaction: Christian Chamberlain suffered forearm stiffness in the second game and goes on the IL with Jared Wetherbee coming up from Durham as we need lefties in the pen (we'll probably need to acquire one).

The first two games were routs in either direction but the finale was back and forth before the Rays' bullpen faltered in a 9-7 loss. Dave Cedeno was pitching fairly well and took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the 6th before he got into some trouble and allowed the tying run. Tylor Megill came in and was downright awful, giving up 3 straight hits to allow 3 more runs to score, marring Cedeno's final line at 5.2 6 4 4 1 2. Megill then gave up another run in the 7th and Jared Wetherbee didn't impress by allowing 2 more in the 8th. After falling behind the Rays hit four solo homers in the late innings to stay close: Heston Kjerstad and Wander Franco each hit their 2nd; Dominic Scavone hit his first as a big leaguer, and Kelly Crumpton blasted his team-high 5th.

Team record: 4-6, now 3 behind Boston. Slow starts are nothing new with this team and they've overcome them, but the pitching really has been poor overall. Next up: An off-day then 3 games in Houston.

[Art Deco]

The Rays took 2 of 3 in Houston, a good bit of work, as they try to get back to and above .500.

James Hays got the ball for the opener and continues to look a little more human than his 2027 form but still an excellent pitcher nonetheless. Today he went 7.2 5 2 2 1 9, surrendering a 2-run homer to Brandon Lowe (one of a slew of ex-Rays on this year's Astros) and went to 2-0. Yasunari Uehara got the final four outs for his first save of the season. Dominic Scavone had his best day as Ray with a solo shot for his 2nd homer and an RBI double in the 9th to provide some insurance, and Brayden Jobert kept his average at .500 with two more hits including a double.

While Joe Ryan still hasn't displayed his 2027 form yet, he was good enough today to get his first win in a 6-4 Rays triumph over Houston. Ryan was roughed up early for 3 runs in the first 4 innings but hung in there to go 6 7 3 3 3 5. Robinson Ortiz got 8 of the final 9 outs before giving up a homer to yet another former Ray in Jhon Diaz, and Kendall Williams retired Jeremiah Jackson to end the game and pick up his first Rays save. Heston Kjerstad was 2-4 with his 3rd homer, Brayden Jobert is still hitting .500 after going 2-4 with a 2-run double, and Wander Franco extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a pair of RBI doubles.

The Rays couldn't complete the sweep as JT Ginn was bombed for the third time in three starts in a 6-4 loss, having me wondering if he should go back to the pen where he was so dominant in 2025 and 2026. Ginn was 3.2 7 6 6 0 3 and gave up 3 more homers, making it 6 allowed in 10.1 innings over 3 starts with 24 hits and 4 walks allowed as well. Yikes! Two more former Rays took him deep with Lewin Diaz and Yoshi Tstusugo accounting for two of three Houston homers. The Rays tried to fight back on a 2-run Victor Robles double and a 2-run Kelly Crumpton bomb (#6) but it wasn't enough, and still another former Ray Aaron Fletcher got them 1-2-3 in the 9th for the save. For the stat-minded, Brayden Jobert went 2-4 once again to stay at .500 and Wander Franco upped his hitting streak to 21.

Team record: 6-7, still 3 games behind the Red Sox. Next up: Back home for 3 against the Yankees.

MLB News: Back when I was chronicling the offseason moves I questioned the Cubs spending so much money on a wrecked Yordan Alvarez. But NL pitchers have been the only ones wrecked so far as Alvarez has 10 HR and 21 RBI in 13 games to start the season. The Cubs are still only 7-6 to show for it and Alvarez is still going to get hurt sooner than later, but what a start to the season for him.

[Art Deco]

It was an eventful series at the Trop but unfortunately a losing one for the Rays as they dropped 2 of 3 to the Yankees in blowout fashion while we swung a big deal for a starting pitcher.

The Rays did win the opener 3-2 behind another impressive outing from rookie Shane Panzini. The righty no-hit the Yankees through 5, and then when he ran into trouble loading the bases in the 6th with one out, he got out of it by striking out Gleyber Torres and Raimfer Salinas who only combined for 84 homers last season. Panzini (2-0) finished 6.1 2 1 1 3 8 and Yasunari Uehara converted save #2 despite allowing a run and making things way too interesting in the 9th. Ed Howard was the hitting star, going 3-3 with a pair of RBI.

After the game we made this trade for a starting pitcher:



The details on Lopez:



As you can see he's solid all around, doesn't walk anyone and keeps the ball in the park with stuff a tick above average. He's been fine for Philly the last couple of years and was off to a good start this season. Lopez is a rental since his deal is up at the end of the year and we can always flip him if we don't get things turned around. (Not sure why's he angry though - perhaps it's because I haven't activated him yet as he won't be ready to pitch until Saturday.) Of the prospects we sent Baggett was the best, our second round pick in 26 who projects to be a decent all-around hitter but will probably need to really hit since his best position is DH. Lesko was a prized high school arm and our first round pick in 2022 but has never lived up to billing; while he still has good stuff, he projects to be a reliever since his control is poor. Mendoza's a future mop-up guy and Mullen recently underwent TJS.

We also had another transaction as Alex Kirilloff came off the IL and Brayden "Mr. 2 for 4" Jobert was optioned to Durham. Jobert did finally break his streak of 2-4 games by going 0-4 in the opener but still concluded his initial MLB stint by hitting .441.

While Shane Panzini dominated the Yankees in the opener, our other rookie in the rotation Dave Cedeno was hit hard in the second game in a 5-0 loss and had to leave in the 4th with shoulder inflammation. It's not serious as it will only shelve him a week but it gives us a rotation opening for Pablo Lopez and Cedeno probably could use a few starts back in Durham after beginning his big league career 0-3, 8.31 after going 3.1 4 4 4 2 4 with 2 homers allowed.

Transaction: Lopez will take his spot over the weekend, but for now we put Cedeno on the DL and recalled P Shane Baz from Durham to give us a long reliever.

Things got really weird in the finale as a couple of streaks ended in a 12-2 Yankees rout of the Rays. James Hays' 22-game win streak came to a shocking end in a strange outing which saw Yankee hitters who put the ball in play go 10 for 11 in an abbreviated outing of 2 2/3 innings. With a Luke Voit homer included, Hays ended up 2.2 11 8 8 2 7, a pitching line I'm not sure has ever been duplicated and one which saw him lose for the first time in nearly a year. I'm not sure if it's regression or what as all his ratings look great and he does have 34 whiffs in 21 2/3 IP this year. But all the hits were shocking to see and we have to hope he gets it back together or it's going to be a long season. The other streak that ended was Wander Franco's 23-game hit streak as he was denied on a diving catch in LF by Brandon Lockridge in his final at-bat in the 9th. Alex Kirilloff, who had 3 hits including a double, was the only Ray who could hold his head high after the game.

Team record: 7-9, now 5 games back of Boston which is off to a ridiculous 12-4 start. Next up: Those same Red Sox visit for 4 games over the weekend, and we really don't want to be 9 back come Monday.

[Art Deco]

The Rays came into this early-season 4-game series with Boston 5 games out of first behind the Red Sox, and they left it 7 behind after dropping 3 of 4 in perhaps the worst sustained exhibition of pitching I've seen from this team in this save or perhaps any of my Rays saves. They were battered for 32 runs on 65 hits in the 4 games and needed to score 12 to win the one game they did. The irony is that this might be the best offense I've had in the save but the pitching has been so bad by orders of magnitude that it doesn't matter.

The opener was a heartbreaker as the Rays scored twice in bottom of the 9th to force the game to extra innings before losing in 13, 7-6 on Ben Rortvedt's homer off Landon Knack (0-2), his third of the game. Joe Ryan was terrible again (3.1 6 3 3 1 2) with 3 solo homers allowed, and had to leave with back tightness, probably from tensing up after each gopher ball. The offense kept them in it, with Diego Cartaya hitting a pair of RBI doubles including one in the 9th, and Alex Kirilloff drove in 3 runs.

If a Rays team in this save scored 9 runs, they'd be about 99% to win but this year they're just as likely to be consolation runs as Boston battered Rays pitching again in a 10-9 loss. JT Ginn was brutal, and is done with the rotation - his spot for now will go to Slade Cecconi. Look at this start to the season for Ginn (ignore the 3/28 start that was spring training):



Amazing that anyone could be this bad. Cecconi (0-1) actually took the loss as the Rays went ahead 6-5 after 5 before he allowed 2 runs in the 6th. The horrible pitching wasted a career day from Wander Franco, who was 5-5 with a triple, homer (#3) and 4 RBI while Kelly Crumpton hit #7, Diego Cartaya had another nice game with his first MLB homer among 3 hits, and Alex Kirilloff drove in 3 more runs.

Pablo Lopez made his Rays debut in the rotation and while he wasn't all that great, at least he got the win as the Rays outscored the Red Sox 12-6. Lopez went 6.2 9 5 5 1 3 which counts as a gem these days, and he was helped by a big game from Dominic Scavone, who had a 3-run homer in the first (#3) and a double, with Alex Kirilloff (8 RBI in 3 games), Andrew Greckel and Victor Robles each driving in a pair while Wander Franco had 3 more hits, giving him 8 straight at one point.

Transaction: We claimed Keylan Kilgore on waivers from Colorado - the lefty has 55/60/60 ratings and we can use all the help we can get. Jared Wetherbee was sent to Durham to make room.

Shane Panzini had been our best pitcher but even he wasn't immune to the rot (or the Red Sox) as he was hit for 6 runs in a 9-5 loss. He gave up 3 in the first, appeared to settle down, then gave up 3 more in the 5th to finish 4 10 6 6 2 4 with 3 homers allowed to suffer his first loss as a Ray. Kelly Crumpton homered again (#8) in a losing cause and Alex Kirilloff made it 9 RBI for the series by driving one in.

Team record: 8-12. Next up: 3 games in Baltimore.

[Art Deco]

We finally stopped the rot in Baltimore with three well-pitched starts leading to three wins out of four, although another brutal James Hays outing has us concerned, as is an injury to one of those three starters who pitched well.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a pitcher go from untouchable to almost unusable but James Hays has been that way over his last two starts, and after being bombed for 8 runs and 10 hits in 2 2/3 against Boston he went out tonight and gave up 10 runs (8 earned) on 11 hits in 3 innings in a 12-4 loss at Baltimore. He's still striking out people (4 tonight to give him 38 in 25 IP) but everything else is horrible. He only allowed 5 runs in his first 3 starts so I'm going to think fluke for now but if this were real life I'd think he had an arm issue (not sure how that manifests itself in OOTP). The loss was the Rays' 6th in 7 games with Diego Cartaya (#2) and Andrew Greckel (#3) hitting a pair of consolation 2-run homers.

At long last a decent outing from a starting pitcher as Joe Ryan was 6 3 1 1 3 7 in by far his best outing of the year and he left with a 5-1 lead. However the bullpen blew it in the 8th allowing the Orioles to tie before Kelly Crumpton rescued them with a solo homer in the 10th (#9) to give the Rays a much-needed 6-5 win. Keylan Kilgore was terrible in relief, allowing a run and leaving two on when Robinson Ortiz served up a 3-run homer to former Ray Marcell Ozuna (who also homered last night off Hays) to tie it. Alex Kirilloff was 3-5 with a pair of RBI doubles and Andrew Greckel had a 2-run double to build the early lead. Yasunari Uehara pitched the 9th and 10th for his 2nd win.

Transaction: Perhaps the reason Kilgore was terrible was because he developed a sore elbow, and will be out 2-3 weeks. Christian Chamberlain is back up from Durham to replace him.

Slade Cecconi, in and out of the rotation the last couple of seasons, got back in taking JT Ginn's spot and if tonight is any indication Cecconi won't be going anywhere as he was absolutely brilliant in a 4-0 win. He retired the first 15 Orioles he faced, put men on 1st and 3rd to start the 6th and then struck out the side to get out of that and finished 6 3 0 0 0 7 to earn his first win of the year. Kelly Crumpton grabbed a share of the AL home run lead with a 2-run blast in the 1st, his 10th, and rookie Jose Aguilar got a chance to start and impressed, going 2-3 with a pair of doubles, a pair of walks and an RBI.

The Rays made it 3 out of 4 thanks to a 4-2 win behind Pablo Lopez, making his second start since being acquired from Philadelphia. Lopez was extremely efficient, shutting out the Orioles on 55 pitches through 6 and took a 4-1 lead into the 9th. He gave up a solo homer to finish 8.1 7 2 2 0 7 on only 93 pitches to make it two wins in two starts but was maybe pushed too far as he suffered a herniated disc and will be out 2-3 weeks. Yasunari Uehara got the final two outs for save #3. Wander Franco had HR #4, a solo shot, among his two hits while Andrew Greckel and Kelly Crumpton had RBI knocks.

Team record: 11-13, now within 5 1/2 of Boston which dropped 2 of 3 in New York to the Yankees. Next up: 3 games in Cleveland.

[Art Deco]

After the final game in Baltimore we brought an Oriole home with us and left one of ours behind as we swung this deal:



The details on Elvis (I'm going to have fun making Presley jokes):



He can be used as an impact reliever (75 stuff) or as a starter and with Pablo Lopez out he'll probably get a start or two to begin his Rays career. He was dominating in 6 appearances this year with the O's. Hoese meanwhile still had pretty good trade value but it was probably going to diminish as we've let him rot on the bench behind Crumpton and Scavone at the corners, so I was happy to cash him in for a live arm like Garcia's. Garcia will take Lopez's spot on the roster and 1B Michael Busch will come up from AAA Durham to take Hoese's. Busch is a former Dodgers prospect who's kind of become a AAA lifer at 30 with 50 contact, 50 power and a 60 eye and can field the position very well. He's just the kind of bland guy who looks like a central casting MLB backup.

[Art Deco]

The Rays continue to inch closer to .500 after taking 2 of 3 in Cleveland.

The opener was a tough one as they couldn't hold an early 4-1 lead and ended up losing 6-4 on a pair of Skeiling Rodriguez homers for Cleveland. 2-run shots from Alex Kirilloff (#1) and Dominic Scavone (#4) gave them the early lead but Shane Panzini struggled for the second straight start after beginning the season brightly, giving up the first of Rodriguez's homers to allow the Guardians to tie and finishing 4.1 7 4 4 2 1. Wennington Romero (0-1) took the loss when allowed the second Rodriguez homer in the 7th.

The Rays clobbered Shane Bieber in the second game, hitting the veteran for 8 runs on 4 homers in a 16-5 rout of Cleveland. Heston Kjerstad had a massive game, going 4-6 with 2 HR and 5 RBI to give him 5 longballs on the year, Kelly Crumpton hit his AL-leading 11th, Jose Aguilar (#2) and Alex Kirilloff (#2) each launched 2-run blasts, and Michael Busch in his Rays debut found the seats. Kirilloff added a bases-clearing double to give him a 5-RBI as well. The big news though was the relative return to form of James Hays, who went 6 4 0 0 3 7 to move to 3-2. He's still not his 2027 self but this was a vast improvement over the shellings he suffered the last two times out. Not fixed though is JT Ginn, who made his first relief appearance and gave up 5 more runs (4 earned) in 2 1/3 innings to maintain that 14+ ERA.

For several innings this series pivoted between good and not-that-good for the Rays as they fell behind early 4-2 but came back to take a 5-4 win over Cleveland. Elvis Garcia made his Rays debut and Cleveland hitters were cruel to him in a 4 7 4 4 2 4 outing. But the bullpen held strong from there to buy time for a comeback and Andrew Greckel got it done almost single-handedly, hitting an RBI double and RBI triple to get it to 4-4, and then he doubled in the 9th before Dominic Scavone singled him home for the winner. Tylor Megill picked up his first win in relief this year, and Yasunari Uehara held the 9th for save #4.

Team record: 13-14, now within 3 1/2 of Boston which was swept by Texas although we're still 4th in the division. Next up: Back to the Trop for 3 vs Oakland.

Transactions: We made a couple of minor league signings, adding longtime Rockies 2B Brendan Rodgers and veteran reliever Grant Holmes, both of whom will report to Durham.

[Art Deco]

The 2028 season has been one step forward, two steps back for the Rays, and this series against Oakland was literally that as they took the first game but dropped the next two with some poor starting pitching.

There was nothing poor about Joe Ryan's start in the opener as he was pulled from a no-hitter after 6 as he had run up a pitch count of 105. Ryan (2-2) walked 2 and fanned 10 as his excellent start propelled the Rays to a 4-1 win. Osvanni Gutierrez lost the team no-hitter and shutout when he was greeted by a Pete Alonso homer leading off the 7th and Yasunari Uehara had a 1-2-3 9th for save #5. Heston Kjerstad was the offense, going 3-4 with a 3-run HR (#6) in the 3rd with Dominic Scavone contributing an RBI double.

Slade Cecconi put the Rays in a 5-1 hole and they nearly came back but fell short at 5-4. Tampa Bay put the first two men on in the 9th but a fly ball and a GIDP from pinch-hitter Alex Kirilloff meant the Rays would drop back below .500. Cecconi looked good early but gave up 5 runs in the 4th and 5th, finishing 5 8 5 5 1 5 to drop to 1-2. Heston Kjerstad had his second straight game with a homer (#7) and 3 RBI and Michael Busch was 2-3 with an RBI to supply the runs.

Shane Panzini's hot start to the season and his Rays career is becoming a distant memory as he was hit hard for the third straight time in an 8-4 loss. He looked good for 4 innings at 1-1 before the wheels came off in a 6-run 5th to drop him to 2-2. His final line of 4.2 6 6 6 0 7 was marred when Osvanni Gutierrez once again gave up a first-batter homer to Pete Alonso, this one a three-run shot that effectively put the game out of reach. Alex Kirilloff had a 2-run HR (#3) and Dominic Scavone added a solo shot (#5).

Team record: 14-16, 4 1/2 behind the now-first place Blue Jays. Next up: An off-day then 3 games in Seattle.

[Art Deco]

The Rays took 2 of 3 in the Pacific Northwest from the Mariners and with Toronto and Boston being swept over the weekend things have gotten congested in the AL East. The Rays are in 4th place in the division but only 3 off the lead to give you an idea.

Alex Kirilloff was the hero as he went 3-4 with a solo homer (#4) and an RBI single in the 8th which broke a 2-2 tie to give the Rays a 3-2 win over the Mariners. Kirilloff, who missed the first few weeks of the season after getting hurt on Opening Day, has done nothing but hit since coming back at 343/351/629. James Hays was decent at 6 5 2 2 3 6 but still remains in search of his dominating 2027 form while Tylor Megill (2-0) got the win in relief and Yasunari Uehara secured his 6th save. Some more good news with JT Ginn pitching a clean 8th, his second straight scoreless outing after his miserable start in the rotation.

The Rays took a 6-2 win in the second game behind a great performance from Andrew Greckel, who was 2-4 with 4 RBI, including a 2-run homer (#4). Dominic Scavone got them on the board with a solo HR (#6) as they built a 5-0 lead behind Greckel. Elvis Garcia couldn't make it through the 5th though as he was all shook up, going a busy 4.2 5 0 0 5 8 on 98 pitches so Landon Knack (1-2) got the win despite allowing a couple of runs in the 7th.

After seemingly turning a corner Joe Ryan reverted back to his poor early-season form and the Rays fell 4-2 to Seattle in the finale. Ryan (2-3) was hit hard to the tune of 4.1 11 4 4 0 5 with a homer allowed and outside of Wander Franco's first-inning solo shot (#5) the offense was moribund until a rally in the 9th which saw one run score but no more.

Team record: 16-17. Next up: Another off-day then 3 games in Minnesota.

Transaction: Jared Wetherbee continues to be injury-prone and he suffered a partially torn labrum at Durham which will shelve him 3 months. As a result he was put on the 60-day IL opening up a 40-man roster spot in case we want to bring up someone like Corbin Burnes to start as he's been pitching well for the Bulls.

[Art Deco]

Are the Rays finally turning a corner? They got a sweep at a place where they've struggled in this save, taking all three games from the Twins at Target Field to move two games above .500 and within 1 1/2 of the division lead.

The Rays took the opener 4-1 behind a wild-but-effective outing from Slade Cecconi and some timely hitting. Cecconi shut the Twins out into the 6th, going 5.2 2 0 0 6 6. Christian Chamberlain bailed him out of a bases-loaded jam in that inning and fanned 4 in 2 scoreless innings, Yasunari Uehara had to leave one out short of a save with a mild shoulder strain, and JT Ginn got the final out to preserve the win. Alex Kirilloff had an RBI double against his old team to start things off, Ed Howard was 3-5 with an RBI and Dominic Scavone blasted a solo homer (#7).

Transaction: Uehara was placed on the IL with his shoulder strain, he should be back when his time is up. We purchased the contract of Corbin Burnes from Durham and he's going into the rotation with Elvis Garcia moving to the pen.

A 4-run 3rd propelled the Rays to a 5-3 victory in the second game with Shane Panzini getting back into the win column. Alex Kirilloff stayed hot with an RBI double, one of two on the game, and Wander Franco and Diego Cartaya had RBI hits. Panzini gave up a couple of solo homers and finished 6 3 3 3 0 7 to go to 3-2 and JT Ginn got the final four outs for his first save.

Corbin Burnes was excellent in his Rays debut and they completed the sweep with a 7-5 win which was nearly squandered by the pen. Heston Kjerstad had a 3-run homer in the 2nd (#8) and a 4-run 8th made it 7-2 before Landon Knack and Robinson Ortiz combined to allow 3 runs and left the bases loaded. Osvanni Gutierrez came to rescue with a strikeout to end the threat and took care of the 9th for his 1st save. Burnes went 5.2 4 1 1 3 3 for the win while Alex Kirilloff (again) and Corey Collins had 2-run singles in the 8th inning.

Team record: 19-17. Next up: 3 at home against the White Sox, who are off to a brutal 9-26 start to the season. Gotta take at least 2 of 3 against these guys.

[Art Deco]

After a good run the Rays hit the wall, dropping 2 of 3 to the struggling White Sox at Tropicana Field. This, along with other results, has left the AL East a jumbled mess:



The opener saw a good pitching matchup on paper between of couple of aces who've had their struggles this year with James Hays squaring off against Lucas Giolito. Hays struggled early and Giolito wasn't dominating either and the White Sox took a 5-4 win. Hays (3-3) was hit for 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits through the first two innings and then settled in to finish 6 7 3 2 1 6. The Rays got back within 3-2 off Giolito before Elvis Garcia coughed up a 2-run homer in the 7th. They got those two back on an Andrew Greckel shot (#5) in the 8th but couldn't complete the comeback.

Joe Ryan flashed his 2027 form and the Rays took a 4-2 win over the White Sox in the second game. Ryan (3-3) went 5.2 3 1 0 1 8 on 95 pitches in an at-times dominating performance. Kendall Williams had his best outing as a Ray with 2 1/3 scoreless and JT Ginn secured his 2nd save despite allowing a solo homer in the 9th. Dominic Scavone delivered the game's big hit, a 3-run homer (#8) in the 5th, and Wander Franco added a solo shot (#6) for insurance in the 8th.

The White Sox took the series with a 13-5 blowout of the Rays in the finale as Slade Cecconi was hit hard and Elvis Garcia poured gasoline onto the fire. Cecconi (2-3) continued his inconsistency, getting hit today for 3.1 7 6 6 0 3 with a pair of homers allowed, and Garcia gave up 7 (5 earned) in 4 2/3 innings of long relief as he's struggled big-time lately. Wander Franco was 2-4 with 2 RBI to lead the bats.

Team record: 20-19. Next up: Our first interleague series since expansion and we get none other than the World Champions visiting the Trop as Atlanta comes to town for 3.

[Art Deco]

Ladies and gentlemen, your first-place Tampa Bay Rays. That's where they find themselves after a thrilling sweep of Atlanta at Tropicana Field, including a pair of walk-off wins in their first interleague action since 2021.

They rode the longball in the opener, a 7-2 win which saw them launch 4 homers. Alex Kirilloff led the way with a pair of solo shots in the 3rd and 5th to give him 6; Wander Franco's 7th put them ahead to stay in the 4th, and Corey Collins' first of the year, a 3-run shot, put the game away in the 6th. The power display made a winner of Shane Panzini (4-2), who was a solid 6 5 2 2 0 5.

Kendall Williams blew a 2-run lead in the 8th inning of the second game but Heston Kjerstad rode to the rescue with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 9th to give the Rays a 5-4 win over Atlanta. Ed Howard was 3-5 with an RBI single and Wander Franco was 2-4 with one as well, and Corbin Burnes made it two quality starts in two outings since being recalled after going 6 8 2 2 0 5 against the team which released him last season. Kjerstad's heroics provided a win for JT Ginn, his first of the year after a 1-2-3 top of the 9th with 2 whiffs as the righty has rediscovered his form in the pen.

Heston Kjerstad was the walk-off hero once again as his solo homer (#9) in the bottom of the 11th settled a pitchers' duel in the Rays' favor 2-1. James Hays started and it was looking like one of his rough outings again after he allowed 5 hits in the first two innings. But he got out of those jams and settled in to finish 7 7 1 1 0 8, Landon Knack had two dominant innings with 4 whiffs, and Robinson Ortiz (1-0) picked up the win with two scoreless of his own. Diego Cartaya's RBI single in the 4th accounted for the lone Rays run in regulation.

Team record: 23-19, 1/2 game up on Boston where the top four are separated by 1 1/2 games. Next up: A day off then interleague week continues as the Mets roll into town for the weekend.

[Art Deco]

The Raynaissance continues as Tampa Bay took 2 of 3 from the Mets at the Trop to remain in first place (but by only 1/2 game over Boston and Toronto) and extend their current run to 17-7 since beginning the year 8-13.

Joe Ryan was outstanding in the opener and the Rays broke it open late to take a 7-1 win over the Mets in the series opener. Ryan (4-3) was 7.1 3 1 1 2 4 with his only blemish a solo homer by former teammate Hunter Bishop in the 4th. Kelly Crumpton broke a 1-1 tie in the 7th with a 2-run HR (#12) and then opened things up with a 3-run shot (#13) in the next inning.

Transaction: Activated Ps Yasunari Uehara and Pablo Lopez from the 10-day IL, optioned Ps Elvis Garcia and Kendall Williams to AAA Durham. Lopez goes right into the rotation tonight and Uehara reclaims his closer role, while Garcia and Williams had options and had their struggles of late, but both are viewed as key components of the staff in the future.

The Rays downed the Mets again 7-3 as Pablo Lopez came off the IL and won his third game in as many starts since coming over from the Phillies. The veteran righty was 5.2 8 2 2 1 5 and was supported by Kelly Crumpton's second straight 2-homer game with a solo shot in the 6th and a 2-run blast in the 8th to give him 15. Dominic Scavone had the game's big hit, a 2-run homer in the 4th (#9) which doubled an early 2-run Rays advantage.

A familiar name helped the Mets to a 5-4 win to snap the Rays' win streak at 5 games as Levi Stoudt got the win for the New Yorkers, holding Tampa Bay to 2 runs over 5 innings. Meanwhile the bullpen was ineffective as both Slade Cecconi (pressed into action in the 4th when Shane Panzini left with a sore elbow) and Robinson Ortiz both gave up 3 straight hits after entering the game with men on base to account for all 5 Mets runs. The Rays valiantly tried to come back on homers from Heston Kjerstad (#10) and that man again Kelly Crumpton (#16), his 5th in the 3-game series, but fell just short including putting the first two men on in the 9th and failing to advance them as another former Ray, Devin Williams, shut the door. (Adding to the list of former Rays getting revenge, Adley Rutschman was 2-5 with an RBI). Panzini's sore elbow is minor, and shouldn't prevent him from making his next start.

Team record: 25-20. Next up: The Red Sox visit for a quick 2-game series.

MLB News: Things have not been going well for Atlanta this season as they defend their 2027 World Series title, which we saw earlier in the week when they were swept by the Rays. And now they've suffered a severe blow: Superstar 2B Ozzie Albies is done for the year with a fractured skull, suffered in a collision on the bases over the weekend in Boston.

[Art Deco]

Progress is not always a straight line and the Rays have learned that as after a 17-6 run to shake off a bad start they've now dropped three straight as they were swept by the Red Sox at the Trop in this 2-game mini-series to fall 1 1/2 behind Boston in the AL East.

Corbin Burnes was pitching well but the game got away from the Rays in the 6th when the bullpen, as has been its wont lately, poured gasoline on the fire and Boston ended up winning going away 11-3. It was a 2-2 game through 5 when Burnes got into some trouble with two out and two on including a Wander Franco error. Burnes gave up a 2-run single and was pulled for Osvanni Gutierrez, who proceeded to allow 5 straight hits and suddenly it was a 7-run inning and game over. Burnes (1-1) was a not-bad 5.2 5 6 2 3 7. Ed Howard was 2-3 with a double and 2 RBI to represent the offense.

The Rays wasted the best start they got from James Hays since Opening Day thanks to a complete lack of offense, and after Hays left having hurled 8 scoreless innings Yasunari Uehara gave up a 2-run homer in the 9th and Tampa Bay fell 2-1. Hays was 8 4 0 0 0 6 but received only two hits' worth of support from the bats and it was 0-0 into the 9th. Uehara (2-1) coughed up a homer to Rays-killer Trey Harris with a man on, and although Kelly Crumpton got one back with a shot to dead center with 2 out in the bottom of the inning, his 17th, it was too little too late.

Team record: 25-22. Next up: Another quickie 2-game series with a division rival as we travel to Yankee Stadium.

[Art Deco]

The Rays could have swept the two games in New York, but a bullpen meltdown in the opener cost them in the opener and it nearly happened again in the second game. As it is they remain 1 1/2 behind Boston but in third place in the East.

Things looked good for the Rays when they jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the 5th inning at Yankee Stadium against Gerrit Cole with Wander Franco and Alex Kirilloff each getting 3 hits and an RBI, but New York kept chipping away and Yasunari Uehara (2-2) blew the game in the 9th as they lost 6-5. It was 5-3 heading into the final frame and Uehara gave up a 2-run homer to Corey Seager to let the Yankees equalize, and then put two more on. JT Ginn came in and got a strikeout for the second out after putting a man on, but he walked Akil Baddoo to force in the winner. The meltdown cost Joe Ryan a win after he pitched well at 5.2 6 2 2 1 8.

It was looking like deja vu all over again when the Rays took a 5-2 lead in the 7th and the Yankees scored in the bottom of the frame and in the 8th to cut the lead to 5-4. But Robinson Ortiz got New York in order in the 9th to preserve the lead and notch his first career MLB save. As a result Pablo Lopez made it 4 wins in 4 starts as a Ray after going 6.2 8 3 3 1 7. Diego Cartaya had a big game, going 3-4 with a double and an RBI while Alex Kirilloff drove in a pair with a single and a sac fly, the latter being the deciding run in the 7th as they defeated former Ray (for a season) Jonathan Loaisiga.

Team record: 26-23. Next up: Back home for 3 against the San Antonio Alamos, a team the Rays have dominated since they joined the league.

[Art Deco]

The Rays swept the Alamos as usual, although the first two games were particularly aggravating as the bullpen blew late leads and was rescued by a couple of walk-off hits.

The opener saw the Rays take a 5-2 lead on San Antonio going into the 7th with Shane Panzini turning in a good start (5.2 5 2 2 1 3). But Landon Knack (with a little help from Christian Chamberlain who allowed the game-tying hit) allowed 3 runs in the inning to let the Alamos tie before Wander Franco came through with a 2-out RBI single in the 9th to win it 6-5 after Ed Howard kept the inning alive beating out an infield hit. JT Ginn ended up with win after a perfect 9th and Dominic Scavone had the big hit early, a 3-run HR (#10) in the 4th.

Corbin Burnes was brilliant in the second game, turning back the clock to his early-20s dominance, but just like yesterday the bullpen squandered a 3-run lead late and also just like yesterday the bats had to bail them out as Heston Kjerstad's RBI double in the bottom of the 10th walked off a 4-3 win. Burnes has been very sharp since being recalled from Durham and today was his best start yet, going 7 6 0 0 1 8 and lowering his ERA to 1.85 in 4 starts. Yesterday's winner JT Ginn started the collapse by giving up a 2-run homer in the 8th, and the normally reliable Yasunari Uehara blew his second save of the season after allowing a 2-out RBI hit in the bottom of the 9th. Uehara (3-2) pitched the 10th and vultured the win. Jose Aguilar helped build the early lead, with one hit knocking in a run and scoring after another.

The offense poured it on in the finale, scoring a bullpen-proof 11-3 win. Wander Franco homered twice (#s 8 & 9), doubled and drove in 4, Andrew Greckel doubled and hit a 2-run homer (#6) and Heston Kjerstad hit #11. Victor Robles was 3-3 with a pair of doubles and an RBI and is now hitting .293 after last year's .226. On the mound James Hays looked mostly to be in 2027 form, improving to 4-3 after a 7 4 2 2 0 9 outing.

Team record: 29-23, 1/2 behind Boston and good enough for the top wild card spot at the moment. Next up: We stay home for 3 vs Texas.

MLB News: One reason Boston is in first is due to the season unheralded C Ben Rortvedt is having as he's currently 396/461/674 with a 28-game hitting streak and they also had former Ray Christian Arroyo hit for the cycle over the weekend.

[Art Deco]

A step back for the Rays as they dropped 2 of 3 when the offense dried up over the final two games.

The offense wasn't dry in the opener though as they bashed the Rangers 10-3. Alex Kirilloff doubled, homered (#7) and drove in 3, Diego Cartaya was 4-4 with a walk and a ribbie, and Andrew Greckel hit a 478-foot moon shot to dead center (#7). Joe Ryan (5-3) was solid at 6.1 8 3 3 1 6 for the win.

Transaction: Heston Kjerstad is on the shelf yet again, this time with a dead arm which will keep him out for approximately the 10 days he'll be on the IL. Brayden Jobert, who seemed to go 2-4 every time he started earlier this year, is back up from Durham.

The Rays' bats were shackled in the second game as they only managed 3 hits in a 4-1 loss to the Rangers. As a result Pablo Lopez tasted defeat for the first time as a Ray, as he dropped to 4-1 with the club after going 6.1 7 4 4 0 7.

It was another tough day at the plate as Tampa Bay fell just short 4-3 to Texas in the series finale. Shane Panzini struggled again with the longball, allowing 2 more homers to make it 11 yielded in 56 IP as he dropped to 4-4 with a 4.1 8 4 4 3 7 performance. Kelly Crumpton went yard with the bases empty (#18).

Team record: 30-25. Fortunately Boston dropped 2 of 3 (and Ben Rortvedt's 28-game hit streak was snapped), so the Rays remain 1/2 game out although they're third on percentage points as the Yankees are also 1/2 game out at 29-24. Next up: An off-day at home then Minnesota visits for 3 over the weekend.

[Art Deco]

The Rays continue to roll, sweeping Minnesota at home behind 3 very well-pitched games from their starters, and moving into first place in the AL East by a game over the Yankees (although they're tied in the loss column).

The opener followed the familiar pattern of a great start followed by the bullpen blowing the lead before they walked it off, with the Rays taking a 2-1 win over the Twins on Andrew Greckel's walk-off homer (#8) in the bottom of the 9th. Corbin Burnes was outstanding once again, keeping the opposition off the scoreboard for the second straight start at 5.2 5 0 0 0 5, lowering his ERA to 1.50 in 5 starts since being recalled. He didn't get much support with Victor Robles' 3rd homer standing up until Tylor Megill gave up a run in the 8th to let Minnesota tie. But Greckel rode to the rescue, and made a winner of Yasunari Uehara (4-2).

The second game was a 10-1 Rays rout but it was more notable for what happened on the mound as James Hays flashed his truly dominant 2027 form for the first time in a while. The righty was 6 4 0 0 1 13, with the 13 whiffs a season high as he improved to 5-3, 3.53. He had plenty of support as Andrew Greckel went deep again (#9) with a 3-run homer to break it open in the 5th while Wander Franco (#10) had a 3-run blast and Brayden Jobert (#2) added a 2-run shot.

Speaking of flashing his 2027 form, Joe Ryan turned in his best start of the season and needed to in another 2-1 win over Minnesota at the Trop. Ryan (6-3) went 7.2 4 1 1 0 12 also setting a season-high in whiffs and Wander Franco's RBI double broke a 1-1 tie in the 5th. Yasunari Uehara handled the 9th for his 7th save.

Team record: 33-25. Next up: We head out west starting with 3 in Anaheim against the Angels, currently up 1/2 game on Texas in the AL West at 33-23.

[Art Deco]

Another good series for the Rays as they Meat Loafed the Angels in Anaheim as what's looking like the strongest offense in club history continues to get it done.

The opener was a taut 2-1 game with the Rays in the lead until the 9th when they broke it open with 4 runs and took a 6-3 win over the Angels. Alex Kirilloff had an RBI double to put them on the board in the 1st and then an RBI single in the 9th and Ed Howard had a key 2-run single in that 9th as well. Pablo Lopez was outstanding at 6.2 4 1 1 2 8 to go to 5-1 as a Ray, and after some shaky moments in the 9th courtesy of JT Ginn (who just can't seem to get straightened out), Yasunari Uehara got the final 2 outs for save #8.

The bats had their way in the second game, jumping out to a 7-0 lead by the 2nd inning as the Rays went on to beat LA 9-4. Kelly Crumpton's 3-run homer in the 1st (#19) got them on their way while Dom Scavone's solo shot (#11) and Alex Kirilloff's 2-run blast (#8) blew it open in the 2nd. Shane Panzini had a rough 3rd in which he allowed 4 runs but pitched well in the other innings to improve to 5-4 after going 5 5 4 4 1 5. Tylor Megill picked up his first save after coming into a 7-4 game in the 8th and then sticking around through the 9th after Jose Aguilar's 2-run single made it 9-4.

The Rays' winning run came to a halt in the finale as the Angels abused the Rays' bullpen to break open a close game and go on to win 8-2. A solo homer from Victor Robles (#4) gave the Rays an early 2-1 lead in the 2nd, but Corbin Burnes (1-2) was a little off tonight surrendering a pair of homers to LA and finishing 5 7 3 3 2 4. Then Osvanni Guiterrez and JT Ginn (again) struggled in a 4-run Angel 7th which put the game out of reach.

Team record: 35-26, 1 1/2 games up on Boston. Next up: An off-day to travel coast-to-coast as we head to Yankee Stadium for 3, including a Gerrit Cole-James Hays matchup in the opener. New York is only 2 behind as well.