The 2022 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays - Page 36

Art Deco · 10-05-2023, 10:56 PM

Game 1: 6-2 W. WP-Dodson (3-0). Starter-Evans (4.2 5 0 0 1 7). HR-Y.Alvarez (25). The suddenly-hot (10 for his last 23) Ozzie Albies knocked in a pair as did Yordan as the Rays took the opener at Rogers Centre.

Game 2: 5-8 L. LP-V.Gonzalez (3-1). Starter-German (5 6 2 2 3 4). HR-Albies (8), Rivera (8). The bullpen turned a 3-2 lead into a 7-3 deficit when Victor Gonzalez and Trey Riley combined to allow 5 runs in the 7th. Yordan stayed toasty, going 3-4 with a double and 2 RBI.

Game 3: 6-2 W. WP-Bradley (9-4, 6 3 1 1 2 6). HR-Casas (6/43), Haro (12). Rays bookended the series with 6-2 wins as Casas' 3-run shot in the 1st sent them on their way while Haro knocked in the other 3 with a solo homer and 2-run single to back an excellent Taj outing.

Team record: 67-57. Boston is in free fall, getting swept in Philly so the Rays are now in sole possession of first, 2 games up (and 2 1/2 on Toronto). Next up: Back home for 3 against the White Sox.

Art Deco · 10-07-2023, 10:15 AM

Game 1: 6-7 L. LP-Acosta (3-4). Starter-Eldridge (5.1 7 5 5 1 5). HR-Albies (9). Frustrating game as Eldridge gave up a grand slam in the 1st, Rays fought back to tie at 4, Eldridge & pen gave up 2 more, bats tied it again, and then against my better judgment brought in the un-clutch Acosta to pitch the 8th and he gave up the losing homer. Albies was 3-5 with a double and the homer, and Caminero was 3-5 with 3 RBI.

Game 2: 6-4 W. WP-Khattak (15-5, 5 5 4 4 5 5). S-R.Rodriguez (22). HR-Rivera (9). E.Green (12). Caminero had a 2-run double and Rivera 2-run homer and the Rays were cruising up 5-0 through 5. But Khattak literally couldn't get anyone out in the 6th, allowing 4 runs and making it a nail-biter. Unlike yesterday the pen held the lead, though, and Green's pinch-hit solo homer in the 8th was needed insurance.

Game 3: 6-4 W. WP-Evans (11-5, 6 1 1 1 1 8). S-Ogando (1/4). HR-Rivera (10). Same story, different day - Rays were up 5-1 after 6 and this time the pen made it dicey. Angel Rivera had a huge game - 2 walks, a 3-run homer in the 6th, and then a big insurance RBI single in the 8th.

Team record: 69-58. With Boston losing two more games, Toronto has moved into second, 2 1/2 games back of us. Next up: A tough task as we head to Houston to play 3 against the 82-46 Astros, who hold the best record in the AL and are 1/2 game behind Atlanta for the top MLB mark.

Art Deco · 10-08-2023, 07:16 PM

Game 1: 11-6 W. WP-Dodson (4-0). Starter-German (4.1 5 5 4 1 5). HR-Hardy (4/10), Rivera (11), E.Green (13). Rays jumped out to a 7-0, keyed by an RBI double and the third straight game with a homer from Angel Rivera and held on for the win. Alistair Hardy had a 2-run inside-the-park homer, and Elijah Green was 3-5 with a longball and 2 ribbies.

Game 2: 1-7 L. LP-Bradley (9-5, 5.1 10 7 7 1 5, 2 HR). Taj was torched and the offense did little in a game to forget.

Game 3: 3-8 L. LP-Eldridge (3-13, 3.1 8 6 6 5 1). HR-Arakawa (15). Eldridge's lousy season got lousier as his ERA hit 5 and the Rays were routed by Houston again.

Team record: 70-60. Toronto pulled within 1 1/2 games of the division lead. Next up: 2 at home against the 76-54 Washington Nationals, and then we head up there for 2 so it won't be an easy stretch.

Angel Rivera's big week got noticed by the league:

He also drew 6 walks to reach base 14 of 20 times.

Art Deco · 10-09-2023, 10:51 PM

Transaction: James Wood suffered a concussion in the previous series and it's pretty bad - he's essentially going to be out 8-9 months. Manny Tovar, whom we claimed from Cincinnati back in July and was OK at Durham (250/317/467) is up - he has some pop and can play all 3 OF positions so he should make a decent backup with Alistair Hardy now taking over the everyday RF job. Meanwhile Wood's very disappointing season concludes at 217/327/389 with 11 HR, his second poor year in a row and his Rays career could be over as I'm not sure I want to pay him ~$4M in arbitration next year.

Game 1: 0-1 L. LP-Evans (11-6, 6 4 1 1 1 8). A gem from Donye was wasted as Washington's Tarik Skubal pitched a Maddux against us, going 9 4 0 0 0 9 on 97 pitches. Thought we might have a chance when Elijah Green led off the 9th with a double but he was stranded.

Game 2: 10-8 W. WP-R.Rodriguez (4-8). Starter-Khattak (4.1 7 4 4 3 2). Today's game was the polar opposite of yesterday's and one of the most thrilling of the year for Rays fans as after the bullpen gave up 4 in the 8th to lose a 5-4 lead, the bats answered back in the bottom of the inning with 5 runs to take the win. Ozzie Albies had his game of the season, going 4-4 with 3 runs scored, 3 RBI and 3 stolen bases and his RBI single tied the game at 8 before Wander, who had been in the throes of a slump, singled in Albies after he stole second for the game-winner. Yordan Alvarez was also 2-3 with 2 RBI and 2 walks as neither team homered despite a total of 18 runs scored.

Team record: 71-61. Toronto split their two games so the lead remains 1 1/2. Next up: The return leg of the home-and-home with the Nats as we play 2 in Washington.

Art Deco · 10-11-2023, 12:49 PM

Game 1: 0-8 L. LP-German (10-5, 4 6 1 1 3 7). Rays were shut out for the second time in three games by Washington, and the bullpen let it get away after German skated past a ton of runners through 4 innings.

Game 2: 7-11 L. LP-Bradley (9-6, 3.1 8 6 6 1 2). HR-Hardy (5/11), Albies (10). Taj was torched for the second straight start and don't let the final score fool you - only Albies' slam in the 9th made it respectable.

Team record: 71-63. Toronto won both of its games to take over first and drop the Rays 1/2 game back in the division. Next up: Off to Anaheim to play 3 against the Angels.

Art Deco · 10-12-2023, 06:48 PM

Game 1: 3-11 L. LP-Eldridge (3-14, 4 5 7 2 2 3). Another brutal outing for Eldridge and if I had a better option he'd be out of the rotation.

Game 2: 3-4 L (10). LP-R.Rodriguez (4-9). Starter-Evans (4 5 1 1 2 7). HR-Hardy (6/12), Tovar (1/4). A heartbreaker as Manny Tovar's first Rays homer tied it up in the 8th only to lose in the 10th when Rodriguez's wildness loaded the bases and set up the winning hit.

Transactions: 2B Victor Mesa and P Benjamin Buckman, both of whom were up earlier this year, are added to the expanded September roster.

Game 3: 1-5 L. LP-Khattak (14-6, 4 7 4 4 3 3). HR-Mesa (2). Instead of the national anthem we'll be playing Tom Petty's "Free Fallin" as the Rays dropped their fifth straight and eighth in their last nine. Another lousy start and little contribution from the offense have been the recipe for losing of late.

Team record: 71-66. Not that long ago we were 2 1/2 up, now we're 2 1/2 behind Toronto in the division and with the sweep LA tied us for the top wild card spot, which is only 2 games up on the playoff dividing line. So winning again would behoove the Rays who'll get their first chance back home with 3 against Minnesota.

Art Deco · 10-14-2023, 09:03 AM

Game 1: 3-2 W (10). WP-R.Rodriguez (5-9). Starter-German (5.1 3 1 1 1 11). HR-Albies (11). Albies' 4th hit of the game was a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th, giving the Rays a critical win to arrest a slide which saw them lose 8 of their previous 9 games.

Game 2: 6-5 W (15). WP-E.Alcantara (4-4). Starter-Bradley (3.1 7 4 4 3 4). HR-Franco (16), Haro (13). For the second straight night a walk-off homer won it for the Rays as Nelson Haro's jack leading off the 15th gave them the marathon win. Wander and Caminero each had 3 hits and 2 RBI.

Game 3: 5-3 W. WP-V.Gonzalez (4-1). S-R.Rodriguez (23). Starter-Eldridge (5 6 3 3 2 7). HR-Franco (17), Arakawa (16), Hardy (7/13). It wasn't a walk-off this time but it might as well have been as Alistair Hardy's 2-run homer in the bottom of the 8th gave Tampa Bay another late win and a sweep of Minnesota. Eldridge couldn't hold a 3-0 lead (surprise) but the bullpen was stout.

Team record: 74-66. We did gain a game on Toronto to pull within 1 1/2 of the division lead and solidified our wild card position. Next up: A day off then 55-85 Kansas City comes to town so no excuses for not winning at least 2 of 3.

Art Deco · 10-15-2023, 04:24 PM

Game 1: 0-3 L. LP-Evans (11-7, 4.2 4 1 1 5 7). Rays laid an egg against one of the bottom-dwelling teams in the AL in a game they needed. They did have 8 hits and 3 walks but could never get the key hit.

Game 2: 18-8 W. Too much went on in this game so here's the box:

Game 3: 6-2 W. WP-Dodson (5-0). Starter-Bradley (4.1 3 1 1 1 6). Rays managed to take the series despite Taj having to leave with forearm soreness which won't keep him from his next start. Wander drove in 3 including a 2-run triple and Caminero plated a pair to lead the offense.

Team record: 76-67. Toronto dropped 2 of 3 so the Rays have pulled within 1/2 game of the division lead, and still hold the first wild card by a game over the Angels.

Art Deco · 10-17-2023, 09:24 AM

Game 1: 6-3 W. WP-Eldridge (4-14, 6.2 6 3 3 3 2). HR-Y.Alvarez (27), Luciano (12). Yordan's 2-run homer in the 7th broke a 3-3 tie as the Rays moved into a first-place tie with idle Toronto.

Game 2: 1-2 L. LP-Okuda (3-3). Starter-Khattak (1 0 0 0 0 2). HR-Hardy (8/14). Khattak had to leave with a mild abdonimal strain which will push his next start back a couple of days but the bullpen hung in and did well until Cleveland walked it off in the bottom of the 9th. Hardy's homer for the only Rays run was one of a mere three hits the bats managed.

Transaction: JP Sears, who's been terrible all year, actually pitched 3 scoreless innings in relief of Khattak but strained his oblique, so he goes on the IL and the contract of Garret Crochet is purchased from Durham to replace him, giving us a veteran lefty to fill in.

Game 3: 2-0 W. WP-Acosta (4-4). S-Ogando (2/5). Starter-Evans (5.2 1 0 0 1 10). HR-Casas (7/44). Donye was donye-mant once again as he hit the 200-strikeout mark and Casas' 2-run homer in the 8th broke a scoreless deadlock to give the Rays the win.

Team record: 78-68, 1/2 game up in first over Toronto. Next up: An off-day then home for 3 against Boston which is in the thick of the wild card race at 74-72.

Art Deco · 10-19-2023, 09:45 AM

Game 1: 3-14 L. LP-Bradley (9-7, 2.1 6 8 4 4, 2 HR). Taj's line and final score speak for themselves.

Game 2: 5-3 W. WP-German (12-5, 6 5 3 3 2 8). S-R.Rodriguez (24). HR-E.Green (14). Sox scored 3 in the top of the 5th to break open a scoreless game and then the Rays scored 5 in the bottom of the frame to win it, keyed by Green's 3-run homer.

Game 3: 5-3 W. WP-Eldridge (5-14, 6 1 0 0 3 3). S-Ogando (3/6). HR-Casas (8/45). This time the Rays scored all 5 of their runs in the 6th, after having been perfect-gamed for 4 2/3 innings by Nate Pearson. Casas' 2-run homer capped the inning and turned out to be the difference when the bullpen got shaky.

Team record: 80-69. Unfortunately the Jays swept the Yankees in New York and moved into first, 1/2 game up on the Rays. Also unfortunately we close out the regular season with a 13-game road trip starting with 3 in Cincinnati after a day off. We finished 50-31 (.617) at home this year but have only played .441 ball on the road so that doesn't augur well for taking the division. The wild card should be secure, though - our magic # there is 9 and BNN thinks we have a 99.5% shot at the playoffs. But winning the division means a bye as Cleveland leads the Central at only 76-74 so that's still the goal.

Art Deco · 10-20-2023, 06:24 PM

Game 1: 3-6 L. LP-Dodson (5-1). Starter-Evans (4.2 4 3 3 2 7). Although Dodson took the loss, he left a 3-3 game in the 7th with a man on first and two out with two lefties due. Garret Crochet came in and then gave up a triple and a 2-run homer and really deserved the loss but it was Dodson's man who scored the winning run. Wander was 3-4 with a triple and 2 RBI in a disappointing loss.

Game 2: 8-0 W. WP-Bradley (10-7, 9 5 0 0 2 4). HR-Caminero 2 (20), Casas (9/46). Franco (18). Considering how he's pitched of late I don't think anyone had "Taj Bradley complete-game shutout" on their bingo card but that's what happened as he shackled the Reds on 109 pitches. Caminero drove in 3 with his 2 dingers and Wander 2 as the team banged out 16 hits and could have easily scored double digits.

Game 3: 12-7 W. WP-German (13-5, 5.1 4 2 2 1 9). S-Ogando (4/7). HR-Albies 2 (14), Haro (14). They did hit double digits in the finale as they scored 4 in the 9th to put the game away after Cincinnati cut an 8-1 Rays lead to 8-7 by the 8th. Albies had the big day with 2 HR and 4 RBI while Alistair Hardy drove in 3 with a pair of doubles.

Team record: 82-70. Thanks to Toronto losing twice the Rays are back in first by 1/2 game. Next up: The road trip continues with 3 in Milwaukee, which is a dreadful 58-94.

MLB News: While his team was losing 2 of 3 and dropping back into 2nd, Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. recorded his 2000th career hit in his 1723rd game.

Art Deco · 10-22-2023, 01:01 PM

Game 1: 7-5 W (15). WP-Buckman (1-1). Starter-Khattak (6 6 1 1 3 2). HR-Caminero 2 (22), Haro (15). Nelson Haro's 2-run homer in the 15th broke a 3-3 tie and Junior Caminero capped a 4-hit, 2-HR, 4-RBI day with a 2-run single which proved big when Buckman gave up 2 in the bottom of the 15th yet still picked up his first MLB win.

Game 2: 2-3 L. LP-Ogando (0-2). Starter-Eldridge (6.2 7 2 2 1 5). A tough loss for the Rays as the 9th told the story: Tampa Bay loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the inning in a 2-2 game, but Yordan hit into a 4-2-3 DP and Casas struck out for the fourth time (he stranded 7 in total) before Milwaukee walked it off in the bottom of the inning on a double and a 2-out single.

Game 3: 5-1 W. WP-Evans (12-7, 6 2 1 1 2 8). HR-E.Green (15), Albies (15), Hardy (9/15). Donye Evans lowered his ERA to 2.96 as he's been the Rays' best starter this year and back-to-back homers from Green (a 2-run shot) and Albies in the 3rd propelled the team to a key win.

Team record: 84-71. Toronto also won 2 of 3 to stay 1/2 game behind the Rays, who have a game in hand. Next up: That game in hand will be played as part of a 4-game series in Baltimore.

Playoff Race Update: As we enter the season's final week there are several races going on aside from the AL East. Cleveland (78-78) leads the Central by 1 1/2 games and Texas has a 2-game lead on Boston, Seattle and the Yankees for the final AL Wild Card (the Angels and Jays hold the other spots). Houston has run away with the West. In the NL, Atlanta has lapped the field in the East while St. Louis holds a 2 1/2-game lead on the Cubs and the Dodgers lead Arizona by 1 in the Central and West. The D-backs and Washington are solid WCs while San Diego is 3 up on the Mets for the 3rd one.

Art Deco · 10-24-2023, 09:49 AM

Game 1: 5-4 W. WP-Bradley (11-7, 6 7 3 3 2 6). S-R.Rodriguez (25). Yordan and Wander each knocked in a pair as the Rays won their game in hand on Toronto to go a full game up in the AL East (really 2 since the Rays dominated the tiebreaking season series 10-4 over the Jays).

Game 2: 7-6 W. WP-Riley (2-2). Starter-German (5.1 5 1 1 3 6). HR-Hardy (10/16), Casas (10/47), E.Green (16). Rays lost a 6-0 lead in this one when Baltimore scored 5 in the 8th off the bullpen but Elijah Green led off the 9th with a homer to win it after all. Before that Hardy's 3-run homer was the big blow. Toronto lost in Colorado to fall 2 games back.

Game 3: A football game broke out at Camden Yards:

A big game for Casas against the team he was acquired from as well as a big game for Albies. Yordan's injury was minor and he'll be back in the lineup tomorrow. Meanwhile Toronto lost again to Colorado and our magic number to clinch the division and a bye is 1.

Game 4: 1-9 L. LP-Eldridge (5-15, 4.2 5 3 3 3 7). Rays came up woefully short in their first chance to clinch the division, and Toronto won in Colorado to delay the celebrations at least another day.

Team record: 87-72. Next up: We conclude the regular season with 3 games in Boston, which is the middle of a ridiculous wild card race:

Meanwhile it's all but certain that the AL Central winner will have a losing record as the White Sox and Guardians are tied atop the division at 78-81. In the NL the Dodgers are a game up on Arizona in the West with everything else pretty locked down.

Art Deco · 10-25-2023, 09:33 PM

Game 1: 1-7 L. LP-Evans (12-8, 5 4 5 5 2 7, 3 HR). It was a tough night on the field as they were victimized by a 2-HR game from former Ray Manuel Margot, but off the field it was all good as Toronto lost, enabling Tampa Bay to clinch the AL East and a bye.

Game 2: 8-11 L. LP-Bradley (11-8, 2.1 9 7 7 0 3). HR-Mesa 2 (4). Another poorly-pitched game with Taj closing the season on a sour note (he's either been terrific or terrible in his last several starts). Victor Mesa homered twice and drove in 4 in a losing cause.

Game 3: 5-3 W. WP-Khattak (15-6, 5.1 3 3 3 1 4). S-R.Rodriguez (26). HR-Tovar (2/5), Luciano (14), Caminero (23). Boston came into this game as one of five teams within one game of each other battling for the final two AL wild cards and the Rays eliminated them from the playoff race with today's final-day win.

Final Regular Season Record: 88-74. Next up: The ALDS, where we'll face either the Angels or Cleveland.

Playoff Race Update: Aside from the AL wild card race, Cleveland and the White Sox were tied going into the final day at 79-82 atop the AL Central and were playing each other, with the Guardians prevailing on a walk-off in the bottom of the 9th. In the wild card race, it was the Angels and Rangers coming out as wild cards 2 and 3 with LA getting the tiebreaker nod over Seattle. In the NL the Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers 2 of 3 over the final weekend to finish in a tie with LA and win the division on a tiebreaker as well. The playoff tree:

Art Deco · 10-25-2023, 09:48 PM

Ahlstrom also led the AL in strikeouts, so he won the pitching triple crown (for the second straight season, I believe). Washington's Juarez took the NL batting crown as a rookie.

It wasn't the greatest year by our standards, but winning the division and getting a bye is the goal and we achieved that, closing strong with a 17-9 September. The poor one-run record meant we underachieved our Pythagorean record by 3 games. Meanwhile we somehow maximized our offense as we were 2nd in runs scored in the AL despite being worse than that in every other offensive category. Of course it was still the pitching that carried us while the defense was schizophrenic - somehow having a terrible zone rating yet placing high up in defensive efficiency.

The offense came in fits and starts this year with Yordan not only living to billing as the big rental bat acquired but staying healthy all season, a rarity for him. Wander had a good year but not by his standards and Caminero turned in an eerily similar season to 2029: 287/361/461 after 287/360/468 the year before and 23/92 compared to last year's 25/95. Talk about consistent. Meanwhile Alistair Hardy was a key reason for our big September as he raked down the stretch and it turned out the James Wood injury was the best thing for the team as it opened up a full-time slot for Hardy, who was a vast improvement.

Donye and German had excellent seasons and were two of the biggest reasons for the team turnaround. Taj was a bit of a BABIP victim while Khattak tailed off in the second half after carrying us in the first. Eldridge had a rough year by any measure, though. Randy Rodriguez turned out to be an ace reliever with 2.7 WAR. But Erovis Alcantara was almost a guaranteed homer surrendered whenever he took the mound with 20(!) allowed in only 76 innings. He suffered a strained back in the final series and will miss 3 weeks, saving him the embarrassment of being left off the playoff roster on merit.

Art Deco · 10-27-2023, 04:03 PM

AL:

And the Rays will now face the Angels in the ALDS.

And the Jays will take on Houston in the other ALDS.

NL:

The Dodgers advance to play Atlanta in one NLDS.

And the Cards will take on Arizona in the other NLDS.

Art Deco · 10-28-2023, 06:59 PM

Not great, Bob...

I had little confidence in this team going into the playoffs and they lived down to my expectations as the bats and bullpen betrayed them in a 6-1 loss in Game 1. Luis German was brilliant in his start and while Gerald Ogando was excellent in getting German out of the 7th with a pair of whiffs he was just as terrible in the 8th, giving up a leadoff homer after the Rays had finally gone up 1-0, and then giving up more with Aldry Acosta coming up small as usual and Riley and Okuda stinking it up in the 9th. So they're already in a spot where they need to win three of the next four and Donye Evans will try to get them started on that tomorrow.

In the other ALDS:

Offense took a holiday but the Astros squeaked across a run in the 9th to go up 1-0.

Art Deco · 10-28-2023, 07:57 PM

Sheesh...

They almost blew another one but Junior Caminero bailed them out with a 2-out walk-off homer in the bottom of the 9th to salvage a 5-4 win and a split of the series through two games. Victor Gonzalez gave up a 2-run homer to Max Viera, whom the Rays cast off earlier this season, to pull La within 4-3 in the 8th and then Randy Rodriguez gave up an RBI double in the 9th to let the Angels tie and it was "here we go again" after yesterday. Things looked lost in the 9th when Triston Casas grounded into a double play after Yordan Alvarez led off the inning reaching base, but Caminero stepped up and put and end to the madness and gave the Rays hope in the series. Walt Khattak will toe the rubber at Anaheim Stadium in two days as the Rays look to tilt the series in their favor.

In the other DS action:

Atlanta really laid the lumber to the Dodgers while the Jays got even and the Diamondbacks got a leg up.

Art Deco · 10-28-2023, 07:59 PM

The Diamondbacks roll again and the Dodgers get even behind former Ray Luis Patino:

Art Deco · 10-28-2023, 08:22 PM

In front...

Walt Khattak was our staff ace in the first half of the season but after a tough second half which saw him pitch to an ERA over 5 and suffer a couple of abdominal strains we really didn't know what to expect tonight. But he allayed all our fears as he went out and threw 5 1/3 shutout innings and got some support from another guy who had some issues this year in 5th starter Bryce Eldridge who went 1 2/3 scoreless in relief. Randy Rodriguez made it interesting again (and we got a scouting report yesterday saying he lost a mile or two off his fastball) by giving up a 2-out 9th-inning double to put the tying runs in scoring position, but he whiffed Max Viera to end the game and put the Rays one win away from the ALCS. Taj Bradley, who was also up and down this year, will try to be up to the task tomorrow in Game 4.

Meanwhile we could be headed for unfinished business with our division rival Toronto:

10-05-2023, 10:56 PM	#701
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	August 16-18, 2030: at Toronto (3) Game 1: 6-2 W. WP-Dodson (3-0). Starter-Evans (4.2 5 0 0 1 7). HR-Y.Alvarez (25). The suddenly-hot (10 for his last 23) Ozzie Albies knocked in a pair as did Yordan as the Rays took the opener at Rogers Centre. Game 2: 5-8 L. LP-V.Gonzalez (3-1). Starter-German (5 6 2 2 3 4). HR-Albies (8), Rivera (8). The bullpen turned a 3-2 lead into a 7-3 deficit when Victor Gonzalez and Trey Riley combined to allow 5 runs in the 7th. Yordan stayed toasty, going 3-4 with a double and 2 RBI. Game 3: 6-2 W. WP-Bradley (9-4, 6 3 1 1 2 6). HR-Casas (6/43), Haro (12). Rays bookended the series with 6-2 wins as Casas' 3-run shot in the 1st sent them on their way while Haro knocked in the other 3 with a solo homer and 2-run single to back an excellent Taj outing. Team record: 67-57. Boston is in free fall, getting swept in Philly so the Rays are now in sole possession of first, 2 games up (and 2 1/2 on Toronto). Next up: Back home for 3 against the White Sox.

10-07-2023, 10:15 AM	#702
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	August 19-21, 2030: vs Chicago White Sox (3) Game 1: 6-7 L. LP-Acosta (3-4). Starter-Eldridge (5.1 7 5 5 1 5). HR-Albies (9). Frustrating game as Eldridge gave up a grand slam in the 1st, Rays fought back to tie at 4, Eldridge & pen gave up 2 more, bats tied it again, and then against my better judgment brought in the un-clutch Acosta to pitch the 8th and he gave up the losing homer. Albies was 3-5 with a double and the homer, and Caminero was 3-5 with 3 RBI. Game 2: 6-4 W. WP-Khattak (15-5, 5 5 4 4 5 5). S-R.Rodriguez (22). HR-Rivera (9). E.Green (12). Caminero had a 2-run double and Rivera 2-run homer and the Rays were cruising up 5-0 through 5. But Khattak literally couldn't get anyone out in the 6th, allowing 4 runs and making it a nail-biter. Unlike yesterday the pen held the lead, though, and Green's pinch-hit solo homer in the 8th was needed insurance. Game 3: 6-4 W. WP-Evans (11-5, 6 1 1 1 1 8). S-Ogando (1/4). HR-Rivera (10). Same story, different day - Rays were up 5-1 after 6 and this time the pen made it dicey. Angel Rivera had a huge game - 2 walks, a 3-run homer in the 6th, and then a big insurance RBI single in the 8th. Team record: 69-58. With Boston losing two more games, Toronto has moved into second, 2 1/2 games back of us. Next up: A tough task as we head to Houston to play 3 against the 82-46 Astros, who hold the best record in the AL and are 1/2 game behind Atlanta for the top MLB mark.

10-08-2023, 07:16 PM	#703
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	August 23-25, 2030: at Houston (3) Game 1: 11-6 W. WP-Dodson (4-0). Starter-German (4.1 5 5 4 1 5). HR-Hardy (4/10), Rivera (11), E.Green (13). Rays jumped out to a 7-0, keyed by an RBI double and the third straight game with a homer from Angel Rivera and held on for the win. Alistair Hardy had a 2-run inside-the-park homer, and Elijah Green was 3-5 with a longball and 2 ribbies. Game 2: 1-7 L. LP-Bradley (9-5, 5.1 10 7 7 1 5, 2 HR). Taj was torched and the offense did little in a game to forget. Game 3: 3-8 L. LP-Eldridge (3-13, 3.1 8 6 6 5 1). HR-Arakawa (15). Eldridge's lousy season got lousier as his ERA hit 5 and the Rays were routed by Houston again. Team record: 70-60. Toronto pulled within 1 1/2 games of the division lead. Next up: 2 at home against the 76-54 Washington Nationals, and then we head up there for 2 so it won't be an easy stretch. Angel Rivera's big week got noticed by the league: He also drew 6 walks to reach base 14 of 20 times.

10-09-2023, 10:51 PM	#704
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	August 26-27, 2030: vs Washington (2) Transaction: James Wood suffered a concussion in the previous series and it's pretty bad - he's essentially going to be out 8-9 months. Manny Tovar, whom we claimed from Cincinnati back in July and was OK at Durham (250/317/467) is up - he has some pop and can play all 3 OF positions so he should make a decent backup with Alistair Hardy now taking over the everyday RF job. Meanwhile Wood's very disappointing season concludes at 217/327/389 with 11 HR, his second poor year in a row and his Rays career could be over as I'm not sure I want to pay him ~$4M in arbitration next year. Game 1: 0-1 L. LP-Evans (11-6, 6 4 1 1 1 8). A gem from Donye was wasted as Washington's Tarik Skubal pitched a Maddux against us, going 9 4 0 0 0 9 on 97 pitches. Thought we might have a chance when Elijah Green led off the 9th with a double but he was stranded. Game 2: 10-8 W. WP-R.Rodriguez (4-8). Starter-Khattak (4.1 7 4 4 3 2). Today's game was the polar opposite of yesterday's and one of the most thrilling of the year for Rays fans as after the bullpen gave up 4 in the 8th to lose a 5-4 lead, the bats answered back in the bottom of the inning with 5 runs to take the win. Ozzie Albies had his game of the season, going 4-4 with 3 runs scored, 3 RBI and 3 stolen bases and his RBI single tied the game at 8 before Wander, who had been in the throes of a slump, singled in Albies after he stole second for the game-winner. Yordan Alvarez was also 2-3 with 2 RBI and 2 walks as neither team homered despite a total of 18 runs scored. Team record: 71-61. Toronto split their two games so the lead remains 1 1/2. Next up: The return leg of the home-and-home with the Nats as we play 2 in Washington.

10-11-2023, 12:49 PM	#705
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	August 28-29, 2030: at Washington (2) Game 1: 0-8 L. LP-German (10-5, 4 6 1 1 3 7). Rays were shut out for the second time in three games by Washington, and the bullpen let it get away after German skated past a ton of runners through 4 innings. Game 2: 7-11 L. LP-Bradley (9-6, 3.1 8 6 6 1 2). HR-Hardy (5/11), Albies (10). Taj was torched for the second straight start and don't let the final score fool you - only Albies' slam in the 9th made it respectable. Team record: 71-63. Toronto won both of its games to take over first and drop the Rays 1/2 game back in the division. Next up: Off to Anaheim to play 3 against the Angels.

10-12-2023, 06:48 PM	#706
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	August 30-September 1, 2030: at LA Angels (3) Game 1: 3-11 L. LP-Eldridge (3-14, 4 5 7 2 2 3). Another brutal outing for Eldridge and if I had a better option he'd be out of the rotation. Game 2: 3-4 L (10). LP-R.Rodriguez (4-9). Starter-Evans (4 5 1 1 2 7). HR-Hardy (6/12), Tovar (1/4). A heartbreaker as Manny Tovar's first Rays homer tied it up in the 8th only to lose in the 10th when Rodriguez's wildness loaded the bases and set up the winning hit. Transactions: 2B Victor Mesa and P Benjamin Buckman, both of whom were up earlier this year, are added to the expanded September roster. Game 3: 1-5 L. LP-Khattak (14-6, 4 7 4 4 3 3). HR-Mesa (2). Instead of the national anthem we'll be playing Tom Petty's "Free Fallin" as the Rays dropped their fifth straight and eighth in their last nine. Another lousy start and little contribution from the offense have been the recipe for losing of late. Team record: 71-66. Not that long ago we were 2 1/2 up, now we're 2 1/2 behind Toronto in the division and with the sweep LA tied us for the top wild card spot, which is only 2 games up on the playoff dividing line. So winning again would behoove the Rays who'll get their first chance back home with 3 against Minnesota.

10-14-2023, 09:03 AM	#707
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	September 2-4, 2030: vs Minnesota (3) Game 1: 3-2 W (10). WP-R.Rodriguez (5-9). Starter-German (5.1 3 1 1 1 11). HR-Albies (11). Albies' 4th hit of the game was a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th, giving the Rays a critical win to arrest a slide which saw them lose 8 of their previous 9 games. Game 2: 6-5 W (15). WP-E.Alcantara (4-4). Starter-Bradley (3.1 7 4 4 3 4). HR-Franco (16), Haro (13). For the second straight night a walk-off homer won it for the Rays as Nelson Haro's jack leading off the 15th gave them the marathon win. Wander and Caminero each had 3 hits and 2 RBI. Game 3: 5-3 W. WP-V.Gonzalez (4-1). S-R.Rodriguez (23). Starter-Eldridge (5 6 3 3 2 7). HR-Franco (17), Arakawa (16), Hardy (7/13). It wasn't a walk-off this time but it might as well have been as Alistair Hardy's 2-run homer in the bottom of the 8th gave Tampa Bay another late win and a sweep of Minnesota. Eldridge couldn't hold a 3-0 lead (surprise) but the bullpen was stout. Team record: 74-66. We did gain a game on Toronto to pull within 1 1/2 of the division lead and solidified our wild card position. Next up: A day off then 55-85 Kansas City comes to town so no excuses for not winning at least 2 of 3.

10-15-2023, 04:24 PM	#708
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	September 6-8, 2030: vs Kansas City (3) Game 1: 0-3 L. LP-Evans (11-7, 4.2 4 1 1 5 7). Rays laid an egg against one of the bottom-dwelling teams in the AL in a game they needed. They did have 8 hits and 3 walks but could never get the key hit. Game 2: 18-8 W. Too much went on in this game so here's the box: Game 3: 6-2 W. WP-Dodson (5-0). Starter-Bradley (4.1 3 1 1 1 6). Rays managed to take the series despite Taj having to leave with forearm soreness which won't keep him from his next start. Wander drove in 3 including a 2-run triple and Caminero plated a pair to lead the offense. Team record: 76-67. Toronto dropped 2 of 3 so the Rays have pulled within 1/2 game of the division lead, and still hold the first wild card by a game over the Angels.

10-17-2023, 09:24 AM	#709
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	September 9-11, 2030: at Cleveland (3) Game 1: 6-3 W. WP-Eldridge (4-14, 6.2 6 3 3 3 2). HR-Y.Alvarez (27), Luciano (12). Yordan's 2-run homer in the 7th broke a 3-3 tie as the Rays moved into a first-place tie with idle Toronto. Game 2: 1-2 L. LP-Okuda (3-3). Starter-Khattak (1 0 0 0 0 2). HR-Hardy (8/14). Khattak had to leave with a mild abdonimal strain which will push his next start back a couple of days but the bullpen hung in and did well until Cleveland walked it off in the bottom of the 9th. Hardy's homer for the only Rays run was one of a mere three hits the bats managed. Transaction: JP Sears, who's been terrible all year, actually pitched 3 scoreless innings in relief of Khattak but strained his oblique, so he goes on the IL and the contract of Garret Crochet is purchased from Durham to replace him, giving us a veteran lefty to fill in. Game 3: 2-0 W. WP-Acosta (4-4). S-Ogando (2/5). Starter-Evans (5.2 1 0 0 1 10). HR-Casas (7/44). Donye was donye-mant once again as he hit the 200-strikeout mark and Casas' 2-run homer in the 8th broke a scoreless deadlock to give the Rays the win. Team record: 78-68, 1/2 game up in first over Toronto. Next up: An off-day then home for 3 against Boston which is in the thick of the wild card race at 74-72.

10-19-2023, 09:45 AM	#710
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	September 13-15, 2030: vs Boston (3) Game 1: 3-14 L. LP-Bradley (9-7, 2.1 6 8 4 4, 2 HR). Taj's line and final score speak for themselves. Game 2: 5-3 W. WP-German (12-5, 6 5 3 3 2 8). S-R.Rodriguez (24). HR-E.Green (14). Sox scored 3 in the top of the 5th to break open a scoreless game and then the Rays scored 5 in the bottom of the frame to win it, keyed by Green's 3-run homer. Game 3: 5-3 W. WP-Eldridge (5-14, 6 1 0 0 3 3). S-Ogando (3/6). HR-Casas (8/45). This time the Rays scored all 5 of their runs in the 6th, after having been perfect-gamed for 4 2/3 innings by Nate Pearson. Casas' 2-run homer capped the inning and turned out to be the difference when the bullpen got shaky. Team record: 80-69. Unfortunately the Jays swept the Yankees in New York and moved into first, 1/2 game up on the Rays. Also unfortunately we close out the regular season with a 13-game road trip starting with 3 in Cincinnati after a day off. We finished 50-31 (.617) at home this year but have only played .441 ball on the road so that doesn't augur well for taking the division. The wild card should be secure, though - our magic # there is 9 and BNN thinks we have a 99.5% shot at the playoffs. But winning the division means a bye as Cleveland leads the Central at only 76-74 so that's still the goal.

10-20-2023, 06:24 PM	#711
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	September 17-19, 2030: at Cincinnati (3) Game 1: 3-6 L. LP-Dodson (5-1). Starter-Evans (4.2 4 3 3 2 7). Although Dodson took the loss, he left a 3-3 game in the 7th with a man on first and two out with two lefties due. Garret Crochet came in and then gave up a triple and a 2-run homer and really deserved the loss but it was Dodson's man who scored the winning run. Wander was 3-4 with a triple and 2 RBI in a disappointing loss. Game 2: 8-0 W. WP-Bradley (10-7, 9 5 0 0 2 4). HR-Caminero 2 (20), Casas (9/46). Franco (18). Considering how he's pitched of late I don't think anyone had "Taj Bradley complete-game shutout" on their bingo card but that's what happened as he shackled the Reds on 109 pitches. Caminero drove in 3 with his 2 dingers and Wander 2 as the team banged out 16 hits and could have easily scored double digits. Game 3: 12-7 W. WP-German (13-5, 5.1 4 2 2 1 9). S-Ogando (4/7). HR-Albies 2 (14), Haro (14). They did hit double digits in the finale as they scored 4 in the 9th to put the game away after Cincinnati cut an 8-1 Rays lead to 8-7 by the 8th. Albies had the big day with 2 HR and 4 RBI while Alistair Hardy drove in 3 with a pair of doubles. Team record: 82-70. Thanks to Toronto losing twice the Rays are back in first by 1/2 game. Next up: The road trip continues with 3 in Milwaukee, which is a dreadful 58-94. MLB News: While his team was losing 2 of 3 and dropping back into 2nd, Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. recorded his 2000th career hit in his 1723rd game.

10-22-2023, 01:01 PM	#712
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	September 20-22, 2030: at Milwaukee (3) Game 1: 7-5 W (15). WP-Buckman (1-1). Starter-Khattak (6 6 1 1 3 2). HR-Caminero 2 (22), Haro (15). Nelson Haro's 2-run homer in the 15th broke a 3-3 tie and Junior Caminero capped a 4-hit, 2-HR, 4-RBI day with a 2-run single which proved big when Buckman gave up 2 in the bottom of the 15th yet still picked up his first MLB win. Game 2: 2-3 L. LP-Ogando (0-2). Starter-Eldridge (6.2 7 2 2 1 5). A tough loss for the Rays as the 9th told the story: Tampa Bay loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the inning in a 2-2 game, but Yordan hit into a 4-2-3 DP and Casas struck out for the fourth time (he stranded 7 in total) before Milwaukee walked it off in the bottom of the inning on a double and a 2-out single. Game 3: 5-1 W. WP-Evans (12-7, 6 2 1 1 2 8). HR-E.Green (15), Albies (15), Hardy (9/15). Donye Evans lowered his ERA to 2.96 as he's been the Rays' best starter this year and back-to-back homers from Green (a 2-run shot) and Albies in the 3rd propelled the team to a key win. Team record: 84-71. Toronto also won 2 of 3 to stay 1/2 game behind the Rays, who have a game in hand. Next up: That game in hand will be played as part of a 4-game series in Baltimore. Playoff Race Update: As we enter the season's final week there are several races going on aside from the AL East. Cleveland (78-78) leads the Central by 1 1/2 games and Texas has a 2-game lead on Boston, Seattle and the Yankees for the final AL Wild Card (the Angels and Jays hold the other spots). Houston has run away with the West. In the NL, Atlanta has lapped the field in the East while St. Louis holds a 2 1/2-game lead on the Cubs and the Dodgers lead Arizona by 1 in the Central and West. The D-backs and Washington are solid WCs while San Diego is 3 up on the Mets for the 3rd one.

10-24-2023, 09:49 AM	#713
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	September 23-26, 2030: at Baltimore (4) Game 1: 5-4 W. WP-Bradley (11-7, 6 7 3 3 2 6). S-R.Rodriguez (25). Yordan and Wander each knocked in a pair as the Rays won their game in hand on Toronto to go a full game up in the AL East (really 2 since the Rays dominated the tiebreaking season series 10-4 over the Jays). Game 2: 7-6 W. WP-Riley (2-2). Starter-German (5.1 5 1 1 3 6). HR-Hardy (10/16), Casas (10/47), E.Green (16). Rays lost a 6-0 lead in this one when Baltimore scored 5 in the 8th off the bullpen but Elijah Green led off the 9th with a homer to win it after all. Before that Hardy's 3-run homer was the big blow. Toronto lost in Colorado to fall 2 games back. Game 3: A football game broke out at Camden Yards: A big game for Casas against the team he was acquired from as well as a big game for Albies. Yordan's injury was minor and he'll be back in the lineup tomorrow. Meanwhile Toronto lost again to Colorado and our magic number to clinch the division and a bye is 1. Game 4: 1-9 L. LP-Eldridge (5-15, 4.2 5 3 3 3 7). Rays came up woefully short in their first chance to clinch the division, and Toronto won in Colorado to delay the celebrations at least another day. Team record: 87-72. Next up: We conclude the regular season with 3 games in Boston, which is the middle of a ridiculous wild card race: Meanwhile it's all but certain that the AL Central winner will have a losing record as the White Sox and Guardians are tied atop the division at 78-81. In the NL the Dodgers are a game up on Arizona in the West with everything else pretty locked down.

10-25-2023, 09:33 PM	#714
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	September 27-29, 2030: at Boston (3) Game 1: 1-7 L. LP-Evans (12-8, 5 4 5 5 2 7, 3 HR). It was a tough night on the field as they were victimized by a 2-HR game from former Ray Manuel Margot, but off the field it was all good as Toronto lost, enabling Tampa Bay to clinch the AL East and a bye. Game 2: 8-11 L. LP-Bradley (11-8, 2.1 9 7 7 0 3). HR-Mesa 2 (4). Another poorly-pitched game with Taj closing the season on a sour note (he's either been terrific or terrible in his last several starts). Victor Mesa homered twice and drove in 4 in a losing cause. Game 3: 5-3 W. WP-Khattak (15-6, 5.1 3 3 3 1 4). S-R.Rodriguez (26). HR-Tovar (2/5), Luciano (14), Caminero (23). Boston came into this game as one of five teams within one game of each other battling for the final two AL wild cards and the Rays eliminated them from the playoff race with today's final-day win. Final Regular Season Record: 88-74. Next up: The ALDS, where we'll face either the Angels or Cleveland. Playoff Race Update: Aside from the AL wild card race, Cleveland and the White Sox were tied going into the final day at 79-82 atop the AL Central and were playing each other, with the Guardians prevailing on a walk-off in the bottom of the 9th. In the wild card race, it was the Angels and Rangers coming out as wild cards 2 and 3 with LA getting the tiebreaker nod over Seattle. In the NL the Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers 2 of 3 over the final weekend to finish in a tie with LA and win the division on a tiebreaker as well. The playoff tree: Last edited by Art Deco; 10-25-2023 at 09:34 PM.

10-25-2023, 09:48 PM	#715
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	Final 2030 Regular Season Standings & Rays Stats Ahlstrom also led the AL in strikeouts, so he won the pitching triple crown (for the second straight season, I believe). Washington's Juarez took the NL batting crown as a rookie. It wasn't the greatest year by our standards, but winning the division and getting a bye is the goal and we achieved that, closing strong with a 17-9 September. The poor one-run record meant we underachieved our Pythagorean record by 3 games. Meanwhile we somehow maximized our offense as we were 2nd in runs scored in the AL despite being worse than that in every other offensive category. Of course it was still the pitching that carried us while the defense was schizophrenic - somehow having a terrible zone rating yet placing high up in defensive efficiency. The offense came in fits and starts this year with Yordan not only living to billing as the big rental bat acquired but staying healthy all season, a rarity for him. Wander had a good year but not by his standards and Caminero turned in an eerily similar season to 2029: 287/361/461 after 287/360/468 the year before and 23/92 compared to last year's 25/95. Talk about consistent. Meanwhile Alistair Hardy was a key reason for our big September as he raked down the stretch and it turned out the James Wood injury was the best thing for the team as it opened up a full-time slot for Hardy, who was a vast improvement. Donye and German had excellent seasons and were two of the biggest reasons for the team turnaround. Taj was a bit of a BABIP victim while Khattak tailed off in the second half after carrying us in the first. Eldridge had a rough year by any measure, though. Randy Rodriguez turned out to be an ace reliever with 2.7 WAR. But Erovis Alcantara was almost a guaranteed homer surrendered whenever he took the mound with 20(!) allowed in only 76 innings. He suffered a strained back in the final series and will miss 3 weeks, saving him the embarrassment of being left off the playoff roster on merit.

10-27-2023, 04:03 PM	#716
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	The 2030 Wild Card Round AL: And the Rays will now face the Angels in the ALDS. And the Jays will take on Houston in the other ALDS. NL: The Dodgers advance to play Atlanta in one NLDS. And the Cards will take on Arizona in the other NLDS.

10-28-2023, 06:59 PM	#717
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	October 5, 2030: ALDS Game 1 Not great, Bob... I had little confidence in this team going into the playoffs and they lived down to my expectations as the bats and bullpen betrayed them in a 6-1 loss in Game 1. Luis German was brilliant in his start and while Gerald Ogando was excellent in getting German out of the 7th with a pair of whiffs he was just as terrible in the 8th, giving up a leadoff homer after the Rays had finally gone up 1-0, and then giving up more with Aldry Acosta coming up small as usual and Riley and Okuda stinking it up in the 9th. So they're already in a spot where they need to win three of the next four and Donye Evans will try to get them started on that tomorrow. In the other ALDS: Offense took a holiday but the Astros squeaked across a run in the 9th to go up 1-0.

10-28-2023, 07:57 PM	#718
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	October 6, 2030: ALDS Game 2 & NLDS Game 1 Sheesh... They almost blew another one but Junior Caminero bailed them out with a 2-out walk-off homer in the bottom of the 9th to salvage a 5-4 win and a split of the series through two games. Victor Gonzalez gave up a 2-run homer to Max Viera, whom the Rays cast off earlier this season, to pull La within 4-3 in the 8th and then Randy Rodriguez gave up an RBI double in the 9th to let the Angels tie and it was "here we go again" after yesterday. Things looked lost in the 9th when Triston Casas grounded into a double play after Yordan Alvarez led off the inning reaching base, but Caminero stepped up and put and end to the madness and gave the Rays hope in the series. Walt Khattak will toe the rubber at Anaheim Stadium in two days as the Rays look to tilt the series in their favor. In the other DS action: Atlanta really laid the lumber to the Dodgers while the Jays got even and the Diamondbacks got a leg up.

10-28-2023, 07:59 PM	#719
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	October 7, 2030: NLDS Game 2 The Diamondbacks roll again and the Dodgers get even behind former Ray Luis Patino:

10-28-2023, 08:22 PM	#720
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,805	October 8, 2030: ALDS Game 3 In front... Walt Khattak was our staff ace in the first half of the season but after a tough second half which saw him pitch to an ERA over 5 and suffer a couple of abdominal strains we really didn't know what to expect tonight. But he allayed all our fears as he went out and threw 5 1/3 shutout innings and got some support from another guy who had some issues this year in 5th starter Bryce Eldridge who went 1 2/3 scoreless in relief. Randy Rodriguez made it interesting again (and we got a scouting report yesterday saying he lost a mile or two off his fastball) by giving up a 2-out 9th-inning double to put the tying runs in scoring position, but he whiffed Max Viera to end the game and put the Rays one win away from the ALCS. Taj Bradley, who was also up and down this year, will try to be up to the task tomorrow in Game 4. Meanwhile we could be headed for unfinished business with our division rival Toronto: