The 2021 (and only 2021) Tampa Bay Rays

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The Rays' fine start to 2029 continued as they took 2 of 3 from the Guardians at Progressive Field and have now opened up a 4-game lead in the AL East on the Yankees.

In his two non-abbreviated starts in 2029 James Hays has looked more like his Cy Young/MVP 2027 self than last year's very good but not 2027-good version as he dominated Cleveland in a 4-1 opener win. Hays (2-0) was 8 4 1 1 0 12, only allowing a solo homer, and Tylor Megill finished up for save #2. Most of the Rays' offense came via the longball with Andrew Greckel (#12), Dong-hwan Kim (#3/7) and JT Realmuto (#5) supplying solo homers.

A lack of offense doomed the Rays in the second game as they dropped a 2-1 decision to Cleveland while managing only five hits. Robinson Ortiz (1-2) was the hard-luck loser after going 5 5 2 1 2 6 and Chris Gutierrez's RBI double accounted for the only Tampa Bay run.

The Rays had to win the finale twice, once in regulation before Yasunari Uehara blew the lead in the 9th and then with 2 runs in the 11th to ultimately prevail 5-3. The winner scored on a wild pitch before Chris Seise singled in an insurance tally, making a winner of Landon Knack (3-0) with Dax Fulton pitching a 1-2-3 11th for his 2nd save. Before all that the Rays got another sharp start from Jackson Baumeister (5.1 4 1 1 0 5) which lowered his ERA to 2.25 and put him in the AL pitcher WAR lead at 1.2, and a 2-run homer from Joshua Baez (#4) which put them up 2-1 in the 7th. They took a 3-1 lead into the 9th when the suddenly-unreliable Uehara coughed up a 2-run Eloy Jimenez homer forcing us to extras. It was his second blown save and second homer allowed in 9 innings to go with 6 runs on 14 baserunners. There's no indication his stuff is down so it's probably just a phase but it's something to keep an eye on.

Team record: 18-9. Next up: We head back to Tropicana Field to play 3 against Oakland.

[Art Deco]

The Rays' brilliant start to 2029 came to a crashing halt in St. Petersburg as they were surprisingly swept by the Oakland A's at home. The Yankees dropped 2 of 3 enabling Boston to move into second place in the East, 2 1/2 behind Tampa Bay.

Shane Panzini was rocked in the opener and the Rays trailed 6-2 early but fought back to tie it in the 9th on a dramatic 3-run Kelly Crumpton homer (#7), only to lose it in the 10th 8-7. Panzini gave up 6 in the first 3 innings and finished 4.1 6 6 5 1 7 before an Ed Howard homer (#2) got them back in the game in the 6th and set up Crumpton's equalizer. Jose Aguilar homered earlier (#1). But Yasunari Uehara's (0-1) early-season struggles continued as he put a man on in scoring position and Dax Fulton came in and gave up the winning hit to Oakland.

The second game was an exercise in frustration as the Rays consistently put men on base and consistently failed to bring them home in a 5-2 loss. They left 12 men on in total with Wander Franco and Chris Gutierrez each leaving 6 on. Michael Prosecky (3-1) pitched well but suffered through a bad sequence in the 4th in which he allowed 3 runs and finished 5 5 3 3 1 6.

Early on it looked like the Rays would salvage the finale with James Hays on the mound and early homers from Wander Franco (#6) and Dong-hwan Kim (#4/8). But Hays ran into some trouble allowing three runs and those two solo homers were all the offense would manage as they fell 4-2 to Oakland and were swept. Hays (2-1) was still dominant, finishing 6 4 3 3 1 10 but didn't get the support he needed today.

Team record: 18-12. Next up: An off-day to lick our wounds and travel cross-country as we head to Seattle for 3.

[Art Deco]

The Rays bounced back nicely from their surprise sweep at home by Oakland and would have had a sweep of their own had they not suffered a bullpen meltdown in the finale. Boston swept its series to pull within 1 1/2 games but lost on our off-day afterwards to drop 2 back.

Robinson Ortiz and two relievers held the Mariners to 6 hits in a 5-1 win at T-Mobile Park in the series opener. Ortiz (2-2) was excellent at 5.2 4 1 1 0 4 and Tommy Doyle went the final two innings for his first Rays save. Dong-hwan Kim had a big game, going 4-5 with 2 RBI as he continues to pay dividends from the recent trade, and Ed Howard had a solo homer for the second straight game (#3).

James Hays is our established ace but Jackson Baumeister is laying claim to that designation this season after he turned in another dominant performance in a 3-1 win over Seattle. He went to 5-1, 1.88 and leads MLB in pitcher WAR at 1.6 after a 6.1 3 0 0 0 9 outing. Yasunari Uehara picked up save #7 but it was another one which wasn't clean as he gave up an RBI single in the 9th. Kelly Crumpton's 2-run homer (#8) in the 6th was the difference.

The Rays grabbed an early 5-0 lead and received an outstanding performance from Shane Panzini, who left in the 7th with that lead intact, but the bullpen blew up in a bad way allowing 4 Seattle homers to allow the Mariners to steal the game 6-5. Five different Rays drove in runs in those first two innings and Panzini took a shutout into the 7th with 2 out but put a couple of men on. He departed for Wennington Romero, who immediately served up a 3-run homer to leave Panzini with a 6.2 6 2 2 0 7 line. That still should have been enough to win but Tommy Doyle (0-1), who had been lights-out for us to date, inexplicably allowed three solo homers in the 8th to lose the game. The Rays did put a couple of men on with one out against former teammate Aaron Fletcher in the 9th, but couldn't get them home.

Team record: 20-13. Next up: Another off-day as we travel east to Minnesota for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

For the most part in the 8 1/2 seasons of this save Target Field has been a house of horrors for the Rays and this year's trip was no exception as Minnesota swept the series, giving them 7 losses in their last 9 games. The bats were the culprits, scoring a total of 6 runs in the 3 games.

The Twins took the opener 4-2 as the Rays never recovered from falling behind early. Michael Prosecky pitched decently, but fell to 3-2 after going 6 6 4 4 1 6. Chris Seise's RBI double was the offensive highlight.

It looked like the Rays might take the second game, up 3-0 in the 6th with James Hays on the mound. But Hays ran out of gas in the inning, Wennington Romero couldn't get anyone out and 7 runs later the Rays were cooked, eventually falling 8-3. Hays (2-2) finished 5.1 4 5 5 4 5 and Joshua Baez homered (#5) to help provide the early but ill-fated lead.

The finale was toughest one for the Rays to swallow as they wasted a gem of a performance by Robinson Ortiz, rallied in the 9th to tie but squandered a golden opportunity to win, and lost 2-1 in the 11th inning. Ortiz went 7 3 1 1 1 2 but was spared a loss when Dong-hwan Kim led off the 9th with a double and scored to tie it with the Rays loading the bases with nobody out. But pinch-hitter Jose Aguilar whiffed, as did Ed Howard (for the fourth time in the game) and Wander Franco flew out to end the threat. Minnesota then scored off Tylor Megill (0-2) in the 11th with a one-out Aaron Judge RBI single to walk it off.

Team record: 20-16, now only 1/2 game up on Boston as the division lead continues to slip away. Next up: Back home for 3 vs the White Sox.

[Art Deco]

The Rays took 2 of 3 from Chicago, enough to keep them in first place by 1/2 game on Boston, but the hitting (and the bullpen) continue to be issues.

Jackson Baumeister keeps doing Jackson Baumeister things and the Rays eked out a 2-1 win over the White Sox in the series opener at Tropicana Field. The righty, who would probably be voted the Cy Young winner if the season ended today, went 5 2 1 1 3 8 on 95 pitches and improved to 6-1, 1.87. The bullpen did the job today for a change, with Slade Cecconi impressing with 2 perfect innings featuring 4 strikeouts and Yasunari Uehara turning in a rare-for-2029 perfect inning for save #8. Wander Franco's solo homer in the 3rd (#7) broke a 1-1 tie and stood up as the winner.

A lack of offense and a rough 4th inning sent the Rays to a 6-2 loss in the second game. The bats didn't manage a hit until the 6th inning and the two runs came in the 9th when the game was already decided. Shane Panzini (2-4) wasn't bad, but he wasn't great either at 5.2 7 4 3 2 7 and a 3-run 4th turned a 1-0 deficit into a 4-0 one from which they couldn't recover.

The Rays had to win the finale twice, but win it they did just barely at 5-4. They went up early 3-1 in part on JT Realmuto's RBI double but Michael Prosecky, who pitched well again, departed with 2 men on and 1 out in the 7th only for Tylor Megill to load the bases and then walk two men to force in a pair of runs allowing Chicago to tie. Prosecky finished 6.1 4 3 3 2 3 and Kelly Crumpton came to Megill's rescue with a 2-run blast in the bottom of the frame (#9). After Slade Cecconi had a perfect 8th, Yasunari Uehara was up to his recent tricks again, giving up a run and putting men on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out but got a whiff, a grounder at the drawn-in infield and a fly ball to miraculously escape with his 9th save. Megill (1-2) vultured the win.

Team record: 22-17. Next up: Atlanta visits for 3.

[Art Deco]

Another good series for the Rays as they took 2 of 3, but getting blown out in the finale left a bit of a bad taste and Boston swept the Phillies to move past Tampa Bay 1/2 game into first place.

James Hays was dominant and the Rays won the opener over Atlanta 6-2. Hays was 8 7 1 1 1 11 on 104 pitches and improved to 3-2, 2.48. Wander Franco had a big game, going 3-5 with a double, homer (#8) and 3 RBI and Andrew Greckel had an RBI triple.

The Rays took the second game 4-2 behind an outstanding start from Robinson Ortiz and a couple of big 2-run homers. Ortiz (3-2) was perfect through the first 5 innings and finished 5.2 3 1 1 1 8 as he's taken to the rotation well after spending the last couple of years in the bullpen. Yasunari Uehara recorded his 10th save, this time without incident although he walked a batter. The offense came via 2-run shots from Wander Franco in the 3rd (#9) and Kelly Crumpton in the 5th (#10).

The less said about the finale the better as Atlanta whooped the Rays 11-0. Jackson Baumeister started off well through 3, but things came apart in the 5th when he gave up a homer, put more men and then gave up a 3-run homer to cap a 5-run 4th for Atlanta. He finished 5 6 5 5 1 7 and dropped to 6-2 in his first real poor start of the season. The bullpen then proceeded to give up 6 more runs but it didn't matter since the bats scratched out only 4 hits.

Team record: 24-18. Next up: A day off then our interleague homestand continues with the Mets visiting for 3.

[Art Deco]

At 28-13, the Mets were a tough opponent coming in and they were a tough opponent going out after they took 2 of 3 from the Rays at Tropicana Field. Combined with Boston sweeping Atlanta (including overcoming a 7-2 deficit with a 7-run 8th in their finale), the Rays are now 2 1/2 back of the Sox in the AL East and sit in the second wild card spot.

Things started off well for the Rays as they took a 6-2 win in the opener behind Shane Panzini. The righty started off inauspiciously by allowing a homer to the first batter of the game but settled in from there to finish 7 4 2 2 0 8 and improve to 3-4. Kelly Crumpton backed him by going 3-4 with a pair of solo homers (#11 & 12) and Andrew Greckel added his own solo shot (#13).

The second game was a bit like Lucy and the football as the Mets kept taking leads and the Rays kept coming back but couldn't quite catch up in an 11-7 loss. Michael Prosecky (3-3) was hit hard (4 9 6 6 1 2) and the bullpen wasn't much relief with four more pitchers allowing at least one run. Joshua Baez (#6) and Dong-hwan Kim (#5/9, as a pinch-hitter) had 2-run homers with Baez driving in 3 on the day.

Unfortunately sending James Hays to the mound didn't mean victory in the finale as the ace righty was touched for a pair of homers in a 5-3 loss to the Mets. Hays (3-3) gave up a 3-run homer to Andrew Vaughn in the 3rd and a solo shot in the 5th to finish 6 3 4 4 2 12 as he paid for his few mistakes. Ed Howard had an RBI double and Kelly Crumpton a solo homer (#13) for a losing cause.

Team record: 25-20. Next up: We get a chance to cut into that division deficit (or see it expand) as Boston visits for a pair of games.

News: Kelly Crumpton was named AL Player of the Week after going 9-22 with 4 HR and 5 RBI.

[Art Deco]

It was a big early-season 2-game series for the Rays against the Red Sox and Tampa Bay came through with a pair of big wins to pull back within 1/2 game of Boston in the AL East.

The opener was a laugher as the Rays jumped all over former teammate Dustin May for 7 runs in the first two innings and went on to beat Boston 9-2 at Tropicana Field. Dong-hwan Kim had a big two-run single and drove in 3 of those first 7 runs while Ed Howard doubled to lead off the game and singled in another. Andrew Greckel had an RBI single in that mix as well and then added a pair of solo homers later in the game to give him an AL-best 15, capping a 4-hit day. As great as the bats were for a change Robinson Ortiz was just as good on the mound, improving to 4-2 with a 7 4 1 1 1 8 outing.

The second game looked like it was shaping up to be a replay of the first as the Rays jumped out to a 4-0 lead after 2 with Jackson Baumeister on the mound. But the offense dried up after that and Baumeister couldn't get out of the 5th having allowed 3 runs. Fortunately the bullpen held the rest of the way and the Rays hung on to win 4-3 for the mini-sweep. Andrew Greckel had another big day, going 3-4 with a double and RBI and JT Realmuto hit a line drive solo homer over the LF wall (#6) to help them to that early lead. Baumeister finished 4.2 9 3 3 1 6 and had to leave one out shy of a win which went to Slade Cecconi (3-1). Yasunari Uehara had a sharp 1-2-3 9th with a pair of whiffs for save #11.

Team record: 27-20. Next up: Another quickie series with 2 games at Yankee Stadium.

MLB News: Jorge Soler hit his 400th career homer.

[Art Deco]

The Rays split their two games with New York at Yankee Stadium, while Boston beat the now-hapless Jays twice so the division deficit stands at 1 1/2 games.

The opener turned out to be a costly loss for the Rays as they not only fell 9-5 but Ed Howard strained an oblique and will be out for the better part of a month. Shane Panzini (3-5) struggled at 3.1 7 5 5 2 5 but they were in the game until the 8th when Landon Knack got into trouble putting on a couple of men with one in, a situation that Jose Crespo turned into a 4-run inning for the Yankees when he gave up a 3-run homer. They had their moments on offense with 5 runs scored and it could have been several more had they not left 12 on the bases. Kelly Crumpton had a solo homer (#14) and JT Realmuto was 3-5 with a 2-run double.

Transaction: Howard went on the 10-day IL and slick-fielding rookie Carlos Colmenarez was recalled from Durham. Colmenarez isn't much of a hitter but has put up outstanding fielding numbers in the minors and will serve as the MI backup while Rule 5 draftee Brad Manross takes over at second.

The Rays bounced back to take a split behind Dong-hwan Kim in a 6-2 win. The left-fielder blasted a pair of two-run homers in consecutive innings (the 4th and 5th) to give him 7 with the Rays and 11 overall, and also in the 4th Joshua Baez homered (#7) and Carlos Colmenarez made his first MLB hit count with an RBI single. Michael Prosecky (4-3) was excellent at 6 5 1 1 3 4 for the win.

Team record: 28-21. Next up: We started a homestand with 3 games against San Antonio.

[Art Deco]

The Rays hosted their favorite opponents, the San Antonio Alamos, this week and did what they normally do: have their way with them. The sweep of San Antonio coupled with a shock sweep of Boston by Baltimore now has the Rays 1 1/2 games up in the AL East and #2 in the power rankings behind 37-14 Washington.

James Hays was in dominant form and so were the Rays' bats in a 9-0 rout of the Alamos in the series opener. Hays (4-3) was 6.2 6 0 0 2 12 and lowered his ERA to 2.57 in the process as he tries to get in gear for a third straight Cy Young. Kelly Crumpton got things off on the right foot with a 2-run homer (#15) in the first, Wander Franco added a solo shot (#10) and Brad Manross and Chris Seise each drove in a pair.

More outstanding pitching enabled the Rays to take another comfortable win over San Antonio with Robinson Ortiz leading them to a 6-1 win. Ortiz (5-2) has taken to the rotation like a duck to water as he went 6 5 0 0 2 4 and boasts a sparkling 2.75 ERA. Tommy Doyle got the Rays out of the 8th and when the lead expanded he stayed in for save #2. Kelly Crumpton homered again (#16), Wander Franco had a 2-run single and Chris Seise added a 2-run double in the 8th to put the game away.

The Rays had to work a little harder in the finale but still took a 5-3 win over San Antonio to complete the sweep. Wander Franco's RBI single in the 5th made it 3-1 and the teams exchanged runs over the following two innings before Tommy Doyle and Yasunari Uehara shut the door in the 8th and 9th, with Uehara picking up save #12 as he seems over his early-season hiccups. Uehara saved it for Jackson Baumeister, now tied for 2nd in the AL in wins at 7-2 after going 5.2 6 2 2 1 5. Andy Kelley, last year's NL Rookie of the Year who's been a disappointment in Rays colors, had his best game in a while with an RBI double, RBI single and a stolen base.

Team record: 31-21. Next up: 3 at home vs Texas in a series that opens on Memorial Day.

[Art Deco]

The Rays stayed hot by taking 2 of 3 from the Rangers, but they weren't too thrilled about the one that got away in the finale. Boston also took 2 of 3 so they remain 1 1/2 behind Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay received some quality pitching in the opener as they took Texas 4-2 at the Trop. Shane Panzini (4-5) went 5 5 2 0 1 6 for the win and three relievers shut out the Rangers the rest of the way with Yasunari Uehara picking up save #13. JT Realmuto was the hitting star, going 2-4 with an RBI single and solo homer (#7).

The Rays trailed 3-1 early in the second game but a 4-run third put them ahead to stay in a 7-4 win. The big blow in that 3rd inning was a 3-run blast from Kelly Crumpton (#17) and it helped Michael Prosecky (5-3) pick up the win after a 5.2 5 3 3 3 4 outing. Andrew Greckel also went deep (#16) with a solo shot and singled in a run as well.

As mentioned the finale was a tough pill to swallow for the Rays as they lost an early 3-0 lead with James Hays on the mound, came back to tie the game in the 8th at 6 but lost 7-6 in 11 on a Corey Collins passed ball. And they also wasted a monster game from Dong-hwan Kim, who homered twice (#8 & 9) including a 3-run shot in the first which gave them that early lead. Hays wasn't his best today, unable to keep Texas down and finishing 6.2 8 5 5 1 10. He did leave the game up 4-3 with two men on but Wennington Romero relieved him and immediately gave up a 2-run double to put Texas ahead. Jose Aguilar came off the bench with a dramatic 2-run pinch-single in the 8th to equalize, but the Rays squandered a couple of chances to go ahead and Yasunari Uehara (0-2) put men on 1st and 3rd with 2 out in the 11th in his second inning of work. He was gassed and Jose Crespo came on, but his first pitch was botched by Collins allowing the winning run to score.

Team record: 33-22. Next up: An off-day then the homestand concludes with 3 games vs Minnesota. The Twins are a solid 32-22 and lead the AL Central.

[Art Deco]

For the second straight series the Rays should have had a sweep but an epic bullpen meltdown in the finale cost them. Still they managed to expand their division lead as the Yankees swept the Red Sox and moved into second place after winning 8 straight. They're 3 behind the Rays with Boston and another red-hot team in the Orioles each 3 1/2 back. Baltimore has won 9 of 10.

A 4-run 7th earned the Rays a 5-2 win in the opener against Minnesota at Tropicana Field. JT Realmuto's RBI single tied the game at 2 in the 7th and rookie Brad Manross, doing a great job filling in for the injured Ed Howard, delivered the game-winner with a 2-run single. Andrew Greckel bookended the Rays scoring with a solo homer (#17) and an RBI single to cap the 7th. Robinson Ortiz had to leave in the 3rd with a mild oblique strain which will cause him to miss a start but we won't IL him. Kendall Williams (2-0) got the win with two strong innings in relief (4 Ks) and Tommy Doyle got the final two outs for save #3.

It was deja vu all over again as for the second straight day the Rays erased a 2-1 deficit with a big 7th and went on to take a 6-3 victory over the Twins. Jose Aguilar has become our pinch-hitter deluxe and after a key 2-run single a couple of games ago off the bench he came through with the game's big hit here, a bases-clearing pinch-double to make it 4-2. Wander Franco added an RBI double for insurance in the 8th. Jackson Baumeister was excellent at 6 3 2 2 3 8 but missed out on the win which went to Jose Crespo (1-1) despite allowing a run in the 8th. Yasunari Uehara struck out the side for save #14.

The Rays waited an inning later to strike in the finale, scoring 4 times in the 8th to go ahead 7-4, but Jose Crespo and Kendall Williams turned that 3-run lead going into the 9th into an 8-7 loss with a couple of big homers allowed. The lefty Crespo, who has been terrible going back to last year's postseason, got the call with 3 of the 4 Twins due up in the 9th lefties and with Tommy Doyle and Yasunari Uehara tired. He put two men on and gave up a 3-run homer to lefty (and former Ray) Austin Meadows to tie the game after which he was yanked for Williams (2-1), who promptly gave up the winner on a shot by Francisco Lindor. Before all of that JT Realmuto had a huge game for naught, hitting a 2-run homer (#8) to tie the game at 3 and then delivering a 2-run double to give the Rays the lead in that 4-run 8th. Shane Panzini started and wasn't great at 4 5 3 3 2 5.

Team record: 35-23. Next up: 3 games in Anaheim against the Angels, who have been uncharacteristically bad this year at 21-35. They're without their superstar Mike Trout, on the 60-day IL with a severe hip strain, and ace starter Tim Miller who tore his rotator cuff.

[Art Deco]

Another good series for the Rays as they took 2 of 3 in Anaheim. Baltimore is now the second place team after taking 3 of 4 from the Yankees and 12 of 14 overall; they sit 3 games back.

Michael Prosecky was outstanding and the Rays banged out 16 hits in the opener as they rolled over the Angels 7-2. Prosecky (6-3) took a 1-hit shutout into the 8th before putting a man on who eventually scored and finished 7 2 1 1 3 8. Joshua Baez and Andrew Greckel led the offense, each 2-5 with a homer and 2 RBI, the 8th for Baez and 18th for Greckel. Chris Gutierrez also had a big game, going 3-5 with a triple, homer (#4) and RBI.

James Hays was roughed up a bit and the Rays dropped a 5-2 decision to the Angels in the second game. Hays gave up a pair of homers, the second a 3-run shot to Anthony Rendon, and although the runs were unearned the poor outing was on him as he dropped to 4-4 after going 5 7 5 2 2 10. Dong-hwan Kim was 2-4 with an RBI double.

Transaction: After the second game Kendall Williams was placed on the 15-day IL with back stiffness and since Robinson Ortiz isn't quite recovered from his oblique we needed a starter for the third game so Dave Cedeno was summoned for Durham. The one-time elite prospect is probably is down to 3rd-4th starter upside.

The Rays took the finale and the series with a 6-4 win. Joshua Baez had his biggest game as a Ray, 3-5 with a 2-run double, RBI single and solo homer (#9) and Dave Cedeno got past allowing a 3-run homer in the first to Jo Adell to settle in and pick up his first MLB win after losing all 3 of his starts with us last season. Cedeno finished 5.1 5 3 3 2 4 and while not a work of art it was good enough today. Yasunari Uehara seems to be back in form and had a 1-2-3 9th for save #15.

Transaction: After the game Cedeno was optioned back to Durham and Cody Adcock was recalled to give us another bullpen arm.

Team record: 37-24. Next up: An off-day then we head the other coast for 3 at Yankee Stadium.

MLB News: Cody Bellinger hit his 400th homer for the Dodgers but they also lost starter Walker Buehler for the rest of the season with a torn meniscus.

[Art Deco]

Another good series for the Rays as they Meat Loaf the Yankees (and could have had a sweep if not for the bullpen letting them down in the opener). Baltimore took 2 of 3 from terrible Toronto so the division lead remains at 3 games.

As alluded to, the Rays dropped the opener 5-4 in 10 innings to the Yankees after losing a 4-3 lead late. Gleyber Torres homered off Tommy Doyle in the 8th to tie it a 4, and Trevor Megill (1-3) gave up a run in his second inning of work in the 10th. Jackson Baumeister gave them a quality start (6 4 3 3 2 5) and the offense came via 2-run homers from our dynamic duo of Andrew Greckel (#19) and Kelly Crumpton (#18).

The Rays took the second game 7-2, scoring 5 times in the 7th and 8th to grab a win. Robinson Ortiz returned to the rotation after missing a start with an oblique and he was solid at 5 5 2 2 1 4. Slade Cecconi (4-1) got the win with a scoreless 6th when the Rays scored twice in the 7th on a Kelly Crumpton RBI single and Andy Kelley's bases-loaded walk. They tacked on 3 more in the 8th to put the game away including a Wander Franco RBI double and another RBI single from Crumpton, who also had a 2-run homer earlier (#19), giving him a 4-RBI day.

Tampa Bay took the rubber game of the series 5-4 thanks largely to a solid start from Shane Panzini. The righty evened his record at 5-5 after going 6 5 2 2 1 5 and had to sweat it out with the rest of us in the 9th when Yasunari Uehara put the first man on and gave up a 2-run homer to Corey Seager before striking out the next 3 Yankees to escape with save #16. Joshua Baez had an RBI double and sac fly and Dong-hwan Kim rapped out a pair of doubles and drove one in to lead the offense.

Team record: 39-25. Next up: An off-day then 3 games in Washington against the best team in baseball right now as the Nationals sport a 43-20 record.

[Art Deco]

We knew coming in it would be a tough series against baseball's best team in their ballpark and sure enough it was as the Nats took 2 of 3 from the Rays although they were all close games.

The opener was a pitchers' duel of sorts albeit one in which one of the starters only went four innings as the Rays were edged 2-1 by Washington. Michael Prosecky (6-4) went 4 6 2 2 3 5 on 87 pitches for the loss, but Slade Cecconi kept it close with 3 shutout innings. Alas the bats could only manage three hits, one of them Andrew Greckel's 20th homer of the year.

The Rays and James Hays took the second game 6-4, although it only finished that close thanks to the bullpen. Kelly Crumpton kept pace with his running mate Greckel and hit his 20th homer of the year, a 3-run shot in the first, and Brad Manross picked a good time to hit his first MLB round-tripper, a 2-run blast in the 2nd and they were off to a quick 5-0 lead. Hays pitched well at 5 4 1 1 2 6 but threw 97 pitches in improving to 5-4 and Landon Knack had a couple of scoreless innings but Tylor Megill gave up a 2-run homer in the 8th and Dax Fulton gave up a solo shot and put two men on in the 9th, necessitating Yasunari Uehara to come in and escape with save #17.

Jackson Baumeister had a rough start in the finale, putting the Rays in an early 4-0 hole before they fought back a made a game of it, losing 5-4. Baumeister (7-3) went 4.1 6 5 5 3 5 and probably shouldn't have pitched the 5th with his pitch count in the 80s as he gave up what proved to be the winning run after settling in following a 4-run first. Homers from Corey Collins (a 2-run shot, his first of the year), Wander Franco (#11) and Dong-hwan Kim (#10/14) enabled them to claw their way back but they left the bases loaded in the 8th and that was their last threat.

Team record: 40-27, now 2 games up on Baltimore in the AL East. Next up: We head down I-95 (or fly over it) to South Florida to face the Marlins for 3.

[Art Deco]

Rays bounced back from the Washington series to take 2 of 3 in Miami, and held serve at 2 games up on Baltimore in the AL East.

Robinson Ortiz continues to thrive in the rotation as he led the Rays to a 3-1 win over the Marlins. The lefty improved to 6-2, 2.74 after going 5.2 5 1 1 1 5 with Yasunari Uehara grabbing save #18. Brad Manross had a solo homer (#2) and Kelly Crumpton was 2-5 with an RBI single to supply the necessary offense.

The Rays are first in MLB in ERA but not off of games like today when the offense kept batting back only to see the pitching allow more runs in a 10-6 loss to Miami. Shane Panzini gave up 4 in the first but they battled back to pull within 4-3 in the 5th on a bases-clearing double from Brad Manross, then fell behind 6-3 before tying it up on a JT Realmuto 2-run shot (#9) in the top of the 6th. But Wennington Romero didn't have it today and he lost his first decision of the season allowing 3 runs including the game-winner for Miami in the bottom of the 6th.

Michael Prosecky was brilliant today and he had to be as the Rays eked out a 1-0 win over Miami at Marlins Park to take the rubber game of the series. Prosecky (7-4) was 8 3 0 0 0 6 with Yasunari Uehara fanning 3 in the 9th for save #19, and together they made Dong-hwan Kim's RBI single in the first hold up as the game-winner.

Team record: 42-28. Next up: Finally back home as we host Seattle for 3 at Tropicana Field.

[Art Deco]

The Rays keep on keepin' on, taking 2 of 3 at home against Seattle while Baltimore dropped 2 of 3, resulting in the division lead expanding to 4 games.

Chris Seise picked a great time (although a few innings earlier would have been nice) to finally hit his first Rays homer after starting at 3B all season, a 2-run walk-off blast in the bottom of the 14th to give Tampa Bay a 4-2 win over Seattle in the opener. James Hays allowed two runs in the first, finishing 7 4 2 2 2 6, and the staff as a whole closed with 13 scoreless innings, culminating in Slade Cecconi (5-1) going the final 3 for the win. The Rays had some great chances to win it earlier in extras, including the bases loaded with one out in the 13th, before Seise sent everyone home one minute shy of midnight.

After getting off to a sizzling start this year Jackson Baumeister has came back to earth lately, and today was another rough start for him as the Rays lost to Seattle 9-5. He was hit for three runs in the first, two more in the 4th and another pair in the 5th to finish 4.1 9 7 7 0 5 as he's allowed 12 runs in his last two starts and his ERA has jumped nearly a run to 4.08 as he fell to 7-4. Chris Gutierrez was 2-3 with an RBI double to lead the offense.

The Rays took the series with an 8-4 win in the rubber game behind some early thunder and yet another fine outing from Robinson Ortiz. Wander Franco had a 2-run homer in the first (#12) to erase an early 1-0 Seattle lead, Kelly Crumpton went deep later in the inning with a solo shot (#21), and we had a Donger Dinger as Dong-hwan Kim added a 2-run round-tripper in the 3rd (#11/15). Along with the homers the Rays got a 3-4 day with a double and 2 RBI from Chris Gutierrez, who's been hot of late. This was all more than enough for Ortiz (7-2) to work with as he was a tidy 6.1 5 2 2 0 7 and has now won his last six decisions.

Team record: 44-29. Next up: An off-day then we travel to the south side of Chicago for 3 with the White Sox.

[Art Deco]

The Rays continue to play good baseball as they swept the Pale Hose and opened up a 5-game lead on Baltimore in the AL East.

They won the opener from the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field after going up 4-0, allowing Chicago to tie, and then scoring late to take an 8-4 win. Dong-hwan Kim's RBI single in the 7th broke a 4-4 tie, and Joshua Baez put the game away with a 3-run shot (#10) in the 9th. Shane Panzini (5-4), who squandered the 4-0 lead by allowing a couple of homers, hung around long enough for the win going 6 7 4 4 2 5. Dax Fulton made a bit of a mess in the 9th, necessitating Yasunari Uehara to come in for save #20. Kelly Crumpton supplied the early offense, driving in 3 with a pair of singles.

Michael Prosecky pitched with the traffic on the bases throughout his start but got the outs he needed and led the Rays to a 5-2 win over the White Sox in the second game. The lefty improved to 8-4 after a 5.1 4 1 1 5 3 outing and lowered his ERA to 3.21. Yasunari Uehara saved for the second straight day, his 21st. Home runs drove the offense with Brad Manross leading off the game with #3, Kelly Crumpton launching a 2-run shot in the 3rd to give him the AL lead in homers and RBI with 22 and 55, and Dong-hwan Kim adding a solo shot in the 5th (#12/16).

The Rays completed the sweep with a 7-5 win in 10 innings over Chicago, scoring twice in the extra frame on bases-loaded walks to Kelly Crumpton and Joshua Baez. James Hays started but had to leave in the 4th with a strained back which will force him to miss his next start but only delay it by a couple of days so he'll avoid the IL. Slade Cecconi and Wennington Romero combined to allow 4 runs and put the Rays behind but the bats kept fighting back. Baez drove in 3 and Dong-hwan Kim and Chris Seise each had 4-hit games with the latter contributing an RBI double. Tylor Megill (2-3) pitched the 9th and 10th to earn the win.

Team record: 47-29. Next up: We head back to the Trop to take on our closest pursuers the Orioles for 2 games.

[Art Deco]

A big little two-game series with the Orioles, who came in 5 games behind the Rays, and left Tropicana Field 5 games behind as the teams split a pair.

Andrew Greckel tied the opener in the bottom of the 9th with an RBI single, and the teams would eventually play the equivalent of another game and then some as Kelly Crumpton's RBI single in the bottom of the 19th gave the Rays a 7-6 walk-off win. The game was a 6:48 affair, ending at 1:53 a.m. eastern time. It was a back-and-forth affair in regulation, with the Rays going 3-0, falling behind 6-3, and coming back to tie it up. Crumpton (#23) and Greckel (#21) homered earlier, Greckel and Wander Franco had 4 hits, and Chris Gutierrez was 3-6 with an RBI. Jackson Baumeister started it and his recent woes continued as he went 4.2 9 5 5 0 8 although he's at least getting whiffs. The entire bullpen was used, and after Cody Adcock gave up a run in the 6th, they combined for 13 scoreless innings with Slade Cecconi (6-1) going the final two for the win.

Transaction: Chris Seise, who's given us sterling defense at 3B, broke his hand in last night's marathon and will miss 5-6 weeks. Brennon McNair, our 2nd round pick in 2024, will get the call for the first time. Once viewed as our 2B of the future, McNair suffered injuries and a loss of his contact tool but still has good power (60 rated). Ed Howard has gone on a rehab assignment so when he's back, Brad Manross will get to keep playing by sliding over to 3B.

The hangover from the previous night cost the Rays as they pushed starter Robinson Ortiz and reliever Jose Crespo a bit too long and they fell 5-4 to Baltimore. With Crespo and Cody Adcock the only rested relievers, Ortiz was going to be asked to give them length, and on his 102nd pitch in the 6th he allowed a homer to a lefty, and Crespo (1-2), after going two innings, gave up an inside-the-park homer to Gunnar Henderson leading off the 9th which gave the Orioles the win. Ortiz finished 6 7 4 4 4 3 with two homers allowed in a rare subpar start. All the Rays' scoring came via the longball with Brad Manross (#4) and Joshua Baez (#11) hitting solo shots and Chris Gutierrez (#5) launching a dramatic 2-run game-tying homer in the 8th. Brennon McNair singled in his first MLB at-bat and was 1-3 with a walk.

Team record: 48-30. Next up: Another quickie series with 2 in Fenway.

[Art Deco]

The Rays split another of these two-game mini-series, maintaining their 5-game lead on Baltimore as the Orioles split theirs with Toronto.

The first game was one that got away from them, especially frustrating as they came back from 5-0 down early to go ahead 6-5, only to lose 7-6 to Boston in the opener at Fenway. Shane Panzini's struggles with the longball returned tonight as he allowed 3 homers going 5 5 5 5 1 2 although he settled in after all the damage was done in the 2nd. Kelly Crumpton started the comeback with a 2-run shot (#24) in the 4th and they tied it up in the 5th thanks to the unlikely duo of Brennon McNair (an RBI double) and Carlos Colmenarez (his first MLB homer, a 2-run shot). Colmenarez then delivered an RBI single in the 7th to put them ahead, but Landon Knack gave up the tying run in the 8th and then Dax Fulton (0-1) let the Sox walk it off with two out in the 9th.

Transaction: Ed Howard got 6 games of rehab at Durham so he returns and Brennon McNair goes back to the Bulls.

The Rays salvaged a split with a 5-3 win in the second game as they once again roughed up former teammate Dustin May. May's been roughed up by almost everyone else too as he came into the game with a bloated 10.12 ERA. And after the Rays hit him for 5 runs in 4 2/3 he actually lowered it to 10.09 to go with a 2-9 record. He's allowed an amazing 104 hits in 60 innings thanks to a ridiculous .447 BABIP but the 12 homers allowed aren't helping either. One of those came from Kelly Crumpton, who went yard for the second straight night (#25) with a man on in the 4th to put them ahead to stay. Andrew Greckel was 3-5 with an RBI triple to back another good outing from Michael Prosecky (9-4) who was 5.2 7 2 2 1 5. Unlike yesterday the bullpen held despite allowing a run and Yasunari Uehara struck out the next three batters after walking the leadoff man for save #22.

Team record: 49-31. Next up: 3 games in Toronto against the historically-bad Blue Jays, who sport a 21-58 record (.266 win %). Anything less than 2 of 3 will be a disappointment.

OOTP Dilemma: With Chris Seise injured I was looking at 3B available, and one big name jumped out: Jose Ramirez. He's 36 and is in the walk year of his contract with Milwaukee but still a star player on pace for 5+ WAR. I can have him for Jose Crespo (who's become the last man in the bullpen for me) and a fringe prospect and the Brewers will eat 30% of his remaining salary. Sounds great, right? But Milwaukee is 45-33, 1/2 game out of first in the NL Central and in the 2nd wild card. There's no way IRL they'd dump Ramirez. Also if I pick him up I have no place for Seise when he comes back since I need to keep Brad Manross on the roster as a Rule 5 guy (unless I option the disappointing Andy Kelley to Durham and go with 4 OF, one of whom's Jose Aguilar who's really a DH). Leaning against it therefore, mainly to due to the "realism" issue.