The 2022 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 2-5 L. LP-Vargas (3-2, 6.2 8 5 5 0 1). HR-K.White (8), Juan (4). A 3-run 3rd for Miami did the Rays in as they didn't generate any offense outside of the two solo shots.

Game 2: 3-2 W. WP-Segura (1-2). S-Whitfield (7). Starter-Buckman (5.2 10 2 2 1 9). HR-K.White (9). White's solo homer in the 6th broke a 2-2 tie and the Rays managed a split of the four-game home-and-home with their cross-state rivals.

Team record: 20-15, still 1 1/2 behind the Yankees. Next up: The Phillies visit the Trop for 3 in more interleague play.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 9-0 W. WP-Najera (6-1, 6 1 0 0 3 8). HR-Gurrola 2 (7), K.White 2 (11), Haro (5). Najera lowered his MLB-best ERA to 0.86 while Gurrola led the game off with a homer then belted a 3-run shot in the 2nd inning as the Rays won this one going away. Gurrola had a remarkable day, going 4-4 with a walk, double, three runs scored, the two homers, and 5 RBI.

Game 2: 1-3 L. LP-Whitfield (2-2). Starter-Lennon (5 3 1 1 2 5). HR-W.Perez (4). The offense which flowed freely the night before dried up and it was 1-1 into the 9th when Whitfield gave up 2 runs on 3 hits to lsoe it.

Game 3: 5-4 W. WP-Jimenez (4-0, 7 3 2 2 3 8). S-Whitfield (8). A strange game that saw the Rays overturn a 2-0 deficit with 4 runs in the 5th, two of them coming on bases-loaded walks as they drew a total of seven in the game. The bullpen gave up runs in the 8th and 9th but held on.

Team record: 22-16, pulling to within 1/2 game of Boston for the division lead. Next up: Our interleague interlude concludes with 3 at home against Atlanta.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 0-1 L. LP-Vargas (3-3, 6 4 1 1 0 9). Rays wasted some brilliant pitching (a combined 9 4 1 1 0 15) line as they were held to a single, solitary hit on the night.

Game 2: 7-2 W. WP-Buckman (4-1, 5.2 4 1 1 4 6). HR-K.White (12), Haro (6). Rays didn't waste any time putting the previous night's offensive woes behind them when White blasted a 3-run homer in the first and Haro was 3-5 with a double, homer and 2 RBI.

Game 3: 5-1 W. WP-Najera (7-1, 7 1 1 1 4 7). HR-K.White 2 (14), Pino (10). White stayed hot, hitting another first-inning homer (a 2-run shot) and adding a solo blast to give him 3 over 2 nights, and Pino added a 2-run jack. Najera gave up a rare run in the 2nd but kept his MLB-best ERA below 1 at 0.91 through 9 starts covering 59.1 IP.

Team record: 24-17. With Boston dropping a couple the Rays have moved into first place by 1/2 game. Next up: A day off then more interleague play as we had to Washington for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 7-3 W. WP-Lennon (3-4, 5.1 6 1 1 1 7). HR-Rutschman 2 (11), W.Perez (5). Rutschman drove in four with a pair of homers, including a 3-run shot in the 2nd, to lead the Rays to a comfortable win.

Game 2: 3-4 L. LP-Jimenez (4-1, 6 7 4 4 0 9). HR-K.White (15), Pino (11). Homers by Pino and White gave the Rays a 3-0 first-inning lead but Jimenez was left in one batter too long in the 6th and surrendered a 3-run homer to Luis Robert to lose it, and lose for the first time as a Ray.

Game 3: 4-1 W. WP-Vargas (4-3, 6 5 1 1 2 3). S-Whitfield (9). HR-Castro (4). The Rays took the rubber game behind excellent pitching from Vargas and the pen, and Castro's 2-run homer in the 2nd was enough by itself to get the win.

Team record: 26-18. The Rays hold a 1-game lead on Baltimore, which passed the slumping Red Sox into 2nd place. Next up: We remain in the mid-Atlantic, heading up to face those Orioles four times.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 1-10 L. LP-Buckman (4-2, 3.1 6 7 7 2 5, 3 HR). HR-Hardy (10). Just a good old-fashioned butt kicking.

Game 2: 2-1 W. WP-Najera (8-1, 6 6 1 0 1 6). S-Whitfield (10). HR-K.White (16). Najera to the rescue! The MLB leader in ERA brought his sub-1 ERA even lower, down to 0.83 after allowing only an unearned run. White's 2-run homer in the 6th was the difference.

Game 3: 3-5 L. LP-Lennon (3-5, 5.1 7 4 4 2 5). HR-K.White (17). Lennon gave up 2-run doubles in the 4th and 5th and that was enough to lose this one.

Game 4: 8-4 W. WP-Jimenez (5-1, 6 6 2 2 1 6). HR-Rutschman (12), Pino (12). The offense finally got going as Perez was 3-4 with a double, triple and 3 RBI, Gurrola was 3-4 with a double and an RBI and the slumping Pino belted a 2-run homer. Jimenez continued to roll on the mound as the Rays salvaged a split of the series and stayed one game ahead of the Orioles in first.

Team record: 28-20. Next up: Back home for 3 against Oakland.

MLB News: Philly's Dave Suarez threw a no-hitter against Washington. Normally I don't note these but Suarez pulled an AJ Burnett, walking 9 men in the no-no and throwing an absurd 154 pitches (he struck out 14). It was an 11-0 Philadelphia win so he had a long leash I guess.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 4-3 W. WP-L.Gonzalez (2-1). S-Whitfield (11). Starter-Vargas (4.1 7 2 2 1 5). Pino's 2-run single in the 7th broke a 2-2 tie and the Rays eked out a win in the opener.

Game 2: 7-8 L (11). LP-Segura (1-3). Starter-Buckman (4.1 5 5 5 2 4). HR-Castro (5). The Rays pulled off quite an impressive comeback in this one, scoring 6 runs in the 8th to erase a 7-1 deficit, but all they ended up doing was prolonging the agony as Oakland scored the winner in the 11th. And to make matters worse closer David Whitfield left in the 10th with what was later diagnosed as a torn UCL, so his season is done. A fine game from Gurrola, who was on base all 6 times going 4-4 with 2 walks, was wasted.

Transactions: Whitfield goes on the 60-day IL and Angel Salazar is recalled. The righty was up much of last year and was the last man on the staff, a role he'll fill again. The big question is who becomes the closer. Dawry Segura started the season in that role and struggled big-time, and Manny Whitehead has been the best setup guy of late. Likely it'll end up a committee, with Luis Gonzalez getting some saves when the 9th is lefty-heavy.

But the big positive news is the recall of top SS prospect Vinny Arroyo, our first-round pick just two years ago. Arroyo has rose through the system meteorically and was tearing it up at Durham (381/439/576). He's also a plus gloveman and will be a defensive upgrade on Jon Ransom, who had been excellent but will now shift into a superutility role, playing 2B, SS and 3B. To make room for Arroyo, backup 1B Evan Bell was DFA'd after hitting a paltry 184/205/184 in 38 AB.

Game 3: 5-1 W. WP-Najera (9-1, 7 3 0 0 2 9). Look out Bob Gibson - with 7 more scoreless innings today Najera has lowered his ERA to 0.75 as he pitched the Rays to a win in the rubber game of the series. And Najera wasn't the only story as the rookie Arroyo made his MLB debut and dazzled, going 3-4 with an RBI double. The man he replaced in the lineup, Ransom, got a start at 3B today and was 2-3 with 3 runs scored.

Team record: 30-21. The Orioles also won 2 of 3 to stay a game behind the Rays for the division lead. Next up: Houston rolls into town for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 0-4 L. LP-Lennon (3-6, 6 4 2 0 0 5). Lennon was let down by his defense (two errors directly leading to unearned runs) and his offense (three hits, no runs) in a forgettable night at the Trop.

Game 2: 1-0 W. WP-Jimenez (6-1, 7 4 0 0 4 5). S-Whitehead (1). HR-Lowe (1). The offense was anemic again (five hits) but Jalen Lowe's solo homer in the 2nd stood up for the duration thanks to Jimenez and three relievers.

Game 3: 2-9 L. LP-A.Vargas (4-4, 3.1 2 5 5 6 7). Quite a shock to see Vargas lose the plate like he did as he had walked a mere five batters over the entire season coming in and ended up issuing six free passes, including two with the bases loaded in Houston's decisive five-run fourth, and things went downhill from there as the Rays dropped the series.

Team record: 31-23, now tied with Baltimore atop the division. Next up: A day off and then Seattle visits for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 1-4 L. LP-Buckman (4-3, 4.2 4 4 3 3 4). Another anemic performance from the offense, a big Seattle inning (all 4 runs) in the 5th cost the Rays today.

Game 2: 0-5 L. LP-Lee (0-1). Starter-Najera (5.1 5 0 0 3 9). Same lousy offense, different day, as today they could only scrounge up 3 hits. At least Najera kept lowering his ERA as it now sits at a ridiculous 0.70.

Game 3: 2-1 W. WP-Lennon (4-6, 5.2 6 1 1 1 7). S-Whitehead (2). The offense still stinks (6 runs in 6 games on this homestand), but Rutschman's pair of RBI singles were enough today thanks to excellent pitching from Lennon and the bullpen.

Team record: 32-25 as they've fallen a game behind Baltimore into second place. Next up: Off to play 4 games at Yankee Stadium.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 2-3 L. LP-Segura (1-4). Starter-Jimenez (6 6 2 2 1 8). HR-Hardy (11). A tight one went the Yankees' way when they broke a 2-2 tie in the 7th. A little more offense might have helped as they had only five hits.
Game 2: 10-3 W. WP-Vargas (5-4, 5 3 2 2 2 6). HR-K.White (18), Haro (7). Well they certainly got a little more than a little more offense in the second game, rapping out 7 doubles to go with the two homers. The top 4 of the lineup (Gurrola/Ransom/Haro/White) went 11-22 with 8 runs scored, 2 doubles, 2 homers and 8 RBI in the rout.

Game 3: 5-2 W. WP-Buckman (5-3, 6 6 2 2 0 5). S-Whitehead (3). HR-Castro (6), Gurrola (8). Haro's 2-run single in the 5th put the Rays up for good and the pitching was excellent.

Game 4: 2-3 L. LP-Whitehead (0-2). Starter-Najera (7 2 0 0 0 10). Sadly yet another gem from Najera was wasted as a tired bullpen gave up 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th to lose it. Najera might just be off the best start in any of the nearly 100 seasons I've played out across all my Rays saves and I'm just going to put those numbers out there:



He's now on a 23 1/3 inning scoreless streak.

Team record: 34-27, now in a 3-way tie atop the AL East with Baltimore and Boston. Next up: We start a 6-game interleague homestand with 3 against the 23-37 San Francisco Giants.