The 2021 (and only 2021) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

We took two of three in Charm City from the Orioles, splitting a doubleheader after Friday night's opener was rained out, as we head into the All-Star break.

One of the traditions of all my Rays saves is the Camden Yards Bullpen Meltdown and while this one wasn't as egregious as some others it was a meltdown nonetheless as Josh Scanlon (3-3) gave up the tying run on a homer in the bottom of the 9th and then served up a 2-run walk-off shot in the bottom of the 10th to send the Rays to a 9-7 loss. The blown save was Scanlon's fifth of the year. Tampa Bay did hold a 5-0 lead after 2 innings thanks to a 3-run Nate Strickland homer and a solo shot from Arturo Gutierrez, the 24th of the year for both. But Pedro Avila couldn't hold it, turning in his first poor start in a while at 3.2 8 5 5 2 2. The teams then went back and forth from there until Scanlon lost it.

The Rays turned the tables in the nightcap, beating Baltimore by the same 9-7 scoreline they lost by in the matinee. Nate Strickland capped a day he'll probably never top in his career, hitting a 3-run homer and a grand slam (#25 & 26) to give him 7 RBI for the game and 3 HR and 10 RBI on the day. Kelly Crumpton's 2-run homer (#20) accounted for the other two Rays runs. Like Avila in the matinee, another Rays starter who had turned things around of late regressed as Wes Mendes was 4.2 8 6 5 0 4. The win went to Mason Feole (3-2) with 2 1/3 scoreless while Tommy Burpee picked up save #2 despite allowing a run in the 9th.

Rookie Danny Morales, who's been up and down in his starts and up and down between here and Durham, was most certainly up today as he pitched the Rays to a 5-2 win over the Orioles in the finale. Morales evened his record at 2-2 after an excellent 7.1 6 2 2 1 3 outing and Mike Moore got the final five outs for save #5. Danny Arroyave, Orlando Tosado and ex-Oriole Jake Westfall each had 2 hits and an RBI to lead the offense.

Team record: 64-25. Next up: The All-Star Break which also includes the Amateur Draft, and we return to action Thursday with 4 at home against Boston.

[Art Deco]

The teams:

This year, the American League will be represented by these All-Star performers:

SP Alex Diaz (SA) - 8-4, 2.50 ERA, 115.1 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 8.4 K/9, 2.5 WAR
SP Chris Ferguson (TB) - 10-2, 2.86 ERA, 103.2 IP, 1.19 WHIP, 6.9 K/9, 2.7 WAR
SP MacKenzie Gore (MIN) - 7-6, 3.14 ERA, 123.1 IP, 1.13 WHIP, 7.4 K/9, 3.3 WAR
SP Joe Marlette (TB)* - 11-0, 3.15 ERA, 103.0 IP, 1.18 WHIP, 10.2 K/9, 2.9 WAR
SP Christopher Soriano (CLE) - 5-1, 2.17 ERA, 49.2 IP, 0.99 WHIP, 9.6 K/9, 1.5 WAR
SP Mike Stachowiak (TOR) - 7-4, 3.36 ERA, 115.1 IP, 1.10 WHIP, 7.9 K/9, 2.2 WAR
SP Jose Suarez (NYY)* - 4-1, 2.70 ERA, 56.2 IP, 1.02 WHIP, 9.1 K/9, 1.1 WAR
SP Chad Weeks (HOU) - 8-1, 2.74 ERA, 105.0 IP, 1.19 WHIP, 7.5 K/9, 2.3 WAR
RP Matt Canterino (LAA) - 4-4, 4.15 ERA, 82.1 IP, 1.30 WHIP, 6.4 K/9, 0.7 WAR
RP Aaron Civale (SEA) - 3-1, 2.32 ERA, 54.1 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 5.8 K/9, 1.0 WAR
RP Wilberto Rivera (OAK) - 4-2, 2.78 ERA, 58.1 IP, 1.03 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, 1.1 WAR
RP Leo Valencia (HOU) - 6-1, 2.06 ERA, 56.2 IP, 0.90 WHIP, 7.5 K/9, 1.7 WAR
RP Chris Vogt (DET) - 5-1, 2.11 ERA, 55.1 IP, 0.98 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 0.9 WAR
C Joey Bart (BOS) - .298/.347/.459, 181 AB, 7 HR, 117 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
C Adrian Del Castillo (MIN) - .298/.348/.482, 272 AB, 10 HR, 127 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
C Willie Tellez (CWS)* - .288/.346/.555, 274 AB, 20 HR, 146 wRC+, 4.3 WAR
1B Kelly Crumpton (TB)* - .280/.326/.504, 343 AB, 20 HR, 128 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
1B Duane Mahony (OAK) - .319/.368/.490, 345 AB, 11 HR, 139 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
1B Chris Morehouse (BAL) - .306/.352/.591, 291 AB, 19 HR, 150 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
1B Mike Valenzuela (CLE) - .306/.387/.569, 320 AB, 22 HR, 160 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
2B Arturo Gutierrez (TB)* - .284/.326/.559, 363 AB, 24 HR, 8 SB, 142 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
2B Royce Lewis (MIN) - .255/.332/.451, 326 AB, 12 HR, 18 SB, 113 wRC+, 3.4 WAR
2B Nate Strickland (TB)* - .300/.378/.601, 313 AB, 26 HR, 167 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
2B Kenshin Yamaguchi (DET) - .339/.378/.428, 360 AB, 3 HR, 18 SB, 123 wRC+, 4.1 WAR
3B Nils Pischetrieder (KC) - .270/.332/.473, 226 AB, 11 HR, 120 wRC+, 0.8 WAR
3B Patrick Upchurch (HOU)* - .292/.338/.623, 342 AB, 32 HR, 160 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
SS Jeremy Begley (OAK)* - .328/.370/.545, 341 AB, 16 HR, 8 SB, 153 wRC+, 5.6 WAR
LF Omar de la Rosa (BOS)* - .212/.309/.508, 297 AB, 25 HR, 119 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
LF Orlando Tosado (TB) - .278/.324/.588, 320 AB, 27 HR, 13 SB, 145 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
CF Isaiah Price (DET)* - .334/.367/.453, 353 AB, 1 HR, 15 SB, 122 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
CF Jake Westfall (TB) - .294/.328/.496, 343 AB, 12 HR, 10 SB, 122 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
RF Josh Baggett (OAK) - .315/.365/.592, 292 AB, 21 HR, 4 SB, 157 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
RF Julian Valcin (MIN)* - .296/.333/.488, 291 AB, 11 HR, 122 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
RF Juan Zamora (OAK) - .283/.345/.580, 300 AB, 18 HR, 2 SB, 151 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
.
While the National League best will include these stars:

SP Jac Caglianone (CHC) - 9-6, 3.71 ERA, 119.0 IP, 1.22 WHIP, 8.8 K/9, 2.9 WAR
SP Nathan Deschryver (LAD) - 8-5, 4.02 ERA, 123.0 IP, 1.23 WHIP, 10.1 K/9, 2.2 WAR
SP James Hays (LAD) - 12-5, 2.88 ERA, 144.0 IP, 0.97 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, 4.9 WAR
SP Josh Johnson (MEM)* - 11-6, 3.09 ERA, 142.2 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 10.3 K/9, 2.7 WAR
SP Daniel Rivera (CHC) - 3-2, 13 SV, 2.39 ERA, 67.2 IP, 1.24 WHIP, 7.3 K/9, 1.3 WAR
SP Levi Stoudt (CHC) - 4-1, 2.21 ERA, 53.0 IP, 1.25 WHIP, 6.1 K/9, 1.2 WAR
SP Thayer Tavormina (ATL) - 5-4, 2.84 ERA, 79.1 IP, 1.25 WHIP, 7.1 K/9, 1.6 WAR
RP Josh Bourquin (MEM) - 3-1, 2.79 ERA, 67.2 IP, 1.30 WHIP, 6.0 K/9, 0.9 WAR
RP Joe Ponder (LAD) - 2-3, 3.00 ERA, 51.0 IP, 1.35 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 1.2 WAR
CL Chris Bohlig (WSH) - 2-1, 25 SV, 0.68 ERA, 40.0 IP, 0.65 WHIP, 8.3 K/9, 1.7 WAR
CL Jerry Cuevas (STL) - 2-2, 31 SV, 1.45 ERA, 43.1 IP, 1.02 WHIP, 11.8 K/9, 1.7 WAR
CL Brad Jones (MIA) - 2-1, 24 SV, 1.33 ERA, 40.2 IP, 0.81 WHIP, 12.8 K/9, 1.2 WAR
CL Jorge Ochoa (SF)* - 7-4, 17 SV, 3.05 ERA, 41.1 IP, 1.16 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 0.7 WAR
C Riley Jackson (SF) - .267/.347/.412, 240 AB, 6 HR, 115 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
C Zion Rose (EP) - .263/.314/.415, 224 AB, 7 HR, 3 SB, 104 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
C Creed Willems (WSH)* - .235/.280/.514, 251 AB, 18 HR, 107 wRC+, 1.1 WAR
1B Rocko Brzezniak (WSH) - .295/.338/.572, 346 AB, 22 HR, 142 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
1B Roger Perez (MIA)* - .330/.401/.599, 342 AB, 24 HR, 4 SB, 178 wRC+, 4.5 WAR
1B Josh Pitcock (CHC) - .300/.371/.510, 337 AB, 16 HR, 7 SB, 142 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
2B Alex Arauz (ARI)* - .280/.358/.529, 329 AB, 23 HR, 2 SB, 142 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
2B Alex Bell (MIA) - .294/.362/.480, 350 AB, 12 HR, 14 SB, 134 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
3B Alex Colon (CIN) - .304/.357/.649, 296 AB, 24 HR, 169 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
3B Carlos Correa (MIL) - .278/.347/.380, 237 AB, 6 HR, 4 SB, 102 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
3B Brady House (COL)* - .301/.354/.531, 326 AB, 17 HR, 4 SB, 135 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
3B Gleyber Torres (PHI)* - .280/.386/.516, 279 AB, 16 HR, 144 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
SS Armando Cruz (WSH) - .299/.379/.399, 358 AB, 4 HR, 9 SB, 116 wRC+, 3.7 WAR
SS Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD)* - .261/.337/.487, 314 AB, 20 HR, 8 SB, 126 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
LF Kevin Aguillard (CHC) - .319/.366/.624, 335 AB, 26 HR, 5 SB, 169 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
LF Jasson Dominguez (ATL)* - .302/.407/.636, 291 AB, 27 HR, 7 SB, 184 wRC+, 4.9 WAR (Injured)
LF Kian Manmano (WSH) - .336/.424/.654, 321 AB, 31 HR, 191 wRC+, 4.4 WAR
LF Jonathan Stroud (MEM) - .316/.356/.507, 335 AB, 11 HR, 14 SB, 137 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
CF Cody Bellinger (LAD)* - .288/.376/.544, 309 AB, 21 HR, 2 SB, 153 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
RF Ronald Acuna Jr. (NYM)* - .283/.378/.576, 304 AB, 25 HR, 7 SB, 160 wRC+, 4.4 WAR
RF Mike Kleinsasser (SF) - .295/.379/.516, 285 AB, 13 HR, 13 SB, 147 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
RF Ethan Workinger (ATL) - .286/.401/.536, 248 AB, 11 HR, 2 SB, 158 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
.
It's the first All-Star appearance for Ferguson, Strickland and Tosado, the second for Westfall, the third for Marlette and Gutierrez and the fifth for Crumpton.

We had two guys in the HR Derby, and MLB decided to face them off against each other:



Congrats to Orlando Tosado, the Rays' first HR Derby winner!

The game:



It was an ugly night for the AL but the Rays representatives acquitted themselves well with scoreless innings from Marlette and Ferguson, a Crumpton homer for the AL's only run, doubles from Tosado and Strickland (thrown out at 3rd trying to make it a triple), and a single from Westfall. Only Gutierrez at 0-3 didn't do anything.

[Art Deco]

Herndon:



High-school kid from Mississippi with excellent offensive potential.

Duron:



18-year-old from Kansas, where apparently the high school teams have poker games in the clubhouse. Bat looks special, glove not so much.

Survance:



Another MS high-schooler, another potential elite bat with an iffy glove. We have our type.

Barahona:



It's not like I set out before the draft and decide to get nothing but high-schoolers who can hit but can't field, but it keeps working out that way.

Chavarria:



Lookie here! A college guy with a glove. And a not half-bad bat, especially from a contact perspective. The Louisville product should have a floor of being a utility IF and a ceiling of a pesky leadoff guy who hits close to .300.

Corniell:



Another college product, the Indiana Hoosier should be a decent hitter who can play an above-average corner OF and CF in a pinch. Looks like a steal in the 5th round.

[Art Deco]

The Rays returned to action after the All-Star Break by splitting a 4-game home series with the Red Sox in which they hit well but got some lousy pitching, inspiring a pretty good-sized trade.

The opener looked like a gimme for the Rays as they were up 5-1 after 7 innings but even after getting some insurance in the 8th they still had to hold on to a 7-6 win thanks to shaky bullpen work. Homers from Jake Westfall (solo, #6/13) and Kelly Crumpton (a 2-run shot, #21) who was 4-5 today, helped them build their lead although Pedro Avila couldn't make it through 5 despite pitching well (4.1 4 1 1 3 5 on 83 pitches). Slade Cecconi (3-1) earned the win but Tommy Burpee (2 runs allowed), Mike Moore (1) and Josh Scanlon (a pair of solo homers in the 9th) really made a mess of things with Scanlon lucky to record save #24.

Wes Mendes (5-7) was horrendous and although the Rays tried a valiant comeback from 7-1 down early, they ending up falling 9-6 to Boston in the second game. Mendes just didn't have it today and was torched to the tune of 2 8 7 7 2 2. A Joshua Baez solo shot (#15) and a 2-run Kelly Crumpton single helped them get back within 7-6 but Jon Post gave up a pair of runs in the 9th to give the Red Sox a cushion in the end.

Tampa Bay overcame a lousy Shane Panzini start and won it late from Boston 9-5 in the third game. Panzini's first start off a brief IL stint was an ugly one as he was wild in going 3.1 3 3 3 6 2 and the fact that he didn't give up one or more of his normal homers kept the score from getting out of hand. Rookie Danny Arroyave had the best game of his short MLB career with a 2-run single in the 5th to put the Rays up 5-3 and a 2-run homer (#4) in the 7th. Speaking of rookies, Masharu Shimizu hit his first MLB homer, a solo shot in the 4th, while Orlando Tosado (#28) and Arturo Gutierrez (#25) also found the seats. Gutierrez had 3 hits, 2 RBI and a stolen base on the day to go with the homer. Slade Cecconi (4-1) picked up his second win in three days in relief.

The terrible starts from Mendes and Panzini made me realize that although we're cruising to a runaway division title, I can't count on either of them in a playoff start so we swung a deal with Detroit to pick up a couple of starters:



We finally cut the cord on Panzini, who earned a total of 8.7 WAR over 130 career Rays starts and was 52-31 but with a 4.36 ERA. His consistent inconsistency was always a source of frustration. We also parted with Penagos, a good-looking 2B prospect with 75 potential contact and 50 power who was our big July 2 signing a couple of years ago. In return we get a couple of solid starters in Baldino and McElvain. The latter is the better of the two, 6-3, 2.86 with 2.2 WAR already this year for the Tigers and 10-7, 3.72 with 3.6 WAR last season, while Baldino was 8-7, 4.38 but is rated 55/65/60. Both are free agents at season's end. McElvain will take Panzini's spot, and Baldino will likely take either Mendes or Avila's. A couple weeks ago Avila's would have been the obvious choice but he's pitched very well lately. Stay tuned.

Jake Baldino got the surprise start in the series finale, and it went well until it suddenly didn't as the Rays dropped a 4-3 decision to the Red Sox. He had only allowed a solo homer through 4 innings with 7 whiffs until he hard time getting anyone out in the 5th, getting his only out on a sac bunt, and Boston scored 3 times to leave him with a 4.1 5 4 4 1 7 line in his Tampa Bay debut along with a loss. Joshua Baez was a one-man offense, homering twice (#s 16 & 17) to drive in all 3 runs including a 2-out, 2-run shot in the bottom of the 9th which made the final closer than it really was.

Team record: 66-27. Next up: Seattle invades the Trop for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Marching on, the Rays took 2 of 3 from the M's at Tropicana Field.

The opener was a tight, tense pitching duel between Joe Marlette and Seattle's Avery Short. Marlette left trailing 1-0 after going 6 2 1 1 4 6 but the Rays finally got to Short and the Seattle pen in the 8th, scoring twice to eke out a 2-1 win. Kelly Crumpton's 2-run double was the decider, and it made a winner of Mike Moore (7-0) with Josh Scanlon looking good today with whiffs for all 3 outs in the 9th to pick up save #26.

Transaction: Ethan McElvain was added to the active roster and OF Caleb Hampton was optioned to Durham. I couldn't decide which pitcher to waive as all of them were too good to just give away so I added a 15th pitcher and left us with 3 position players on the bench. Hampton had barely played all year anyway so we won't miss him for now. Wes Mendes goes to the bullpen to make room for McElvain in the rotation.

Ethan McElvain made his Rays debut and while he pitched well, things didn't go that great for the team as Seattle got to the pen after he left to take a 6-3 win over Tampa Bay. McElvain was a solid 5 4 1 1 2 2 on 80 pitches but was tiring so Slade Cecconi (4-2) took over in the 6th and promptly was hit for 4 runs, 2 earned, in the inning. Joshua Baez's 2-run single was the Rays highlight of the day.

The Rays bounced back to the take the finale behind another strong outing from All-Star Chris Ferguson and dispatched the Mariners 5-0 although it took until late before they had any breathing room. Ferguson (11-2) gave Seattle nothing, going 7 2 0 0 1 4 and not allowing a hit until the 5th. Still though it was only 1-0 on a Danny Arroyave RBI double until the 7th as Tampa Bay left numerous men on base. Kelly Crumpton added an RBI single in the 7th to make it 2-0 and then they broke it open with 3 in the 8th including an RBI single from Wander Franco who had four hits on the day. Tommy Burpee pitched the 8th and stayed on for the 9th to collect his 3rd save.

Team record: 68-28. Next up: A day off then we head to Yankee Stadium for the weekend.

[Art Deco]

The Rays went to New York and mauled the Yankees in a sweep, outscoring them 31-5 in total.

Although the Rays had their way over the weekend series the opener was their toughest nut to crack as it took a 3-run William Contreras homer (#5) in the 9th to break a 3-3 tie as they beat the Yankees 7-3. Arturo Gutierrez followed Contreras with a solo shot (#26) to go with earlier homers from Wander Franco (#9) and Danny Arroyave (#6). Pedro Avila had a shaky start (4.1 8 3 3 1 4) but the pen was outstanding with Slade Cecconi going 2 2/3 perfect with 5 whiffs and Tommy Burpee (3-1) getting the win going the final two.

After trailing 2-1 after 3 innings the Rays went to work on New York pitching and came away with a 7-2 win in the second game. Arturo Gutierrez, who homered for the first Rays run (#27), had an RBI double to put them up for good in the 5th, and Kelly Crumpton expanded the lead with a 2-run shot (#22). Danny Arroyave and William Contreras were also each 3-4 with an RBI. Jake Baldino wasn't dominant, but pitched well enough to even his Tampa Bay record at 1-1 after going 5 5 2 2 4 1.

The Rays completed destroyed the Yankees 17-0 in the finale, hitting 8 homers in all including 3 from Nate Strickland. Just gonna paste the hitting section from the box score rather than recap any further:



Joe Marlette was in cruise control throughout, going to 12-0, 2.90 with a 6 3 0 0 1 7 outing while Wes Mendes picked up his first save, pitching the final 3 innings with 6 whiffs.

Team record: 71-28. Next up: Back home for 3 vs Baltimore.

[Art Deco]

The Rays won a trio of tight, low-scoring games from Baltimore thanks largely to fine pitching but suffered a couple of significant injuries to key players in the process.

Solo homers from Jake Westfall (#8/15) in the 7th and Orlando Tosado (#30) in the 8th brought them a come-from-behind 4-3 win over the Orioles in the opener but the big news was the loss of star 2B Arturo Gutierrez for the rest of the regular season. Gutierrez collided with a Baltimore runner at 2nd base and was down for a while before being helped off with what was diagnosed as a herniated disc. The injury will put him out until approximately October 10, so he may be ready for the ALDS but he might not. He ends another great season in the making with a 284/327/549 slash line, 27 HRs, 67 RBI and 3.6 WAR. As for the game Ethan McElvain made his 2nd Rays start and pitched well outside of a 3-run 5th when perhaps the Gutierrez injury shook him up; he finished 6 5 3 3 1 5. Tommy Burpee (4-1) got the win in relief and Josh Scanlon finished up for save #26. Nate Strickland earlier also joined the 30-homer club.

We wasted no time finding a Gutierrez replacement at 2B, picking up a veteran replacement:



The Reds were looking to dump Abrams, a free agent at year's end, and it cost us very little in salary or talent as Anillo is a 31-year-old minor leaguer. What we get is a competent fielder at the position who can hit for average and steal bases and gives us a credible option should Gutierrez not be ready for the playoffs. He was hitting 270/303/398 with 31 steals and 1.7 WAR for the Reds, in line with his career numbers. AA pitcher Jake Snyder was DFA'd to make room on the 40-man for Abrams.

It was bad news on the injury front once again despite good news on the field as Chris Ferguson was excellent in a 3-1 win over Baltimore but left in the 7th with his own herniated disc but this one wasn't as bad as Gutierrez's as he should only miss a month. Ferguson did improve to 12-2, 2.53 after going 6.2 4 1 0 0 5 but the injury deals a serious blow to his dark horse Cy Young candidacy. Josh Scanlon saved again, his 27th. Rookie Danny Arroyave had the game's big hit, a 2-run homer (#7) in the 2nd and CJ Abrams was 1-4 with a caught stealing in his Rays debut.

Transaction: Ferguson goes on the 15-day IL and Danny Morales was summoned again from Durham to take his place in the rotation.

We made it through the finale without suffering any injuries and completed the sweep with a 4-2 win. Danny Morales got the start and looked quite good, going 6 4 2 2 2 3 to improve to 3-2 with the big club. With Scanlon having pitched the previous two nights, Mike Moore got the call in the 9th and retired Baltimore in order for save #6. It was the Jake Westfall revenge game on offense as the former Oriole homered twice to drive in all 4 runs, a 3-run shot in the 2nd and a solo blast in the 7th, giving him 17 homers in total on the year. He's been on a tear since joining the Rays with 10 of those homers in only 101 AB and a 347/370/703 slash line.

Team record: 74-28. Next up: An off-day then 3 games in Toronto.

[Art Deco]

In our talks with Cincinnati on the CJ Abrams deal the name of their star closer Eddie Lewis also came up and we went back to the Reds to add him to our bullpen:



While Josh Scanlon has 27 saves this year and boasts 80 stuff, he's been inconsistent enough to make me feel slightly uneasy and with this juggernaut of a team I didn't want to have the 9th inning be its Achilles heel. Hence the deal for Lewis, which unlike the Abrams pickup did cost us a pretty good prospect in Baggs, currently in AA and projected to be a .280, 20-25 HR guy in the majors as soon as next season. He was our 2nd round pick in 2028. And the 26-year-old Ritchie was having a good season at Durham (279/349/451 with above-average D in CF) and probably deserves a shot in the majors. But in Lewis we get an elite closer. The 30-year-old has 80 stuff, 65 movement and 60 control, with 29 saves this year in 44 innings and a 9/56 BB/K ratio with only 2 homers allowed, good for 2.1 WAR already. He has 244 career saves in all. He'll supplant Scanlon in the closer role and will really give us quality depth.

Speaking of that depth, we had to part with a decent reliever just to make room for him on the active roster as Scanlon and Mike Moore were the only relievers with options and they weren't going down. So sayonara to Jon Post:



I liked Post and still do, but either he or Eddie Yean were the last man on the staff and Yean wasn't going to bring us anything in trade despite being an effective reliever. Post and Dardon, a middling starter prospect, brought us a couple of useful depth pieces in Calhoun and Hadley. Calhoun is your prototypical middle infield utility type, with 60 contact, 75 avoid Ks and 70 speed with and average-to-above-average D at 2B/SS/3B and even LF. He only has 30 power though, fitting the part. Hadley is a sleeper 3B prospect with 55 contact, 50 power and 55 D at the hot corner, having a great (3.6 WAR already) season at AAA, hitting .341 with 11 HR. Danny Arroyave is set at 3B for now but if we feel the need to move him elsewhere on the diamond Hadley could be a good option.

With these bullpen moves, we're pretty much set for the deadline as we don't need any more hitting and we added the two starters in the deal with Detroit last week.

[Art Deco]

Rays saw their win streak snapped at 8 when they dropped the finale but it was another good series north of the border.

Pedro Avila and Eddie Yean combined on a 4-hit shutout in the opener as the Rays blanked the Jays 6-0. Avila (5-5) went 6.2 4 0 0 4 3 and Yean followed with 2 1/3 hitless to close it out. CJ Abrams led off the game with his first Rays homer while Orlando Tosado (#31) and Wander Franco (#11) chipped in with 2-run shots.

The Rays withstood ace Joe Marlette giving up a trio of solo homers and went on to down Toronto 8-3 in the second game. Marlette still remained a perfect 13-0 as those solo shots were all he yielded in a 6 6 3 3 0 5 outing. Tampa Bay countered Toronto's three taters with five of their own including a pair each from Nate Strickland (#31 & 32) and William Contreras (#6 & 7) while Kelly Crumpton had to settle for one, a two-run shot (#23) in the first.

Tampa Bay came out on the short end of a pitchers' duel in the finale, seeing their 8-game win streak end as Toronto's Jordan Delgado got the better of the Rays' Ethan McElvain in a 2-1 loss. All the scoring came in the first two innings as the hurlers were stingy after that with McElvain finishing 5 5 2 2 0 7 and losing his first decision as a Ray.

Team record: 76-29. Next up: 3 games in Washington against the always-tough Nationals who are 63-43 but 2 1/2 behind Miami in the NL East.

Some monthly awards for our boys:

At only 24 years of age, Nate Strickland could very well have many more months like this last one during his career. That would be great news for fans of the Tampa Bay Rays, as July was one to remember for the second baseman and he has captured the American League Batter of the Month award.

On the month he hit .281 with 11 home runs, 26 RBIs and 19 runs scored. Strickland is batting .296 with 32 home runs and 82 RBIs this season.

and

Danny Arroyave's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young Tampa Bay third baseman has been hitting everything in sight for the better part of a month. In July he was voted the Rookie of the Month.

During the month he hit .330 with 12 doubles, no triples and 6 home runs. Arroyave also scored 15 times and drove in 24 runs. So far in 2033 Arroyave is batting .328 with 8 home runs, 31 RBIs and 21 runs scored. He has 45 hits in 137 at-bats and a .336 OBP.

[Art Deco]

Nationals Park has always been a tough place for the Rays to win, and this year's series was no exception as they dropped two of the three in walk-off fashion of sorts.

The Rays dropped the opener 4-3 after coming back from 3-0 down only to lose in a tough fashion. Trailing 4-2 going into the top of the 9th they had something going and Nate Strickland's 2-out RBI single made it 4-3 and put runners on the corners. But Strickland wasn't paying attention at first and he was picked off to end the game, the first time in all my saves that I've had a game that end that play which I've played out. Jake Baldino (1-2) wasn't that great at 4.2 7 4 4 1 5 but the bullpen kept them in it and Orlando Tosado had a 6th-inning solo homer (#32) which cut the deficit to 2.

The second game was a bitter pill to swallow for the Rays as they held leads of 4-0 and 7-3 before the bullpen melted down in the final innings and Washington walked it off with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 9th to win 8-7. Three-run homers from Danny Arroyave (#8) in the first and Orlando Tosado (#33) in the 6th gave them that 7-3 lead and they looked to be on their way after rookie Danny Morales gave them a 5 6 3 3 1 6 start. But the bleeding began in the 6th when Wes Mendes gave up a 2-run homer, then Ruben Abeyta surrendered a homer in the 7th to make it 7-6. Tommy Burpee had a clean 8th and that set up Eric Lewis for his Rays debut. Lewis looked like the stud he's been over the years by whiffing the first two Nationals but then gave up an infield single and the next batter Luis Garcia deposited his 1-0 pitch into the LF seats for his second homer of the game and a loss in Lewis' first Rays appearance.

Pedro Avila made sure the Rays would have something to take away from their visit to the nation's capital, hurling 7 brilliant shutout innings as the Rays salvaged the finale 3-0. Avila got onto the winning side of the ledger at 6-5 after a 7 3 0 0 0 6 gem. Eric Lewis bounced back from his rough Rays debut with a scoreless 9th for his first Tampa Bay save. All of the offense came courtesy of Japanese slugger Masahara Shimuzu, who drilled a pair of homers: a 2-run shot in the 4th and a solo blast in the 7th, giving him 4 homers in only 30 at-bats since coming up from Durham.

Team record: 77-31. Next up: An off-day then up I-95 to Philadelphia where we'll play three.

MLB News: While we were in Washington it was announced that the career of Nationals starter Pablo Lopez, who pitched for us down the stretch in 2028 as a rental, is over at age 37. Lopez tore his UCL late last year and wasn't progressing as hoped so he decided to hang up his spikes.

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Meat Loaf time in Philly as the Rays took 2 out of 3 over the weekend.

Tampa Bay dropped the opener though thanks to a bullpen meltdown which saw an 8-4 lead in the 7th dissipate and the Phillies took a 9-8 win in 11 innings. Joe Marlette was in line to go 14-0 despite a mediocre 5 6 4 4 0 6 outing as a solo Masaharu Shimizu homer (#5 in only 35 AB) and a 3-run Danny Arroyave blast (#10) broke a 4-4 deadlock in the 5th. Shimizu is insanely hot as he also had a 2-run double earlier in the tilt. But Mason Feole gave up a run in the 7th and put two more on including a Wander error before Mike Moore served up a 3-run homer to tie it. And then in the 11th Josh Scanlon (3-4) put on a pair on base before departing for Eric Lewis, who was greeted by a game-winning single.

Thanks to a 1-hour, 6-minute rain delay today's affair was a bullpen game for the Rays and unlike last night they came through in a 3-1 win. Ethan McElvain started and went 3 3 0 0 1 4 before having to leave with the lengthy delay and Wes Mendes (6-7) took over with 3 innings of 1-run ball for the win. Eric Lewis bounced back from the day before and picked up his 2nd Rays save and 31st overall. Kelly Crumpton was the man on offense with an RBI double in the 3rd and a solo homer (#24) in the 8th.

It's Masaharu Shimizu's world and we're all living in it as the Japanese rookie import blasted two more homers today to lead the Rays to an 8-5 win in the finale. The Rays were behind 4-0 for quite a while in this one thanks to the third lousy start in four outings since joining the club for Jake Baldino (2.2 7 4 4 0 2) before Shimizu hit a solo shot in the 5th to get them on the board. Bases-empty homers from Danny Arroyave (#11) and Nate Strickland (#33) got them within 4-3 and then they loaded the bases in the 8th for Shimizu who walloped a grand slam, his third homer of the series and 7th in only 43 AB since being recalled. His blow made a winner of Slade Cecconi (5-2), who relieved Blandino and tossed 4 1/3 shutout innings, and Josh Scanlon netted save #28.

Team record: 79-32. Next up: off to Texas for 3 games.

No surprise here:

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Another two out of three for the Rays as they march on toward the playoffs.

Tampa Bay came up short in the opener, losing 7-4 to the Rangers at Globe Life Field. Rookie Danny Morales (3-3) struggled, allowing 3 in the 2nd and finishing 4 4 3 3 3 3 with Eddie Yean giving up 4 more in the 6th. Orlando Tosado's solo homer (#34) was the highlight of the day for the Rays.

Transaction: Billy Carlow returns to a crowded outfield which didn't have Jake Westfall or Masahuri Shimizu when he went down with an injury six weeks earlier. We're going to have to do a lot of rotating as all five OFs on the roster are really producing. As we only had 3 bench players since acquiring Eric Lewis, Danny Morales is sent back to Durham to make room and Wes Mendes will get another shot back in the rotation.

Billy Carlow celebrated his return to the lineup by hitting the game-winning homer, his 22nd, in the 10th as the Rays edged the Rangers 3-2. Masahuri Shimizu had given Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead in the top of the 9th with an RBI single but Eric Lewis's struggles since being acquired continued as he blew his second save. Lewis stayed on to close out the 10th for his first Rays win, but he now has two blown saves and a loss (and an appearance in which he gave up the winning hit in a tie game with someone else's runner scoring) so it hasn't been what we anticipated when trading for him. Pedro Avila turned in another fine start (5 5 1 1 1 5) and Wander Franco had a solo shot (#12) for the first Tampa Bay run.

Joe Marlette was once again unable to go to 14-0 after losing an early 3-0 lead, but he stayed undefeated when CJ Abrams singled in the winning run in the 8th to give the Rays a 4-3 win and series triumph. Billy Carlow homered again (#23) with a man on in the first to help build that lead but Marlette gave back a pair in the 4th and the equalizer in the 6th to finish 6 7 3 3 1 4. Instead it was Mike Moore who got to burnish his gaudy W/L record by going to 8-0 with the win, and with lefties due in the 9th Tommy Burpee closed against his former team for save #4.

Team record: 81-33. Next up: A day off then back home for 3 against Houston.

MLB News: Veteran corner guy Austin Riley will hang up the cleats at season's end. He has 234 career homers and hit one for El Paso the same night he announced. Also the Dodgers' Jordan Groshans had his 25-game hit streak snapped.

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Rays won 2 out of 3 for the third straight series as they returned home.

The opener was an ugly affair though as the Astros routed the Rays 12-3. Ethan McElvain, who had pitched well but had yet to win for the Rays, didn't pitch well tonight and dropped to 0-2 after going 5 8 5 4 2 5, and then Slade Cecconi and Frankely Guzman combined to allow 7 more runs on 10 hits over 3 innings. Billy Carlow (#24, and for the third time in three games since coming off the IL) and Danny Arroyave (#12) each homered in the loss.

While the Rays pitched poorly in the opener they responded with brilliance in the second game as Tampa Bay took a late 3-1 win over Houston. Jake Baldino, who unlike Ethan McElvain had pitched poorly for the Rays since coming over from Detroit, finally had a fine start going 5.2 5 1 1 3 6. He left a 1-1 game though and it wasn't until the 7th when Joshua Baez (#18) and Danny Arroyave (#13) went deep back-to-back to win it for the Rays. The relief win went to who else but Mike Moore, now 9-0, and Eric Lewis fanned a pair in the 9th for his 3rd Tampa Bay save.

A Tampa Bay laugher in the finale got a little dicey at the end but they still held on for an 8-6 win to take series. It was 3-3 into the 7th before the Rays hit Houston for 5 runs on a Jake Westfall RBI single and a CJ Abrams grand slam (#2/9). Before that Danny Arroyave had provided all the offense with a 2-run double and a solo homer (#14), his third in three games this series. In his return to the rotation Wes Mendes showed us why he was removed from it after allowing 3 runs in the first two innings but settled in to finish 5 5 3 3 2 4. Ruben Abeyta (3-0) earned the win with three perfect innings of relief but Frankely Guzman crapped the bed again in the 9th, giving up a 3-run homer (Nomar Mazara's 300th) and necessitating Eric Lewis to come in again and pick up Rays save #4 and #33 total.

Team record: 83-34. Next up: The Yankees visit for 3 games.

MLB News: On Saturday a pair of veteran lefty hitters banged out hit #2000 with St. Louis's Alex Verdugo and the Yankees' Corey Seager reaching the milestone.

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The Rays dropped 2 of 3 at the Trop to the Yankees, losing both games in almost identical fashion.

The opener was a 1-1 game through 7 before New York jumped on the Rays bullpen for 5 runs in the 8th and took a 6-1 win. Pedro Avila was outstanding at 6 2 1 1 2 5 and has made his case for being the 4th playoff starter but he was supported only by a Nate Strickland solo homer (#34) in the 4th. Then in the 8th Mike Moore's perfect season came to an end as he was hit for a leadoff homer and proceeded to allow 3 more runs to drop to 9-1.

The Rays bounced back to rout New York in the second game 8-1 thanks to a 6-run 2nd which featured a hat trick of 2-run homers. Orlando Tosado (#35), William Contreras (#8) and Billy Carlow (#25) all went deep with a man on and made things very comfortable for Joe Marlette, who went to 14-0 and cruised in a 7 3 1 1 0 10 outing. Jake Westfall added a solo homer (#11/18) later in the game and Contreras had an RBI double to give him 3 knocked in.

It was deja vu for the Yanks and Rays in the finale as just as in the first game it was 1-1 through 7 innings and just as in the first game the Yankees blew it open against the Tampa Bay bullpen, winning 7-2. Ethan McElwain was excellent at 7 4 1 1 1 7 and the Rays were held to a lone run despite numerous chances to score (11 LOB in total, 7 by Danny Arroyave). It then all went bad against Tommy Burpee (4-2), who had done a good job this year of keeping the ball in the park but gave up a 3-run shot to lefty Mickey Moniak to lose the game. Frankely Guzman then allowed 3 more in the 9th, marking his third straight appearance in which he's given up 3 runs.

Team record: 84-36. Next up: A day off then we head west to San Antonio for 3 games against the 48-72 Alamos.

MLB News: Veteran starter Shane Bieber is hanging it up as he's in the nomad phase of his career, bouncing from the Yankees to the Diamondbacks this season.

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The Rays made like Santa Anna and ran roughshod on the Alamos, sweeping the series by a combined score of 27-4.

The opener was the closest of the three games with Tampa Bay taking a 4-1 win. Wes Mendes started and went 3.2 3 1 1 0 1 before having to leave after a 1-hour, 45-minute rain delay. Right before the delay the Rays put three up in the top of the inning highlighted by Nate Strickland's 2-run single. Kelly Crumpton added a solo homer (#25) in the 8th for some insurance. Longman Slade Cecconi (6-2) took over after the delay and hurled 3 1/3 scoreless innings for the win while Eric Lewis recorded his 5th Rays save and 34th overall.

The Rays annihilated San Antonio 16-1 in the second game, scoring 3 or more runs in four separate innings including a 6-run 8th that really made it a massacre. Danny Arroyave led the way, going 4-5 with a pair of doubles and 4 RBI, Joshua Baez had the game's lone homer, a 3-run shot (#19) and Billy Carlow was 3-4 with 2 RBI to lead the attack. Pedro Avila (7-5) wasn't his sharpest and didn't need to be, but he limited the damage in a 5 6 1 1 3 1 outing.

Yesterday the Rays scored 16 times with only one homer; in today's finale the longball was the weapon of choice as they blasted four in a 7-2 win. Kelly Crumpton kicked things off with a 2-run shot (#26) in the first, Orlando Tosado went solo with #36 in the 2nd while Jake Westfall did likewise with his 12th for Tampa Bay and 19th overall, and Billy Carlow added a 2-run clout (#26) in the 4th. The beneficiary of this support was Jake Baldino, who evened his Rays record at 2-2 after a 6 7 2 2 2 1 performance.

Team record: 87-36. Next up: Heading even farther west to Anaheim for 3 with the Angels. Incidentally the magic # for clinching the division is down to 16 - the standings lead is 24 games.

MLB News: Longtime Dodgers star Gavin Lux recorded his 2000th hit.

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The Rays swept their second straight series with the final two wins coming thanks to 9th-inning dramatics.

There was nothing dramatic about the opener though as the Rays raced out to a 10-0 lead over the Angels before ultimately prevailing 10-5 at the Big "A" thanks to the game of Nate Strickland's life. The second-year DH accomplished two major feats: a five-hit game and a three-homer outburst. The hat trick of dingers came sandwiched between singles in the 2nd and 8th as he hit a solo shot in the 3rd, a 2-run blast in the 4th and another 2-run jack in the 6th as he drove in five total to give him 37 HR and 95 RBI on the season. Billy Carlow also added a solo shot (#27) and Wander Franco's 3-5, 2 RBI game was relegated to an afterthought. Also lost in Strickland's big game is that Joe Marlette went to 15-0 with an easy 6.2 7 2 2 2 3 outing.

The Rays trailed 2-1 in the 9th inning against the Angels in the second game before Orlando Tosado stepped up and drilled a 2-run homer (#37) into the RF bullpen in Anaheim to give Tampa Bay a 3-2 win. It looked like Ethan McElvain would be a hard-luck loser after going 5 5 2 2 2 2 but Tosado saved him the loss and instead gained a win for Eddie Yean (2-0). Eric Lewis had a perfect 9th for save #6/35 and Billy Carlow had the first Rays run with another homer (#28).

Once again the Rays were down in the 9th and once again a big homer saved their bacon, enabling them to win 6-4 in 12 innings and sweep the Angels. Today's hero was Kelly Crumpton, whose 2-run homer (#27) with 2 out in the 9th turned a 4-2 loss into a 4-4 tie. Then in the 11th Masaharu Shimuzu, who earlier hit HR #8, singled in the winner. Billy Carlow is also boiling lava hot as he was 4-5 with HR #29, marking his fourth straight game with a homer. Wes Mendes started and it was another abbreviated outing for him. Last time out he left due to rain delay and today he left in the 2nd after allowing a 2-run homer with a herniated disc which will keep him out a month. The relief win went to Tommy Burpee (5-2) and Eric Lewis saved again (#7/36).

Team record: 90-36, magic number down to 11. Next up: We fly across the country without the benefit of a day off to play 4 games in Baltimore.

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The Rays are hotter than August as they swept the 4-game set in Baltimore and extended their winning streak to 10.

Kelly Crumpton homered twice and drove in five runs in a 6-2 win in the opener at Camden Yards. The righty slugger hit #28 with two men on in the 4th to put them ahead for good and #29 came with a man on in the 9th for insurance. Nate Strickland got in on the act with his 38th, a solo shot. Pedro Avila (8-5) rolled on, going 6 4 2 2 1 2 but there was some bad news when reliever Eddie Yean was lost for the year with a torn labrum after getting the first out of the 9th.

Transaction: Wes Mendes and Yean both went on the IL, Yean on the 60-day, and Danny Morales and Jeremy Brooks were recalled from Durham. Morales will take Mendes' place in the rotation while Brooks will pitch in long relief. Chris Ferguson was sent to Durham on a rehab assignment and will get one start in down there before being activated when the rosters expand on the 1st.

The Rays trailed 4-2 after 5 in the second game but battled back for a 9-6 win. Joshua Baez drove in 3, including a key RBI triple in a 4-run 6th, and CJ Abrams drilled a 2-run double in that key inning as well. William Contreras was 2-3 with a walk and HR #9. Jake Baldino (3-2) wasn't great at 5.2 7 4 4 1 4 but still got the win while Eric Lewis notched Rays save #8 and his 37th total.

Joe Marlette went to 16-0 but it was mainly due to his teammates at the plate and in the pen as Tampa Bay took a 10-6 win in the third game. Marlette was handed a 6-0 lead thanks in large part to a 2-run Billy Carlow single and a 2-run Jake Westfall homer (#13/20) as the two ex-Orioles tormented their former team but he nearly gave it all back, allowing 4 runs in the 4th. He stuck around to qualify for the win at 5 8 4 4 3 4 and with the score 6-4 loaded the bases to start the 6th before Mason Feole came in and played Houdini, getting the Rays out of the inning without any runs scoring. Orlando Tosado provided some insurance, going 3-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI and Tommy Burpee got the final five outs for his fifth save.

The Rays completed the sweep with a tight 3-2 win in the finale. Kelly Crumpton's solo homer in the 9th (#30) broke a 2-2 tie and made a winner of good luck charm Mike Moore, who went to 10-1 in relief. Eric Lewis saved again (#9/38) while Ethan McElvain turned in a decent start at 5 6 1 1 0 2 before leaving with a sore elbow which won't keep him from his next start. Masaharu Shimizu drove in the other two runs with a 7th-inning single.

Team record: 94-36, magic number down to 6. Next up: An off-day then home for 3 against Atlanta.

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The 10-game win streak was snapped in the opener but the Rays won the next two to take the Series.

Danny Morales (3-4) was a bit homer-prone and the Rays dropped the opener 7-5 at the Trop to Atlanta. He took a 2-1 lead in the 5th after having already given up a homer and then let Jasson Dominguez take him deep for a 3-run shot to put Atlanta ahead to stay, finishing 5 5 4 4 2 5. Dominguez then added a 2-run shot off Jeremy Brooks which turned out to be the difference after the Rays came back to make it close when Danny Arroyave's 2-run homer (#15) cut the lead to two. CJ Abrams also led off the game with a homer (#3/10).

The second game was a wild back-and-forth affair that saw the Rays tie it in the 8th and then win it 8-7 in the 9th on Orlando Tosado's walk-off homer (#38). Tampa Bay was up 2-1, trailed 4-2, went back ahead 6-4, and trailed again 7-6 before Wander Franco drew a bases-loaded walk in the 8th to tie it up. Seven different Rays drove in runs including Billy Carlow, who was 3-5 with an RBI double. Pedro Avila struggled for the first time in a while, going 4.2 7 4 4 3 5 and the win went to Eric Lewis (2-1) who pitched a clean 9th.

Transactions: It's September 1 and time to add a couple players to the active roster. As alluded to before, Chris Ferguson was recalled from his rehab assignment and will rejoin the rotation, likely at Danny Morales' expense. On the hitting side utility guy Mike Calhoun, acquired at the deadline in the deal that sent Jon Post to El Paso, comes up to give us backup at several positions and provide speed off the bench as he's a 70 runner and had 30 steals with three clubs this year including 5 with El Paso.

After a couple of tight, tense games the Rays had a relative breather in the finale, handling Atlanta 7-2. Orlando Tosado picked up where he left off from his walk-off homer the night before, going deep twice and driving in four to give him 40 homers on the year, and Wander Franco was 3-4 with his 13th homer. Jake Baldino (4-2, 12-9 overall) took a no-hitter into the 6th before giving up a 2-run homer and finished 5.1 2 2 2 1 5 for the win.

Team record: 96-37. Next up: The Mets invade the Trop for 3 games. New York is 74-59 and 2 games out of the last NL Wild Card spot.

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The Rays continued to lay waste to MLB, sweeping the Mets and clinching the AL East with nearly a full month left after winning the opener.

And that series-opening and division-clinching win came courtesy of Kelly Crumpton (dig the alliteration) as his 3-run walk-off homer (#31) in the 12th gave the Rays a 6-3 win over the Mets. Joe Marlette was given the ball with a 3-0 lead and a chance to go 17-0 but he couldn't hold it and finished 6 7 3 3 1 7. But the bullpen was brilliant as five relievers went a combined six hitless innings with Mason Feole (4-1) going the final two for the win.

With the division in hand the bench was emptied for the second game and the offense suffered as a result but not the team as William Contreras, who sat the previous night, led off the bottom of the 11th with HR #10 to give the Rays another walk-off win over New York, 2-1. Ethan McElvain gave them another good start at 6.2 8 0 0 0 3 and has a 2.64 ERA in 9 starts since coming over Detroit but astoundingly has yet to pick up a win and tonight was a distillation why. He did leave ahead 1-0 but Ruben Abeyta gave up a run in the 8th and instead the win went to who else but Mike Moore, now 11-1. One interesting development was that Billy Carlow made his pitching debut for the Rays and went 1 2/3 scoreless. Carlow had been a 2-way player with Baltimore the previous 4 years with marginal success (only 1.9 WAR out of 92 starts).

No need for walk-off heroics in the finale as the Rays routed the Mets 10-4. Kelly Crumpton drove in 4 more including another 3-run homer (#32), Billy Carlow was 3-4 with a double and 2 RBI and Diego Cartaya delivered his first homer of the year to lead the offense. Danny Morales (4-4) earned the win after going 5 6 1 1 2 1.

Team record: 99-37. Next up: A day off then we go for our 100th win in Kansas City where we'll play three.

MLB News: Current Met and former Ray Alex Kirilloff recorded his 2000th career hit over the weekend.

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Perhaps it was a post-clinching hangover as it's tough to get up for a series against a sub-.500 team in September on the road with nothing to play for as the Rays dropped 2 of 3 in Kansas City in their first series loss in over a month.

Eric Lewis was brought in from Cincinnati before the deadline to give us a more reliable closer than Josh Scanlon but since coming over Lewis has been pretty dodgy at times including tonight when he allowed 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th to turn a potential 3-2 win into an actual 4-3 loss. Lewis took his second Rays loss and blew his third save in 15 appearances (to go with 8 saves) when he gave up 3 hits including a walk-off 2-run double. Before that Pedro Avila went 3.2 3 2 0 0 2 before leaving with a back tweak which won't sideline him and Billy Carlow hit his 30th homer.

Runs were scarce in the second game and it was 0-0 until the bottom of the 8th when Mike Moore, who had been the team's good luck charm in relief with an 11-1 record, gave up a 2-run homer to allow Kansas City a 2-0 win. Despite an essentially full-strength lineup the Rays only managed 5 hits and wasted an excellent start from Chris Ferguson (6 5 0 0 0 2) in his return from the IL.

Joe Marlette once again came in looking to improve on his 16-0 record and make a run at a second consecutive 20-win season and once again he struggled, with only the power of the offense keeping his perfect record intact after a brutal outing in a 10-7 win, the team's 100th of the season. Marlette was handed another big early lead, this time 6-1, but after giving up a run in the 3rd to make it 6-2 he was torched for 5 more runs in the 4th and the Royals briefly went ahead. Marlette finished 3.2 8 7 7 5 1 in an outing in which he clearly didn't have it, but Orlando Tosado's 2-run homer in the 5th (#41) restored the Tampa Bay lead and got him off the hook, and CJ Abrams blasted a 2-run shot of his own (#4/11) in the 8th for insurance. Before all that Nate Strickland homered (#39), doubled and tripled, driving in a pair. Needing only a single to complete the cycle Strickland was instead intentionally walked twice as he came up with first base open. Slade Cecconi (7-2) was excellent in long relief again with 3 1/3 scoreless for the win and Eric Lewis picked up his 9th Rays save, but it was as shaky as they come as he allowed a leadoff single, got a double play, and then loaded the bases before getting a strikeout to end it.

Team record: 100-39. Next up: The road trip goes north and west as we head to Seattle for 3 games.