The 2021 (and only 2021) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

A decent series for the Rays which saw them fall one pitch short of a possible sweep, instead taking two of three.

It was a tight, tense opener but the Rays came away with a 3-2 win over the Royals thanks to RBI singles in the 6th from Danny Arroyave and Orlando Tosado. Danny Morales (7-4) took a 1-0 lead into the 6th but gave up a pair of runs and finished 6 6 2 2 1 6 before the rally in the bottom of the inning earned him a win. Nathan Dettmer pitched a perfect 8th and 9th for his first save of the year (and first Rays save in three years), lowering his ERA to 0.49.

A former Ray did in Tampa Bay with one swing of his bat and they lost a tough one 4-3 to Kansas City. Randy Morris and the Rays were up 1-0 going into the 5th but with the bases loaded and two out in the top of the frame Morris threw a hanging slider to Dominic Scavone, who took it out for a grand slam. We stayed there until the bottom of the 9th when the Rays put the first two men on before Masaharu Shimizu came off the bench and grounded into a double play. Arturo Gutierrez then homered (#23) but unfortunately there was only one man left on base and they fell a run short. Morris (4-2) saw his four-game win streak end, finishing 5 7 4 4 3 1.

The Rays bounced back to handle the Royals 6-1 in the finale. Orlando Tosado slugged a pair of homers, a 2-run clout in the 1st and a solo shot in the 8th, his 14th, and Jake Westfall was 3-4 with a 2-run double to break the game open. Chris Ferguson (6-4) was a solid 5.2 6 1 1 3 6 for the win.

Team record: 45-28, still 1 1/2 behind the Jays who also took 2 of 3 but they did gain a game on the Yankees to pull within 1/2 of them. Next up: an off-day to fly cross-country where we'll play 3 in Anaheim against the Angels.

[Art Deco]

Not a great series for the Rays in SoCal as it took a major rally in the opener to keep them from being swept.

Before the series we made a trade to beef up the bullpen:



Washignton was willing to part with Williams (not to be confused with former Ray from 2022-25 Devin Williams) for a couple of guys who were at Durham and have some decent potential but were blocked in our system. He's a power reliever rated 75/60/60 and earned 2 WAR last year for the Nats with a sick 5/72 BB/K ratio. That was a bit fluky as he's walked 7 in 28 IP this year with a 2.54 ERA but he's still perhaps the best arm now in our pen. To make room for him Jeremy Brooks was optioned to Durham.

The aforementioned rally came in the 9th inning of the first game as they scored 7 times in the frame to turn a potential 3-2 loss into a 9-3 rout. They scored their first three runs in the inning on a balk, sac fly and an error and then they plated the final four on a 3-run Danny Arroyave homer (#19) and an Orlando Tosado solo shot (#15). Joe Stack had earlier hit a solo homer, his 19th. Ethan McElvain went 6.1 7 3 3 3 4 in his start and Wes Mendes (2-3) went final 2 2/3 scoreless for the win.

The Rays lost the second game twice, first when the newly-acquired Devon Williams gave up 3 runs in the 7th to blow a 4-2 lead, and then for good in the 10th when Mike Moore (3-2) nearly escaped a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam but after a pair of strikeouts Arturo Gutierrez booted a grounder to let the winning run score as LA took a 6-5 victory. The Rays had taken the early lead in large part thanks to a 2-run Nate Strickland homer (#20) and a fine start from Joe Marlette, who took a no-hitter into the 6th before giving up a 2-run homer and finishing 6 1 2 0 1 8. Williams then crapped the bed in his Rays debut, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits and while Danny Arroyave got him off the hook with an game-tying RBI single in the 9th it only postponed the inevitable.

The finale wasn't pretty for Tampa Bay either as they fell 6-2. Danny Morales started and pitched decently at 5 6 2 2 2 5 while Nate Strickland's 21st homer with a man on in the 6th squared the game at 2. But Chris Ericson (3-4) made it two straight days where a Rays reliever put them behind by allowing 3 runs in an inning and the offense had no answer. Included among LA's offense today was a 3-hit, 3-RBI day from Jarred Kelenic and the first of his hits was #2000 as a big-leaguer.

Team record: 46-30. They didn't lose any ground to Toronto which also lost 2 of 3 and stayed 1 1/2 ahead. The Yankees though took advantage of the situation and moved back into a first-place tie with the Jays. Next up: We have a quickie two-game series with those same Jays in Toronto.

[Art Deco]

Made a big trade:



Shimizu's days were always going to be numbered as we had both Bobby Marin and Luis Berumen waiting in the wings, and I was pleasantly surprised at what I was being offered around the league for him. The best offer came from Cleveland in Charlton and as you can see I took it, but we really don't have a spot for him as he's a 1B/DH and we already have Nate Strickland and Joe Stack covering those positions quite well. Still you can't turn down this type of player:



A beast of a hitter who was having a great year with the Guardians, Charlton will be on our club but is going to have a hard time finding at-bats especially as he's a lefty hitter like Strickland and Stack. If we're cash-strapped at season's end like we were this past offseason I can see dealing Strickland who becomes arb-eligible this winter for whatever we might need as I'm sure he'd fetch a lot. For now Mike Calhoun goes to Durham and Marin comes up to take Shimizu's LF job against RHP. Oh and one of the owner goals was to acquire a power hitter, so this should fill the bill.

As for the games we had a 2-game set with the team we're chasing in the AL East and it's as you were, 1 1/2 behind Toronto, after a split.

The opener was a tough pill to swallow as Mike Moore gave up a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 9th to let Toronto walk off a 3-2 win. Moore dropped to 3-3 and blew his 5th save of the season as his grip on the closer's role is starting to get shaky, especially with Devon Williams brought on board. Randy Morris started and went 4.1 6 1 1 2 3 and needed to be rescued from a 5th-inning jam which he was, and the rest of the pen held the 2-1 lead all the way until the 9th. Arturo Gutierrez hit HR #24 for one of the two Tampa Bay scores tonight. And we did something I've almost never had one of my teams do in all my saves:



The first of course in this save. In the 7th with Wes Mendes pitching and men on 1st and 2nd, Vlad Jr. lined one right at Danny Arroyave at 3B with the runners going and we went 5-4-3 to turn it. Sadly it ended up being for naught.

The Rays were up against their former longtime star Kelly Crumpton in the second game, literally as Crumpton has resumed being a 2-way player since joining Toronto and got the start tonight. Of course he knows quite well how lethal the Tampa Bay lineup can be and he found out firsthand again at his own expense as he was tagged for 4 runs on 3 homers in 5 innings and the Rays took a 6-1 win. Orlando Tosado had a monster night, going 4-4, homering twice to give him 17 (once off Crumpton), tripling and driving in 3 runs. Also taking Crumpton deep were William Contreras (#5) and Nate Strickland (#22). Meanwhile on the mound Chris Ferguson (7-4) was outstanding at 7 4 1 1 1 5 and Devon Williams rebounded from his terrible Rays debut to pitch a pair of scoreless innings.

Team record: 47-31. Next up: Another 2-gamer, this time in Boston.

[Art Deco]

Rays took both of the games in Beantown and now trail Toronto by 1/2 game, tied with the Yankees in the wild three-team race between three of MLB's best teams.

A 4-run 4th and a great game from Ethan McElvain propelled the Rays to a 5-1 win over the Red Sox in the opener. Nate Strickland wrapped a 2-run homer (#23) around the Pesky Pole to cap the big inning and McElvain (5-4) was dominant at 6 2 0 0 2 8 for the win.

Arturo Gutierrez was the hero in the second game as his 3-run homer (#25) broke a 2-2 tie in the 10th and the Rays swept the 2-game series with a 5-2 win. Joe Marlette was excellent at 6.2 3 2 2 2 9 but lost leads of 1-0 and 2-1. Wes Mendes (3-3) got the final two outs in the 9th for the win and Mike Moore bounced back from a blown save to retire Boston 1-2-3 in the 9th for his 13th of the season. Orlando Tosado earlier had a solo shot (#18).

Team record: 49-31. Next up: The Yankees visit the Trop for 3 games in a big AL East series. It's also roughly the halfway point of the season so the midseason review post will be next.

[Art Deco]

A decent year so far especially given our financial constraints.



Again it's our misfortune to be in a division with 3 of the best 5 teams in MLB right now so it could be quite an interesting race with the winner getting a bye into the ALDS while the other two face each other in the wild card round.



Not loving the trend in monthly records and had no idea we were such a bad baserunning team. The pitching seems a bit better statistically than it seems, especially the bullpen and the fielding is as mediocre as ever.



You can see at the bottom here why I made a move in LF last week, giving Marin a chance as Shimizu and Soamoa weren't getting it done. Also while Nate Strickland is hitting homers he isn't going much else in terms of getting on base, and Wander is having a pedestrian year by his standards (he is 33 now). It is nice to see Arroyave up there after a rough start to the season.



A lot more turnover on the staff with all the injuries we've had including three of the four relievers with the best ERAs at the top (Cecconi just went on a rehab assignment). Marlette remains a stud and meanwhile it looks like Ferguson has been a BABIP victim this year as he's on pace for a 3-WAR season.

Down on the farm:



Berumen should be our next star, and is penciled in to take Tosado's place in LF next year. Gutierrez may or may not be ready next year to join the rotation and Ruiz down at #19 could be our utility IF next season.

[Art Deco]

Rays took 2 of 3 from the Yankees in this big AL East showdown series.

High drama in the opener as the Rays took a 2-1 lead in the 7th, saw the Yankees tie with a run in the 8th and go ahead with one in the 9th only for Jake Westfall to come through with a pinch-hit 3-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the 9th to give Tampa Bay a thrilling 5-3 win. The story early was Danny Morales, who held New York to 1 run through 7 before putting a man on to start the 8th. He departed for Devon Williams, who allowed Morales' man to score the tying run then gave up a homer of his own in the 9th to put them behind. Morales finished 7 4 2 2 1 6 in a great outing. Then in the bottom of the 9th the first two Rays were retired before Joe Stack kept the inning alive with a single, pinch-hitter Arturo Gutierrez did likewise and then Westfall launched his 19th homer of the year to send the crowd into a frenzy. Nate Strickland earlier hit his 20th for Tampa Bay and Williams picked up his first Rays win despite blowing his 2nd save since arriving from Washington.

Randy Morris was hit hard and although the Rays made the score respectable in the end it wasn't enough in a 6-4 second-game loss. Morris (4-3) was tuned up to the tune of 3.1 7 4 4 3 3 and saw his ERA tick up to 4.12. The bats did crank out a trio of solo homers: Bobby Marin's first MLB round-tripper as well as #20 each for Joe Stack and Jake Westfall.

Chris Ferguson has been up and down this year mainly due to the vagaries of BABIP but today he was most certainly up, shutting out the Yankees for 7 innings as the Rays took the rubber game of the series 3-0. Ferguson (8-4) was in control throughout at 7 2 0 0 3 5 and Mike Moore completed the shutout for his 14th save. Wander Franco was the hitting hero, going 3-5 with an RBI double and an RBI triple plus a stolen base.

Team record: 51-32. Toronto swept Boston in Fenway but lost on our off-day so they're a game up on us. Next up: That off-day followed by Oakland coming in for 3 starting July 4th.

MLB News: I'll throw in a bonus box score since you don't see one of these every day (with a Maddux no less):

[Art Deco]

Ladies and gentlemen, your first place Tampa Bay Rays. It took quite a while this year but the Rays have finally clawed back into first place after sweeping Oakland by a combined 21-4 score, moving ahead of the Jays by 1/2 game.

Tampa Bay jumped all over one-time Rays prospect Taj Bradley in opener, scoring 5 off him in a 7-1 win. William Contreras was the hitting star, unloading a 3-run shot (#6) off Bradley in the 2nd and later adding an RBI single. A guy who was once Bradley's teammate, Wander Franco, added a 2-run double off him. That was all more than enough for Ethan McElvain (6-4) who was in cruise control at 7 4 1 1 2 3.

The Rays took the second game 4-2 behind the usual excellence from Joe Marlette and solid bullpen work for the most part. Marlette (6-3) went 5 3 0 0 3 8 on 94 pitches and Ruben Abeyta and Devon Williams kept the shutout intact through the 8th before Wes Mendes gave up a couple of runs and required Mike Moore to get the final out for save #15. Joe Stack's 2-run homer in the 6th (#21) proved to be the difference.

Danny Morales was dazzling and the bats were booming in a 10-1 rout of Oakland in the finale. The young righty improved to 8-4 after going 7 2 1 1 3 6 and he had plenty of support. Wander Franco drove in 4 with an RBI double and a 3-run homer (#8) before having to leave the game with a tired arm and his light-hitting replacement Mu-Sang Park got into the act with a 2-run blast of his own, his first MLB homer in 66 games with the Rays. Arturo Gutierrez was 3-5 with a 2-run jack (#26) and Joe Stack homered for the second straight day (#22), a solo shot.

Team record: 54-32. Next up: 3 at home vs Baltimore before we head into the All-Star break.

MLB News: Veteran hurler and former Ray Dustin May announced his retirement at the end of the season. May had 4 brilliant years in Tampa Bay from 2024-27, with 58 wins, a 3.72 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 15.2 WAR plus a 2025 World Series ring. Another former Ray was in the news as well as Cleveland's Raimfer Salinas hit career homer #400.

[Art Deco]

A not-great series for the Rays as they dropped 2 of 3 to Baltimore and with Toronto sweeping their series Tampa Bay dropped back into second, 1 1/2 behind the Jays and tied with the Yankees as we head into the All-Star break.

The Rays jumped out to a 4-0 lead after 3 in the opener but Randy Morris couldn't hold it and Baltimore ended up winning 7-5. Morris finished 5 8 5 5 1 3 and the game went to the 9th tied at 5 before Devon Williams (1-1) put two men on to start his second inning of work and Wes Mendes gave up the hit to let them score. Danny Arroyave led the offense, going 3-4 with a double and 2 RBI and Bobby Marin had a 2-run double.

Chris Ferguson was brilliant once again, pitching 8 shutout innings to lead the Rays to a 4-0 win over the Orioles in the second game. Ferguson (9-4) was 8 6 0 0 1 8 and continued a roll that's seen him allow only 4 runs over his last 5 starts covering 34 innings and he's won the last four of those. Jake Westfall and Orlando Tosado supplied all the offense with Westfall tripling in a run and scoring on Tosado's sac fly in the 3rd and then each added a solo homer, Westfall's 21st and Tosado's 19th.

The Rays were done in by an old friend in the finale as their one-time rotation staple Michael Prosecky held them to 1 run over 6 2/3 innings in a 3-2 Baltimore win. Jake Westfall's 6th-inning solo shot (#22) was all they managed off him and Nate Strickland had his own bases-empty blast in the 9th (#25) to make it close but that was it for the offense, which wasted a fine game from Ethan McElvain (6-5) at 6 5 3 2 1 4.

Team record: 55-34. Next up: The All-Star break, after which we return to action with 4 big games in Toronto. We also have the draft on the day of the All-Star game.

[Art Deco]

The rosters:

Scheduled to play for the American League All-Stars are:

SP Bryce Barnett (SEA) - 8-5, 2.46 ERA, 113.1 IP, 1.08 WHIP, 7.7 K/9, 3.2 WAR
SP Anthony Corrales (TOR) - 3-3, 24 SV, 2.02 ERA, 49.0 IP, 0.67 WHIP, 11.9 K/9, 2.0 WAR
SP Nathan Deschryver (NYY) - 8-8, 3.76 ERA, 119.2 IP, 1.18 WHIP, 8.9 K/9, 3.5 WAR
SP Joe Marlette (TB)* - 6-3, 2.68 ERA, 100.2 IP, 1.23 WHIP, 12.0 K/9, 3.3 WAR
SP Jake McKowen (TOR) - 10-2, 2.96 ERA, 100.1 IP, 1.14 WHIP, 9.2 K/9, 2.6 WAR
SP Chad Weeks (HOU) - 10-3, 1.97 ERA, 105.0 IP, 0.98 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 2.6 WAR
SP Andy Williamson (TEX) - 12-4, 2.69 ERA, 113.2 IP, 0.94 WHIP, 9.3 K/9, 3.1 WAR
RP Branden Gammage (TOR) - 3-1, 2.03 ERA, 31.0 IP, 1.10 WHIP, 9.9 K/9, 0.7 WAR
RP Tucker Holland (TOR) - 5-3, 2.48 ERA, 54.1 IP, 1.05 WHIP, 10.6 K/9, 1.2 WAR
RP Steve Maloney (CLE) - 1-0, 2.68 ERA, 57.0 IP, 1.21 WHIP, 9.8 K/9, 0.9 WAR
RP Chris Thomas (BOS) - 5-1, 2.68 ERA, 47.0 IP, 1.28 WHIP, 10.1 K/9, 1.0 WAR
CL Jon Patterson (HOU)* - 2-1, 19 SV, 1.60 ERA, 33.2 IP, 0.92 WHIP, 11.5 K/9, 1.6 WAR
CL Jadon Smith (CWS) - 2-3, 17 SV, 2.45 ERA, 33.0 IP, 0.82 WHIP, 12.5 K/9, 1.0 WAR
C Danny Delgadillo (TEX) - .301/.360/.419, 229 AB, 4 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
C Ian Moller (HOU) - .260/.346/.423, 215 AB, 7 HR, 1 SB, 108 wRC+, 1.1 WAR
C Robby Rhodes (TOR)* - .264/.357/.463, 231 AB, 10 HR, 124 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
1B Felix Najera (NYY) - .281/.365/.562, 331 AB, 24 HR, 3 SB, 145 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
2B Victor Fuentes (NYY) - .275/.342/.575, 327 AB, 27 HR, 5 SB, 142 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
2B Arturo Gutierrez (TB)* - .248/.306/.549, 355 AB, 26 HR, 8 SB, 124 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
3B Danny Arroyave (TB)* - .265/.312/.500, 332 AB, 19 HR, 117 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
3B Josh Beckelman (BAL) - .305/.347/.526, 249 AB, 14 HR, 1 SB, 132 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
3B Marco Luciano (SA) - .257/.337/.387, 230 AB, 7 HR, 2 SB, 95 wRC+, 0.7 WAR
3B Nils Pischetrieder (KC) - .279/.345/.596, 312 AB, 28 HR, 1 SB, 149 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
SS Jeremy Begley (OAK)* - .295/.332/.544, 305 AB, 19 HR, 3 SB, 134 wRC+, 4.0 WAR (Injured)
SS Patrick Cofield (NYY) - .283/.346/.469, 322 AB, 14 HR, 3 SB, 121 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
LF David Alvarez (DET)* - .373/.417/.601, 263 AB, 14 HR, 3 SB, 175 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
LF Andrew Greckel (LAA)* - .302/.370/.576, 295 AB, 21 HR, 1 SB, 152 wRC+, 2.4 WAR (Injured)
LF Raimfer Salinas (CLE)* - .267/.336/.512, 326 AB, 22 HR, 2 SB, 129 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
LF Orlando Tosado (TB) - .268/.360/.561, 287 AB, 19 HR, 15 SB, 146 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
LF Grant Witherspoon (DET) - .332/.408/.551, 256 AB, 9 HR, 1 SB, 161 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
CF Angel Gomez (TOR) - .354/.414/.499, 353 AB, 5 HR, 10 SB, 152 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
CF Nate Miller (SEA) - .308/.360/.613, 331 AB, 25 HR, 5 SB, 163 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
CF Ernesto Rodriguez (NYY)* - .272/.306/.518, 334 AB, 21 HR, 10 SB, 115 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
CF Jake Westfall (TB) - .293/.332/.558, 351 AB, 21 HR, 12 SB, 138 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
CF Jordan Wilder (BAL) - .320/.356/.484, 337 AB, 5 HR, 22 SB, 125 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
RF Julian Valcin (MIN)* - .313/.366/.567, 326 AB, 17 HR, 147 wRC+, 3.4 WAR

The National League All-Stars will feature these players:

SP Jac Caglianone (CHC) - 13-4, 2.89 ERA, 106.0 IP, 1.12 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, 2.6 WAR
SP MacKenzie Gore (LAD) - 5-6, 3.79 ERA, 90.1 IP, 1.30 WHIP, 7.3 K/9, 1.7 WAR
SP James Hays (LAD)* - 11-2, 2.47 ERA, 127.1 IP, 0.97 WHIP, 11.6 K/9, 4.5 WAR
SP Josh Johnson (MEM) - 7-0, 2.08 ERA, 69.1 IP, 0.95 WHIP, 10.1 K/9, 2.8 WAR
SP Liam Norris (PHI) - 4-3, 4.31 ERA, 77.1 IP, 1.44 WHIP, 5.7 K/9, 0.4 WAR
SP Steve Pitzer (CIN) - 6-7, 3.45 ERA, 127.2 IP, 1.01 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 2.6 WAR
SP Joe Scheu (STL) - 6-1, 1.74 ERA, 62.0 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 6.1 K/9, 1.1 WAR
RP Chris Bohlig (WSH)* - 2-5, 6 SV, 4.11 ERA, 30.2 IP, 1.50 WHIP, 7.6 K/9, 0.3 WAR
RP Joe Boyle (ARI) - 0-1, 3.89 ERA, 37.0 IP, 1.35 WHIP, 10.5 K/9, 0.4 WAR
RP Ricky Nunez (SD) - 3-0, 0.69 ERA, 52.0 IP, 0.77 WHIP, 9.7 K/9, 1.3 WAR
CL Pete Arambula (MIL) - 3-2, 16 SV, 2.37 ERA, 38.0 IP, 1.26 WHIP, 6.2 K/9, 0.4 WAR
CL Jerry Cuevas (STL) - 3-5, 17 SV, 5.25 ERA, 36.0 IP, 1.47 WHIP, 10.5 K/9, 1.0 WAR (Injured)
CL Eric Lewis (WSH) - 2-2, 9 SV, 3.38 ERA, 24.0 IP, 1.21 WHIP, 12.0 K/9, 0.7 WAR
CL Jon Post (EP) - 1-4, 18 SV, 3.90 ERA, 32.1 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 8.1 K/9, 0.7 WAR
C Joey Bart (SD) - .219/.289/.355, 228 AB, 6 HR, 74 wRC+, 1.0 WAR
C Luis Campusano (CHC)* - .265/.363/.466, 204 AB, 8 HR, 2 SB, 124 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
C Chris Wright (LAD) - .220/.291/.424, 236 AB, 12 HR, 91 wRC+, 0.7 WAR
1B Rocko Brzezniak (WSH)* - .306/.370/.580, 333 AB, 21 HR, 1 SB, 151 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
1B Jose Duran (MEM) - .288/.379/.592, 260 AB, 21 HR, 156 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
1B Roger Perez (MIA)* - .285/.337/.507, 351 AB, 18 HR, 2 SB, 130 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
1B Josh Pitcock (CHC) - .305/.376/.539, 308 AB, 15 HR, 7 SB, 147 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
1B Johnny Rodriguez (ATL) - .258/.333/.520, 325 AB, 22 HR, 129 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
2B Alex Arauz (ARI) - .268/.335/.607, 298 AB, 27 HR, 2 SB, 147 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
2B Gavin Lux (LAD)* - .262/.310/.492, 309 AB, 21 HR, 3 SB, 114 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
2B Christian Williams (NYM) - .352/.404/.514, 315 AB, 6 HR, 5 SB, 156 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
3B Ricky Castro (ARI) - .284/.357/.492, 327 AB, 16 HR, 16 SB, 127 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
3B Brady House (COL)* - .286/.386/.543, 315 AB, 18 HR, 3 SB, 145 wRC+, 4.0 WAR
SS Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD)* - .259/.353/.475, 305 AB, 16 HR, 13 SB, 121 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
LF Andrew Eyster (CIN) - .275/.392/.626, 273 AB, 29 HR, 2 SB, 171 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
LF Kian Manmano (WSH) - .263/.357/.573, 316 AB, 30 HR, 2 SB, 146 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
LF Juan Soto (STL)* - .330/.403/.694, 297 AB, 28 HR, 1 SB, 190 wRC+, 4.5 WAR
CF Cody Bellinger (LAD)* - .278/.347/.533, 317 AB, 22 HR, 1 SB, 135 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
CF Jasson Dominguez (ATL) - .257/.353/.571, 296 AB, 26 HR, 9 SB, 143 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
RF Alex Hicks (LAD)* - .303/.381/.644, 323 AB, 25 HR, 17 SB, 174 wRC+, 5.0 WAR
RF Alex Rodriguez (MEM) - .329/.379/.588, 313 AB, 21 HR, 162 wRC+, 3.4 WAR

For the Rays, Marlette is an All-Star for the 4th time, Gutierrez the 4th as well, Arroyave the 1st, Tosado the 2nd and Westfall the 3rd.

The Home Run Derby, without any Rays:



The game:



Not a great night for the AL or the Rays' participants except for Joe Marlette who started and pitched a scoreless inning and Danny Arroyave who managed one of only 4 AL hits.

[Art Deco]

Not the most exciting draft class this year, but we picked up some interesting guys:



Vroom: The wonderfully-named Vroom (who should get some sort of automaker endorsement) is a 17-year-old from the baseball hotbed of Quebec City who has 80 contact and 65 power potential and the ability to play 2B, 3B, SS and the OF corners. And he's rated 65 for stealing, so there's some Vroom in his profile.

Rodriguez: An 18-year-old from Central Florida (Sanford) with a potential elite glove (75 in the corners, 60 in CF) has 65 power & 65 contact potential along with 70 speed and a 65 arm so he has the tools, we'll just have to see if they develop.

Freire: A Texas high-school pitcher with 60/60/70 potential and three potential plus pitches. Could be a 3rd round steal, more likely I'll get a development report later this year or early next telling me his potential is down to 50/50/40 or something like that.

Padilla: A 19-year-old from the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy who has some potentially elite bat-to-ball skills (80 contact, 75 avoid Ks) along with power (65 potential). He also has the potential to be a 55 behind the plate and if he can approach all of this he's a potential All-Star backstop.

Quintanilla: 18-year-old starting pitcher from Puerto Rico with 60/55/65 potential, also with three possible plus pitches.

The first college player we took was OF Luis Gomez in the 7th round out of Oregon, an excellent defensive OF who can play CF and is potential 50 contact, 80 gap, 55 homer and 70 eye with 65 speed, so he could be a quick comer.

[Art Deco]

The Rays resumed action after the All-Star break with a big series in Toronto, which started off great with a couple of wins and a move into first but ended with a couple of losses to put us right back where we were during the break, 1 1/2 games back.

In the opener it appeared the Rays had forgot to unpack their bats from the layoff as Toronto's Jordan Delgado had them no-hit into the 7th inning and they trailed 2-0, but they exploded in the final frames to take a 7-2 win over the Jays. With two out in the top of the 7th Orlando Tosado finally broke up the no-hitter with a double and that apparently rattled Delgado as the next man up Nate Strickland drilled a 2-run homer (#26) to tie it. They then put 4 on the board in the 8th with Bobby Marin's RBI triple the decider. Danny Arroyave added a solo shot (#20) in the 9th. Chris Ferguson was very good at 6.2 7 2 2 2 6 but missed a win by an out with it instead going to Nathan Dettmer (3-1).

The Rays overcame another blown save from Mike Moore to edge Toronto 3-2 in 11 innings and briefly move into first place. Moore gave up a run on 3 hits in the bottom of the 9th to blow his 6th save of the year and although his overall numbers aren't bad (2.50 ERA) he's been shaky in the 9th of late and we might explore some other options. Today he was bailed out by Nate Strickland's sac fly in the 11th which brought home the winner. Danny Morales was solid at 5 4 1 0 1 5 although it took him 102 pitches and Nathan Dettmer (4-1) ended up the winning pitcher for the second straight day while Chris Ericson notched his first save of the year.

Tampa Bay had to feel good in the 3rd game as they took a 3-1 lead and had ace Joe Marlette on the mound, but the Jays erupted for 5 runs in the 4th and went on to a 6-4 win over the Rays. Marlette (6-4) was struggling even before the outburst and finished a brutal 4.1 10 6 6 1 5. Mu-Sang Park (#2) and Nate Strickland (#27) homered in a losing cause.

The Rays had to settle for a split in the end as Toronto took the finale 4-1. Ethan McElvain (6-6) gave up 3 runs in the 2nd and finished 4.1 8 3 3 3 5 in the loss and Danny Arroyave's 2nd-inning solo homer (#21) was the full extent of the offense.

Team record: 57-36. Next up: Off to New York for a quick 2-game series with the Yankees, who are a game behind us (even in the loss column).

[Art Deco]

The Rays split the two-game set with New York while Toronto split their, so it's status quo ante with the Rays still 1 1/2 back.

Transaction: Slade Cecconi's rehab time was up at Durham and with Randy Morris pitching somewhat poorly of late and having an option, he was the choice to go down to Durham. Cecconi will take Morris's place in the rotation, at least until Kevin DiCostanzo returns in early August.

The opener was a frustrating game for Tampa Bay as they battled back from a 5-0 deficit to come all the way back to tie the game 6 in the 8th, only for Devon Williams to fail again and allow 3 in the bottom of the inning to allow the Yankees a 9-6 win. Slade Cecconi came off the IL and got the start and despite a full month in Durham he looked rusty, giving up 3 homers in a 4 6 5 5 0 2 outing. But the Rays fought back, culminating in a 3-run rally in the 8th on back-to-back homers from Orlando Tosado (#20, a 2-run shot) and Joe Stack (#23). Unfortunately Williams (1-2) gave up 3 runs on 3 hits including a 2-run homer as despite his sterling ratings and good numbers with Washington, he sports an 8.68 ERA now with the Rays.

The Rays bashed four homers in the second game and took a relatively comfortable 8-3 win over the Yankees to gain a split. Chris Ferguson (10-4) was solid once again on the mound at 5.2 5 2 2 3 4 and got support with a 2-run homer from Orlando Tosado (#21) and solo shots from Bobby Marin (#2), Wander Franco (#9) and Danny Arroyave (#22).

Team record: 58-37. Next up: After just getting done playing 4 in Toronto we face the Jays again, this time for a pair at Tropicana Field and a chance to move into first with a sweep.

[Art Deco]

These quickie two-game series usually come and go so fast that they're never very memorable but this one was a glaring exception as in the first game the Rays were nearly no-hit by a guy who played 1B for them last year and in the second they pulled off the miracle comeback of the season. The split keeps them 1 1/2 back of the Jays but with the Yankees winning two they dropped the Rays to third on percentage points.

The Rays never really did use Kelly Crumpton as a pitcher, feeling he was more valuable at the plate and usually didn't have a hole in the rotation he needed to fill. But Toronto is taking advantage of his two-way ability and in the first game he no-hit his old team for 8 innings before Arturo Gutierrez beat out an infield single on a ball hit deep in the SS hole. Crumpton departed after that but the Jays held on to take a 3-0 win in a game that saw Danny Morales go pitch-for-pitch with Crumpton at 7 2 0 0 2 6 before Toronto got to Nathan Dettmer (4-2) for all three of its runs in the 8th.

It looked like the Rays were going to suffer a sweep as Toronto took a 6-1 lead into the bottom of the 9th, but a Jays error kept a Rays rally alive and Arturo Gutierrez, who cost Toronto a no-hitter last night, cost them game this time with a 2-out grand slam (#27) to tie it, and Danny Arroyave blasted a 2-run shot (#23) in the bottom of the 12th to give Tampa Bay an 8-6 win. It obviously all started poorly with a rare lousy start from Joe Marlette (4 7 5 5 1 7) putting them in a big early hole, but the pen held serve for the most part, allowing only one run over the final eight innings with Devon Williams (2-2) getting the win. One unsung hero in the comeback was Danny Charlton, who kept the 9th alive with a pinch-hit RBI single ahead of Gutierrez's slam.

Team record: 59-38. Next up: We stay in the AL East for the third straight series as cellar-dwelling Boston (37-59) visits the Trop for 3 games.

MLB News: San Diego's Eloy Jimenez hit career homer #400.

[Art Deco]

The Rays' offense pretty much took the weekend off, scoring only 5 runs over the 3 games, nevertheless they still took 2 out of 3 thanks to some excellent pitching. Toronto and the Yankees did likewise so Tampa Bay remains in 3rd, 1 1/2 back of the Jays.

Diego Cartaya's RBI single in the 8th broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Rays a 4-3 win over Boston in the opener. Ethan McElvain was solid at 7 7 3 3 1 4 and Cartaya's hit made a winner of Nathan Dettmer (5-2) while Devon Williams recorded his first Rays save. Orlando Tosado had a solo homer, #22.

Slade Cecconi did a 180 from his previous start and pitched the Rays to a 1-0 win in the second game over the Red Sox. Cecconi (1-0) was brilliant going 6 2 0 0 1 3 in his second start since coming off the IL and the pen took it from there with Mike Moore notching save #16 with a perfect 9th. Jake Westfall's first-inning solo homer (#23) stood up for the duration as he bagged three of the Rays' 7 hits on the night.

Having won scoring four runs and one run Tampa Bay found out you can't win scoring zero runs as the Red Sox took the finale 4-0. Former Ray Reid Detmers bewitched their bats, allowing only 2 hits over 6 2/3 shutout innings and they didn't add any more off the Boston bullpen. Chris Ferguson (10-5) was a tough-luck loser after going 6 5 2 2 1 5.

Team record: 61-39. Next up: 3 games in Baltimore.

Team news: Kevin DiCostanzo was sent on a rehab assignment to Durham and hopefully after a start or two he'll be ready to rejoin the rotation.

[Art Deco]

A big series for the Rays as they swept the Orioles in Baltimore and moved to within 1/2 game of the Jays, who took 2 of 3 from the Yankees and pushed New York 2 behind Tampa Bay into third.

Tampa Bay blew open a close game with a 5-run 8th and routed the Orioles 11-4 in the opener. Orlando Tosado's grand slam (#23) in the 8th was the game-breaker and it was the fifth dinger of the game for the Rays after Bobby Marin (#3), Danny Charlton (his first as a Ray and 10th overall), Arturo Gutierrez (#28) and Danny Arroyave (#24). Danny Morales (9-4) got the win going 6 5 4 4 2 5.

The Rays scored 4 times in the 1st including a 3-run Joe Stack blast (#24) and Joe Marlette and the pen made those runs stand up in a 4-3 win. Marlette (7-4) went 7 6 3 3 0 6 for the win and Mike Moore closed it out for save #17. Nate Strickland's RBI single brought home the other Tampa Bay run.

The Rays were headed for a 3-1 win in the finale before Mike Moore gave up homers to the first two men he faced in the 9th to blow his 7th save, but it only delayed the inevitable as they put four on the board in the 11th to prevail 7-4. Ethan McElvain was excellent at 6 4 1 1 2 5 and Wander Franco, who ended up with 4 hits, had the first of two RBI doubles to help them to the 3-1 lead. After Moore's implosion the Rays loaded the bases in the 11th and Bobby Marin came off the bench to deliver a game-winning 2-run single and Franco added an RBI double. Wes Mendes (4-3) got the win but made enough of a mess in the bottom of the 11th that Frankely Guzman had to come in for his first save.

Team record: 64-39. Next up: An off-day then 3 games in Houston. With only $2M in payroll available it's unlikely we'll do anything significant at the deadline but stay tuned.

[Art Deco]

An excellent weekend for the Rays as they took 2 of 3 in Houston while Toronto was swept at home by Oakland, and as a result Tampa Bay has now taken over first place in the AL East by 1 1/2 games on the Jays.

A 9th-inning rally to tie up the opener only prolonged their agony as the Astros walked it off against Devon Williams and the Rays 6-3 in 10 innings at Minute Maid Park. Trailing 3-1 going into the 9th Joe Stack led off with a solo homer (#25) and the Rays scored the equalizer on a Houston error with two out. But Williams (2-3), who seems to alternate between awesome and awful since joining the club, put two men on and gave up a 3-run homer to Astros star Patrick Upchurch, who had 54 homers last season but has missed most of 2034 with injuries. The good takeaway from the game is that Slade Cecconi was dominant in his start, going 5.1 2 1 0 3 8 on 89 pitches.

The Rays came up big in the 9th inning again in the second game, scoring 5 times to break a 2-2 tie in downing Houston 7-2. All five runs came with two out, starting with Arturo Gutierrez's 2-run single and continuing with an RBI knock from Jake Westfall, who earlier brought home the first two runs with a 6th-inning homer (#24). Chris Ferguson turned in his usual top-notch start at 6 7 2 2 1 4 and Wes Mendes (5-3) went 1 2/3 scoreless for the win.

Tampa Bay closed out their July schedule by taking a 4-1 win and the series over Houston behind Danny Morales. The second-year righty closed out a tremendous July of his own (3-0, 1.76 in 5 starts) by going 5.2 5 1 1 2 6 and improving to 10-4, 2.95 overall. The pen was brilliant with Mike Moore pitching a 1-2-3 9th for his 18th save. Orlando Tosado was the hitting star, going 3-4 with a pair of solo homers (#26 & 27) while Arturo Gutierrez's 29th of the season in the 9th provided insurance.

Team record: 66-40, tops in the AL East of course and tops in the majors as well. Next up: We get Trade Deadline day off before heading to Miami for 3 games. Expect a quiet deadline with no money to add salary.

[Art Deco]

Not a great series for the Rays, who dropped 2 of 3 and fell back into second place a half-game behind the Blue Jays.

Joe Marlette was in good form in the opener and the Rays hung on for a 3-2 win at LoanDepot Park over the Marlins. The lefty went to 8-4 after a 6 4 1 1 3 8 gem and Mike Moore converted save #19. Orlando Tosado was 3-4 including a 2-run homer (#25) in the 4th that was the difference in the game.

Rays' bats were kept fairly quiet in a 5-3 loss in the second game, with Orlando Tosado's 3-run homer (#26) in the 7th providing the only offense and making it 3 straight with a longball for the all-star OF. Ethan McElvain (6-7) was a mixed bag at 5.2 6 4 4 2 7 taking the loss.

The finale was one that got away from Tampa Bay as they fought back from an early 5-0 deficit to go ahead in the 8th, only for Nathan Dettmer to be shelled in the bottom of the inning for four runs in a 10-7 loss. Slade Cecconi has either been brilliant or horrible since joining the rotation and today he was the latter at 3 8 5 5 2 2 but 3-run homers from Orlando Tosado (#27, his 4th straight game with a dinger) and Nate Strickland (#28 in the 8th to give them a temporary lead) brought them all the way back along with a Danny Arroyave solo shot (#25). Unfortunately Dettmer (5-3) was lit up in the bottom of the 8th, giving up an RBI double to tie it and then a pair of bases-loaded walks to put Miami ahead for good.

Team record: 67-42. Next up: 3 games in Washington at Nationals Park, a stadium they've always had trouble in (except for the 2029 World Series).

[Art Deco]

As mentioned in the previous post the Rays have had little success in Washington apart from the 2029 World Series, but somehow they managed to sweep the Nationals in a trio of close games and moved back into first place by 1/2 game after Toronto dropped a game over the weekend.

The main problem the Rays have had in Washington is keeping the Nats off the board and that was a problem at times in the opener but Tampa Bay managed to outscore them 8-7. Danny Arroyave hit the first of his 2 homers, a 3-run shot, in the 1st before Washington answered with 4 in the bottom of the frame and it was "here we go again". But Arroyave went deep again with a two-run shot in the 6th (#27) and the Rays took the lead for good. Joe Stack added an insurance shot (#26) in the 8th and it turned out to be necessary when former National Devon Williams was touched for two more runs in the 8th. Chris Ferguson (11-5) survived that bad first inning and hung around long enough for the win while Mike Moore took care of the 9th for save #20.

The second game played out fairly similarly to the first, right down the scoreline as the Rays hung on to beat Washington 8-6. Like yesterday they took an early 3-run lead going up 4-1 before the Nats hit Danny Morales for 4 runs in the 4th to go ahead 5-4. But Arturo Gutierrez smashed a 2-run homer (#30) in a 3-run 7th to put them ahead to stay and singled in an insurance run in the 9th. Danny Arroyave also drove in 3 with a pair of doubles, giving him 8 in the two games, and Nate Strickland had a 2-run single. And just like Chris Ferguson yesterday, Morales (11-4) ended up with the win despite a rough line of 6 7 5 5 1 2 and Mike Moore got the save once again, #21.

The Rays finished off the sweep with some late magic in a 4-3 win over Washington. Bobby Marin's 4th homer of the year in the top of the 9th broke a 3-3 tie and was the difference while Arturo Gutierrez homered for the second straight day with his 2-run shot (#31) proving large. Joe Marlette started and was a solid 6 4 3 3 5 6, Nathan Dettmer (6-3) earned the win with a scoreless 8th, and Devon Williams bounced back from a rough opener by notching his 2nd Rays save despite putting a couple of men on.

Team record: 70-42. Next up: Back home for 3 games against Detroit.

MLB News: Former Florida Gators star and Colorado Rockie Jud Fabian hit his 300th career homer.

[Art Deco]

A disappointing series for Tampa Bay after their success in Washington as they lost 2 out of 3 at home to the Tigers and now in a tie atop the AL East with Toronto.

Transactions: A bit of a bullpen shakeup as Mason Feole and Ty Madden were DFA'd, Adrian Morejon was brought back his from rehab assignment and veteran lefty Matt Cronin was claimed on waivers from the Mets. Cronin is on his second tour of duty with the Rays, having come over at the deadline in 2028 as a rental and earning a WS ring. He was an excellent 6-3, 2.54 with 1.2 WAR with the Mets. Feole was signed to a 2-run year deal but had his stuff downgraded. He had a not-bad 2.97 ERA this year but his peripherals were poor and he had -0.1 WAR. Madden had pitched decently since being claimed from the Yankees at the start of the year and had a 3.12 ERA and 0.5 WAR but someone had to go. The moves improve the left side of the pen as Feole and Wes Mendes hadn't been that reliable. Feole and Madden both ended up clearing waivers but refused minor league assignments so they were released.

The series started off well for the Rays as they scored 5 in the 4th inning to break the game open and took the opener 9-2 over the Tigers at Tropicana Field. Danny Arroyave drove in 4 with a 2-run single and a 2-run double and Arturo Gutierrez was 2-3 with 2 walks and 3 RBI including a 2-run triple. Ethan McElvain (7-7) was solid against his former club at 6 4 2 2 4 4.

Coming into the second game I had no idea who the heck Kyle Glogoski was as the 35-year-old journeyman minor leaguer didn't make his MLB debut until last season and had only pitched in 3 games in the bigs coming into tonight. But the Rays know who he is after tonight as he went 8 1 0 0 0 6 in a 2-0 Tigers win. To say this was the game of his life would be an understatement as he took a no-hitter into the 7th before Arturo Gutierrez singled to lead off the inning. Slade Cecconi (1-1) started for the last time with Kevin DiCostanzo ready to return this weekend and went 4.2 5 2 2 2 5 in the loss as Tampa Bay managed only three hits on the night.

The bullpen let the Rays down in the finale as 4-3 Tampa Bay lead after 7 turned into a 7-4 Detroit win. Nathan Dettmer, who pitched a scoreless 7th, came out to face the leadoff righty and gave up a double, then Wes Mendes (5-4) let that man score along with one of his own to put the Tigers ahead. Devon Williams then followed Mendes in the 9th by allowing two more runs as he continues to have his issues as a Ray. Nate Strickland's 2nd RBI of the game, a sac fly, gave the Rays that short-lived lead and Bobby Marin added a solo homer (#5). Chris Ferguson turned in a quality start at 6 8 3 3 1 3 but was denied the win.

Team record: 71-44. Next up: An off-day then Texas comes to the Trop for 3.

[Art Deco]

The Rays took 2 of 3, coming back late in both their wins, and remain in a tie atop the AL East with Toronto.

A 4-run 6th turned things around for Tampa Bay as they came back to beat the Rangers 6-4 in the opener. Trailing 4-2 Jake Westfall started the rally with a solo homer (#25), Danny Charlton tied things up with an RBI single (his 3rd hit of the day) and Bobby Marin singled in the go-ahead run. Orlando Tosado went deep with his 28th homer earlier. Danny Morales (12-4) hung in there for the win going 6 7 4 4 2 5 and Mike Moore had 3 whiffs in the 9th for save #22.

The Rays fell behind 4-0 early again in the second game but this time the comeback fell short and Texas took a 5-2 win. The red-hot Orlando Tosado (6 homers in his last 12 games) went deep again with #29, halving the Ranger lead, but that was all the offense would muster. Joe Marlette (8-5) had an off-night at 5.1 5 4 4 4 6 in the loss.

Transaction: He's back! Kevin DiCostanzo returns from his rehab assignment and will rejoin the rotation for the first time since May 17 after missing nearly 3 months with a severely sprained ankle. Adrian Morejon was DFA'd to make room, a move I would have preferred not to make but the only reliever on the staff with options is Moore, our closer.

Much like the opener the Rays got some late magic to pull out a 7-5 win over the Rangers as a 3-run rally in the 8th brought them the win. Danny Arroyave's 2-run double not only was the winning hit but it capped a 5-for-5, 3-double, 3-RBI game for him. Orlando Tosado hit the 30-homer mark by going deep in all 3 games of the series, and Arturo Gutierrez had a big 2-run triple. Kevin DiCostanzo's return to the rotation was not a successful one as he struggled going 3 5 3 3 4 5. Matt Cronin picked up his first win in relief and Mike Moore had a quick 8-pitch 1-2-3 9th for his 23rd save.

Team record: 73-45. Next up: Off to San Antonio for 3 games to play the 42-75 Alamos.