The 2020 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The offense did its part, putting 8 runs on the board, but the pitching was brutal as Josh Carsello was anything but ace-like and the Rays fell 11-8 to the Jays in the series opener. Devin Boatman has a reputation as a defensive wizard but for the second time in four games since being called up he made a costly error in the 1st inning which opened the door for 4 unearned runs off Carsello. Not that Carsello didn't deserve most of the blame and Toronto's 7-run 3rd was largely on him as well as he went 2.1 7 9 5 4 2 in a brutal outing. Speaking of brutal, Tony Rey rhymes with DFA and that's something under consideration as he was terrible yet again, coming in with the bases loaded and walking in a man and then giving up a grand slam. Here are his last 5 outings:



He's out of options so we're stuck with him unless we put him on waivers (or trade him). Jeff Reece mopped up with 3 hitless innings and allowed the team to get within 3 but they fell short. Daniel Malone homered (#8) and Danny Ayala and Will Quintana each drove in a pair.

Game 2: As bad as Josh Carsello was yesterday, Jon Soranno was good today and the Rays routed the Jays 9-2. Soranno was dealing, going 6.2 5 0 0 3 7 to improve to 8-3, 4.59. Jaiden Hardaway had a monster game on offense, 3-5 with 2 doubles and 4 RBI including a 3-run homer (#12). Jon Jimenez added a 2-run homer in the 1st (#14) to get them going and Daniel Vasquez was 2-5 with an RBI.

Game 3: The Rays squandered a 5-0 lead, fell behind 6-5, but ended up winning it in the 9th on a 2-run homer from Jon Jimenez (#15) 8-6 to take 2 of 3 from the Jays. They built the early lead in part on a 2-run homer from Jaiden Hardaway (#13), who like Jimenez homered for the second straight day, but Tim Gates couldn't stand prosperity and he allowed 4 in the 3rd with some help from a dropped fly ball by Eric Titcombe. He then gave up a 2-run homer in the 5th and finished 5 7 6 5 2 4, but fortunately for the Rays the bullpen held from there thanks to 2 scoreless from Danny Medina, 1 from Tim Siqueiros (who picked up win #5) and 1 more from Kikuo Kawase, who nailed down save #20.

Team record: 67-27. Next up: 3 games in Philadelphia.

MLB News: Gleyber passed the Babe as Torres hit HR #715 today to move into 4th all-time behind Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Mike Trout.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: After the Rays scored 3 runs over the first 2 innings it looked like it might be an easy night at the ballpark. It turned out that would be all they'd get but it was enough to squeeze out a 3-2 win at Citizens Bank Park over the Phillies. Omar Rodriguez tripled home Jaiden Hardaway in the 1st, and after they loaded the bases in the 2nd with nobody out they scored on a double play grounder and a wild pitch. Jeremy Curtis started and pitched well until he ran into trouble in the 6th, allowing the 2 runs and finishing 5.1 6 2 2 2 5. That improved him to 7-3, 3.55 but he needed the work of Chris Toombs, who got him out of the 6th inning jam and then pitched around a leadoff triple he allowed in 7th with a couple of whiffs. Tim Siqueiros took the 8th and Kikuo Kawase fanned a pair in the 9th for save #21.

Game 2: Kevin Kerstetter was outstanding in his first post-break start and the Rays broke open a 1-0 game with 3 in the 8th to take a 4-1 win in Philadelphia. KK was looking to bounce back from his disastrous start against Houston in which he allowed 8 runs (1 earned) in 1/3 of an inning and he did so emphatically, going 6 2 0 0 1 8 to improve to 10-5, 2.67. Danny Medina got into some 7th-inning trouble which Jim Golunski bailed him out of, and then Golunski gave up a run in the 8th. With a 3-run lead, righties due, and Kikuo Kawase and Tim Siqueiros both tired, rookie Jeff Reece got the call in his 5th MLB appearance and retired Philly 1-2-3 for his first MLB save. A wild pitch brought home their first run and then in the 8th Danny Ayala doubled in a run and Bo Angeac drilled a 2-run shot (#20) to give the Rays some breathing room.

Game 3: The Rays completed the sweep of Philadelphia with a come-from-behind 9-6 win, their fifth straight. Jon Jimenez was the hero today, starting the comeback with a 2-run homer in the 6th (#16) and then breaking the game open in the 7th with a 3-run double to cap a 5-run inning. Earlier in the frame Omar Rodriguez drew a bases-loaded walk to tie it and Daniel Malone was hit by a pitch to force in the go-ahead run. They needed the comeback because Josh Carsello melted down with a 5-run 4th after sailing through the first 3 with a 2-0 lead courtesy of Jaiden Hardaway's 14th HR of the year as he's been on a bit of a binge since the break. That homer came off former Rays ace Nate Schultz, who was traded for Carsello a couple of winters ago. Schultz was mowing down the Rays after that, fanning 8, before leaving in the 6th just before Jimenez went deep. Damani Cotton picked up win #3 in relief while Tim Siqueiros managed save #4. Siqueiros put two on to bring the tying run to the plate in the person of MLB's #4 all-time HR hitter, Gleyber Torres, but Siquerios fanned him to end the game.

Team record: 70-27. Next up: An off-day then back home for a weekend series with Baltimore.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Jon Soranno continued his consistently inconsistent season by getting rocked for 6 runs in 5 innings by the struggling Orioles, and the Rays dropped the opener of their homestand 7-4. Soranno was hit for 3 runs in the 2nd and then 3 more on a Kevin Kane (a lefty) homer in the 5th to finish 5 8 6 6 2 3 and fall to 8-4, 4.87. Tony Rey also continued to struggle, allowing a run in 2/3 of an inning and has become basically unusable. Eric Titcombe hit HR #29 and the Rays did bring the tying run to the plate in the 9th, but Omar Rodriguez grounded out to end the game.

Game 2: Jaiden Hardaway hit his 15th HR of the year (and 4th in his last 7 games) in the bottom of the 8th inning to give the Rays a 1-0 win over Baltimore at Publix Park. Tim Gates started for the Rays and was excellent (6.1 3 0 0 3 8) in lowering his ERA to 2.97 while Tim Siqueiros went 1 2/3 for his 6th win of the season. With three lefties due up, Jim Golunski got the call instead of Kikuo Kawase and did the job, retiring them 1-2-3 for his 4th save of the season. Baltimore was held to 3 hits while the Rays only managed 5 with Hardaway and Omar Rodriguez collecting 4 of them. The Rays had a golden chance to score in the 4th when they loaded the bases with nobody out but Bo Angeac struck out and Danny Ayala hit into a double play.

Game 3: For the second straight day the Rays won the game in the bottom of the 8th but the circumstances were drastically different today as they scored 8 times to overcome a 9-2 deficit to pick up an improbable 10-9 win. They looked dead and buried after Jeremy Curtis was tagged for a 4.1 10 5 5 1 4 line and Jeff Reece served up a 3-run homer to former Rays property Danny Roush. The deficit was so big that Tony Rey came in to pitch and he unsurprisingly allowed a run, too. But the Rays just kept the turnstiles moving in the 8th, with some help from an error from Oriole 3B Eric Hall (normally a CF by trade), and Jaiden Hardaway singled in a pair to make it 9-8, Omar Rodriguez singled to tie it, and Eric Titcombe drove in his second run of the day and the game-winner with a single of his own. Kikuo Kawase came in and picked up save #22, and Rey managed his 3rd win of the year. Bo Angeac (#21) homered for one of the first two Rays runs.

Team record: 72-28. Next up: Detroit comes to town for 3.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays routed the Tigers tonight at Publix Park 13-5 behind a 3-man wrecking crew. Omar Rodriguez was 3-5 with 5 RBI, giving him an MLB-best 84, Danny Ayala was 3-5 with a HR (#16), double and 4 RBI, and Eric Titcombe was 3-5 with a double, triple and 3 RBI. Jaiden Hardaway was on base 4 more times, going 3-4 with a double, walk and RBI as well. The beneficiary of all this run support was Kevin Kerstetter, who wasn't his best but went 5.2 7 3 3 0 7 to improve to 11-5, 2.78.

Game 2: The beatings continue as the Rays romped over Detroit 12-1, scoring 6 runs early and then doubling their total in the 8th inning. Daniel Vasquez homered twice to give him 17 driving in three, and 17 was the number of Jon Jimenez's 3-run shot in the 1st as he knocked in 4 on the day. Meanwhile Jaiden Hardaway keeps doing Jaiden Hardaway things, going 3-5 with HR #16 and 2 RBI. Josh Carsello cruised along with a 6 5 1 1 2 9 outing to go to 11-4, 2.69 and Damani Cotton and Billy Hoyte shut out the Tigers over the final 3 innings.

MLB News: Toronto's no longer a threat in the division, but Jays starter David Ruiz pitched a no-hitter against Philadelphia today in a 6-0 win. Ruiz walked 4 and fanned 15 in the 122-pitch gem.

Game 3: What looked to be a comfortable Rays victory turned out anything but before Tampa Bay held on to beat Detroit 6-4. Up 6-1 going into the 9th Jeff Reece loaded the bases with one out so Kikuo Kawase was brought in to close it out. Two quick outs? Hardly. Kawase proceeded to walk the first three men he faced, forcing in as many runs before recovering to strike out the next two batters including Tigers star Robby McGrath (who just signed a 7/210 extension) for the final out. It was save #23 for KK, but one of his most harrowing. They had the comfortable lead thanks to a fine outing from Jon Soranno who picked today to be on, going 7 5 1 1 1 7 to improve to 9-4, 4.66. Reece sailed through the 8th but probably shouldn't have pitched the 9th especially with most of the pen rested. On the hitting side of things it was a balanced attack with Eric Titcombe 2-4 with a triple(!) and an RBI, a 2-run single from Daniel Malone, and of course the catalyst of the offense was heavily involved as Jaiden Hardaway reached base all 4 times up on 3 walks and a homer, his 17th and his 6th in his last 11 games.

Team record: 75-28. Next up: An off-day then we head to Fenway Park for 3 this weekend.

[Art Deco]

The trade deadline is upon us, and although I shopped a couple of guys (Jeff Hayes/Tony Rey) I didn't get offered anything too exciting in return so we're going to stand pat.

Game 1: The series opener was effectively over in the 1st inning when the Rays put 6 on the board and went on to beat the Sox 7-3. Jon Jimenez got the party started with an RBI double, Danny Ayala went the opposite way over the Monster for a 2-run shot (#17), Daniel Vasquez had an RBI double and Jeff Baez capped the inning with a solo homer (#10). Eric Titcombe later became the first MLB hitter to reach the 30-homer mark in the 3rd. This was more than enough for Tim Gates, who turned in another fine start at 7 7 3 2 1 7 to go to 6-0, 2.94.

Game 2: Aside from a couple of homers the Rays couldn't generate much offense today and dropped a 4-3 decision to Boston. Eric Titcombe hit HR #31 in the 3rd to put them up 2-1, but some sloppy play from Mike McKee behind the plate (an error on a ground ball and a passed ball on a strike 3) allowed 2 unearned runs to score to put Boston ahead. Daniel Malone tied it in the top of the 7th with HR #9, but Chris Toombs walked the bases loaded to start off the Boston 7th and an infield single gave them the game-winner. Jeremy Curtis pitched OK in his start, going 5.1 4 3 1 3 6.

Game 3: The Rays pulled away late for a 12-5 win over Boston. Danny Ayala had the game's biggest hit, a 2-run homer (#18) in the 5th which broke a 4-4 tie. Jim Gebers (including HR #10), Jon Jimenez and Daniel Vasquez each drove in pair to pace the attack while Omar Rodriguez tripled in Jaiden Hardaway in the 1st inning to extend his hitting streak to 26 games. Kevin Kerstetter had a rough start giving up a pair of 2-run homers in the 1st, but hung in long enough to get the win despite going 6 7 5 5 2 8. He's now 12-5, 3.02.

Team record: 77-29. Next up: 3 games in Chicago against the White Sox.

[Art Deco]

August 3: Optioned OF Jeff Hayes and P Jeff Reece to AAA Durham, recalled OF Jeremy Glasson and activated P Mike Wherry from his rehab assignment.

Finally pulled the plug on Hayes, who hasn't really hit since the first half of last season. This year he's been dreadful in limited action (and in limited action because he's been dreadful), "hitting" 138/180/138 in 58 at-bats (yes he doesn't have an extra-base hit so his BA and SLG match). Glasson's been up for brief spells the last couple of seasons and will take over the role of seldom-used fifth outfielder.

Game 1: Josh Carsello did not have it and the Rays were pasted by the White Sox 10-3. The lefty was hit for 8 runs on 3 homers and finished 4 8 8 8 2 3, his third poor start in four outings as his ERA rose nearly half a run to 3.13. Tony Rey was his usual ineffective self as well, allowing 2 runs in 3 innings of relief. Danny Ayala's 2-run single was the only offensive highlight, and just when I first mentioned Omar Rodriguez's 26-game hitting streak in the previous game recap it was a lock it would be snapped and sure enough that's what happened. He would have had one more shot if the Rays could have gotten just one baserunner over the final 3 innings, but they didn't.

Game 2: Jon Soranno blew leads of 6-0 and 7-2, but the Rays prevailed in the end thanks to some fine bullpen work 9-7. They got four homers in building that big early lead, with Omar Rodriguez snapping back from losing his hitting streak by starting things off with a 2-run blast (#22) and reaching base all 5 times up today, Daniel Vasquez launching a pair (#18 and 19) and driving in 3, and Jon Jimenez also going deep in the first (#18). But Soranno couldn't stand prosperity and he remains a dice-roll starter this season, going 2.1 6 7 7 2 0. Fortunately the bullpen went 6 2/3 scoreless from there with Damani Cotton going the first 2 2/3 and getting win #4 when Jimenez put the Rays back on top in the 4th with a sac fly. Danny Medina went two perfect innings, Tim Siqueiros took care of the 8th and Kikuo Kawase did his thing in the 9th for save #24. Jaiden Hardaway added a solo shot (#18) in the 8th to provide some insurance and cap a 4-hit day for him.

Game 3: Tim Gates continues to dominate and the bats continue to rake as the Rays blanked the White Sox 6-0 in the series finale. Gates went 7 5 0 0 1 8 and has allowed just 2 runs in his last 20 1/3 innings over 3 starts, upping his record to 7-0, 2.55. Chris Toombs went two perfect innings to complete the shutout. The offense was led by the resurgent Danny Ayala, 3-4 with a walk, HR #19 and 3 RBI while Omar Rodriguez added his 23rd homer of the year.

Team record: 79-30. Next up: An off-day then we return home for a weekend set against the Mets.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: As the English would say, the Rays put the Mets to the sword today in a 14-4 rout at Publix Park. These guys had big games:



Also not only was Eric Titcombe was 3-3 with a 2-run HR (#31) but the guy who pinch-hit for him with a big lead late went deep too, as Jeremy Glasson hit his first homer since being called up. Jeremy Curtis started and picked up the win even though he wasn't all that great (5 7 3 3 2 2) which seems to be a theme of late as he's now 8-3, 3.83, and Chris Toombs turned in 3 perfect innings of relief before Tony Rey gave up his obligatory run pitching the 9th.

Game 2: The Rays took a routine 5-1 win over the Mets today behind a fine outing from Kevin Kerstetter, who went 6.2 3 1 1 1 5 to improve to 13-5, 2.93. Jim Golunski got him out a bases-loaded jam in the 7th and pitched the 8th while Mike Wherry closed it out in the 9th. Most of the offense came in a 4-run 3rd inning which saw Jon Jimenez and Danny Ayala hit RBI doubles, with Daniel Vasquez adding an RBI single and then an RBI double in the 5th for the final run.

Game 3: Tampa Bay had to work harder today, but managed the sweep thanks to a back-and-forth 5-4 win. Josh Carsello continued his rough patch of late, giving up 3 first-inning runs before settling down to finish 5 7 3 3 1 9. That bought the bats some time to come back and go ahead 4-3, but Jim Golunski gave up a homer in the 7th to allow the Mets to equalize before pinch-hitter Eric Titcombe delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the frame for the game-winner. Golunski vultured his second win while Kikuo Kawase had a 7-pitch 1-2-3 9th for save #25. Jon Jimenez was 3-5 with a double and 2 RBI while Jaiden Hardaway did his thing reaching base 4 times on 3 hits and a walk with a steal and 2 runs scored.

Team record: 82-30. Next up: An off-day then interleague action continues as Atlanta visits for a pair.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Jon Soranno continued to frustrate, giving up 5 runs in the first 2 innings and putting the Rays in a hole. But with this offense things like that usually don't matter and the relentless bats ended up pounding Atlanta 13-6 on 20 hits. There was too much offense to recap, so once again I'll just throw the hitting section of the box out there:



Soranno settled in after those first two innings to finish 6 7 6 6 2 9 and is now 10-4 with a 5.28 ERA. The much-maligned Tony Rey managed a 3-inning save (his 1st), allowing only a hit and a walk, as his ERA drops to 4.61.

Game 2: A homer barrage gave the Rays a 9-4 win over Atlanta to sweep the 2-game mini-series and make it 7 straight for Tampa Bay. Eric Titcombe led the parade with a pair of dingers, increasing his MLB-leading total to 35 with 3 more driven in to wrest the MLB lead in that category from teammate Omar Rodriguez with 94. Omar did drive in #93 with HR #25, while Bo Angeac had a big 2-run shot in the 3rd (#24) to put the Rays ahead for good and Jaiden Hardaway joined the 20-HR club with a solo blast. This was all more than enough for Tim Gates, whose 7.2 6 4 4 1 8 was marred by leaving him in a bit too long with a big lead in the 8th when Atlanta got two off him. Tim Siqueiros finished that inning and stayed on for the 9th after the Rays tacked on 2 more to increase the lead, so he picked up save #5 while Gates goes to 8-0, 2.87.

Team record: 84-30. Next up: Another off-day then we make a swing through Texas starting with 3 in Arlington.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays got to one-time Texas ace Wil Diaz for 4 runs in the first two innings and they stood up in a 4-2 win in Arlington. Diaz, a former Cy Young winner and one of the better pitchers of the last 7-8 years, is not the same pitcher he was as his stuff has dropped to average and today's loss drops him to 3-10, 4.31. Jaiden Hardaway led off the game with HR #21 off him, and Bo Angeac had a 2-run single in the 2nd. That was enough for Jeremy Curtis, who pitched quite well going 5.2 7 1 1 1 7 to go to 9-3, 3.72, and Kikuo Kawase struck out the side around a walk in the 9th for save #26.

Game 2: Josh Carsello's recent struggles continued as he put the Rays in holes of 4-1 and 6-4, but thanks to the relentless bats and 4 1/3 innings of 1-hit work from the bullpen the Rays came back to prevail 7-6 for their 9th straight win. Carsello went 4.2 5 6 6 5 6 and finished his evening by walking consecutive batters with the bases loaded. He's now allowed 23 ER in his last 24 1/3 innings over 5 starts and his Cy Young hopes are fading fast. But Daniel Vasquez, who had a 2-run single in the 5th to tie it at 4 before Carsello gave back the lead, had another game-tying 2-run single in the 7th. And after Danny Ayala doubled with 2 out in the 8th, Bo Angeac delivered the game-winning hit off former Ray Eric Riley. After Chris Toombs retired all 4 men he faced in relief of Carsello, Damani Cotton went 2 1-hit innings to pick up his 5th win as a Ray with Kikuo Kawase grabbing save #27 in the 9th. Jaiden Hardaway's 22nd HR of the year and an Angeac RBI single brought home the first two runs.

Game 3: The Rays completed the sweep of Texas and won their 10th straight by the score of 10-3 today, but it was a much tighter game most of the way. It took a 5-run 7th to break a 2-2 tie and that was after longtime Texas standout Victor Presas left the game. Mike McKee was the unlikely star on offense, homering off Presas in the 5th (#4) to tie the game at 2 and then delivering a bases-clearing double in the 7th to break the 2-2 tie. They poured it on from there, with Jon Jimenez driving in 3 with a single and a 2-RBI double. Kevin Kerstetter hung around long enough to pick up the win after going 6 6 2 2 2 8 as he's now 14-5, 2.93.

Team record: 87-30. Next up: We head down I-45 to Houston for 4 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays' 10-game winning streak was snapped as they lost in walk-off fashion to Houston 4-3 in the bottom of the 9th. Jim Golunski had some unusual struggles, loading the bases with one out before giving up an RBI single to Jesus Pargas to win it for the Astros. Jon Soranno started and was pretty much terrible again, going 4.1 5 3 3 5 4, but Mike Wherry came in and threw 2 2/3 scoreless and that allowed Danny Ayala to tie it up with #21 in the 6th. Daniel Vasquez also had a nice game for a losing cause, going 3-4 with a double and an RBI triple.

Game 2: Never get into a land war in Asia and never try to win a shootout with the Rays. The Astros found this out today in a 10-9 Tampa Bay win as Jon Jimenez and Danny Ayala were a two-man wrecking crew. The pair went back-to-back with their second homers of the game in the 8th to put the Rays ahead 9-8 after they had wreaked havoc earlier. Jimenez finished 4-5 with a double, two homers (#19 and 20) and 3 RBI while Ayala continues to make up for a poor first half with a 3-5, 2-HR, 6 RBI day, giving him 23 dingers on the year. Despite those two combining for 9 RBI, it was Eric Titcombe's RBI double to finish off the 8th which provided the ultimate winning margin. Needless to say, Rays pitching did not cover itself in glory today with Tim Gates authoring a rough start (3.1 8 6 6 3 4), Chris Toombs giving up a pair of runs, and Danny Medina getting win #5 despite allowing a run to Houston in the 8th to get them back within one. Kikuo Kawase however did his job with a 1-2-3 9th, whiffing a pair and getting save #28.

Game 3: Today's game was the antithesis of yesterday's in one respect, but very much like it in another. The main difference was the lack of runs as unlike yesterday's shootout today's game saw Houston take a 2-1 lead into the 8th instead of an 8-7 one. But the result was the same as Rays power won it for Tampa Bay in that inning with Eric Titcombe stepping up and delivering a pinch-2-run homer (#36) to give them a 3-2 win. Jeremy Curtis started and pitched well (5.2 3 2 2 2 7), and Mike Wherry did a nice job over the next 1 1/3, earning his 2nd win. Jim Golunski was so efficient in the 8th (1-2-3 on 9 pitches) that he came back out for the 9th and recorded a 2-inning save, his 5th of the year. Danny Ayala had gotten the Rays their lone run through the first 7 on HR #24.

August 20: Claimed 1B/P Camren Nethercutt off waivers from Columbus; optioned him to AAA Durham.

We just can't quit Nethercutt, whom we get back for the second time this year on waivers after trading him to Columbus for Damani Cotton. He'll probably be up for us in September, and we'll use him as a reliever and pinch-hitter. That is if we don't trade him for another asset.

Game 4: Josh Carsello shook out of his funk to deliver a dominating performance and Eric Titcombe's power surge continued as the Rays took 3 of 4 in the series with a 4-1 win over the Astros. Carsello didn't allow a hit until Alex Padilla's double leading off the 7th and pitched into the 8th going 7.2 2 1 1 1 9 in his best outing in nearly a month. He's now 12-5, 3.36 and needs to string together a few more games like this to get back in the Cy Young race. Kikuo Kawase recorded his 29th save with a 2-whiff 9th. Titcombe meanwhile picked up where he left off with yesterday's 8th-inning game-winning homer by going yard in his first two at-bats today, a solo shot in the first and a 2-run job in the 3rd, which gives him an MLB-best 38. Jaiden Hardaway led off the game with #23.

Team record: 90-31. Next up: The road continues way out west with 3 in Oakland.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Kevin Kerstetter was far too hittable tonight and the Rays dropped the series opener 6-4 to the A's. The lefty went 6 10 5 5 0 3 and although a comeback was attempted when Eric Titcombe homered once again (#39) with a man on in the 7th, it fell short. Kerstetter falls to 14-6, 3.13 with the loss.

Game 2: The Rays pulled out a win in their favorite inning, the 8th, beating Oakland 4-3. And unsurprisingly the home run hero once again was Eric Titcombe, who blasted #40 to dead center to break the deadlock and homered for the 4th straight game. Tampa Bay jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on a Daniel Vasquez RBI double and a 2-run blast from Omar Rodriguez (#26), but Jon Soranno continues to struggle and he gave up 3 runs to the A's in the 5th. The runs were unearned thanks to a Will Quintana error, but Soranno went 4.1 5 3 0 5 4 so the blame was mostly his. Fortunately the bullpen decided to give Oakland nothing over the final 4 2/3 (literally nothing, nary a hit or walk) with Mike Wherry getting win #3 and Kikuo Kawase save #30.

August 23: Placed IF Jim Gebers on the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain, recalled IF Devin Boatman from AAA Durham.

Gebers injured himself in last night's game and will miss a month.

Game 3: The Rays dropped an ugly game to Oakland 9-3, making this the first series they've lost in two months after dropping 2 of 3 in Cleveland. A's ace Alex Santamaria perfect-gamed them through the first 6 innings before they erupted for 3 runs in the 7th to cut the lead to 5-3, but as great as the bullpen was yesterday they were that horrible today as Billy Hoyte and Danny Medina combined to give those 3 runs back in the bottom of the inning. Tim Gates started and was OK, but he left with 2 on in the 6th down 3-0 and Tony Rey gave up consecutive hits upon entering to allow both men to score (yes I now, why bring in Tony Rey?). As a result Gates' final line was 5.1 5 5 5 3 6 and he took his first loss with the Rays.

Team record: 91-33. Next up: A much-needed off-day then 3 at home vs Minnesota.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays' malaise continues as they dropped their third game in four 2-1 at Publix Park to Minnesota. They wasted a fine start from Jeremy Curtis (7 5 2 2 2 5) and perfect relief innings from Chris Toombs and Damani Cotton, and only came to life in the bottom of the 9th when Bo Angeac and Jon Jimenez each doubled to start the inning and get the Rays within one but they couldn't bring home Jimenez from 2nd.

Game 2: The Rays snapped out of their funk with an emphatic 14-5 win over Minnesota. Jaiden Hardaway had a huge day, going 4-4 with a walk and 5 RBI, including a 3-run homer (#24). Daniel Malone was 3-5 with an RBI and a 2-run blast (#10), and Bo Angeac also went deep with a man on for his 25th. Josh Carsello started and picked up the win despite not being his sharpest (5.1 3 2 2 5 4 on 110 pitches), going to 13-5, 3.36. Tony Rey was entrusted with an 8-run lead and couldn't retire any of the 4 batters he faced (what else is new?) so Billy Hoyte cleaned up his mess and earned a 3-inning save, his 3rd, with 5 whiffs.

Game 3: Tampa Bay would not lose a second straight series as they routed the Twins again 9-2. Eric Titcombe can't stop homering and he hit #41 today back-to-back with Daniel Vasquez (#20), and he also doubled in a run as part of a 3-hit day. Jon Jimenez added a 2-run double, Jeff Baez had 3 hits with a ribbie, and Jeremy Glasson hit his second homer of the year after coming on as a late defensive replacement for Danny Ayala. Kevin Kerstetter cruised to the win at 6 4 2 1 0 5 to go to 15-6, 3.06 and today's 3-inning save recipient was Mike Wherry, his first of the year.

Team record: 93-34. Next up: Kansas City comes here for 3 over the weekend. The Royals have gone bad lately and dropped 5 behind Detroit in the AL Central but are only 3 back of Seattle for the second wild card.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Royals would not go quietly but the Rays managed to edge them 4-3 in the series opener at Publix Park. Jon Soranno started and allowed 2 runs in the first as yours truly and all of Tampa Bay fandom collectively sighed "here we go again". But he settled down, allowing only one more run the rest of the way and pitched into the 7th, picking up his 11th win of the year with the ERA still an unsightly 5.10. Tim Siqueiros and Jim Golunski did their setup work, and Kikuo Kawase struck out the side in the 9th for save #31. The offense wasn't scintillating but did enough, with two runs scoring on RBI groundouts including one from Omar Rodriguez, who also doubled in a run. Jaiden Hardaway was 3-4 with two runs scored and a steal, continuing to be the straw that stirs the drink.

Game 2: It was looking a lot like yesterday's game with a Rays starter struggling early and then settling down as they held a 4-3 lead late. But a 4-run 7th which saw them put 4 on the board made today's win over the Royals more comfortable at 8-3. Tim Gates, coming off three straight poor starts, picked up where left off by allowing 3 runs in the first. But that would be all he'd allow as he finished 6 7 3 3 2 6 to go to 9-1 as Ray, and after Jim Golunski got Tim Siqueiros out of a big jam with a whiff to end the top of the 7th, the bats went to work. Omar Rodriguez, who earlier singled in a run, hit a 2-run blast (#27), Jon Jimenez went back-to-back with #21 and Daniel Vasquez also hit #21 later in the inning. Eric Titcombe added to his MLB-leading RBI total with a 2-run single early to give him 109.

Game 3: The Rays came back to win this game twice and sweep the series from Kansas City with a 5-3 victory. Jeremy Curtis started and pitched very well (7 7 2 2 0 7) but trailed 2-0 until they tied it up in the 6th. Then Jeremy Glasson homered in the 7th (#3) to put the Rays up 3-2 and it looked like Curtis would pick up the win. But Danny Medina gave up a homer to 2025 Rays 1st-round pick Kevin Schell (whom we traded for future MVP Dayle Jenkins when both were prospects, a pretty good deal if I do say so) to allow KC to tie. Medina though was able to vulture win #6 when Daniel Vasquez hit a 2-run 8th-inning jack (#22) to really win it this time. Kikuo Kawase put the first two men on base but pitched around them to nab save #32.

Team record: 96-34. Next up: 3 games in Baltimore.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The bats were held in check in a 3-2 loss to the Orioles at Camden Yards tonight. Daniel Malone and Jeff Baez had RBI singles in the 4th to put Tampa Bay up 2-0, but that was it for the night and Baltimore got to former Oriole Josh Carsello for 2 runs in the bottom of the inning (both unearned thanks to a Bo Angeac error) to tie, and then a solo homer in the 5th to provide the winning margin. Carsello went 5 5 3 1 3 8 on 110 pitches in the loss, which now sees him at 13-6, 3.31.

The calendar now says September 1, so here's a look at the standings and leaders. I've cut off some stuff to fit in the wild card races, just know that the Rays are up 18 games in the AL East and Columbus is up 7 1/2 in the NL East. Look at that truly wild wild-card race in the NL:



We didn't win any player/pitcher of the month trophies at the big league level, but here's one from Durham:



Thomas was up for a little bit last September and pitched decently and might have a shot next year.

September 1: Recalled 1B/P Camren Nethercutt and OF Jeff Hayes from AAA Durham.

September roster expansion brings us the intriguing 2-way man Nethercutt along with the return of Hayes, who hit for power (7 HR) but not for average (.215) in the 90 or so at-bats he got with Durham since being demoted.

Game 2: Welcome back Jeff Hayes! The slugging OF, who had hit 14 HR last year in a part-time role but struggled badly this year not even hitting one before being demoted, was inserted into the lineup tonight after his recall and blasted 2 homers and drove in 4 as part of a 3-hit night as the Rays outlasted the Orioles 12-8. Eric Titcombe, normally known for the longball, drove in 3 runs with a pair of singles including a 2-run knock in the 4th which put the Rays up 5-3 to stay. Omar Rodriguez hit HR #28 in the first and doubled, Danny Ayala had a 2-run shot (#25) and Jeff Baez added a solo blast (#11) on a night when offense was king. Kevin Kerstetter finished with a 6.1 4 4 4 3 7 line but pitched rather well, getting into trouble only in the 3rd when he gave up a 3-run homer and in the 7th when he allowed a leadoff triple which scored. He's now 16-6, 3.17 as he bids for his 2nd 20-win season in three years. Damani Cotton and Chris Toombs were not very good allowing 4 runs between them, but Jim Golunski ended the nonsense with a scoreless 9th.

Game 3: The Rays shut out Baltimore in the series finale 6-0 behind a combined effort. Jon Soranno started but had to leave in the 2nd after tweaking an ankle, so Camren Nethercutt, stretched out as a starter with Durham, made his Rays debut and went 3 2/3 scoreless before having to leave in the 6th after loading the bases with one out. Enter Mike Wherry, who got out of the inning unscathed and wound up going 3 2/3 himself, allowing only one hit and whiffing four for save #2 while Nethercutt picked up the win. Bo Angeac gave them all the runs they'd need with a 2-run shot (#26) in the first and Jeff Hayes stayed hot by hitting his third in two days, a 2-run jack in the 7th.

Team record: 98-35. Next up: We have a day off to traverse I-95 (who am I kidding? we're flying and spending the day seeing the sights) and head to the Bronx to play the Yankees for 3.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The final score said 9-1 Rays but that was misleading as Tampa Bay scored 7 times over the final 2 innings to break open a pitchers' duel. Longtime Yankee ace Eric Peterson was up against Tim Gates, and Gates left the game up 1-0 after going 5 4 0 0 1 8 on 95 pitches. A Bo Angeac error cost the Rays the tying run and Gates the win as New York scored off Chris Toombs in the 6th, but Eric Titcombe took Peterson deep with HR #42 in the 7th to make it 2-1. Then the floodgates opened with Jon Jimenez hitting a 3-run jack (#22) in the 8th and Jaiden Hardaway adding a 2-run shot in the 9th (#25). Toombs, who went 2 strong innings despite the unearned run, picked up his first MLB win.

Game 2: The Rays outslugged the Yankees 8-5 thanks primarily to 3 big homers. Omar Rodriguez blasted #29 with 2 men on in the 3rd to give the Rays an early 3-0 lead, and after the Yankees went ahead 4-3 Danny Ayala drilled a 2-run shot (#26) to put them ahead to stay. Daniel Vasquez added #23 in the 7th to provide some insurance, and Jeremy Curtis picked up his 10th win of the year despite not pitching all that well (5.1 9 5 4 2 4). Damani Cotton and Jim Golunski went the next 2 2/3 and Kikuo Kawase turned in another perfect 2-whiff inning for save #33.

Game 3: The Rays routed the Yankees 10-1, and unlike the 9-1 victory in the first game this one was over early. After the Yankees briefly took a 1-0 lead in the first off Josh Carsello, Danny Ayala (#27, his 3rd in 4 games) and Jeff Hayes (#4, all coming this week) hit solo homers to make it 2-1 before they blew it open with a 6-run 3rd keyed by Daniel Malone's grand slam (#11). Bo Angeac chipped in #27 as part of a 3-5, 2-RBI day. Carsello settled in nicely after some early struggles once he got the big lead, and finished 7 5 1 1 3 9 to improve to 14-6, 3.23. Even Tony Rey pitched 2 scoreless 1-hit innings in case you were wondering how things went today.

Team record: 101-35. Next up: 3 games in Detroit.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays' offense is in high gear these days with its (extremely relative) struggles of the first half well behind it. Today was the latest example as they beat Detroit by a football score of 16-7 at the normally offense-stifling Comerica Park. They did it keeping the ball in the park with Bo Angeac's 2-run 9th inning homer their only one of the day. Kevin Kerstetter wasn't very good, allowing 3 homers and going 5 7 5 5 1 5 but improving to 17-6 nonetheless. Once again it's time to just pass on the batting section of the box as the standouts were too many to recap:



Game 2: Well here we go again as the Rays routed Detroit 18-2 today behind none other than Devin Boatman. The light-hitting rookie infielder, who came into the game hitting .131 in 67 at-bats while whiffing 28 times, finished a double short of the cycle and hit a grand slam for his first MLB homer as part of a 4-hit day. Jon Jimenez had a 3-run homer (#23) in the 1st to start the beatdown, Bo Angeac hit another meaningless 9th-inning HR (#29) and Danny Ayala and Will Quintana each drove in 3 runs as the Rays piled up 20 more hits. He didn't need to but Jon Soranno pitched his best game in a long time, going 6 3 1 0 1 7 to up his record 12-4 and bring his ERA below 5 at 4.84. Saving this for posterity as it may never happen again:



Game 3: The Rays dropped the series finale as a couple of their more reliable relievers couldn't get the job done in an 8-6 loss. Danny Ayala's 2-run homer (#28) capped a 3-run first, and Tim Gates left after going 5 5 2 2 3 7 with a 4-2 lead. But Danny Medina was torched for 4 runs in the 6th, and after Daniel Vasquez tied it back up with a 2-run homer in the 8th (#24), Tim Siqueiros gave up a 2-run homer in the bottom of the frame to send the Rays to defeat and he was saddled with his first loss of the season.

Team record: 103-36. Next up: An off-day followed by a return home to face Boston for 3 over the weekend.

Minor League Playoff Update: As always the Durham Bulls were the class of the International League with a 91-49 record, and they began the quest for their 7th straight Governors' Cup with a 7-1 win over rivals Gwinnett in the first round opener. Vinny Willard, who should be in next year's rotation, went 6.1 8 1 1 2 7 for the win after an 11-5, 3.11 regular season with Josh MacDonald getting the save. Pat McKinney drove in a pair to pace the offense.

Meanwhile, the low-A Bowling Green Hot Rods made the playoffs for the first time in this save after an impressive 81-58 campaign. They lost their Midwest League series opener against the Lansing Lugnuts 2-1. Randy Bahr, the best prospect on the team who was our 2nd round pick in 2034 and hit .245 with 30 HR and 99 RBI, had a pair of doubles in the losing cause.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays, who have been scoring at will lately, couldn't rub two sticks together tonight at Publix Park as they dropped a 2-0 decision to Boston. They were up against longtime Sox ace Sean Nelson, but the lefty has suffered a rough season coming in (7-13, 6.46). He got better tonight, going 7 3-hit shutout innings as the Rays only scratched out 4 on the night. Jeremy Curtis started and was very wild, going 5.2 3 2 2 6 6 which included a bases-loaded walk for Boston's first run and dropping to 10-5, 3.67.

Minor League Playoff Update: Durham and Bowling Green were off tonight, but both played last night while the Rays were idle. The Bulls went up 2-0 against Gwinnett with a 6-0 win behind a gem from veteran Jonathan Gebke, whom we claimed off waivers earlier this year. Gebke took a no-hitter into the 6th and went 7 1 0 0 1 7. Jesus Castrellon, the top-70 prospect acquired from Seattle, had a 3-run homer in the 1st. The Hot Rods are in trouble though as they lost again to Lansing 3-1 and now need to win three straight to advance.

MLB News: Former Rays star Jasson Dominguez hit career homer #400 tonight for St. Louis. Also, hey how's that National League wild card going? Glad you asked:



Game 2: The Rays rediscovered the offense tonight in a 9-5 win over Boston that really wasn't that close. Jon Jimenez had a 1st-inning RBI double to get them going and a 5-run 2nd broke it open on a 2-run Devin Boatman triple, a 2-run homer from Jaiden Hardaway (#26) and homer #30 from Omar Rodriguez, who went back-to-back with Hardaway. Danny Ayala later added his 29th longball of the season. Josh Carsello continued his renaissance tonight with a 7 3 2 1 2 8 performance; after a rough stretch from late July through mid-August, he's now allowed only 6 earned runs in his last 5 starts and improved to 15-6, 3.16. Camren Nethercutt got a chance to pitch and did not fare well, giving up 3 runs while only retiring 2 men in the 8th and Damani Cotton had to clean up for the final four outs. Tonight's win also clinched the division for the Rays, their 16th straight AL East flag.

Minor league playoff update: A tough night on the farm as Durham fell 2-1 at Gwinnett but still holds a 2-1 series lead, and Bowling Green was swept out of the Midwest League playoffs by Lansing thanks to an 11-2 drubbing.

Game 3: The bats were shut down again today, not even managing a hit until the 6th, but thanks to Jon Soranno turning in a rare second straight quality start the Rays eked out a 2-1 win over Boston. We'll see if this is a false dawn or an actual turnaround but Soranno was brilliant today, going 7 5 1 1 0 8. And he came away a winner thanks to both that first hit of the game, a double by Devin Boatman who ended up scoring on an O-Rod sac fly, and a bases-loaded walk in the 7th to Jaiden Hardaway. Jim Golunski had a 1-2-3 8th and Kikuo Kawase a 3-up, 3-whiffed 9th inning for save #34. Soranno goes to 13-4, 4.68 and if he keeps up this improvement he may just have a spot in the playoff rotation, which is kind of fluid at the moment.

Team record: 105-37. Next up: The Yankees visit for 3 games.

Durham Playoff Update: Once up 2-0 in the best-of-5, Durham now will have to play a decisive Game 5 against Gwinnett after dropping tonight's game 5-2 to the Stripers on a walk-off homer off Bulls closer Jeff Reece. Vinny Willard will toe the rubber in two nights' time.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays rolled to a comfortable 10-2 win over the Yankees at Publix Park to open their 3-game series. Jon Jimenez was 3-5 and drove in 4 runs with a pair of doubles, Danny Ayala had a 3-hit game including HR #30, as did Jaiden Hardaway with #27, and Daniel Vasquez hit #25. Kevin Kerstetter went to 18-6 with the win, although he wasn't terribly sharp going 5 5 2 2 3 3. Damani Cotton held New York for 2 innings when it was only 4-2, and Mike Wherry went the final pair.

Game 2: Rinse and repeat as the Rays took care of New York once again 8-3. Although Omar Rodriguez has been this year's frontrunner for most of the season, Jaiden Hardaway isn't going to let go of his 4-time MVP status quietly, staying on his recent tear by going 5-5 today with HR #28. Not that O-Rod is slumping or anything as he also homered today (#31), going back-to-back with Hardaway in the 2nd today. But Hardaway has cut the WAR lead considerably and is now at 8.5 to O-Rod's 8.8 and just might be able to pull out a 5th straight MVP. Those two led the offense today with Mike McKee contributing a 2-run double. Tim Gates was dominant on the hill, going 6 6 2 2 0 11 to improve to 10-1, 3.44 with 158 whiffs in 131 IP. Tony Rey nearly got a 3-inning save but Chris Toombs had to get the final out when Rey got into trouble and his pitch count went over 50.

September 16: Sent P Nate Thompson to AAA Durham on a rehab assignment.

Reports of the demise of Nate Thompson's Rays career were greatly exaggerated as the reigning AL Cy Young winner and free agent-to-be has recovered more quickly from his torn labrum than anticipated and is ready for a rehab assignment. We'll see what he looks like but if he's truly back it's a major shot in the arm to our rotation for the playoffs.

Durham Playoff Update: And the reason Thompson will be rehabbing at Durham is that the Bulls took Game 5 of their opening series with Gwinnett 5-0 to advance to the finals against Columbus. Vinny Willard pitched the game of his life, a complete game 3-hit shutout in which fanned 12 and didn't walk a batter. Jesus Castrellon was named series MVP for going .421-1-5 but it should have gone to Willard, who was also great in Game 1.

Game 3: This series was the one of the worst defeats for the Yankees since the Battle of Chancellorsville as the Rays routed them once again 12-1 to take the 3 games by a combined 30-6 score. Omar Rodriguez must have read yesterday's recap about how Jaiden Hardaway was gaining on him in the MVP race as he went 4-5 with a HR (#32) and 3 RBI. Hardaway was no slouch today either, on base 4 times with two hits and two walks and an RBI while Danny Ayala hit #31 with a man on and Jeff Hayes drove in 3 with a double and his 5th HR of the month. Jeremy Curtis was today's well-supported starter and he acquitted himself nicely at 6 4 1 1 3 5 to go to 11-5, 3.58. Camren Nethercutt rebounded from his poor recent appearance with 2 shutout innings.

Team record: 108-37. Next up: The homestand continues as Baltimore visits for 4 games as we continued to edge closer to the end of the season.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: I'm running out of adjectives to describe some of the things the Rays have done in this save, having used "ridiculous", "insane", "crazy" and others. So today I'll go with "ludicrous", which I've probably used before, but it certainly describes this:



After Tim Siqueiros walked the bases loaded in the 9th and gave up a grand slam to make it 8-1, I figured that was that. But the Rays somehow managed to score 7 times without making an out to tie the game, with Omar Rodriguez's bases-clearing triple the big hit (before he then scored on a wild pitch to tie it up), and Daniel Vasquez led off the 10th with HR #26 to make Kikuo Kawase a winner for the 4th time this season. Before all the madness began Josh Carsello got the start and went 5.1 7 2 2 0 8, trailing 2-1 when he left as the bullpen gave up 6 runs behind him in an unusual turn.

Durham Playoff Update: Like father, like son, or something like that as the Bulls pulled off their own miraculous comeback to win Game 1 of their IL Championship Series 7-6 over Columbus. Down 6-2 with 2 out in the 9th, Jesus Castrellon hit a bases-clearing double to make it 6-5, Rey Cervantes doubled him home to tie it up, and in the 10th Kevin Tillman (who hit .342 in full-time play but with only 3 HR) singled in the winning run. Of particular interest to Rays fans was that Nate Thompson made his first rehab start tonight, and the rust showed as he went 2 4 3 2 3 2 on 60 pitches. The only good thing to be said about it is that he whiffed the final two batters he faced.

September 18: Sent P Ron Adams to AAA Durham on a rehab assignment.

Remember him? He tore his meniscus in late May and has been out ever since. The plan is use him as a multi-inning reliever come playoff time and with Durham still playing he'll get some rehab work.

Game 2: You know it was a good day when you see this:



No need for a miracle comeback today as it was 14-2 after 4 innings. Not pictured above is Jeff Baez and his 3-run HR (#12) and Bo Angeac, who hit #30. O-Rod can probably start writing his MVP acceptance speech as he's now 370/420/657 with 32 HR, 125 RBI, good for 9.6 WAR after his 5-hit day. Jon Soranno started today and went 7 7 4 4 1 8 to go to 14-4, 4.70.

Durham Playoff Update: The Bulls are one win away from their 7th straight Governors' Cup after an 8-3 win over Columbus in Durham. They got 4 homers, the biggest of which was a 3-run shot from Pat McKinney. Jonathan Gebke got the win and Jeff Reece picked up the save when the Clippers loaded the bases in the 9th off Jose Espinoza. They can close it out in two days in Columbus.

Game 3: The Orioles had to at least feel like they got a moral victory by holding the Rays to 4 runs, but thanks to Kevin Kerstetter they were denied an actual one in a 4-2 Rays win. The lefty won his 19th game of the season in one of his best performances of the year, going 7 2 1 1 0 10 and lowering his ERA to 3.28 as he has to be considered in the Cy Young conversation. Jim Golunski breezed through the 8th but Kikuo Kawase struggled a bit in the 9th, allowing a run but hanging on for save #35. Jeff Hayes continues to impress after his return from Durham, going 2-4 with a solo HR (#6) today, and Jaiden Hardaway was 2-4 with an RBI.

Game 4: The Rays completed the sweep of Baltimore and made it 9 straight overall with a 12-2 thumping of the Orioles at Publix Park. Tim Gates was dealing, going 7 3 0 0 2 5 to up his record to 11-1, 3.26 with 163 whiffs in 138 IP and he's staking his claim to a spot in the playoff rotation. The Hayesaissance continued as Jeff homered again, a 3-run shot in the 3rd which broke open the game and marked his 7th of the season, all of which have occurred since his 9/1 callup. Jaiden Hardaway was 3-4 with a double and 3 runs scored, and Daniels Malone and Vasquez each knocked in a pair.

Team record: 112-37. Next up: 4 games in Boston.

Durham Playoff Update: The Bulls' season continues as they dropped Game 3 6-5 to Columbus, reducing their series lead to 2-1 over the Clippers. Ron Adams got the rehab start and struggled, going 3 5 4 3 2 3 on 63 pitches, and Columbus got the winning run in the bottom of the 8th. Vinny Willard will look to close it out tomorrow for Durham.

17 for 25..is that good?

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays broke open a tight 3-1 game with an 8-run 8th to rout Boston 12-2. Will Quintana's 2-run double in the 5th put the Rays ahead and looked to be critical before the dam burst later. That inning saw all the scoring come with 2 outs, starting with a Daniel Vasquez RBI double ahead of a 3-run Eric Titcombe HR (#43), and an Omar Rodriguez bases-clearing double. Jeff Baez capped a 4-hit day with a solo homer in the 9th, his 13th. Jeremy Curtis started and won, going 6.1 7 1 1 1 2 and aided by a pair of runners thrown out at home in the 2nd. He improves to 12-5, 3.49.

Durham Playoff Update:



Eric Crafton had a 3-run homer in the first and Kevin Morley went back-to-back with him as the Bulls broke it open early and never looked back. Vinny Willard went 7 shutout innings for the win and he finished the postseason 3-0, 0.40.

Game 2: Tampa Bay made it 11 straight with a 5-1 win over Boston but had to survive an injury scare in the process. The biggest concern at this point in the season with everything wrapped up is avoiding injuries, and when Omar Rodriguez was hit in the head with a pitch in the 4th inning and had to leave there was worry that the likely AL MVP would be lost. But it turned out just to be precautionary and he should be fine. Josh Carsello got the job done today gong 6 7 1 1 3 6 and is now 16-6, 3.11 with an AL-leading 231 whiffs. Boston sloppiness boosted the offense as two runs scored on an error and a wild pitch, and then O-Rod's replacement Jeremy Glasson picked up the slack with his 4th HR and an RBI double to round out the scoring.

Retirement news: A bunch of players who were hanging on in the minors this year decided to retire and the list includes a number of former Rays, some integral players to earlier success. Spencer Torkelson, Willy Adames, Jack Leiter, and Isaac DeLeon were big-time contributors to successful Tampa Bay teams and there were also a few others who had brief runs with the team who hung up the cleats: Lewin Diaz, who always hurt us more than he helped us, Alex Beltre and Dean Christidis.

Game 3: It didn't matter than Jon Soranno was terrible today and it didn't matter they were down 5-1 going into the 7th. Of course they came back and won, this time by the score of 7-6. Jaiden Hardaway started to comeback with a 2-run double in the 7th and in the 8th they went homer-happy with solo shots from Danny Ayala (#32) and Bo Angeac (#31) tying it up before Eric Titcombe hit a 2-run blast (#44) to put them up 7-5. Jim Golunski gave up a run in the bottom of the inning but Kikuo Kawase struck out 3 Red Sox around a walk in the 9th for save #36. Soranno was 4.1 10 5 5 0 5 and although his ERA is 1.5 runs higher/game than last year, his peripherals are almost identical except the HR rate is up from 0.6 to 1.0 per 9 and more importantly his BABIP has jumped from .287 to .346 as he's allowed 59 more hits this year in only 10 more innings. Chris Toombs picked up the win in relief, his 2nd.

Game 4: Rained out, and rescheduled to the day after the regular season ends, Monday October 5. Oh boy, a meaningless game when we don't need one. We have an off-day on Monday the 28th but the Red Sox are playing the Yankees that day.

Team record: 115-37. Next up: 3 games in Toronto.