The 2021 (and only 2021) Tampa Bay Rays - Page 64

Art Deco · 09-12-2023, 09:35 PM

After a recent poor run the Rays resumed their customary 2 wins out of 3 in a series as they got the better of the Red Sox this time.

Joe Marlette struck out 11 and Wander Franco homered twice to lead the Rays to a 7-4 win over Boston in the opener. Marlette improved to 16-5 with an at-times dominant 6.1 2 2 2 1 11 outing with the two hits allowed solo homers. Speaking of two homers, Franco had a 2-run shot in the first and a solo blast in the 3rd (#15) on his way to a 3-5, 4-RBI day. Alex Rivas was also 3-5 with a double and 2 RBI.

The bullpen let the Rays down in the second game as Boston scored 5 times in the 8th to snatch an 8-5 win from Tampa Bay. Danny Charlton was 3-5 with a 2-run double to help build the early lead, and it looked they'd overcome another lousy Chris Ferguson start (4 7 3 3 2 6). But Matt Cronin put a couple on in the 8th and Ruben Abeyta (2-3) walked the next two, then gave up a bases-clearing double to lose it.

The Rays took the rubber game from the Red Sox 7-3 behind a solid start from Joe Scheu and another big game from Danny Charlton. Scheu (12-6) took a no-hitter into the 6th before giving up a 2-run homer and finished 6.2 3 3 3 2 7 while Charlton belted a pair of solo homers (#32 & 33) and Jake Westfall drove in 3 on the night.

Team record: 82-45. Next up: A day off to travel to Southern California where 3 games where the Angels await.

Art Deco · 09-14-2023, 07:57 PM

We took on the team with the best record in baseball with the Angels at 84-43 coming in and got the better of them in Anaheim, taking 2 out of 3. But before we get into the game recaps, some big Tampa Bay Rays news:

Signed SP Joe Marlette to a 4-year contract extension worth a total of $114,000,000.

Our ace lefty and 2032 AL Cy Young winner will be staying in Tampa Bay for at least another three seasons (the fourth is a player option) at a reasonable price of $28.5M/year. While we have no plans to sign our other ace Kevin DiCostanzo to a long-term deal given his fragility (and some recent slight downgrade to his ratings), Marlette is rated as an "iron man" so I'm confident the deal will work out fairly well. We still have $38M projected to spend next season and that's not counting the $11M in arbitration I'm not planning on paying Jake Westfall. There will be holes to fill but money to fill them.

As for the games with LA the Rays took the opener in convincing fashion, belting 6 homers in a 14-4 rout of the Halos. Justin Blackwell led the parade going deep twice (#18 & 19) and driving in 4 with Danny Arroyave (#24, a first-inning slam), Bobby Marin (#18), Wander Franco (#16) and Luis Berumen (#27) all finding the seats. Danny Morales' gaudy W/L record went to 16-1 after a decent 6 4 3 3 2 4 outing.

Runs didn't come so easy for the Rays in the second game but they scored enough of 'em to pull out a 3-2 win. Joe Stack's 2-run shot (#23) stood up until the Rays scored in the 9th to make it a 3-0, a key run considering Devon Williams gave up two in the bottom of the frame while picking up save #15. Kevin DiCostanzo (17-4) shook off a recent slump and was brilliant, going 7 3 0 0 1 5.

Joe Marlette celebrated his new 9-figure contract extension by going out and getting hammered by the Angels as the Rays dropped the finale 6-3. Marlette (16-6) gave up a pair of homers as LA scored thrice in each of the first two innings off him and saddled him with a 4 9 6 6 2 7 line. In a losing cause Justin Blackwell had 3 doubles.

Team record: 84-46. Next up: A day off then back home for 3 against the Mets, who are having a lousy year at 60-71.

Art Deco · 09-16-2023, 03:58 PM

Another series in which the Rays won 2 of 3, and they did so despite scoring a grand total of five runs across the three games.

They trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the 9th of the opener, seemingly ready to waste Chris Ferguson's best start in ages (7 4 1 1 1 8), but Joe Stack's 2-run double with the team down to its last out meant a walk-off win instead. Mike Moore (4-6) picked up the win with a scoreless 9th.

The Rays didn't do much on offense again in the second game, but this time they did it early and it held up for a 3-1 win thanks to a brilliant outing from Joe Scheu. The lefty improved to 13-6 and was two outs away from a complete-game shutout before giving up an RBI single. He finished 8.1 5 1 1 0 10 in his best start of the year by Game Score (79) and Devon Williams got the final two outs for his 16th save. All of the runs came courtesy of a 3-run homer by Danny Arroyave in the first inning, his 25th.

The anemic bats finally caught up with them in the finale as the Mets took a 1-0 win. Danny Morales was unable to improve to 17-1 despite one of his better efforts at 7 2 0 0 1 5 and Matt Cronin (0-2) gave up a homer to the leadoff man in the top of the 8th to lose it. The bats were held in check by former Ray Shane Panzini and three Mets relievers.

Team record: 86-47. Next up: More interleague action as the Phillies visit for 3 games.

Art Deco · 09-18-2023, 09:36 AM

Once again the Rays took 2 of 3, but it was a bit of a struggle as they haven't been firing on all cylinders of late.

The offense was skunked in the opener as they fell 4-0 to Philly, only scratching out three hits. It was scoreless until the 6th when Kevin DiCostanzo (17-5) gave up a 3-run homer and another run after to finish 5.2 4 4 4 4 4.

Transactions: September roster expansion saw IF/OF Agustin Lopez and P Jeremy Brooks added, both of whom were up earlier this season. Lopez is holding the spot for Duk-yoon Ko, who was sent to Durham on a rehab assignment after being hurt just before we acquired him at the deadline from Cincinnati.

It was looking like another day of futility at the plate when the Rays didn't score until the 5th and entered the 7th trailing 2-1, but they tied it up and then scored 4 in the 8th to take a 6-2 win over the Phillies. Joe Stack's solo homer (#24) in the 7th was the equalizer, Luis Berumen broke the deadlock with a solo shot of his own (#28) in the 8th and Justin Blackwell capped a 3-hit day with a 2-run triple to give them some breathing room. Ajani Riddick (2-1) picked up the win in relief of Joe Marlette, who was very good at 7 4 2 2 0 4.

Jake Westfall's 3-run homer was the big hit as the Rays held on to take the rubber game from the Phillies 6-5. The CF, having a lousy season overall at 234/298/375, launched his 13th homer to key a 4-run 2nd inning that put Tampa Bay up 5-2. This, and Bobby Marin's 2nd infield RBI single of the day in the 6th, were enough to overcome another lousy Chris Ferguson (7-10) start of 6.1 9 5 5 1 6. Devon Williams held the fort in the 9th for save #17.

Team record: 88-48. Next up: The homestand continues with 3 against Minnesota.

Art Deco · 09-20-2023, 03:12 PM

The Rays executed a sweep of Minnesota, lowering their magic number for clinching the AL East to 14 games.

Things were looking fairly bleak in the opener as the Twins took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the 7th but the offense woke up and rallied for four runs to turn the game into a 4-3 Rays win. Luis Berumen's RBI single got them on the board and then William Contreras cleared the bases with a double for the big hit. Joe Scheu (14-6) went 7 7 3 3 1 0 and stuck around long enough for the win while Devon Williams had an easy 9th for save #18.

Danny Morales went to 17-1 as the Rays beat Minnesota 3-1 in the second game. The righty was in good form at 6 4 1 0 1 3 and Devon Williams saved again (#19). Luis Berumen's 2-run homer (#29) in the 4th proved to be all they'd need but Jake Westfall added an RBI triple in the 6th for insurance.

Tampa Bay completed the sweep with a 7-2 win in the finale. Kevin DiCostanzo improved to 18-5 after going 6.1 5 2 2 2 6 and Bobby Marin was 2-5 with a 2-run homer in the first (#19) to kick-start things. Joe Stack chipped in a solo shot (#25) and Alex Rivas was 3-5 with 3 runs scored.

Team record: 91-48. Next up: An off-day then off to San Antonio to play 3 against the Alamos.

Art Deco · 09-22-2023, 01:07 PM

After a series sweep the Rays resumed their usual business of taking 2 out of 3 in San Antonio and now have their magic number for a division clinch down to 11.

Transaction: Duk-yoon Ko was activated from his rehab assignment, ready to make his Rays MLB debut after being re-acquired from Cincinnati at the deadline. Agustin Lopez was sent back to Durham.

Joe Marlette was brilliant in the opener but denied a win when the bullpen squandered a 6-0 lead. The bats weren't deterred though and scored 4 in the 10th to give Tampa Bay a 10-6 win over the Alamos. It looked like an easy day at the park when they put 5 on the board in the first and Danny Arroyave hit #26 to make it 6-0. Marlette was excellent at 6 4 1 1 1 10 but Nick Wallerstedt couldn't get anyone out in the 8th and Mike Moore gave up a game-tying 3-run homer. Luis Berumen restored the lead in the 10th with an RBI single and Bobby Marin cleared the bases to bullpen-proof the second advantage. Ruben Abeyta (3-3) picked up the win.

The offense was fairly quiet in the second game and Chris Ferguson's struggles persisted in a 5-2 loss to San Antonio. Luis Berumen and Bobby Marin hit RBI doubles in the 5th to tie the game at 2 but parity was short-lived as Ferguson (7-11) gave up the go-ahead run in the bottom of the inning to finish 5 6 3 3 5 3. Jeff Coblentz gave up a couple more in the 8th to let it fully get away.

Jake Westfall's 2nd RBI hit of the day broke a 2-2 tie in the 7th and the Rays went on to take a 6-2 win in the finale in San Antonio. Westfall's single made it 3-2 and then Joe Stack came off to bench to deliver a pinch-hit 3-run blast (#26) in the 8th to make it comfortable. Danny Arroyave also went deep earlier with his 27th. Joe Scheu was in trouble all game but mostly pitching out of it at 4.2 8 2 2 3 2 and Nick Wallerstedt (3-0) wound up with the win.

Team record: 93-49. Next up: We head north to play 3 in Chicago against the White Sox.

Art Deco · 09-24-2023, 10:09 AM

Yet another series with the Rays taking 2 of 3 as they march on to the playoffs, reducing their magic number for the division to 7 while officially clinching a playoff spot.

The opener was a slugfest which saw the Rays fight back from 8-3 down in the 4th to go ahead 9-8, lose that lead in the 9th but score 3 in the 10th to take a wild 12-9 win over the White Sox. Joe Stack was the hero hitting his second homer of the game and 28th of the year, a 3-run shot which won the game and capped a 4-RBI day. Luis Berumen unloaded a grand slam (#30) in the 5th which brought them back into the game, and Danny Charlton was 3-4 with 2 walks and a 2-run homer (#34). Not to be overlooked were Duk-yoon Ko who had 4 hits and his first Rays homer (#29 overall) and Jake Westfall, who contributed a solo shot (#14) as the team amassed 19 hits. The other side of the ledger wasn't so pretty as Danny Morales was lit up to the tune of 2 9 7 7 1 1 and Devon Williams (3-3) blew the save in the 9th but vultured the win and pitched the 10th as well.

The second game was the polar opposite of the opener as Kevin DiCostanzo and three relievers combined on a 7-hit shutout in a 2-0 win. DiCostanzo improved to 19-5 after going 6 5 0 0 2 5 and Mike Moore got a rare second-half save (#20). Jake Westfall supplied the offense with an RBI double in the 3rd and an RBI single in the 5th.

Pitching again ruled the day in the finale but this time it was Chicago that prevailed, getting a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th off Devon Williams (3-4) to take a 2-1 win. Joe Marlette was outstanding at 7.2 7 1 1 2 8 and Danny Charlton homered (#35) to tie it in the 7th, but it wasn't enough.

Team record: 95-50. Next up: An off-day to travel back to St. Pete where the Orioles will play 3 against us over the weekend.

Art Deco · 09-25-2023, 05:46 PM

The Rays didn't play great baseball this weekend in dropping 2 of 3 to the Orioles, but did reduce their magic number to clinch the division to 4.

Tampa Bay dropped a 5-2 decision to Baltimore in the opener with Chris Ferguson (repeat after me) pitching poorly again. The righty fell to 7-12 (and now has been charged with nearly 1/4 of the team's losses) after going 4 9 3 3 3 3 and it could have been worse. The sight of the game was 37-year-old catcher William Contreras legging out an RBI triple in the 2nd.

Willie Gutierrez had a rare big game, leading the Rays to a 7-1 romp in the second game. Acquired from Kansas City in the offseason to take over as the regular catcher, Gutierrez has instead struggled this year and dropped into a job-share with William Contreras, hitting 181/223/292 coming into today. But he hit a solo homer (#5) in the 2nd to tie the game up and put Tampa Bay ahead to stay in the 5th with a 2-run double. Also having a big day was Danny Arroyave, who capped a 4-4, 3-run day with a solo homer (#28). Joe Scheu (15-6) was in fine form for the win at 6 4 1 1 1 3.

The bats fell silent in the finale, managing only 4 hits in a 3-0 loss. As a result Danny Morales' 16-game win streak came to an end as he lost for only the second time this season, and no longer has a shot at 20 wins as he's now 17-2 and has only two starts left. He did pitch well at 6.2 8 2 2 0 5 but received no support.

Team record: 96-52. Next up: Toronto visits for 4 games.

Art Deco · 09-27-2023, 10:29 AM

The Rays took care of business, clinching the AL East once again while taking 3 of 4 from Toronto.

The bullpen let Kevin DiCostanzo down in the opener as the righty tried to get his 20th win of the season, but the offense bailed the team out in a 6-5 win over the Jays. DiCostanzo was excellent and worthy of win #20 after going 6.2 5 1 0 3 7 and the team took a 3-1 lead into the 8th. But the wildly inconsistent Mike Moore somehow managed to give up a 3-run homer to a guy rated 25 for power and DiCostanzo's win and the lead were gone. No problem for the team though as Wander Franco (#17) and Danny Arroyave (#29) hit back-to-back solo homers in the bottom of the inning to allow Moore (5-6) to vulture the win which was preserved by Devon Williams for save #20.

Joe Marlette couldn't hold a 3-0 lead entrusted to him and Toronto wound up taking a 7-5 win in the second game, delaying the Rays' clinching celebrations. The lefty fell to 16-7 thanks to a 5 7 5 5 1 7 outing in which he yielded a pair of homers and the bullpen behind him wasn't much help. Danny Arroyave did hit HR #30 and added a 2-run double.

The Rays made it official in the third game, clinching the division with a come-from-behind walk-off 3-2 win over Toronto. Bobby Marin's RBI single brought home the winner in the 9th after the Rays came back with runs in the 6th and 7th (on Luis Berumen's 31st homer) to erase a 2-0 deficit. They got a rare good start of late from Chris Ferguson who went 6 5 2 2 4 6, although he did give up both runs in the first giving us a "here we go again" vibe. Devon Williams (4-4) ended up with the win.

With the division clinched the bench was emptied in the finale and five regulars sat. Until the 9th it looked like this would result in an easy Jays win as they took a 5-1 lead into the final inning. But the Rays had other ideas as Joe Stack (#29) and Willie Gutierrez (#6) each hit 2-run homers in the bottom of the 9th to tie it up and Bobby Marin was the walk-off hero for a second straight day as his infield RBI single brought home the winner in the 12th as the Rays prevailed 6-5. Joe Scheu started and went 6 5 3 3 3 3 while Chris Ericson (3-2) picked up the win.

Team record: 99-53. Next up: Detroit visits for 3 games.

Art Deco · 09-28-2023, 07:33 PM

The games don't mean anything but that didn't stop the Rays from winning all 3 of them as they swept the boys from Motown.

As has so often been the case this year the offense slumbered through the early innings before waking up late to take a win and that's what happened today as a 3-0 Detroit lead in the 6th ended up an 8-3 Rays victory. The win made Danny Morales 18-2 and he has to have some kind of winning % record (min. 50 decisions) as he's now 40-11 in his career. He went 7 5 3 2 0 5 for today's win. Starting the comeback was William Contreras with a bases-clearing double in the 6th and Luis Berumen's second double of the game put them ahead to stay while Jake Westfall was 3-5 with 2 RBI.

While the second game mean nothing in the standings, it was probably the biggest regular-season contest the Rays had left as the goal today was to get Kevin DiCostanzo his 20th win. Mission accomplished but just barely as the Rays squeaked by the Tigers 3-2. DiCostanzo went 5 5 2 2 1 5 on 94 pitches and the Rays got the go-ahead run just in time in the bottom of the 5th on Danny Arroyave's RBI single. The bullpen was at its best holding the lead as they collectively allowed one hit over the final four innings with Devon Williams recording save #21.

Tampa Bay completed the sweep with a 4-3 win in the finale. Joe Marlette improved to 17-7 with a fine 6 4 1 1 1 7 outing, Devon Williams saved again (#22) despite allowing a 9th-inning run and Joe Stack and Bobby Marin had key RBI doubles. With a week left in the season, Luis Berumen is in the 100-RBI club but Stack (95), Danny Arroyave (94) and Danny Charlton (92) all have a shot to join him. It's impressive for Arroyave considering he missed the first month of the season.

Team record: 102-53. Next up: 4 games against Boston at the Trop.

Playoff picture: With a week to go things are largely set in the AL; the Rays, Guardians and Angels will win their divisions, the Astros and Yankees have the top 2 wild cards in hand and the Mariners lead the A's by 2 and the Jays by 3 for the final slot. In the NL the Phillies, Cards and Dodgers have all clinched or nearly clinched divisions with Miami and Memphis solid as the first 2 wild cards. The Padres lead the Rockies by 1 and the Reds by 2 1/2 for the last NL wild card.

Art Deco · 09-30-2023, 09:37 PM

The Rays took 3 of 4 from the Red Sox as they approach the playoffs, but suffered a key injury in the process.

It was a pretty routine 4-1 win in the opener as Chris Ferguson continues to make a last-ditch effort to join the playoff rotation, going 7 5 1 1 2 4 in his second excellent start in a row after suffering through about a two-month period of poor pitching. The win got him to 8-12 and Ajani Riddick finished up for his 2nd save. Joe Stack (#30, surpassing his rookie total of 29) and Luis Berumen (#32) homered off former Ray Shane Baz while Berumen added an RBI double.

Joe Scheu was sterling and the Rays shut out the Sox 3-0 in the second game. The lefty improved to 16-6, 3.04 after a 7 6 0 0 1 5 performance, with Mike Moore closing it out for his 21st save. Bobby Marin's 2-run first inning single held up as all the runs they'd need.

The Rays lost a lot more than a baseball game in the third tilt as slugging 1B/DH Danny Charlton suffered a strained oblique which will end his season as they dropped a 5-4 decision to Boston. He finishes his season 266/352/543 with 35 HR and 92 RBI and will be sorely missed come playoff time. His absence will mean a regular role against righties for Duk-yoon Ko in RF with Luis Berumen shifting to DH and Alex Rivas will start against lefties as he had been doing. As for the game Danny Morales' own error led to 4 unearned runs in the 3rd. Morales (18-3) finished a decent 7 6 5 1 0 3 while Joe Stack paced the offense going 3-4 with HR #31 and 2 RBI.

Transaction: Charlton was placed on the IL and Agustin Lopez was called up from Durham, giving us a RH bat on the bench who can play multiple positions and pinch-run.

The Rays had to go extra innings in the finale, edging Boston 4-3 in 10 on Alex Rivas' bases-loaded RBI single. Mike Moore (6-6) got the win and Kevin DiCostanzo was 6 3 3 0 4 5 in his final tune-up start before the playoffs. Bobby Marin (#20) and Joe Stack (#32) added solo homers with Stack now one RBI away from 100.

Team record: 105-54. Next up: We close out the regular season with 3 games in New York against the Yankees.

Playoff race update: There aren't any. 2035 will go down as one of the dullest final weekends in MLB history as everything is clinched with the lone exception of the third wild card where San Diego is 3 up on Cincinnati and Colorado with 3 games left, so their magic number is 1 (and I haven't checked the tiebreakers - they may actually have already clinched).

Art Deco · 10-02-2023, 09:13 AM

The Rays closed out the regular season in typical fashion, winning 2 of 3 (although a sweep would have meant they literally took 2 of 3 for entire season).

Wander Franco had the first 3-homer game of his career as the Rays routed the Yankees 13-4 in the opener. They were all solo shots, giving him 20 on the season and part of a 7-homer barrage from Rays hitters. Also going yard were Joe Stack (#33), Duk-yoon Ko (#2/30), Luis Berumen (#33) and Bobby Marin (#21) as Tampa Bay tries to demonstrate it can survive without Danny Charlton. Ko ended up with 5 RBI as he'll be getting the bulk of the replacement ABs. Joe Marlette finished the year 18-7, 3.06 after a 5 7 2 2 1 6 final regular season outing.

The Rays hung on to win the second game 7-6 behind another big day from Wander Franco. He homered in his first at-bat to give him 21 for the year and 4 in his last 5 AB and finished 3-4 with 4 RBI while Jake Westfall was 2-4 with an RBI. Chris Ferguson started and won to go to 9-12 with a 6.2 5 5 3 2 4 outing in what will probably be his final start for us as he's the odd man out of the playoff rotation and a pending free agent. Devon Williams earned save #23 despite allowing a run.

Jeremy Brooks was given the ball in the regular season finale and was hit hard as the Rays fell 7-1. He allowed 3 homers while going a brutal 3.1 6 7 7 5 6 as his history of underperforming his ratings continued.

Final Regular Season Record: 107-55. Next up: The ALDS against either these same Yankees or the Houston Astros.

Art Deco · 10-02-2023, 09:55 AM

DiCostanzo was MLB's only 20-game winner this year.

The pitching and defense really carried this team as the offense was good but not great. And without Danny Charlton scoring enough runs is the real worry coming into the postseason.

At age 34 Wander had his career year in terms of WAR at 6.3 as he also set career highs in walks and OBP. The WAR figure was particularly impressive given he only played 120 games as the key was moving him off SS, where he had been a negative defender, to 2B where he put up a +1.8 ZR. Some regulars really had down seasons as OFs Westfall and Marin combined for 2 WAR and we got 0.2 WAR total out of the catching position with Gutierrez having a dreadful debut year with the Rays.

Wow, not too often a team has five starters earn 3.4 WAR or better. The surprising thing here is that Ferguson had as much WAR as Morales, mainly due to Ferguson receiving the short end of the BABIP stick. Not enough to change my mind about him being out of the playoff rotation but interesting nonetheless. This team really kept the ball in the park as nobody allowed more than 18 HR, something unheard of in 21st century MLB.

We were hoping for a little more from Leo Gutierrez this year but he struggled in our pen and then after going back to Durham he ruptured a tendon in a finger and missed the last couple months of the season. With DiCostanzo and Ferguson free agents he'll definitely get a crack at the rotation next year. Otherwise no immediate help on the horizon although keep an eye on Doughty, our supplemental 1st-rounder this year who played as high as AA. He looks like the real deal and could take the catcher's job by the second half of next season if he continues to progress and Willie Gutierrez continues to struggle.

Art Deco · 10-03-2023, 07:56 PM

AL:

And the Rays will square off once again with the Yankees in the ALDS.

The only wild card series to go the distance saw Cleveland outlast Seattle and set up a date with the Angels in the other ALDS.

NL:

Miami will play the Dodgers in one NLDS.

And the Padres will face the Phillies in the other NLDS.

Art Deco · 10-05-2023, 05:05 PM

Unbelievable...

One more out. Despite giving up two runs to let the Yankees within 3-2 in the top of the 9th, that's all Devon Williams needed to secure Game 1 of the ALDS, but he gave up the game-tying hit instead. And that's all Matt Cronin needed in the 10th with two men on and the game tied, but instead he gave up a 2-run triple to Brooks Lee. And so the Rays find themselves in an 0-1 hole in the ALDS thanks to a major bullpen meltdown. Joe Marlette was his ace-like self and the two relievers who followed him kept New York off the board and all they had to do was protect a 3-0 lead in the 9th. But they couldn't and now Kevin DiCostanzo will have to get it done tomorrow to keep their backs from the wall.

In the NLDS openers the day before:

And in all of today's DS action:

Art Deco · 10-05-2023, 05:35 PM

Looking bleak...

In their best imitation of the real-life 2023 Rays, the imaginary 2035 version struggled mightily on offense and lost a second straight playoff game at home. Fortunately for our 2035 boys it's a best-of-5 instead of a best-of-3 but that's about all the consolation they can take from today's 4-0 loss to the Yankees which puts them in the position of needing to win 3 straight. I could complain about the bullpen coming up small again but it didn't matter when the offense managed a mere two hits. Danny Morales will try to keep the season alive in Game 3 at Yankee Stadium.

Meanwhile the Angels are also one win away from the ALCS:

Art Deco · 10-05-2023, 06:33 PM

Pathetic...

The Rays' offense was good this year but memorably inconsistent, and unfortunately they didn't bother showing up for the playoffs at all as 2 runs in 14 innings weren't going to get it done in a do-or-die game and former Ray Andrew Greckel sent his old team to the golf course with a 2-run walk-off homer, giving the Yankees a sweep of the ALDS despite finishing some 18 games behind Tampa Bay in the regular season. The Rays did actually score runs, and took a 2-0 lead which they couldn't hold with the tying run coming in thanks to a Justin Blackwell error. They had runners on throughout the innings to come but never could get the key hit, no more so than in the top of the 14th when they loaded the bases with one out only to hit a shallow fly ball and a liner right at the first baseman. So it's wait 'til next year for the Rays, failing to make the World Series for the second straight season.

In yesterday's NLDS action:

First time I've ever seen a guy go 0-for-0 and be one of the three stars of the day.

Today's DS games:

The Yankees will be playing the Angels in a network programmer's dream ALCS, while we could have 3 of the final 4 hailing from Southern California if the Dodgers can complete the comeback from 0-2 down in a couple of days.

Art Deco · 10-05-2023, 06:36 PM

And the Dodgers pulled it off, quite dramatically as Adrian Pacheco's RBI single in the 10th won it with LA coming back from losing the first two games of the series. They'll play the Padres in the NLCS.

As usual after the Rays are eliminated I will have recap posts for the CS round and the World Series.

Art Deco · 10-06-2023, 11:40 PM

In the AL:

And in the NL:

Thanks to former Ray James Hays coming through big in Game 7, we'll have a Freeway Series between the Angels and Dodgers as we did in 2022 and 2024 with the Dodgers prevailing both times.

Art Deco · 10-08-2023, 01:14 PM

Same as it ever was...

Once again the Dodgers get the best of the Angels in their third World Series matchup in this save. Former Ray James Hays collected another ring as he pitched LA to the championship in Game 6. The Series win is the Dodgers' second straight and their fifth in this save, equaling the Rays' total.

09-12-2023, 09:35 PM	#1261
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	August 20-22, 2035: vs Boston (3) After a recent poor run the Rays resumed their customary 2 wins out of 3 in a series as they got the better of the Red Sox this time. Joe Marlette struck out 11 and Wander Franco homered twice to lead the Rays to a 7-4 win over Boston in the opener. Marlette improved to 16-5 with an at-times dominant 6.1 2 2 2 1 11 outing with the two hits allowed solo homers. Speaking of two homers, Franco had a 2-run shot in the first and a solo blast in the 3rd (#15) on his way to a 3-5, 4-RBI day. Alex Rivas was also 3-5 with a double and 2 RBI. The bullpen let the Rays down in the second game as Boston scored 5 times in the 8th to snatch an 8-5 win from Tampa Bay. Danny Charlton was 3-5 with a 2-run double to help build the early lead, and it looked they'd overcome another lousy Chris Ferguson start (4 7 3 3 2 6). But Matt Cronin put a couple on in the 8th and Ruben Abeyta (2-3) walked the next two, then gave up a bases-clearing double to lose it. The Rays took the rubber game from the Red Sox 7-3 behind a solid start from Joe Scheu and another big game from Danny Charlton. Scheu (12-6) took a no-hitter into the 6th before giving up a 2-run homer and finished 6.2 3 3 3 2 7 while Charlton belted a pair of solo homers (#32 & 33) and Jake Westfall drove in 3 on the night. Team record: 82-45. Next up: A day off to travel to Southern California where 3 games where the Angels await. Last edited by Art Deco; 09-12-2023 at 09:38 PM.

09-14-2023, 07:57 PM	#1262
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	August 24-26, 2035: at LA Angels (3) We took on the team with the best record in baseball with the Angels at 84-43 coming in and got the better of them in Anaheim, taking 2 out of 3. But before we get into the game recaps, some big Tampa Bay Rays news: Signed SP Joe Marlette to a 4-year contract extension worth a total of $114,000,000. Our ace lefty and 2032 AL Cy Young winner will be staying in Tampa Bay for at least another three seasons (the fourth is a player option) at a reasonable price of $28.5M/year. While we have no plans to sign our other ace Kevin DiCostanzo to a long-term deal given his fragility (and some recent slight downgrade to his ratings), Marlette is rated as an "iron man" so I'm confident the deal will work out fairly well. We still have $38M projected to spend next season and that's not counting the $11M in arbitration I'm not planning on paying Jake Westfall. There will be holes to fill but money to fill them. As for the games with LA the Rays took the opener in convincing fashion, belting 6 homers in a 14-4 rout of the Halos. Justin Blackwell led the parade going deep twice (#18 & 19) and driving in 4 with Danny Arroyave (#24, a first-inning slam), Bobby Marin (#18), Wander Franco (#16) and Luis Berumen (#27) all finding the seats. Danny Morales' gaudy W/L record went to 16-1 after a decent 6 4 3 3 2 4 outing. Runs didn't come so easy for the Rays in the second game but they scored enough of 'em to pull out a 3-2 win. Joe Stack's 2-run shot (#23) stood up until the Rays scored in the 9th to make it a 3-0, a key run considering Devon Williams gave up two in the bottom of the frame while picking up save #15. Kevin DiCostanzo (17-4) shook off a recent slump and was brilliant, going 7 3 0 0 1 5. Joe Marlette celebrated his new 9-figure contract extension by going out and getting hammered by the Angels as the Rays dropped the finale 6-3. Marlette (16-6) gave up a pair of homers as LA scored thrice in each of the first two innings off him and saddled him with a 4 9 6 6 2 7 line. In a losing cause Justin Blackwell had 3 doubles. Team record: 84-46. Next up: A day off then back home for 3 against the Mets, who are having a lousy year at 60-71.

09-16-2023, 03:58 PM	#1263
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	August 28-30, 2035: vs NY Mets (3) Another series in which the Rays won 2 of 3, and they did so despite scoring a grand total of five runs across the three games. They trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the 9th of the opener, seemingly ready to waste Chris Ferguson's best start in ages (7 4 1 1 1 8), but Joe Stack's 2-run double with the team down to its last out meant a walk-off win instead. Mike Moore (4-6) picked up the win with a scoreless 9th. The Rays didn't do much on offense again in the second game, but this time they did it early and it held up for a 3-1 win thanks to a brilliant outing from Joe Scheu. The lefty improved to 13-6 and was two outs away from a complete-game shutout before giving up an RBI single. He finished 8.1 5 1 1 0 10 in his best start of the year by Game Score (79) and Devon Williams got the final two outs for his 16th save. All of the runs came courtesy of a 3-run homer by Danny Arroyave in the first inning, his 25th. The anemic bats finally caught up with them in the finale as the Mets took a 1-0 win. Danny Morales was unable to improve to 17-1 despite one of his better efforts at 7 2 0 0 1 5 and Matt Cronin (0-2) gave up a homer to the leadoff man in the top of the 8th to lose it. The bats were held in check by former Ray Shane Panzini and three Mets relievers. Team record: 86-47. Next up: More interleague action as the Phillies visit for 3 games.

09-18-2023, 09:36 AM	#1264
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	August 31-September 2, 2035: vs Philadelphia (3) Once again the Rays took 2 of 3, but it was a bit of a struggle as they haven't been firing on all cylinders of late. The offense was skunked in the opener as they fell 4-0 to Philly, only scratching out three hits. It was scoreless until the 6th when Kevin DiCostanzo (17-5) gave up a 3-run homer and another run after to finish 5.2 4 4 4 4 4. Transactions: September roster expansion saw IF/OF Agustin Lopez and P Jeremy Brooks added, both of whom were up earlier this season. Lopez is holding the spot for Duk-yoon Ko, who was sent to Durham on a rehab assignment after being hurt just before we acquired him at the deadline from Cincinnati. It was looking like another day of futility at the plate when the Rays didn't score until the 5th and entered the 7th trailing 2-1, but they tied it up and then scored 4 in the 8th to take a 6-2 win over the Phillies. Joe Stack's solo homer (#24) in the 7th was the equalizer, Luis Berumen broke the deadlock with a solo shot of his own (#28) in the 8th and Justin Blackwell capped a 3-hit day with a 2-run triple to give them some breathing room. Ajani Riddick (2-1) picked up the win in relief of Joe Marlette, who was very good at 7 4 2 2 0 4. Jake Westfall's 3-run homer was the big hit as the Rays held on to take the rubber game from the Phillies 6-5. The CF, having a lousy season overall at 234/298/375, launched his 13th homer to key a 4-run 2nd inning that put Tampa Bay up 5-2. This, and Bobby Marin's 2nd infield RBI single of the day in the 6th, were enough to overcome another lousy Chris Ferguson (7-10) start of 6.1 9 5 5 1 6. Devon Williams held the fort in the 9th for save #17. Team record: 88-48. Next up: The homestand continues with 3 against Minnesota.

09-20-2023, 03:12 PM	#1265
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	September 3-5, 2035: vs Minnesota (3) The Rays executed a sweep of Minnesota, lowering their magic number for clinching the AL East to 14 games. Things were looking fairly bleak in the opener as the Twins took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the 7th but the offense woke up and rallied for four runs to turn the game into a 4-3 Rays win. Luis Berumen's RBI single got them on the board and then William Contreras cleared the bases with a double for the big hit. Joe Scheu (14-6) went 7 7 3 3 1 0 and stuck around long enough for the win while Devon Williams had an easy 9th for save #18. Danny Morales went to 17-1 as the Rays beat Minnesota 3-1 in the second game. The righty was in good form at 6 4 1 0 1 3 and Devon Williams saved again (#19). Luis Berumen's 2-run homer (#29) in the 4th proved to be all they'd need but Jake Westfall added an RBI triple in the 6th for insurance. Tampa Bay completed the sweep with a 7-2 win in the finale. Kevin DiCostanzo improved to 18-5 after going 6.1 5 2 2 2 6 and Bobby Marin was 2-5 with a 2-run homer in the first (#19) to kick-start things. Joe Stack chipped in a solo shot (#25) and Alex Rivas was 3-5 with 3 runs scored. Team record: 91-48. Next up: An off-day then off to San Antonio to play 3 against the Alamos.

09-22-2023, 01:07 PM	#1266
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	September 7-9, 2035: at San Antonio (3) After a series sweep the Rays resumed their usual business of taking 2 out of 3 in San Antonio and now have their magic number for a division clinch down to 11. Transaction: Duk-yoon Ko was activated from his rehab assignment, ready to make his Rays MLB debut after being re-acquired from Cincinnati at the deadline. Agustin Lopez was sent back to Durham. Joe Marlette was brilliant in the opener but denied a win when the bullpen squandered a 6-0 lead. The bats weren't deterred though and scored 4 in the 10th to give Tampa Bay a 10-6 win over the Alamos. It looked like an easy day at the park when they put 5 on the board in the first and Danny Arroyave hit #26 to make it 6-0. Marlette was excellent at 6 4 1 1 1 10 but Nick Wallerstedt couldn't get anyone out in the 8th and Mike Moore gave up a game-tying 3-run homer. Luis Berumen restored the lead in the 10th with an RBI single and Bobby Marin cleared the bases to bullpen-proof the second advantage. Ruben Abeyta (3-3) picked up the win. The offense was fairly quiet in the second game and Chris Ferguson's struggles persisted in a 5-2 loss to San Antonio. Luis Berumen and Bobby Marin hit RBI doubles in the 5th to tie the game at 2 but parity was short-lived as Ferguson (7-11) gave up the go-ahead run in the bottom of the inning to finish 5 6 3 3 5 3. Jeff Coblentz gave up a couple more in the 8th to let it fully get away. Jake Westfall's 2nd RBI hit of the day broke a 2-2 tie in the 7th and the Rays went on to take a 6-2 win in the finale in San Antonio. Westfall's single made it 3-2 and then Joe Stack came off to bench to deliver a pinch-hit 3-run blast (#26) in the 8th to make it comfortable. Danny Arroyave also went deep earlier with his 27th. Joe Scheu was in trouble all game but mostly pitching out of it at 4.2 8 2 2 3 2 and Nick Wallerstedt (3-0) wound up with the win. Team record: 93-49. Next up: We head north to play 3 in Chicago against the White Sox.

09-24-2023, 10:09 AM	#1267
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	September 10-12, 2035: at Chicago White Sox (3) Yet another series with the Rays taking 2 of 3 as they march on to the playoffs, reducing their magic number for the division to 7 while officially clinching a playoff spot. The opener was a slugfest which saw the Rays fight back from 8-3 down in the 4th to go ahead 9-8, lose that lead in the 9th but score 3 in the 10th to take a wild 12-9 win over the White Sox. Joe Stack was the hero hitting his second homer of the game and 28th of the year, a 3-run shot which won the game and capped a 4-RBI day. Luis Berumen unloaded a grand slam (#30) in the 5th which brought them back into the game, and Danny Charlton was 3-4 with 2 walks and a 2-run homer (#34). Not to be overlooked were Duk-yoon Ko who had 4 hits and his first Rays homer (#29 overall) and Jake Westfall, who contributed a solo shot (#14) as the team amassed 19 hits. The other side of the ledger wasn't so pretty as Danny Morales was lit up to the tune of 2 9 7 7 1 1 and Devon Williams (3-3) blew the save in the 9th but vultured the win and pitched the 10th as well. The second game was the polar opposite of the opener as Kevin DiCostanzo and three relievers combined on a 7-hit shutout in a 2-0 win. DiCostanzo improved to 19-5 after going 6 5 0 0 2 5 and Mike Moore got a rare second-half save (#20). Jake Westfall supplied the offense with an RBI double in the 3rd and an RBI single in the 5th. Pitching again ruled the day in the finale but this time it was Chicago that prevailed, getting a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th off Devon Williams (3-4) to take a 2-1 win. Joe Marlette was outstanding at 7.2 7 1 1 2 8 and Danny Charlton homered (#35) to tie it in the 7th, but it wasn't enough. Team record: 95-50. Next up: An off-day to travel back to St. Pete where the Orioles will play 3 against us over the weekend.

09-25-2023, 05:46 PM	#1268
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	September 14-16, 2035: vs Baltimore (3) The Rays didn't play great baseball this weekend in dropping 2 of 3 to the Orioles, but did reduce their magic number to clinch the division to 4. Tampa Bay dropped a 5-2 decision to Baltimore in the opener with Chris Ferguson (repeat after me) pitching poorly again. The righty fell to 7-12 (and now has been charged with nearly 1/4 of the team's losses) after going 4 9 3 3 3 3 and it could have been worse. The sight of the game was 37-year-old catcher William Contreras legging out an RBI triple in the 2nd. Willie Gutierrez had a rare big game, leading the Rays to a 7-1 romp in the second game. Acquired from Kansas City in the offseason to take over as the regular catcher, Gutierrez has instead struggled this year and dropped into a job-share with William Contreras, hitting 181/223/292 coming into today. But he hit a solo homer (#5) in the 2nd to tie the game up and put Tampa Bay ahead to stay in the 5th with a 2-run double. Also having a big day was Danny Arroyave, who capped a 4-4, 3-run day with a solo homer (#28). Joe Scheu (15-6) was in fine form for the win at 6 4 1 1 1 3. The bats fell silent in the finale, managing only 4 hits in a 3-0 loss. As a result Danny Morales' 16-game win streak came to an end as he lost for only the second time this season, and no longer has a shot at 20 wins as he's now 17-2 and has only two starts left. He did pitch well at 6.2 8 2 2 0 5 but received no support. Team record: 96-52. Next up: Toronto visits for 4 games.

09-27-2023, 10:29 AM	#1269
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	September 17-20, 2035: vs Toronto (4) The Rays took care of business, clinching the AL East once again while taking 3 of 4 from Toronto. The bullpen let Kevin DiCostanzo down in the opener as the righty tried to get his 20th win of the season, but the offense bailed the team out in a 6-5 win over the Jays. DiCostanzo was excellent and worthy of win #20 after going 6.2 5 1 0 3 7 and the team took a 3-1 lead into the 8th. But the wildly inconsistent Mike Moore somehow managed to give up a 3-run homer to a guy rated 25 for power and DiCostanzo's win and the lead were gone. No problem for the team though as Wander Franco (#17) and Danny Arroyave (#29) hit back-to-back solo homers in the bottom of the inning to allow Moore (5-6) to vulture the win which was preserved by Devon Williams for save #20. Joe Marlette couldn't hold a 3-0 lead entrusted to him and Toronto wound up taking a 7-5 win in the second game, delaying the Rays' clinching celebrations. The lefty fell to 16-7 thanks to a 5 7 5 5 1 7 outing in which he yielded a pair of homers and the bullpen behind him wasn't much help. Danny Arroyave did hit HR #30 and added a 2-run double. The Rays made it official in the third game, clinching the division with a come-from-behind walk-off 3-2 win over Toronto. Bobby Marin's RBI single brought home the winner in the 9th after the Rays came back with runs in the 6th and 7th (on Luis Berumen's 31st homer) to erase a 2-0 deficit. They got a rare good start of late from Chris Ferguson who went 6 5 2 2 4 6, although he did give up both runs in the first giving us a "here we go again" vibe. Devon Williams (4-4) ended up with the win. With the division clinched the bench was emptied in the finale and five regulars sat. Until the 9th it looked like this would result in an easy Jays win as they took a 5-1 lead into the final inning. But the Rays had other ideas as Joe Stack (#29) and Willie Gutierrez (#6) each hit 2-run homers in the bottom of the 9th to tie it up and Bobby Marin was the walk-off hero for a second straight day as his infield RBI single brought home the winner in the 12th as the Rays prevailed 6-5. Joe Scheu started and went 6 5 3 3 3 3 while Chris Ericson (3-2) picked up the win. Team record: 99-53. Next up: Detroit visits for 3 games.

09-28-2023, 07:33 PM	#1270
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	September 21-23, 2035: vs Detroit (3) The games don't mean anything but that didn't stop the Rays from winning all 3 of them as they swept the boys from Motown. As has so often been the case this year the offense slumbered through the early innings before waking up late to take a win and that's what happened today as a 3-0 Detroit lead in the 6th ended up an 8-3 Rays victory. The win made Danny Morales 18-2 and he has to have some kind of winning % record (min. 50 decisions) as he's now 40-11 in his career. He went 7 5 3 2 0 5 for today's win. Starting the comeback was William Contreras with a bases-clearing double in the 6th and Luis Berumen's second double of the game put them ahead to stay while Jake Westfall was 3-5 with 2 RBI. While the second game mean nothing in the standings, it was probably the biggest regular-season contest the Rays had left as the goal today was to get Kevin DiCostanzo his 20th win. Mission accomplished but just barely as the Rays squeaked by the Tigers 3-2. DiCostanzo went 5 5 2 2 1 5 on 94 pitches and the Rays got the go-ahead run just in time in the bottom of the 5th on Danny Arroyave's RBI single. The bullpen was at its best holding the lead as they collectively allowed one hit over the final four innings with Devon Williams recording save #21. Tampa Bay completed the sweep with a 4-3 win in the finale. Joe Marlette improved to 17-7 with a fine 6 4 1 1 1 7 outing, Devon Williams saved again (#22) despite allowing a 9th-inning run and Joe Stack and Bobby Marin had key RBI doubles. With a week left in the season, Luis Berumen is in the 100-RBI club but Stack (95), Danny Arroyave (94) and Danny Charlton (92) all have a shot to join him. It's impressive for Arroyave considering he missed the first month of the season. Team record: 102-53. Next up: 4 games against Boston at the Trop. Playoff picture: With a week to go things are largely set in the AL; the Rays, Guardians and Angels will win their divisions, the Astros and Yankees have the top 2 wild cards in hand and the Mariners lead the A's by 2 and the Jays by 3 for the final slot. In the NL the Phillies, Cards and Dodgers have all clinched or nearly clinched divisions with Miami and Memphis solid as the first 2 wild cards. The Padres lead the Rockies by 1 and the Reds by 2 1/2 for the last NL wild card.

09-30-2023, 09:37 PM	#1271
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	September 24-27, 2035: vs Boston (4) The Rays took 3 of 4 from the Red Sox as they approach the playoffs, but suffered a key injury in the process. It was a pretty routine 4-1 win in the opener as Chris Ferguson continues to make a last-ditch effort to join the playoff rotation, going 7 5 1 1 2 4 in his second excellent start in a row after suffering through about a two-month period of poor pitching. The win got him to 8-12 and Ajani Riddick finished up for his 2nd save. Joe Stack (#30, surpassing his rookie total of 29) and Luis Berumen (#32) homered off former Ray Shane Baz while Berumen added an RBI double. Joe Scheu was sterling and the Rays shut out the Sox 3-0 in the second game. The lefty improved to 16-6, 3.04 after a 7 6 0 0 1 5 performance, with Mike Moore closing it out for his 21st save. Bobby Marin's 2-run first inning single held up as all the runs they'd need. The Rays lost a lot more than a baseball game in the third tilt as slugging 1B/DH Danny Charlton suffered a strained oblique which will end his season as they dropped a 5-4 decision to Boston. He finishes his season 266/352/543 with 35 HR and 92 RBI and will be sorely missed come playoff time. His absence will mean a regular role against righties for Duk-yoon Ko in RF with Luis Berumen shifting to DH and Alex Rivas will start against lefties as he had been doing. As for the game Danny Morales' own error led to 4 unearned runs in the 3rd. Morales (18-3) finished a decent 7 6 5 1 0 3 while Joe Stack paced the offense going 3-4 with HR #31 and 2 RBI. Transaction: Charlton was placed on the IL and Agustin Lopez was called up from Durham, giving us a RH bat on the bench who can play multiple positions and pinch-run. The Rays had to go extra innings in the finale, edging Boston 4-3 in 10 on Alex Rivas' bases-loaded RBI single. Mike Moore (6-6) got the win and Kevin DiCostanzo was 6 3 3 0 4 5 in his final tune-up start before the playoffs. Bobby Marin (#20) and Joe Stack (#32) added solo homers with Stack now one RBI away from 100. Team record: 105-54. Next up: We close out the regular season with 3 games in New York against the Yankees. Playoff race update: There aren't any. 2035 will go down as one of the dullest final weekends in MLB history as everything is clinched with the lone exception of the third wild card where San Diego is 3 up on Cincinnati and Colorado with 3 games left, so their magic number is 1 (and I haven't checked the tiebreakers - they may actually have already clinched). Last edited by Art Deco; 09-30-2023 at 09:38 PM.

10-02-2023, 09:13 AM	#1272
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	September 28-30, 2035: at NY Yankees (3) The Rays closed out the regular season in typical fashion, winning 2 of 3 (although a sweep would have meant they literally took 2 of 3 for entire season). Wander Franco had the first 3-homer game of his career as the Rays routed the Yankees 13-4 in the opener. They were all solo shots, giving him 20 on the season and part of a 7-homer barrage from Rays hitters. Also going yard were Joe Stack (#33), Duk-yoon Ko (#2/30), Luis Berumen (#33) and Bobby Marin (#21) as Tampa Bay tries to demonstrate it can survive without Danny Charlton. Ko ended up with 5 RBI as he'll be getting the bulk of the replacement ABs. Joe Marlette finished the year 18-7, 3.06 after a 5 7 2 2 1 6 final regular season outing. The Rays hung on to win the second game 7-6 behind another big day from Wander Franco. He homered in his first at-bat to give him 21 for the year and 4 in his last 5 AB and finished 3-4 with 4 RBI while Jake Westfall was 2-4 with an RBI. Chris Ferguson started and won to go to 9-12 with a 6.2 5 5 3 2 4 outing in what will probably be his final start for us as he's the odd man out of the playoff rotation and a pending free agent. Devon Williams earned save #23 despite allowing a run. Jeremy Brooks was given the ball in the regular season finale and was hit hard as the Rays fell 7-1. He allowed 3 homers while going a brutal 3.1 6 7 7 5 6 as his history of underperforming his ratings continued. Final Regular Season Record: 107-55. Next up: The ALDS against either these same Yankees or the Houston Astros.

10-02-2023, 09:55 AM	#1273
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	Final 2035 Regular Season Standings and Rays Stats DiCostanzo was MLB's only 20-game winner this year. The pitching and defense really carried this team as the offense was good but not great. And without Danny Charlton scoring enough runs is the real worry coming into the postseason. At age 34 Wander had his career year in terms of WAR at 6.3 as he also set career highs in walks and OBP. The WAR figure was particularly impressive given he only played 120 games as the key was moving him off SS, where he had been a negative defender, to 2B where he put up a +1.8 ZR. Some regulars really had down seasons as OFs Westfall and Marin combined for 2 WAR and we got 0.2 WAR total out of the catching position with Gutierrez having a dreadful debut year with the Rays. Wow, not too often a team has five starters earn 3.4 WAR or better. The surprising thing here is that Ferguson had as much WAR as Morales, mainly due to Ferguson receiving the short end of the BABIP stick. Not enough to change my mind about him being out of the playoff rotation but interesting nonetheless. This team really kept the ball in the park as nobody allowed more than 18 HR, something unheard of in 21st century MLB. We were hoping for a little more from Leo Gutierrez this year but he struggled in our pen and then after going back to Durham he ruptured a tendon in a finger and missed the last couple months of the season. With DiCostanzo and Ferguson free agents he'll definitely get a crack at the rotation next year. Otherwise no immediate help on the horizon although keep an eye on Doughty, our supplemental 1st-rounder this year who played as high as AA. He looks like the real deal and could take the catcher's job by the second half of next season if he continues to progress and Willie Gutierrez continues to struggle.

10-03-2023, 07:56 PM	#1274
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	The 2035 Wild Card Round AL: And the Rays will square off once again with the Yankees in the ALDS. The only wild card series to go the distance saw Cleveland outlast Seattle and set up a date with the Angels in the other ALDS. NL: Miami will play the Dodgers in one NLDS. And the Padres will face the Phillies in the other NLDS.

10-05-2023, 05:05 PM	#1275
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	October 6-7, 2035: ALDS Game 1 & NLDS Games 1-2 Unbelievable... One more out. Despite giving up two runs to let the Yankees within 3-2 in the top of the 9th, that's all Devon Williams needed to secure Game 1 of the ALDS, but he gave up the game-tying hit instead. And that's all Matt Cronin needed in the 10th with two men on and the game tied, but instead he gave up a 2-run triple to Brooks Lee. And so the Rays find themselves in an 0-1 hole in the ALDS thanks to a major bullpen meltdown. Joe Marlette was his ace-like self and the two relievers who followed him kept New York off the board and all they had to do was protect a 3-0 lead in the 9th. But they couldn't and now Kevin DiCostanzo will have to get it done tomorrow to keep their backs from the wall. In the NLDS openers the day before: And in all of today's DS action:

10-05-2023, 05:35 PM	#1276
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	October 8, 2035: ALDS Game 2 Looking bleak... In their best imitation of the real-life 2023 Rays, the imaginary 2035 version struggled mightily on offense and lost a second straight playoff game at home. Fortunately for our 2035 boys it's a best-of-5 instead of a best-of-3 but that's about all the consolation they can take from today's 4-0 loss to the Yankees which puts them in the position of needing to win 3 straight. I could complain about the bullpen coming up small again but it didn't matter when the offense managed a mere two hits. Danny Morales will try to keep the season alive in Game 3 at Yankee Stadium. Meanwhile the Angels are also one win away from the ALCS:

10-05-2023, 06:33 PM	#1277
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	October 9-10: ALDS Game 3 & NLDS Games 3-4 Pathetic... The Rays' offense was good this year but memorably inconsistent, and unfortunately they didn't bother showing up for the playoffs at all as 2 runs in 14 innings weren't going to get it done in a do-or-die game and former Ray Andrew Greckel sent his old team to the golf course with a 2-run walk-off homer, giving the Yankees a sweep of the ALDS despite finishing some 18 games behind Tampa Bay in the regular season. The Rays did actually score runs, and took a 2-0 lead which they couldn't hold with the tying run coming in thanks to a Justin Blackwell error. They had runners on throughout the innings to come but never could get the key hit, no more so than in the top of the 14th when they loaded the bases with one out only to hit a shallow fly ball and a liner right at the first baseman. So it's wait 'til next year for the Rays, failing to make the World Series for the second straight season. In yesterday's NLDS action: First time I've ever seen a guy go 0-for-0 and be one of the three stars of the day. Today's DS games: The Yankees will be playing the Angels in a network programmer's dream ALCS, while we could have 3 of the final 4 hailing from Southern California if the Dodgers can complete the comeback from 0-2 down in a couple of days.

10-05-2023, 06:36 PM	#1278
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	October 12, 2035: NLDS Game 5 And the Dodgers pulled it off, quite dramatically as Adrian Pacheco's RBI single in the 10th won it with LA coming back from losing the first two games of the series. They'll play the Padres in the NLCS. As usual after the Rays are eliminated I will have recap posts for the CS round and the World Series.

10-06-2023, 11:40 PM	#1279
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	The 2035 LCS Round In the AL: And in the NL: Thanks to former Ray James Hays coming through big in Game 7, we'll have a Freeway Series between the Angels and Dodgers as we did in 2022 and 2024 with the Dodgers prevailing both times.

10-08-2023, 01:14 PM	#1280
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,563	The 2035 World Series Same as it ever was... Once again the Dodgers get the best of the Angels in their third World Series matchup in this save. Former Ray James Hays collected another ring as he pitched LA to the championship in Game 6. The Series win is the Dodgers' second straight and their fifth in this save, equaling the Rays' total.