The 2021 (and only 2021) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

Another good series for Tampa Bay as the Rays took 2 of 3 from New York, opening up a 10 1/2-game lead in the division.

They did drop the opener 6-3 to the Yankees however, as Nick Wallerstedt (4-6) was knocked around at 5.1 7 5 5 1 4 after being unable to hold a 3-2 lead he was given. Luis Berumen was 3-5 with 2 RBI, including a run-scoring single to give them that early lead.

The Rays bounced back to rout the Yanks 7-1 in the second game behind big days from Danny Arroyave and Joe Marlette. Marlette was his usual effective self albeit a bit inefficient, needing 101 pitches to go 5 3 1 1 1 8. Jordan Rodriguez got his first MLB save by pitching 4 1-hit innings the rest of the way. Arroyave meanwhile had a 2-run double in a 4-run 3rd to break the game open and then added a 2-run homer (#20) in the 5th. Mal Stephens contributed a solo shot (#8) as well.

Tampa Bay took the rubber match in convincing fashion as well 9-3 but it took quite a while to get there. It was a scoreless duel between Danny Morales and New York's Tucker Holland through 6 and the Rays didn't even have a hit until Justin Blackwell led off the 6th with a double. The Yankees then took advantage of Morales leaving after a 5.2 5 0 0 1 8 outing to score twice in the 7th off Branden Gammage but the Rays took even greater advantage of the New York bullpen when Holland left after 6 with a snowman (8 runs) in the bottom of the inning. Joe Stack had a key RBI double and then Danny Charlton capped off the onslaught with a 3-run homer (#28). Bobby Marin added his 10th for good measure with Gammage (5-1) picking up the win despite his less-than-effective relief.

Team record: 64-35. Next up: An off-day then Boston visits for 3 as the trade deadline looms. It doesn't look like we'll do much if anything as the guys on the trade block don't look like great fits and we do have Wander coming back.

[Art Deco]

The Rays romped to a sweep over Boston by an aggregate score of 23-5, opened up a 12-game lead in the AL East and now have the best record in MLB in case you were wondering how things were going. As a result (and also because the price for our only need, starting pitching, was prohibitive) we stood pat at the trade deadline.

Tampa Bay rolled in a 9-1 rout in the opener, even though the pitching gave up 12 hits to Boston. Of course if you hear "lots of hits allowed, few runs" you'd probably guess Joe Scheu started and you'd be right as the lefty went to 10-5 after going 5.1 6 0 0 1 5 although today it was the pen giving up 6 hits in 3 2/3. Joe Stack was 3-5 with HR #17 and 3 RBI, Justin Blackwell was 3-4 with a double and 3 RBI, and Luis Berumen had a pair of hits including homer #13.

The Rays had to work their hardest in the second game, coming back with a late barrage of offense to prevail 7-3 over the Red Sox. Down 3-1 in the 6th, Luis Berumen started the comeback with a solo shot (#14) and RBI singles from Berumen (who ended up 3-5 with 3 RBI) and Danny Charlton put them ahead in the 7th. Alex Rivas then broke it open with a bases-clearing pinch-double in the 8th. Nick Wallerstedt had his struggles at 4.1 6 3 3 3 3 but Mike Moore (2-2) picked up the win in relief.

A 7-1 win in the finale gave the Rays the sweep as Joe Stack went deep twice and Joe Marlette was in his usual ace form. Stack had solo shots in the 4th and 7th to give him 19 on the year and Luis Cisneros in a rare start had a big day with 2 doubles, HR #5 and 3 RBI. Marlette improved to 13-2, 2.90 with a typical 6 4 1 1 2 7 outing.

Team record: 67-35. Next up: Some real competition as 63-39 Houston comes in over the weekend for 3.

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[Art Deco]

The Rays dropped their first series in their last 17, going back almost two months (they did split a few two-gamers and one four-gamer in that stretch) as they lost 2 of 3 to the Astros but still hold an 11-game lead in the AL East.

Jordan Rodriguez put Tampa Bay in a 5-0 hole by the 2nd inning before the Rays mounted a valiant comeback only to still fall short 6-5 to Houston. The rookie lefty fell to 4-2 after a rough 2.1 6 5 5 2 4 outing but solo homers from Luis Cisneros (#6) and Danny Charlton (#29) along with a 2-run Luis Berumen shot (#15) made it a game.

The Rays found themselves down 2-0 to former teammate Jake Baldino who came in an excellent 12-3, 2.50 but came back to beat him and the Astros 5-2 in the second game. Justin Blackwell was the hero today with a 2-run double in the 5th to tie it and after Willie Gutierrez's RBI single in the 6th Blackwell singled in two more runs to provide the final margin. Danny Morales was decent in a no-decision at 5 5 2 2 3 4, Branden Gammage (6-1) picked up the win after stranding the bases loaded in the 6th, and Eric Lewis had a perfect 2-whiff 9th for save #21.

Pitching took a holiday in the finale as the Astros outslugged Tampa Bay 15-8 to take the series. Joe Scheu (10-6) was roasted at 1.1 8 9 4 1 2 (if there were such a thing as scorigami for pitching lines, this would probably be one) and Houston jumped out to a 12-1 lead in the 3rd. Tampa Bay bats never really got them back in it but made the score respectable thanks to homers from Joe Stack (#20), Bobby Marin (#11) and Justin Blackwell (#8). Luis Cisneros was hit after Blackwell's homer and charged the mound, earning him a 4-game suspension.

Team record: 68-37. Next up: We head to New York for 3 games, but this time to play the Mets.

[Art Deco]

After dropping their first series in 18 over the weekend against Houston the Rays lost another one in the Big Apple, seeing their bats go silent in the first two games before erupting to salvage the finale.

The less said about the opener the better as the Rays were waxed 10-1 by the Mets at Citi Field. It was actually a close game until about the 6th when New York started tacking on runs to expand their 2-1 lead before jumping on Ruben Abeyta for 5 in the 8th to make it a rout. Nick Wallerstedt (4-7) wasn't great in the loss at 5.2 8 4 4 2 4.

Joe Marlette suffered only his 3rd loss of the season in the 2nd game but he was virtually blameless in the defeat as the bats went cold again in a 1-0 loss. Marlette (13-3) gave up only two hits but one of them came around the score the game's only run in the 4th on a fielder's choice and he ended up the hard-luck loser after a brilliant 7 2 1 1 3 8 outing. The Rays outhit the Mets 6-2 with a couple of doubles but couldn't get a hit when they needed it.

Tampa Bay took out its frustration from the previous two nights and clobbered the Mets 13-5 in the finale to avoid a sweep. They had a 3-2 lead after 4 thanks largely to Danny Charlton's 30th homer of the season, a 2-run shot in the 1st and then broke the game wide open with a 9-run 5th, kept alive by a key Met error. It was mostly a parade of singles with Bobby Marin's 2-run double the only extra-base knock with Alex Rivas and Luis Berumen joining Charlton and Marin with 2 RBI each. Jordan Rodriguez (5-2) was solid at 6 5 2 2 2 2 for the win with some late bullpen sloppiness allowing the Mets to score 5.

Team record: 69-39. Despite losing the series they remain 11 up in the AL East. Next up: An off-day then a fairly short jog down I-95 to take on the NL East-leading 61-48 Phillies for 3.

Rays news: Wander Franco went on a rehab assignment to start the week and will rejoin the club in Philadelphia.

[Art Deco]

The Rays' recent struggles continued as they dropped their third straight series, although they've at least won one game in each of them and haven't seen much of a dent put in their division lead, still at a healthy 10 games.

Transaction: Wander Franco is finally back in the lineup after being out for nearly two months. Adan Chavarria was returned to Durham after being called up for the suspended Luis Cisneros, who himself is headed for the Bulls.

Danny Morales was pummeled for 7 runs and the Rays were routed in the opener by Philly 9-2. Morales (6-7) was a brutal 3.1 7 7 7 2 1 with a pair of homers allowed with the only bright spot being Wander Franco homering (#6) in his return to the lineup.

The Rays battled back from being 3-0 down through 5 to take a 7-5 win over Philadelphia in the second game. Joe Stack led the charge, singling in a run in the 6th to get them back within 3-2 and then drilling a 2-run homer (#21) in the 8th to get them ahead 4-3. After Jadon Smith blew the save in the bottom of the 8th allowing Philly to tie, Wander Franco's RBI single put them ahead for good in the 9th while Danny Arroyave, who was 2-2 with 2 walks, added an insurance sac fly. Smith (6-1) vultured the win and Eric Lewis pitched around some wildness (3 walks including one with the bases loaded) to notch his 22nd save. The win did come at a price though as starter Joe Scheu had to leave in the 4th with chronic back soreness, going 3 5 2 2 1 5, and will miss about a month.

Transaction: Scheu was put on the IL and reliever Danny Mauricio, who was up briefly earlier in the season, is recalled from Durham. Jeff Coblentz, who pitched well in an emergency start last month, will take Scheu's rotation spot in the interim.

Tampa Bay got four homers and held a 5-3 lead in the middle innings but the bullpen wasn't up to the task and they dropped the rubber game 7-6 to the Phils. Longballs from Mal Stephens (#9), Danny Charlton (#31) and Danny Arroyave (#21), the latter two back-to-back in the 3rd, got them the early lead but Nick Wallerstedt was shaky at 5 6 4 4 1 5 and then Branden Gammage (6-2) lost the lead, allowing a 2-run homer to a lefty in the 6th. Joe Stack got one back in the 9th with his 22nd dinger, but it wasn't enough.

Team record: 70-41. Next up: Our Northeastern sojourn concludes with 4 games at Fenway against Boston.

[Art Deco]

The Rays' listless August continued as they split 4 games at Fenway while the Yankees won 3 straight to shave Tampa Bay's division lead to 8 1/2 games.

Joe Marlette shockingly allowed 5 runs in the first inning of the opener and although he gave Boston nothing thereafter the damage was done and the Rays fell to Boston 5-2. Marlette (13-4) got himself into trouble loading the bases with a run in before giving up a grand slam. He was lights out from there, finishing 7 5 5 5 1 7, but the offense couldn't battle back.

The second game scheduled for Tuesday night was rained out so the teams played a doubleheader on Wednesday and the Rays took the matinee 9-5, breaking open a 4-2 game with 5 runs in the 8th. In honor of the doubleheader they banged out 8 doubles, two of which came from Danny Arroyave who cleared the bases in the 3rd and brought home two more in the 8th. Luis Berumen also hit a pair of two-baggers, driving in 3. Jordan Rodriguez (6-2) allowed only one hit over five innings but walked 4 and finished 5 1 2 2 4 3 in picking up the win.

The Rays swept the twinbill by going up 6-0 early on the Sox and hanging on to prevail 6-5 in the nightcap. Joe Stack had a 2-run homer (#23) and an RBI single to lead the way while Danny Charlton was 2-3 with a walk and an RBI double. Danny Morales evened his record at 7-7 thanks to a fine 7 7 3 3 1 4 outing but Jadon Smith and Eric Lewis (who recorded save #23) each gave up runs late to make it uncomfortably close.

Boston broke a 2-2 tie in the 6th with 4 runs and took the finale from Tampa Bay 7-3 to salvage a split of the series. A pair of errors in the fateful inning doomed the Rays with all 4 runs unearned including a pair against loser Ajani Riddick (6-2). Jeff Coblentz started and was 4.2 4 2 2 3 3 while Wander Franco launched a 2-run homer (#7) in the first over the Monster which was their highlight of the day. Reliever Alden Segui had to depart with forearm inflammation and he'll be out until almost the end of the regular season.

Team record: 72-43. Next up: We return home for 3 against Toronto, which is just behind New York at 9 1/2 back.

[Art Deco]

After going 17 straight series without losing one the Rays had gone their last four without a series win but that ended this weekend as Tampa Bay swept the Jays at Tropicana Field behind some great pitching, allowing Toronto only one run in each of the three games.

Nick Wallerstedt took a no-hitter into the 7th and the Rays got by Toronto 4-1 in the opener. The righty improved to 5-7 behind his best outing of the year at 7.1 3 1 1 2 4 with Eric Lewis pitching a 1-2-3 9th for save #24. Wallerstedt was back by Alex Rivas, who launched a couple of sac flies, and RBI doubles from Wander Franco and Luis Berumen.

Tampa Bay got a dominant outing from Joe Marlette and a pair of solo homers from Joe Stack to edge the Jays 2-1 in the second game. Marlette whiffed 14 Jays without walking anyone and only was touched for a solo homer among the 3 hits he allowed. Stack's 24th homer tied it in the 2nd and his 25th in the 7th was the game-winner. Eric Lewis saved once again, his 25th.

With Jeff Coblentz still nursing a minor injury the Rays had to throw a quasi-bullpen game but there was no dropoff in mound quality as they completed the sweep of Toronto with a 6-1 win. Rookie and recent callup Danny Mauricio got the start and had some traffic on the bases but finished 3.1 4 1 1 3 2. The Rays jumped ahead 2-1 in the 6th on Danny Arroyave's RBI single, making a winner of Ruben Abeyta (4-2) and then they busted it open with 4 in the 8th on a couple of bases-loaded walks and a 2-run Bobby Marin single.

Team record: 75-43. Next up: 3 games at Yankee Stadium.

[Art Deco]

It was a wild and wacky series in New York with the teams combining for 46 runs over the three games but the Rays got the better of the slugfests, taking 2 of 3 to open up a 10 1/2-game lead on the second-place Yankees.

The opener was pretty remarkable as the Rays were coasting with leads of 6-0 after 7 and 7-2 after 8 but saw the Yankees score 5 in the 9th to send it to extras before Mal Stephens hit this third - yes his third - homer of the game in the 11th to give Tampa Bay an 8-7 win. All 3 of Stephens' shots were solo, giving him 12, and his second in the 9th gave them a 5-run lead which Jake Bridgewater (with the help of a key Wander Franco error that kept the inning alive) and Eric Lewis (who gave up a slam to the first man he faced, former Ray Andrew Greckel, to let New York tie) combined to blow. Lewis (2-1) stayed in and went the two innings after that to vulture the win. Earlier Danny Morales should have had a win after going 6 3 0 0 2 5 and Danny Arroyave knocked in 3 with a double and his 22nd homer.

Rays pitching was horrid in the second game as an early 4-0 lead was squandered and the Yankees wound up taking a 12-8 win. Danny Charlton hit a pair of solo homers (#32 & 33) with the second putting them back on top 8-7 in the 5th but Mike Moore (2-3) gave up a bases-clearing triple in the 7th to lose it. Meanwhile Jordan Rodriguez, he of the 65 movement rating, somehow allowed 5 runs on 4 homers in the 3rd and finished 2.1 6 6 6 2 2. Justin Blackwell was 3-4 with a double, homer (#9) and 2 RBI while Alex Rivas plated three.

Tampa Bay turned the tables on the Yankees in the finale, overcoming an early 4-1 deficit to pull out a 6-5 comeback win. Mal Stephens hit his fourth homer of the series and 13th of the year to break a 5-5 tie in the 8th and win it, and Wander Franco went yard twice and drove in 3 including a solo shot (#9) in the 7th to even things up. Stephens had 3 hits and 2 RBI on the day. Jeff Coblentz came back from missing a start and had a rough go of it at 4 8 4 4 1 3 but Jadon Smith (7-1) went 2 scoreless for the win and Eric Lewis closed it out for save #26.

Team record: 77-44. Next up: A day off then 3 at home against Baltimore.

MLB News: Boston's Ben Brown hurled a no-hitter against Toronto, walking 2 and fanning 7 in a 109-pitch gem.

[Art Deco]

The Rays played some bad baseball over the weekend at home against the Orioles and suffered an embarrassing sweep. The good news was that the Yankees were swept as well so three games were shaved off the magic number anyway which is down to 29.

The bats were AWOL in the opener as Baltimore pitching held the Rays to one solitary hit in a 3-0 loss. Danny Arroyave's single leading off the 2nd was their only safety, and Joe Marlette (14-5) went 6 5 3 2 2 5 in a tough-luck loss.

The Orioles took the second game 11-5 although even that scoreline flattered the Rays as Baltimore was up 9-1 in the 7th. The pitching was horrendous with Nick Wallerstedt (5-8) going 2.1 6 4 4 3 2 and the three relievers who followed each allowed at least two runs. They did get homers from Justin Blackwell (#10), Danny Arroyave (#23) and a 3-run shot from Bobby Marin (#12).

For a while it looked like the Rays might win the finale as they took a 4-0 lead thanks to a 3-run Joe Stack jack (#26) but Danny Morales relinquished that lead in the 5th by giving up a slam and Baltimore went on to take an 8-5 win to complete the sweep. Morales (7-8) ended up with a tough 5 7 6 6 2 1 after getting into further trouble in the 6th and the bullpen wasn't much help from there.

Team record: 77-47. Next up: They'll try to get back on the winning track in Toronto with 3 against the Jays.

[Art Deco]

The Rays have played like mutts through much of the dog days of August and they turned in two more poor games in Toronto before salvaging the finale and reducing their magic number to clinch the AL East to 26.

Tampa Bay saw a 3-0 lead in the 6th disappear in a hurry as the bullpen imploded in an 11-3 loss to the Jays in the opener. Jordan Rodriguez didn't allow a hit through 4 and only one through 5 but put the first two men on in the 6th. Mike Moore then issued three walks to let both of Rodriguez's men score, gave up one of his own and then Ruben Abeyta (4-3) gave up a 2-run homer in the 7th to lose it before the pen allowed 6 more runs. Rodriguez ended up 5 2 2 1 2 2 and Luis Berumen knocked in all 3 Rays runs with a single and a 2-run homer (#16).

The second game didn't go much better as the Rays' losing streak reached 5 games in a 7-3 defeat. Jeff Coblentz (1-2) was rocked for the second straight start, going 3 9 7 7 1 2 and putting them in a quick 7-0 hole. Homers from Luis Berumen (#17) and Mal Stephens (#14) came late to make the score a bit more respectable.

Tampa Bay finally put it all together in the finale, riding homer-happy bats and the golden left arm of Joe Marlette to take a 13-1 win to snap their losing streak. Marlette (15-5) was dominant at 6 1 1 1 3 11 and was able to cruise thanks to big games from Justin Blackwell (4-4, HR #11, 2 RBI), Wander Franco (2-4, HR #10, 4 RBI), Luis Berumen (3-5, HR #18, 3 RBI, homering in all 3 games of the series) and Bobby Marin (3-4, 2 RBI). Danny Arroyave chipped in a solo homer (#24) in the 2nd to start the scoring.

Team record: 78-49. Next up: A day off then 3 games in Texas.

[Art Deco]

The Rays shook off their recent sluggishness, going into Arlington and sweeping the Rangers to close out the month at .500 (14-14). In the process they reduced their magic # to clinch the AL East to 21.

Nick Wallerstedt pitched one of his best games of the season and the Rays squeaked out enough offense to take a 2-1 win in the opener. Wallerstedt (6-8) went 6.1 3 1 1 1 2 on an efficient 66 pitches, and Eric Lewis closed it out for save #27 by whiffing 3 Rangers in the 9th. Willie Gutierrez was the offense, going 3-3 with an RBI double and a solo homer (#5).

Tampa Bay took a solid 6-2 win in the second game as Willie Gutierrez stayed hot to lead the bats. The catcher was 2-4 with an RBI double and another solo homer (#6), his second in as many days, and Bobby Marin contributed a key 2-run double. Danny Morales evened his record at 8-8 with a quality 6 5 2 2 3 5 outing.

The Rays had to come from behind to complete the sweep, outslugging Texas 9-7. Luis Berumen was 3-4 with HR #19 and a 2-run double and Joe Stack had a key 2-run homer (#28) in a 3-run 5th which put them ahead to stay while Mal Stephens added a solo insurance shot (#15). Jordan Rodriguez couldn't get through 5 for the win, roughed up to the tune of 4.2 8 6 6 1 4 so Danny Mauricio ended up winning his first MLB decision. Eric Lewis struck out the side in 9th to nail down save #28.

Team record: 81-49, now tied with Houston for the best record in MLB. Next up: A day off then we return home to play 4 against Washington including a doubleheader where we'll be the road team in the matinee as we're making up a game rained out earlier this season in the nation's capital.

Also this:

[Art Deco]

After a torpid August the Rays came out swinging in September, sweeping all 4 games from the Nationals (a team that has given them trouble in the past) to make it 8 consecutive wins, taking over the best record in baseball from Houston, and reducing their magic number to 17.

Transactions: Bobby Marin is suffering from back tightness and needed to go on the IL and with September roster expansion we called up OFs Rocky Corneill and Duk-yoon Ko, along with P David Marin, all three of whom were up earlier this year.

The Rays were the road team in the opener as it was the first game of a doubleheader making up a rainout in Washington and Joe Marlette pitched them to a 5-2 win. Marlette gave up 2 runs in the first and nothing thereafter, going 5 5 2 2 1 8 on 99 pitches. He missed out on the decision though as the Rays got a 3-run homer in the 7th from Mal Stephens (#16) to break a 2-2 deadlock. Ruben Abeyta (5-3) picked up the win and Eric Lewis struck out the side in the 9th for save #29. Wander Franco earlier had a solo homer (#11).

Tampa Bay scored twice in the 8th to pull out a 3-1 win over the Nats in the nightcap and sweep the doubleheader. Joe Stack, who was 4-4 on the day, delivered an RBI single to break a 1-1 tie and Danny Charlton doubled him home for insurance. Jeff Coblentz was excellent at 6 6 1 1 0 6 and Danny Mauricio (2-0) pitched the final two innings for the win.

Once again the Rays left it late, scoring 5 times in the 7th and 8th to pull out a 6-2 win over Washington. Today's hero was Justin Blackwell as the SS homered twice, driving in 3 and giving him 13 longballs on the season. Joe Stack stayed hot as well with his 2-run homer (#29) putting them on top for good in the 7th while Luis Berumen added a solo shot (#20). Nick Wallerstedt had to deal with traffic but kept most of it stranded at 4.2 9 1 1 0 4, Jake Bridgewater (4-1) earned the win, and after Ruben Abeyta loaded the bases in the 9th to bring up the tying run, Eric Lewis got a strikeout to end the game for his 30th save.

Tampa Bay completed the 4-game series sweep with a 14-1 beatdown of the Nationals which was over in a 5-run 4th. Danny Arroyave led the way, going 3-4 with 2 HR (#26 & 27) and 4 RBI, Danny Charlton had a grand slam in that 4th inning (#34) to give him 98 RBI for the season, and backup C Javy Denton had his best game as a big-leaguer, going 3-4 with a bases-clearing double. Danny Morales, who had gone a combined 36-8 the previous two seasons, finally got over .500 in 2036 at 9-8 after a fine 6 4 1 1 2 9 outing and David Marin earned his first MLB save by going the final 3 innings perfect with 5 whiffs.

Team record: 85-49. Next up: Cross-state rival Miami comes to the Trop for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

The Rays stayed baseball's hottest team, extending their win streak to 11 and reducing their magic number to 12 after sweeping the NL East-leading Marlins in a trio of close affairs.

Wander Franco was 3-3 with a walk and a solo homer (#12) to lead the Rays to a 4-3 win over the Marlins in the opener. Joe Stack made it two straight years in the 30-homer club with a solo shot of his own and Danny Mauricio (3-0) went 2 1/3 scoreless for the win in relief of Jordan Rodriguez, who went 4.1 3 1 1 2 2. Jadon Smith surrendered a two-run homer in the 8th to let Miami within one but Eric Lewis closed the door with a perfect 9th for save #31.

Transaction: Rookie starter Leo Gutierrez was recalled after two decent starts in his rehab at Durham and he'll rejoin the Rays to start the second game of this series after missing nearly 4 months with shoulder inflammation. David Marin was optioned to the Bulls.

The Rays lost a 4-2 lead to Miami but Alex Rivas' pinch-RBI single in the 8th enabled them to take a 5-4 win. Joe Stack stayed toasty with a 2-run homer (#31) and Leo Gutierrez started for the first time since May and finished an effective 6 5 3 2 0 5, but Ruben Abeyta cost him the win by giving up the tying run in the 7th. The Rivas single in the 8th made a winner of Mike Moore (3-3) and Eric Lewis saved again (#32).

Joe Marlette pitched a dud in the finale and it looked like the win streak would end after the Marlins were up 5-1 going into the bottom of the 7th. But the Rays erupted with 4 to tie it in that inning and plated 3 more in the 8th to stun Miami 8-5 and complete the sweep. Marlette got his whiffs but was hit hard otherwise in going 5 9 5 5 1 7 including a couple of homers allowed. It was Danny Charlton to the rescue though and his 3-run homer (#35) in the 7th tied it up as he eclipsed the 100-RBI plateau, and then in the 8th Duk-yoon Ko's RBI single broke the deadlock and they tacked a couple of more on. Ko, who has hit 500/647/600 since coming back up on 9/1, was 2-3 with 2 walks, a double and that big ribbie. Mike Moore (4-3) won for the second straight day in relief and this time Jadon Smith pitched the 9th for his 5th save.

Team record: 88-49. Next up: Off to Seattle for 3.

[Art Deco]

The Rays ran their win streak to 12 before losing the second game but won the third one to take 2 of 3 from the Mariners as the magic number drops to 10.

Tampa Bay scored twice in the 6th to break a 3-3 tie and take a 5-3 win over Seattle at T-Mobile Field as their series got underway. Wander Franco tripled and scored on Danny Arroyave's single to account for the winner after Mal Stephens got the Rays on the board with a 3-run homer (#17) in the 2nd. Jeff Coblentz (2-2) wasn't overly impressive but cobbled together a win at 5 5 3 3 0 2 and the bullpen took over from there with Eric Lewis picking up save #33.

The bats went AWOL in the second game and as a result their 12-game win streak came to a screeching halt in a 4-0 loss. They managed only 4 hits and Nick Wallerstedt (6-9) took the loss after going 5 9 3 3 2 2.

Danny Morales pitched the Rays to a 5-0 win in the finale to give them the series. The righty improved to 10-8 after an excellent 7 3 0 0 2 6 performance and got support from Luis Berumen (2-run HR, #21) and battery mate Willie Gutierrez (2-4, RBI).

Team record: 90-50. With the division in hand the only thing left to play for in the regular season is the best record in the league (and MLB); they hold that distinction at the moment by 1/2 game over 89-50 Houston. Next up: A day to fly home cross-country before returning to the Trop to face San Antonio for 3.

[Art Deco]

After the Alamos came into the league as an expansion team in 2023 the Rays used to beat up on them on a regular basis; I seem to recall at one point they won something like 80% of their games against them. That dominance has flipped over the last few years as now San Antonio seems to be a team that gives Tampa Bay fits, even when they're not that great. Case in point: The Alamos were 61-76 coming into this series but they're now 64-76 coming out of it as they swept the AL East champs-elect at the Trop.

San Antonio held the Rays to 5 hits in the opener, taking a 4-2 win. Leo Gutierrez (1-3) was hit hard early at 3.1 4 3 3 3 3 with 2 homers allowed and Justin Blackwell's solo homer (#14) was the lone Tampa Bay highlight.

Joe Marlette put up a rare stinker (although it was his second straight poor start, let's hope it's not a trend that continues in October) and a Rays comeback fell short in a 6-5 loss to the Alamos. Marlette (15-6) was tagged for three homers in a rough 4 7 6 6 1 5 outing. Solo homers from Luis Berumen (#22) and Wander Franco (#13) got them on the board and a 3-run rally in the 8th made it a tight one but they could get no closer.

The Rays suffered the series sweep by the same 6-5 scoreline they lost by yesterday but their agony was prolonged in the finale as it took San Antonio 11 innings to best them. Jeff Coblentz was cruising along with a 3-0 lead going into the 5th before he hit a brick wall and the Alamos scored 4 against him, ending his day at 4.1 5 4 4 1 4. The Rays went briefly back ahead with a 2-run Wander Franco homer (#14) in the bottom of the inning but San Antonio tied it in the 6th and then got a homer off the struggling Ruben Abeyta (5-4) in the 11th. Luis Berumen had a nice day, going 3-5 with HR #23 and 2 RBI in a losing effort.

Team record: 90-53. While the magic number was reduced to 8 despite getting swept thanks to a couple of Toronto losses, Houston re-took the best record in the MLB.

[Art Deco]

After suffering a sweep in their previous series the Rays were the ones doing the sweeping as they took three from the Tigers at Tropicana Field, reducing their magic number to 4.

Tampa Bay was outhit 10-3 in the opener but made theirs count in a 2-1 win over Detroit. Luis Berumen's 2-run homer in the 4th (#24) was all the scoring they needed as Nick Wallerstedt (7-9) pitched his best with men on, finishing 6 6 1 0 2 4. Jadon Smith went two innings for his 6th save.

Transaction: Mal Stephens, who had become a lineup fixture against righties and was hitting 260/312/525 with 17 HR and 9 SB, suffered a freak injury during practice, fracturing a finger and won't be back until mid-October when we're hopefully still playing. Veteran OF Jesus Ayala, who was signed as a AAA free agent earlier this summer, had his contract purchased and he'll provide a power bat off the bench. This means Duk-yoon Ko will be the everyday RF against righties.

The Rays didn't get a hit until the 5th in the second game but poured it on from there behind a career game from Alex Rivas to take a 7-0 win over the Tigers. The CF, not known for his power and with only 4 homers coming into tonight, broke up the Detroit no-hitter with a solo shot in the 5th and then put the game away with a grand slam in the next inning. Rivas backed a fine outing from Danny Morales (11-8), who was in control at 7 4 0 0 1 6.

Tampa Bay completed the sweep, pulling away from Detroit to prevail 7-4 in the finale. Luis Berumen was 3-4 with HR #25 and Justin Blackwell knocked in a pair to lead the offense. Leo Gutierrez had a rough start at 3.2 6 3 3 2 4, enabling Jake Bridgewater (5-1) to earn the win with 2 1/3 innings of relief while Eric Lewis had a perfect 9th for his 34th save.

Team record: 93-53. Next up: A day off then we head to Toronto where we can clinch the division by beating the Jays 2 out of 3.

[Art Deco]

If not for a bullpen meltdown in the series opener the Rays would officially be AL East champs, but they'll have to wait at least another day to clinch after dropping 2 of 3 in Toronto.

They built a 6-2 lead in the first game thanks to four homers but three different relievers gave up runs including a pair by Eric Lewis (2-2) in the bottom of the 9th to allow the Jays a 7-6 walk-off win. Wander Franco (#15), Danny Arroyave (#27, a 3-run shot), Danny Charlton (#36) and Luis Berumen (#26) all went yard in support of Joe Marlette (5.2 4 2 2 2 5) who left with that healthy margin. But Mike Moore let Toronto back within 6-4, Jadon Smith gave up a homer in the 8th to slice the lead to one, and Lewis blew his 4th save of the year after giving up consecutive run-scoring hits with two out in the 9th, the winner courtesy of 38-year-old former Ray Vidal Brujan.

Perhaps it was a hangover from the previous night's painful loss as the Jays smoked the Rays 11-1 in the second game. Jeff Coblentz (2-3) took the loss after going 4 3 5 5 3 4 and the pen followed yesterday's debacle by allowing 6 more runs.

The Rays did salvage the finale with a 6-3 win which reduced their magic number to 2. Danny Charlton's 2-run homer (#37) got them on the board and Joe Stack's homer with a man on in the 4th (#32) put them ahead to stay while Danny Arroyave added an insurance solo shot (#28) in the 8th. This was enough for Nick Wallerstedt (8-9) who pitched with the usual traffic on the bases but was solid at 6.2 8 2 2 2 4. Eric Lewis did not blow the save this time, picking up his 35th.

Team record: 94-55. Next up: The Rays will be looking to pop the bubbly in Baltimore as they head to Charm City for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Well it took all 3 games, but the Rays finally clinched the AL East thanks to a win in the finale and a Toronto loss a couple days before.

Tampa Bay couldn't get anything going on offense in the opener, losing 4-1 to Baltimore and only managing five hits. Danny Morales (11-9) wasn't his best either, giving up a pair of homers in a 5 7 4 4 2 6 outing.

The Rays did well to score four runs off Baltimore's Joe White, perhaps the top pitcher in MLB, but unfortunately their pitching gave up double digits in a 10-4 loss. Joe Stack (#33) and Duk-yoon Ko (#3) both took White deep but Leo Gutierrez (1-4) went 5 6 6 4 0 3 and Jordan Rodriguez game up 4 more runs in relief.

They finally clinched the AL East in the finale, crushing the Orioles 10-0 behind Joe Marlette. The lefty improved to 16-6 and was utterly dominant, going 7 3 0 0 0 0 9. And he had plenty of support with Wander Franco (#16) going solo and 2-run homers from Willie Gutierrez (#7) and Duk-yoon Ko (#4). Gutierrez led the charge with 3 hits among the team's 14.

Team record: 95-57. The only thing left now is seeding as we're 1/2 game ahead of Houston for the top record in MLB. Next up: The marathon road trip is only halfway through as it continues with 4 games in New York against the Yankees.

[Art Deco]

The Rays played like a team that had already clinched the division, especially against a team playing for its wild card life as they dropped 3 of 4 to the Yankees. More significantly they fell 3 games behind Houston in the overall race and therefore seem destined for the #2 seed with only six games left.

Transaction: He's back! The Rays got their #3 starter back as Joe Scheu completed a rehab assignment at Durham, pitching twice in their opening playoff round as they fell in 5 games. Jordan Rodriguez was optioned to Durham.

The Rays dropped the opener 1-0 to the Yankees in 10 innings as Joe Scheu made a triumphant return from six weeks on the IL going an impressive 5.2 3 0 0 3 6 against a team in the thick of the playoff race. The bats only managed four hits, and Jadon Smith (7-2) gave up the winner in the 10th.

The second game was downright ugly as the Yankees put a pair of 5-spots on the board and routed the Rays 10-3. Duk-yoon Ko's 2-run homer (#5) got them within 5-3 in the 5th but the Yankees doubled their run total in the bottom of the inning with Nick Wallerstedt (8-10) hit hard at 4 7 6 5 1 3 and Jake Bridgewater giving up four more runs.

Tampa Bay dropped a tight one in the third game as they were edged 5-4 by New York. Danny Mauricio (3-1) coughed up a 2-run homer in the 6th to erase a 4-3 Rays lead built in part on Willie Gutierrez's 2-run double. Danny Morales was 5 5 4 4 2 5 in the no-decision.

The Rays did at least salvage the finale, getting the better of the Yankees 4-2. Leo Gutierrez (2-4) recorded his first win since April 27 (he did miss about three months) with a pretty good 5 4 2 2 4 8 outing and four relievers pitched a scoreless inning apiece with Eric Lewis handling the 9th for save #36. The offense only managed four hits, but two of them were 2-run homers in the first inning from Wander Franco (#17) and Danny Arroyave (#29) which stood up for the duration.

Team record: 96-60, need to go 4-2 over the final week to win 100. That quest will start with 3 in Minnesota after a day off.

MLB Pennant Races: With one week left the Rays, Astros and Guardians have their divisions in hand, and the Jays and Angels are cinches for wild cards. This leaves a 4-team battle royale for the third wild card, which looks like this:



Good luck guys! Over in the NL the Marlins and Dodgers have clinched their divisions with St. Louis holding a 2-game lead on the Cubs and a 3-game margin over Memphis. The latter two, along with the Phillies, should be the wild cards as Memphis is 4 games up on San Diego.

MLB News: A couple of big milestone homers over the weekend. 35-year-old Julio Rodriguez, in his first season with San Diego after a career in Seattle, hit his 500th and is still going strong with 42 HR and 105 RBI this season. Meanwhile our old friend Kelly Crumpton who hit 286 longballs in his 7 seasons with us launched #400 playing for Arizona, his third team in three years since leaving Tampa Bay.

[Art Deco]

With the division in hand the Rays went through the motions in Minnesota, playing bad baseball and getting swept. As a result they no longer have a shot at the #1 seed or 100 wins.

Three solo homers kept them in the opener until the 6th when Minnesota erupted for 5 runs and went on to rout Tampa Bay 13-3. Those solo shots came courtesy of Wander Franco (#18), Joe Stack (#34) and Danny Arroyave (#30), but Joe Marlette got knocked around a bit in his regular season final start, going 5 10 4 4 0 7 and finishing the year 16-7, 3.29 with 248 whiffs in 189 IP and 6.2 WAR. He'll likely finish 2nd in the Cy Young balloting to Baltimore's Joe White.

The Rays were a bit more competitive in the second game, losing by a run 5-4 to the Twins. Luis Berumen led the way on offense with an RBI double and solo homer (#27) while Joe Scheu (10-7) was rolling along until the 6th when he loaded the bases with one out and Mike Moore relieved him only to give up a grand slam to the first man he faced, giving Scheu a 5.1 7 4 3 0 3 final line.

The finale was a listless effort from the Rays as they fell 5-1. Nick Wallerstedt ended the year 8-11, 4.66 after a lousy 5.1 8 5 5 2 4 outing.

Team record: 96-63. Next up: We'll close out the regular season was 3 games against Boston at the Trop, trying to head into the playoffs on a winning note.

Playoff Race Update: The battle for the third AL wild card remains insane as heading into the final weekend the red-hot Tigers, winners of 11 straight, have moved into a tie with the Royals for that spot with the Orioles and Yankees a game behind them. Those latter two teams play each other this weekend and one of them will likely need a sweep to force their way into a tiebreak scenario.