The 2020 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays spoiled the Yankees' home opener with a 5-4 win to make it 7 straight. Daniel Vasquez's 2-run homer (#3) and a pair of Kevin Morley RBI doubles helped them build a 5-0 lead for Tim Gates, and the righty was excellent at 7.2 8 2 2 0 8 to pick up his first win of the year. A Jaiden Hardaway error in the 9th (when am I ever going to learn to defensively substitute him in these situations?) allowed the Yankees to get a pair of unearned runs off Kikuo Kawase, but he held on for save #2.

Game 2: Ron Adams didn't have it, and neither did Damani Cotton in relief of him, and the Rays saw their 7-game win streak snapped in an 8-5 loss which really wasn't that close. Adams couldn't make it out of the fourth going 3 8 6 6 1 0 and Cotton didn't help his line by allowing a couple of runners to score then a couple of his own and the Rays were down 8-2. Jaiden Hardaway's 1st homer of the year with a man on gave the Rays brief parity in the 3rd at 2, and then Mike McKee's 3-run blast (#3) in the 9th made the final score a bit more respectable.

Game 3: I'm not sure how Jon Harbour does it, but he gets the job done and the Rays took the series from the Yankees with a 3-0 win. After giving up 9 hits in 5 innings in his debut but only two runs, Harbour did it again tonight going 6.1 9 0 0 1 3, seeming to pitch better when he has traffic on the bases. I doubt it's sustainable but he's now 2-0, 1.59. Vinny Willard got him out of the 7th and Kikuo Kawase struck out the side in the 9th for save #3. The offense came via three solo homers with Ramon Ruiz (#1), Danny Ayala (#5) and Daniel Vasquez (#4) doing the business.

Team record: 8-2. Next up: a wraparound weekend series with 4 in Boston including the Monday AM Patriots' Day game.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Danny Romero was brilliant as the Rays took a 7-1 win at Fenway. The lefty finished one out shy of a shutout, going 8.2 7 1 1 0 12 and leaving after allowing an RBI double as he was stretched to 124 pitches. With the gem he's now 2-1, 3.93 on the young season. Mike McKee's first-inning 3-run homer (#4) stood up until the 9th when the Rays broke it open scoring 4 times with Daniel Malone's 2-run triple the key blow.

Game 2: The Rays won a 14-inning marathon with the Sox 3-2 as Ben Hill put one over the Monster in the top of the 14th (#2) to give Tampa Bay the win. Nate Thompson started and looked more like classic Nate Thompson going 6 5 2 2 1 4, and the bullpen turned in 8 scoreless innings with Joe Trader picking up his first win of the year and Vinny Willard his 2nd save. Jim Gebers, given the previous night off to clear his head after starting the year 4-40, hit HR #2 among 3 hits.

Game 3: Tampa Bay made it 3 straight over the Sox with another 3-2 win, although this one was accomplished in regulation. Tim Gates no-hit the Sox through 5 before giving up a 2-run homer in the 6th which put Boston ahead, but a 3-run 7th titled things in the Rays' favor. Pat Moyer started the rally with his 2nd homer, the tying run scored on a wild pitch, and Jeff Baez drilled an RBI double for the game-winner. Gates went to 2-0 off a 6.1 4 2 2 4 6 outing, and Ken Burgess notched his first save of the season with Kikuo Kawase having gone 2 innings the day before in the 14-inning game.

Game 4: Boston salvaged the final game of the series, the Patriots' Day matinee, with a 5-2 win. The Rays' bats were largely held in check by Christian Rodriguez and the Sox had a 5-0 lead before the Rays got solo homers from Danny Ayala (#6) in the 8th and Daniel Malone (#3) in the 9th. Ron Adams went 6 7 3 3 3 5 and Damani Cotton continued to struggle by allowing 2 of Joe Trader's runners to score in the 7th.

Team record: 11-3. Next up: Back home to Publix Park for 3 vs Detroit.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays put 8 on the board in the 4th and took a 9-4 lead but had to hold on to edge the Tigers 9-7 in the first game of their homestand. Jon Harbour got the start and finally paid for putting runners on base when he gave up a 3-run homer in the 1st but calmed down from there and made it 3 wins in 3 starts with a 5.1 7 4 4 1 4 outing. The explosion came in the 4th on a Jimmy Leonard grand slam (#5) and a 2-run double from Pat Moyer, whlie Daniel Vasquez capped a 3-5, 2 RBI day with his 5th homer. Vinny Willard had some rare struggles in the 8th, giving up 2 to get the Tigers close but Kikuo Kawase closed the door in the 9th for save #4.

Game 2: Danny Romero picked up where he left off in his last start, a near-shutout, with 6 2/3 scoreless innings as the Rays romped over Detroit 7-0. Romero was 6.2 5 0 0 2 10 to go to 3-1, 2.88 and Damani Cotton got over his recent struggles to go the final 2.1 perfect with 4 whiffs. Danny Ayala's 2-run single in the 1st was all they'd need, but Daniel Vasquez added a solo shot (#6) and Ben Hill hit a big 3-run homer (#3) to augment the scoring.

Game 3: The Rays completed the sweep of the Tigers with a 7-5 win which once again the bullpen made close. Jim Gebers, still struggling at .143, managed a 2-run HR (#3), Jimmy Leonard stayed ridiculously hot to start the year with a 2-run double as part of a 3-4 day, and Danny Ayala was 3-5 with 2 doubles and an RBI to pace the offense. Nate Thompson turned in his second straight quality start at 6 6 2 2 2 5 and is now 2-0, 3.74 but Chris Toombs served up a 3-run homer in the 8th to allow Detroit back into it. Kikuo Kawase came on to close it out, and started a 1-6-3 double play to end the game for save #5.

Team record: 14-3. Next up: We entertain Houston for the weekend.

Rough news for a former Ray who was off to a hot start with his new team:

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays put 7 on the board in the 1st inning and never looked back in an 11-4 rout of the Astros at Publix Park. The big hits in that inning were a 2-run triple from Danny Ayala and a 2-run double off the bat of Jeff Baez, who had to leave on the play with knee tendinitis. Jimmy Leonard can't be stopped either, as he tormented his old team with a 3-4 day with a pair of homers (#6 and 7) and 3 RBI while Ben Hill just kept on hitting going 3-4 with an RBI. Tim Gates wasn't his best (5 7 4 4 1 6 with 2 homers allowed) but he picked up the win to go to 3-0, 3.24.

April 23: Placed SS Jeff Baez on the 10-day IL with knee tendinitis, recalled IF Quincy Siegle from AAA Durham.

Baez's injury is "minimal" but is supposed to last 3+ weeks and given his "fragile" status, discretion is the better part of valor here.

Game 2: It was the Ron Adams show as the righty twirled a 5-hit shutout in a 7-0 Rays victory. Adams went 9 5 0 0 2 8 on 126 pitches for his third career whitewash and notched his first win of the year against 2 of the 3 losses the Rays have suffered so far. Daniel Malone homered twice (#s 4 and 5) and drove in 3, while Daniel Vasquez hit #7 and Ben Hill #4.

Game 3: Jon Harbour had a rough outing and put the Rays in a 5-2 hole, but since when does something like that matter as Tampa Bay prevailed 9-5. Harbour went 4.1 7 5 4 1 3 but stayed undefeated as the Rays answered right back in the bottom of the 5th with 5 runs to go ahead to stay. Daniel Malone's 3-run homer (#6), his 3rd in two nights, tied it up and Pat Moyer's RBI double gave them the lead for good. Ben Hill keeps hitting as well, going 2-5 with HR #5 and 2 RBI. Joe Trader got the win in relief and Mike Wherry pitched the final 3 innings allowing only one hit for his first save of the year.

Team record: 17-3. Next up: 3 games in Baltimore.

MLB News: Colorado's Andy Hannan had a record day in a Coors Field special 19-11 win over San Francisco. Hannan belted 4 HR to tie the MLB record (the first time I think it's happened in this save) and drove in 10 on the day. Recent former Ray Jon Jimenez was also 4-4 with a HR, 2 RBI and 5 runs scored in the slugfest while another recent former Ray, Omar Rodriguez, hit his first Giants homer in the loss.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Danny Romero continues to deal and he led the Rays to a 4-1 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards. He went 6.2 3 1 1 4 5 in his third straight stellar outing and is now 4-1, 2.56 and leads the AL in pitcher WAR at 1.1. Kikuo Kawase had a 1-2-3 9th for save #7. Romero was backed by Ben Hill, who had a sac fly and an RBI single, and Jimmy Leonard who bashed HR #8.

Game 2: Nate Thompson returned to the scene of where he was "borrowed" last year as Baltimore had signed him as a free agent before we re-acquired him, and he looked at home taking a shutout into the 9th before giving up a homer and finishing 8.1 5 1 1 1 8 and improving to 3-0, 3.00 in a 6-1 Tampa Bay win. His battery mate Mike McKee was 3-3 with a solo homer (#6) and a 2-run single and Jim Gebers added a 2-run single to provide the offense. There was one black cloud among the silver linings tonight, and that was Jaiden Hardaway suffering a fractured thumb after being hit by a pitch. He'll be out for about a month.

April 27: Placed 2B Jaiden Hardaway on the 10-day IL with a fractured thumb, recalled IF Devin Boatman from AAA Durham.

Hardaway's injury will open up a fair amount of playing time for Quincy Siegle, who was up briefly last year and came up last week when Jeff Baez was hurt. Siegle has 75 power so it'll be interesting to see how he produces.

Game 3: Down 5-2 in the 9th the Rays rallied for 4 runs and swept Baltimore 6-5, making it 9 straight wins and a 20-3 start. Daniel Vasquez's 2-run double tied it up, and Pat Moyer's RBI single scored Vasquez with the winner. Damani Cotton, who was mopping up with a scoreless 8th, became the winning pitcher (his 1st), and Kikuo Kawase made it interesting in the bottom of the 9th before coming away with his 7th save. This made up for a shaky start from Tim Gates, who went 5.1 7 4 4 5 8. Jimmy Leonard took over the MLB WAR lead at 1.5 as he blasted his 9th homer of the year to start the comeback in the 8th.

Team record: 20-3. Next up: An off-day then 3 games in Toronto.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Ron Adams was dominant again and the Rays made it 10 straight with a 4-1 win over the Jays at Rogers Centre. Adams, who had a complete-game shutout in his last outing, went 7 3 0 0 5 10 on 112 pitches with the walks keeping him from another 9 innings. He evened his record at 2-2 and lowered his ERA to 2.81. The bats were pretty much held in check except for Quincy Siegle, who had his best game as big leaguer with a 2-run homer in the 5th to break a scoreless tie, and then doubled and scored in 7th on Ben Hill's sac fly to account for two of Tampa Bay's 3 hits on the night. The third hit came from the other half of the Rays' substitute double play duo, Ramon Ruiz, who went deep in the 9th for his 2nd of the year.

MLB News: Juan Soto became the 6th player in the MLB history to reach the 700-homer mark as he went yard today in a Mets win. New York is off to a start almost as good as the Rays at 19-4.

Game 2: It's 11 straight wins now as the Rays blasted the Jays 8-3. Ben Hill was the hero, homering twice and driving in 5. His two-run homer in the 1st got the Rays on the board and his 3-run shot in the 7th, his 7th, broke the game open. Danny Ayala (#7) and Jimmy Leonard (#10) also went deep in the 6th to break a 3-3 tie and made a winner of Jon Harbour, who had his typical 5th starter outing of 6 7 3 3 2 3 and improved to 4-0.

Some monthly awards:





Gentile was our 2nd-round pick in 2035 and has great power potential but his 40 present/45 potential contact is a likely issue going forward.

Game 3: The Rays tasted defeat for the first time in 12 games as Toronto snapped their win streak with an 8-4 beatdown. Danny Romero's recent run of great starts came to an abrupt end as he went 4.2 9 6 4 2 4 to drop to 4-2, 3.22, while the offense didn't do that much outside of Daniel Vasquez's 2-run HR (#8) in the 3rd which briefly tied the game at 2, although Ben Hill kept raking with a 3-5, RBI day.

Team record: 22-4. Next up: 2 games in Columbus.

[Art Deco]

Who is Ken Neil? One of the better young relievers in the league, a lefty who is just as effective against either-side batters. He saved 27 games last year for Oakland with a 1.88 ERA and 81 whiffs in 57 innings and has saved 8 more this year with 19 Ks in 12 IP. The bullpen's been a bit of a concern this year despite our gaudy record and this is a definite upgrade. Neil obviously takes Wherry's place on the roster. I had hoped Wherry would be the shutdown lefty setup man that Jim Golunski was but he wasn't, and he was also a free agent at year's end while Neil makes the minimum and won't be arb-eligible until 2041. Miranda was the price to get the swap done, and BNN ranks him as our 15th-best prospect and in the 250s overall. He could be a useful starter but his ceiling is capped as he's only rated 50 potential for stuff (65 control potential).

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays squandered a mid-innings lead thanks to some bad bullpenning and dropped an 8-5 decision to the Lightning at Nationwide Ballpark. They took a 4-2 lead in the 5th on the first of Daniel Vasquez's 2 solo homers and #8 from Ben Hill, who went back-to-back with him. Nate Thompson was pitching well, but ran into some trouble in the 6th and the problems began. First Vinny Willard walked the first two he faced to force in a run charged to Thompson, and then Willard got into more trouble in the 7th, allowing the tying run and leaving men on. Enter Ken Neil in his Rays debut and it was a disastrous one. The first man he faced singled to put Columbus ahead and then he yielded 3 runs on 2 homers in the 8th. Thompson deserved better going 5.2 4 3 3 2 8 (good to see his whiffs back) while Willard took the loss. Danny Ayala had a 2-run homer early (#8) and Vasquez hit a consolation shot in the 9th (#10).

Game 2: There would be no blown leads in the second game as the Rays jumped all over 2-time Cy Young-winner Josh Doyle, chasing him with a 6-run 4th as they won 8-3. Danny Ayala had a 2-run homer for the second straight night (#9) in the first off Doyle and then they unloaded a barrage of hits on him in the 4th with the big one a 2-run triple off the bat of Daniel Malone. Meanwhile Tim Gates was dealing, going 7 5 2 1 3 6 to improve to 4-0, 3.38.

Team record: 23-5. Next up: As we seem to do every year, after we play 2 in Columbus we return for a pair at Publix Park against these same Lightning.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Ron Adams was roasted for 6 runs in 6 innings and although the Rays tried to fight back they came up short 7-5 to Columbus at Publix Park. Adams was rocked for 4 runs in the 2nd and 2 more in the 4th to finish 6 9 6 6 2 5. Danny Ayala tried his hardest to lead the comeback, going 4-4 and homering for the third straight game (#10) and fourth in his last five. Ramon Ruiz added a 2-run shot (#3) for the losing cause.

Game 2: Tampa Bay will be glad to see the Columbus version of the Lightning in its rear-view mirror after dropping 3 out of 4 to them this week, the latest a 4-3 defeat in 10 innings. Jon Harbour started and pitched well overall, holding a 3-0 lead after 4 but giving up 3 runs on 5 hits in the 5th before finishing a fine 7.2 6 3 3 0 5. But despite several chances the Rays couldn't push across the game winner, including after loading the bases with 1 out in the 9th, and the Lightning broke through against Kikuo Kawase in his 2nd inning of work in the 10th on an RBI single from former Rays star Victor de Jesus. Kawase threw what I believe is a career-high 52 pitches in the outing, so he'll be off for at least a couple of days. Danny Ayala stayed hot, going 2-5 with an RBI double to help build the lost early lead.

Team record: 23-7. Next up: Toronto visits for 3.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays took out their frustrations from their recent 4 games with Columbus by putting 7 on the board through the first 4 innings, then held on to take a 7-4 win over Toronto at Publix Park. Danny Ayala stayed hot with his 5th homer in 6 games (#11), Daniel Malone added a 2-run shot (#7) and Quincy Siegle went deep with a man on for his 2nd of the year. Danny Romero cruised through the first 5 but ran out of gas in the 6th, finishing 5.1 8 3 2 1 7 to improve to 5-2, 3.24, and Ken Burgess got a 5-out save with 3 whiffs, his 2nd of the season.

Game 2: Due to several players in need of rest the Rays went with a makeshift lineup today but still prevailed 6-4 over the Blue Jays. Ben Hill had a huge day, belting a 2-run homer in the 1st (#9) and adding a 2-run double in the 4th. And Ray Cervantes, getting a rare chance to start, launched his first MLB homer with a man on in the 5th. Nate Thompson was solid and durable today, going a season-high 8 innings in an 8 9 3 2 3 5 outing and is now 4-0, 3.09. Ken Neil got his first Rays save opportunity and converted it, but not without giving up another homer (the 3rd he's allowed in 3 outings). Neil now has 9 saves overall.

Game 3: The Rays and Tim Gates had a 5-3 lead after 6 but another bullpen meltdown saw the Jays come away with a 9-8 win after all was said and done. Gates, who went 5 9 3 3 1 3, was gone when the madness began in the top of the 7th. Damani Cotton pitched well in the 6th getting Gates out of a jam but gave up a leadoff single and gave way to Joe Trader, who allowed Cotton's man to score and put two more on, and then Vinny Willard imploded, giving up a 2-run single to put the Jays in front and then a 3-run homer to make it 9-5 Toronto. Danny Ayala continued on his HR binge with a 3-run shot with two out in the 9th (#12) to make it close but no cigar. Earlier Jim Gebers had a 2-run homer (#4) and Ben Hill was 4-5 with an RBI.

Team record: 25-8. Next up: 4 at home vs Kansas City.

Unsurprisingly, Ayala was named Player of the Week in the AL:

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays came into this series having gone through their first rough patch of the season, losing 5 of their previous 8. Tonight they took a step back in the right direction with a 14-2 pasting of the Royals. Despite all the offense Ron Adams stole the show with a dominant 6 4 0 0 2 11 performance to improve to 3-3, 3.27. But there were plenty of offensive heroes of course: Ben Hill doubled and tripled among his 3 hits and 4 RBI, and the Rays got homers from Danny Ayala (who else? #13, a 3-run shot), a 2-run shot from Mike McKee (#7), and solo blasts from Quincy Siegle (#3) and Daniel Malone (#8) who scored four runs. Jimmy Leonard added a 2-run double as well.

Game 2: As if last night's carnage wasn't enough the Rays went out and waxed Kansas City 17-3 for an encore. Ben Hill can't stop hitting as he went 4-5 with 3 RBI, Danny Ayala knocked in 3 more including a 2-run double, Jim Gebers had their only homer of the night, a 3-run shot (#5) to go with a 2-run double for a 5-RBI night, and Daniel Malone did this:



His batting line in the boxscore was an unusual 0 5 0 0 as he was twice hit by a pitch and walked 3 more times. Jon Harbour did his usual thing on the mound, getting the win (5-0) and scattering a bunch of hits (6 9 2 2 1 4).

Game 3: After the offensive orgies of the last two nights things calmed down considerably at Publix Park but the result was the same as the Rays claimed a 4-2 win behind Danny Romero. Unlike Josh Carsello last year, the Rays' ace lefty is showing no Cy Young hangover as he went 7 7 1 1 0 10 to improve to 6-2, 2.96. Ken Neil pitched the 8th and gave up his obligatory homer - he's now allowed 4 longballs total in his 4 appearances since coming over from Oakland, surprising because he's rated 50 for movement - and Kikuo Kawase got the 9th for save #8. Daniel Vasquez broke a 1-1 tie in the 7th with a 2-run HR (#11) for the game's big hit and Jimmy Leonard doubled in a run later in the inning.

Game 4: The Rays made it a clean sweep of Kansas City with another low-scoring triumph, riding the emergency long relief outing of Steve Abeles to a 3-0 win. He was pressed into action after Nate Thompson had to leave two batters into the 1st with back stiffness which will probably not keep him from missing his next start. Abeles went 5.2 5 0 0 1 7 on 88 pitches to deservedly earn his first MLB win, and Ken Burgess and Kikuo Kawase (with save #9) took it from there in the 7th. Ben Hill supplied the offense with a sac fly in the 1st and a solo shot (#10) in the 3rd and Daniel Vasquez went deep for the second straight (#12) to provide some insurance. As you may have surmised from reading these recaps Hill is on a ridiculous tear, having gone 16 for his last 26 with 2 HR and 14 RBI. He's now hitting 381/394/650 and leads MLB in RBI with 43, on pace for 188. And he's tied with teammates Daniel Malone and Jimmy Leonard for the AL WAR lead at 2.0.

Team record: 29-8. Next up: A weekend at Fenway Park.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays had to use a makeshift lineup due to three players needing rest, and it showed against Boston's tough lefty Sean Nelson in a 3-2 loss. Mike McKee belted HR #8 and Jimmy Leonard had a big game-tying RBI double, but Vinny Willard's struggles continued as he served up a walk-off homer to the Sox in the bottom of the 9th as his ERA sits at 7.20 a month and a half into the season. Tim Gates struggled with his control at 5.1 3 2 2 5 5.

Game 2: Three more starters needed to rest but the others picked up the slack in a 6-3 win at Fenway. And the unlikeliest source of all, Devin Boatman, had the game's big hit with a 3-run homer just over the Monster to cap a 4-run 2nd reminiscent of Bucky Dent. Jim Gebers added a 2-run shot (#6) to back another solid start from Ron Adams, who went 6 4 2 2 5 8 to improve to 4-3, 3.24 while Kikuo Kawase took care of the 9th for save #10.

Game 3: The series finale was the 2039 Rays season in microcosm: The usual suffocating offense followed by the unusually bad bullpen, as the Rays took a 13-1 lead and had to hold on with a tired Kikuo Kawase getting the final out in a 13-12 win. Things started great with a 4-run first and an 8-run 5th as Daniel Vasquez (who was 3-6) and Mike McKee each hit bases-clearing doubles in that 5th, Danny Ayala was 3-5 with a 2-run HR (#14), and Ben Hill was 4-5 with an RBI. Jon Harbour started and ended up pitching to the score; his final 7.1 7 7 7 3 6 line was a bit unflattering to him as he went to 6-0. Damani Cotton let in a couple of his runners, then two of his own, and Ken Neil continues to be a disaster as a Ray, unable to close things out in the 9th as he allowed 3 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks. Kawase, at 71% rest, was summoned and although he gave up an RBI single to make it 13-12, got the final two outs for save #11. The bullpen now has an ERA of 4.04 (and that's with good numbers for Kawase and Ken Burgess), 8th in the league. Meanwhile Mike Wherry has saved 5 games in 5 appearances for Oakland and just got a 3-year contract extension. Go figure.

Team record: 31-9. Next up: The roadshow travels to Cleveland for 3.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: High drama at Progressive Field as the Rays tied it in the 9th and won it in the 10th 3-2 over the Guardians. And the hero in both cases was Mike McKee, who singled in Jimmy Leonard, who had walked and gone to 2nd on a wild pitch in the 9th and then brought home Ben Hill, who had led off the 10th with a double, for the winner. Daniel Vasquez hit HR #13 in the 4th for the first Rays run, and McKee's heroics got Danny Romero off the hook against his old team despite pitching well at 5 6 2 2 3 5. The other story of the night was the much-maligned bullpen, which came through with 5 hitless innings and 8 whiffs, the final two courtesy of Joe Trader who picked up his 3rd win.

Game 2: Another nail-biter went the Rays' way in Cleveland as Quincy Siegle, who had homered in the 7th to put the Rays up 5-4 before they lost that lead, homered again in the 9th (his 5th) to give them a 6-5 win. Pat Moyer was 2-3 with an RBI double to pace the early scoring while Nate Thompson suffered a 4-run 3rd and finished 6.1 8 5 5 1 6, with Ken Burgess picking up his first win of the year and Kikuo Kawase notching save #12 after escaping a bases-loaded jam in the 9th.

Game 3: Cleveland's Andy Cormier shut down the Rays in a 7-0 Cleveland win in the series finale, yielding only 4 hits over 8 1/3 innings. Tim Gates pitched decently for Tampa Bay, going 6 5 3 3 1 6, but Jesus Morales couldn't get anyone out and ended up being charged with 4 runs in a 5-run Cleveland 7th.

Team record: 33-10. Next up: An off-day then back to Tampa to start a homestand with the Yankees coming to town for the weekend.

[Art Deco]

May 20: Activated SS Jeff Baez from his rehab assignment at AAA Durham, optioned IF Devin Boatman to AAA Durham.

Game 1: Ron Adams was solid and Ben Hill supplied the offense with a pair of homers as the Rays handled the Yankees 7-2 at Publix Park. Adams improved to 5-3, 3.00 with a 7 5 1 1 4 4 outing as he battled without his best stuff but got the job done. Hill had a solo homer in the first, an RBI single in the 3rd and another solo shot in the 5th to give him 12 and up his MLB-leading RBI total to 48.

Game 2: Jon Harbour's propensity for giving up lots of hits caught up to him today as he and the Rays were routed by the Yankees 8-4. Harbour went 3 8 6 6 1 1 as a 4-run Yankee 4th chased him. Mike McKee (#9) and Jeff Baez (#1) homered for Tampa Bay as they were beaten by former Rays starter Leo Ortega.

Game 3: Danny Romero was dazzling once again and the Rays largely coasted to a 6-2 win over the Yankees although it got a bit dicey at the end. Romero looks determined to be a repeat Cy Young winner as today he went 7 7 1 1 0 7 and improved to 7-2, 2.82. Damani Cotton was touched for a run in the 8th (his 6th straight outing allowing at least one run) and then loaded the bases with nobody out in the 9th, necessitating Kikuo Kawase to come in. He extricated the Rays from the jam and notched save #13. Ben Hill (who else?) led the attack, going 2 for 3 with a double and HR #13, and Daniel Malone had a big 3-run homer in the 2nd (#9) to give the Rays a comfortable early lead.

Team record: 35-11. Next up: The Angels visit for 4 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Ben Hill keeps topping himself. The second-year man (he had 7 too many ABs last year to qualify as a rookie this season or he'd be a cinch for RoY) tied the club record with 5 hits tonight, in a 5-6 performance which saw him hit HR #14 and drive in 3 in a 12-1 Rays rout of the Angels. Hill's average is now up to .392 with 52 RBI in 48 games. Also having a big night at the plate was Pat Moyer, 3-4 with a 2-run triple, 2-run HR (#3) and 5 RBI. Ramon Ruiz belted a pair of doubles and drove in one as part of his 3-hit night. Nate Thompson was rolling on the mound with all this run support but for the second time in three starts had to leave early with back stiffness, this time after 4 1/3 with one unearned run allowed. Chris Toombs came in and went 3 2/3 scoreless allowing only 2 hits for his first win of the year. Thompson will not miss a start, though.

Game 2: The Rays outslugged LA again after falling behind 4-2 as they took an 8-5 win at Publix Park. Daniel Vasquez was the star tonight, going 4-5 with 2 doubles, HR #14 and 4 RBI. Ben Hill was only 1-5, but that one hit was a dinger (#15) while Daniel Malone had a 2-RBI double. Tim Gates gave up a couple of early 2-run homers but hung around long enough to get the win, his 5th, with a 6 4 4 4 4 11 outing that was only 98 pitches considering. Ken Neil had his best Rays outing with 2 scoreless, allowing only one hit and whiffing 4.

Game 3: Ron Adams struggled with his control, and struggled overall as the Angels took a 5-4 win over the Rays. The righty was 5 5 4 4 5 6 as he's walked 14 over his last 3 starts covering 18 innings. He left tied at 4-4 and it was Joe Trader who gave up the winning run in the 7th as he walked a pair. In fact on the night in total Rays pitching walked 11 Angels while striking out 14. Quincy Siegle had the big hit of the night for Tampa Bay, a 3-run shot in the 2nd (#5) which briefly put them ahead 3-1.

Game 4: The Rays snapped back with a 4-2 win to close out the series with the Angels as Jon Harbour turned in an unusually dominant performance. Having pitched to contact most of the season and not striking out more than 6 in any start, Harbour fanned 11 tonight in only 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits with 0 walks, good enough for his 7th win of the year. Kikuo Kawase nabbed save #14 with a scoreless 9th. Mike McKee had a 2-run HR (#10), while Pat Moyer singled in a run before having to leave the game with back stiffness, described as "moderate" so he'll take a short stint on the IL.

Team record: 38-12. Next up: We start a road trip with 3 games in Minnesota.

[Art Deco]

May 27: Activated 2B Jaiden Hardaway from his rehab assignment at AAA Durham, recalled OF Jose Mendez from AAA Durham; placed OF Pat Moyer on the 10-day IL with back stiffness and optioned IF Quincy Siegle to AAA Durham.

We welcome Hardaway back, and Rays fans get their first look at Mendez, acquired in the deal for Omar Rodriguez from San Francisco. Speaking of O-Rod, the Giants extended him for a whopping 6/227.

Game 1: It was a rough night for the Rays in the Twin Cities as not only did they lose 5-4 to the Twins but they lost Jaiden Hardaway again after one at-bat in his first game back from missing a month. I figured 3 games at Durham was enough rehab for Hardaway since he only missed a month, but I guess not as he pulled a rib cage muscle tonight and is now lost another 4-5 weeks. Also Jeff Baez had to leave the game with a sore groin and he'll miss 3 days so we were treated to the sight of Jimmy Leonard at SS for half a game. As for the game itself the Rays led 3-1 and 4-3 before Ken Neil blew it in the 8th, allowing two Minnesota runs just after it seemed he had gotten his act together of late. Danny Romero turned in a decent 6.1 6 3 3 2 8 start and Baez had a 2-run double before he had to leave. Jose Mendez made his Rays debut and was impressive, going 2-3 with a sac fly.

May 28: Placed 2B Jaiden Hardaway on the 10-day IL with a strained rib cage muscle, recalled IF Quincy Siegle from AAA Durham.

I'll give Hardaway a full week of rehab next time.

Game 2: The Rays bounced back from last night's loss with a 9-2 pasting of the Twins, scoring 6 times in the first 3 innings to put it away early. Quincy Siegle celebrated his return to the bigs by blasting a 2-run homer in the 2nd (#7), Jim Gebers had a 3-run shot (#7) and Daniel Vasquez capped a 3-RBI day with HR #15 in the 6th. Nate Thompson was solid in victory, going 6.2 6 2 2 2 2 to improve to 5-0, 3.21.

Game 3: The final score was 14-9 Rays but it wasn't really that close as Steve Abeles gave up 7 runs (3 earned) over 1 2/3 in the 8th and 9th after being handed a 14-2 lead. Jimmy Leonard blasted a pair of 3-run homers (#s 11 & 12) as part of a 3-hit day, Ben Hill had a 2-run shot (#16) and an RBI single, and Quincy Siegle homered for the second straight day (#8) and drove in 3 in total to pace the offensive explosion. The pitching matchup featured the two starters who were traded for each other in April 2037, Tim Gates for the Rays and Alfredo Vega for the Twins. Gates obviously got the better of things today, going 7 4 2 2 1 5 and is now 6-1, 3.78 while Vega was roasted for 6 runs in 2.2 IP. The trade has been a huge benefit for the Rays as Gates is now 39-7, 3.56 with 9.3 WAR with Tampa Bay while Vega has gone 20-31, 4.73 with 4.9 WAR since joining Minnesota.

Team record: 40-13. Next up: 3 games in Texas.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays lost a tough one on Memorial Day in Texas, squandering a 4-0 lead and dropping the game in walk-off fashion 5-4 to the Rangers in the bottom of the 9th. Things looked good early when Jimmy Leonard had a 3-run, inside-the-park homer in the 4th (#13) to make it 4-0, and Ron Adams no-hit the Rangers through 4. But Texas kept chipping away, and after Adams left having gone 6 4 2 2 1 8 the bullpen lost the lead in the 7th with Ken Burgess and Ken Neil combining to allow the tying runs, and then Vinny Willard surrendered the winner in the 9th.

Game 2: Deja vu all over again as the Rays' bullpen blew it again in a 5-4 loss, this time after the Rays overcame a 3-run deficit and the early loss of their starter to come back and take the lead. Jon Harbour served up a 3-run homer in the 1st and then plunked the next batter, resulting in a brawl and his ejection and suspension for 6 games. This pressed the pen into immediate action and to make matters worse Damani Cotton had to leave in the 2nd with neck stiffness. Jesus Morales did a fine job with 3 2/3 scoreless and this allowed the Rays to take the lead on homers from Jose Mendez (his 1st MLB longball), Ben Hill (#17, a 2-run shot to tie it) and Quincy Siegle (#9 to go ahead in the top of the 7th). But Ken Burgess, who had been so reliable coming into this series, coughed up a 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning and that was that.

June 2: Placed P Jon Harbour on the restricted list, recalled P Danny Hill from AAA Durham.

Hill is a decent pitching prospect we acquired from the Dodgers over the 2036-37 offseason who's become an effective reliever the last couple of seasons. He's not overpowering but can go multiple innings with quality movement and control.

Game 3: The Rays avenged their heartbreak of the first two games by taking an 8-4 win over the Rangers. Building an early 5-0 lead helped with Jose Mendez homering again, a 3-run shot in the 1st, and Daniel Vasquez drilling a 2-run double in the 2nd. This gave Danny Romero breathing room and he pitched well outside of allowing 3 runs in the 5th as he went 6 5 3 3 1 6 to improve to 8-2, 3.08. Vasquez added RBI singles in the 7th and 9th for insurance, giving him a 4-hit, 4-RBI day.

Team record: 41-15. Next up: An off-day then the road trip continues in Seattle with 3.

[Art Deco]

A big month for Hill, who despite the text of the story above, is not a rookie. Otherwise he would have won Rookie of the Month as well instead of this guy:



Despite being up and down from Durham, Siegle was extremely productive in May showing off his 75-rated power.



Pretty put up some pretty numbers this month in Durham, and with our bullpen being semi-shaky this year he might get an opportunity sooner than later although his 80 stuff is paired with 40 control. He came over from San Diego with Kevin Morley in spring 2036 in a deal which saw Ricky Limongelli head to the Padres.



First-sacker Pontello was our 8th round draft pick last year out of Florida State, and he has prodigious MLB (70-rated) power. The reason he lasted until the 8th round, though, was that his hit tool isn't very good, and his 35/40 contact results in the anemic batting averages shown above.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The rough road trip for the Rays continued when they Madduxed by Seattle's Willie Gutierrez in a 4-0 loss. Gutierrez allowed them only a pair of singles, both from Daniel Vasquez, as he shut them out on only 95 pitches. Nate Thompson pitched well (6 7 3 2 1 4) but can't you can't win with zero run support.

Game 2: Seattle was up 10-1 by the 4th inning as the Rays got a taste of the beatings they often dish out in an 11-6 loss, their fourth in five games. Tim Gates didn't have it, although he was one out away from getting out of the 1st with only one run allowed before he gave up a bases-clearing triple and 5 runs in the inning. He was hit some more, and finished a brutal 3.1 8 8 8 3 4. Mike McKee valiantly tried to keep the Rays in it, homering twice, doubling and driving in 4 to give him 12 longballs on the year while Ben Hill, who's slumped overall on this trip, added a 2-run homer (#18).

Game 3: The Rays salvaged the final game of the trip with a 7-5 win, although they had to overcome blowing a 5-2 lead first. Jim Gebers' solo homer in the 7th (#8) broke a 5-5 tie, and Daniel Vasquez, who had doubled in two runs earlier, singled in an insurance run in the 8th. Ron Adams started and looked good early, but couldn't keep the lead and ended up 5.2 7 5 3 3 6 with a Vasquez error costing a couple of runs. Joe Trader picked up win #4 in relief and Kikuo Kawase recorded save #15. Quincy Siegle had a pair of RBI singles earlier to help build the initial lead.

Team record: 42-17. Next up: An off-day then mercifully back home for 3 against the White Sox.

[Art Deco]

A bit lighter in the early rounds than before, as with the advent of pick trading we ended up dealing our 4th and 5th round picks in separate trades. As for the guys we did take:

Thurgood: A high-school 3B out of Missouri who projects to have above-average power and patience but has a bit of a questionable hit tool.

Payne: The Georgia high-school RF has a more rounded potential at the plate with OSA seeing him with potential 65 contact and power, while my scouts are less bullish on the contact (50)

Stedman: A college starter from Kansas who throws hard (95-97) but is more of a groundballer than a strikeout artist, with excellent movement potential and questionable control.

Hayes: A college OF from the University of San Francisco with big-time power potential and good patience, but yeah as you might expect, contact is a concern. He's a decent defensive OF as well.

Moranchel: The FIU alum is listed as a pitcher but looking under the hood he's probably better suited as a hitter where he has potential 60 contact and 60 power as well as a 50 eye. His bonus demands are high but we'll sign him.