The 2020 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

Game 1: It looked like the Rays would be headed to their fourth loss in five games after Luis Balladares gave up a bad mix of walks and homers to put them in a 5-0 hole, but the offense rallied for 3 in the 6th, 7th and 8th to take a 9-5 win at Publix Park. Balladares went 6 4 5 5 4 5 and things looked bleak before Daniel Vasquez started the comeback with HR #29 and Mike McKee added a 2-run shot in the 6th (#20) to cut the lead to 5-3. Ramon Ruiz then went deep in the 7th (#10) and Jimmy Leonard's 2-run homer (#24) later that inning gave them the lead for good before tacking on 3 more in the 8th. Ken Burgess picked up win #3 in relief.

Game 2: It was a taut, low-scoring affair which pushed deep into the Tampa night tied 1-1 until Jaiden Hardaway led off the bottom of the 12th with his 6th homer of the year to give the Rays a hard-fought 2-1 win. Nate Thompson started and was very good, going 5.1 4 1 0 3 5 and Mike McKee brought home Jim Gebers who had doubled for lone Rays run in regulation. The bullpen didn't blink, with Vinny Willard doing the heavy lifting by pitching 3 perfect innings with 5 whiffs in extras to nab his 3rd win.

Game 3: Kevin Morley picked a great time to finally hit his first homer of the season as his 2-run shot in the 5th gave the Rays a lead they wouldn't relinquish as they swept the Brewers with an 8-4 win. Tim Gates, coming off a shutout in Houston, turned in another quality outing going 7 6 2 2 2 5 for the win and improved to 13-4, 4.00 and Jon Harbour picked up his first save going the final two innings, despite allowing a 2-run homer in the 8th. Morley's homer broke a 1-1 tie, and Jim Gebers followed with a 2-run blast in the 6th (#14) to give the Rays some breathing room. Ramon Ruiz drove in a pair, Morley added a sac fly and Jaiden Hardaway was 3-5 with an RBI to help expand the lead.

Team record: 76-37. Next up: An off-day then Boston visits for 2 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Ron Adams turned in one of his best performances of the year as he dominated Boston to the tune of 7.1 5 0 0 1 11 in a 6-0 Rays win at Publix Park. Adams improved to 11-8, 4.03 with Chris Toombs getting the final 5 outs to complete the team shutout. He received early run support with Jeff Baez's 2-run homer (#4) in the 2nd, a 2-run blast from Danny Ayala (#26) in the 3rd, and a solo shot later in the inning from Josh Alexander (#8). Baez doubled in a run in the 6th for good measure.

Game 2: Danny Romero's post-ASB struggles continued and the bats weren't much help in a 4-2 loss. Romero went 3 7 4 1 3 3 and only a Jim Gebers error kept his ERA down today. Mike McKee was the only one in the lineup to hit today, with an RBI double in the 2nd and a solo homer (#21) in the 5th to keep the Rays in it, and they did get some good relief work from Jon Harbour (3 scoreless with 6 Ks) and Vinny Willard (6 men faced, 6 whiffed).

Team record: 77-38. Next up: The homestand continues with Cleveland visiting for 4.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays routed the Guardians 13-4 at Publix Park today to kick off their 4-game series. Jaiden Hardaway's 4th-inning, 3-run homer (#7) broke open a 2-1 game, Jimmy Leonard was 3-4 with a 2-run shot (#25), and Danny Ayala was 3-5 with a pair of doubles and 2 RBI to lead the offense. Luis Balladares started and rolled through 4 but suddenly couldn't get anyone out in the 5th as Cleveland pulled within 6-4. Steve Abeles took over and turned in another strong performance, going 3.1 1 0 0 2 6 in relief to record his 4th win of the year.

Game 2: Daniel Vasquez had a big 2-run homer and the bullpen got in and out of several jams as the Rays squeaked out a 3-2 win. With Tampa Bay trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the 6th, Vasquez stepped up and hit his 30th of the season to give the Rays the lead, which needed some holding on to. Pat Dorminy first got Nate Thompson, who went 5.2 9 2 2 1 6, out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the frame, and picked up his first win as a Ray. Later Ken Neil made a mess loading the bases in the 8th with 2 out, and Kikuo Kawase rescued him and the win with a 4-inning save, his 23rd. Kawase sports an 0.50 ERA with 72 whiffs in 36.1 IP and his 3.1 WAR is third in the AL among pitchers, an impressive feat for a reliever. Mike McKee homered (#22) for the Rays' first run.

Game 3: It was a somewhat similar game to yesterday's but this time the bullpen couldn't hold the lead and the Rays went from 3-0 up to 4-3 losers. Ben Hill ripped a 2-run double and Jim Gebers singled him home in the 1st and it looked like a romp in the making for Tampa Bay. But that would be all they'd score for the day and although Tim Gates was outstanding once again (6.1 4 2 2 2 6), Ken Neil was ineffective again allowing the tying run in the 8th and then Vinny Willard threw consecutive wild pitches to score the winning run from 2nd in the 9th. The offense only managed 5 hits on the day as well.

Game 4: I'll let the box score and the picture speak for themselves at first:





A few things not covered above: The no-hitter was the 5th non-combined one in club history, after Matt Garza in 2010, Walker Buehler in 2024, Christian Little in 2030 and Andy Aparicio in the 2034 ALCS. Adams retired the first 20 Guardians before losing his perfect game with a walk to former Ray Jesus Castrellon, and finished with a flourish, fanning Nestor Ramirez for the final out as he faced one over the minimum. Also the injury to Jaiden Hardaway mentioned in the box score is thankfully a minor one rather than the more serious ones he had earlier this year, a strained rib-cage muscle which will leave him day-to-day for about a week.

Team record: 80-39. Next up: Yet another 4-game series, this time in Toronto as the Blue Jays look to stay in a wild card slot.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays torched Toronto 15-4 in the opener of their 4-game set, but suffered a key injury in the process. All-Star Mike McKee, probably the best catcher in the business, suffered a strained ACL after hitting a 2-run double in the 8th to cap a 3-hit night and will be lost for the rest of the regular season. He should be back right around the start of the playoffs so it could have been worse. Meanwhile Danny Ayala had a monster game, going 4-4 with 2 HR, 2 doubles, 2 walks and 4 RBI to give him 27 dingers on the year as he's heating up and Jeff Baez was 4-5 with a grand slam (#5) and a 2-run double for his second 6 or more-RBI day of the season. Josh Alexander chipped in with an RBI double and a 2-run homer (#9). Danny Romero still isn't right since the All-Star break, but he managed to go 6 5 4 4 1 3 to go to 13-8, 4.50 and Jon Harbour had a 3-inning save, his 2nd.

August 16: Placed C Mike McKee on the 10-day IL with a strained ACL, recalled C Willie Zerman from AAA Durham.

Zerman was acquired from Columbus a couple of winters ago and is a highly-regarded catching prospect, albeit a bat-first one as he's only rated 35 defensively. He has 60 power and has hit 25 HR in 164 games at Durham the last two years.

Game 2: The Rays overcame another bad Luis Balladares start and scored 3 times in the 6th thanks to a key Jays error to take a 5-4 win. Toronto SS Ignacio Aguilar's 2-out error allowed a run to score to make it 4-3 and then Jeff Baez continued where he left off yesterday with a 2-run double to provide the winning margin. Balladares meanwhile is pitching himself out of the rotation after a 4.2 8 4 4 2 2 outing while Steve Abeles continues to impress in middle relief as he picked up win #5 with a couple of scoreless innings and he and Balladares might end up switching roles if things continue as they are. Kikuo Kawase had a perfect 9th for save #24.

Game 3: Ben Hill broke things open with a 3-run homer in a 4-run 5th and the Rays coasted from there for a 7-2 win. The homer was his 24th and it's good to see him continuing to contribute despite a sharp reduction in playing time. Jaiden Hardaway meanwhile, after a couple of games off to rest his mild rib cage strain, homered in each of the first two innings to give him 9. Nate Thompson started and wasn't at his best, but gutted out a 5.1 7 2 2 3 1 outing to improve to 10-5. At his best though was Vinny Willard, who retired all 11 Jays he faced to close out the game, whiffing 3 and getting his 4th save. He's fanned 15 in 10 innings over his last 4 relief appearances.

Game 4: The Rays have been putting a serious crimp in Toronto's wild card hopes (of course they'd probably rather not face them for the third straight year in the ALDS after how tough the Jays have played them), dropping their lead in the 2nd WC spot to 1 1/2 games. So it was incumbent upon Toronto to win one and that's what they did in an 8-2 rout. Tim Gates' excellent run of late came to a crashing halt as he was beat up to the tune of 5 9 5 5 2 2 and dropped to 13-5. Solo homers from Danny Ayala (#28) and Kevin Morley (#2) accounted for the Tampa Bay scoring.

Team record: 83-40. Next up: Back home for 3 vs Seattle.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Ron Adams took the mound for the first time since his no-hitter last Sunday and he was excellent again, holding Seattle hitless for 3 1/3 and pitching 7 strong innings. Unfortunately the bullpen melted down and the Rays ended up dropping the series opener to the Mariners 8-5. It was a 2-2 game through 8 as Adams went 7 4 2 2 3 5 and the Rays were largely held in check by a former 1st-round pick of theirs, Kevin Lovetere. Ken Neil had a 1-2-3 8th on 9 pitches and stayed on to face the leadoff lefty in the 9th whom he allowed to single. Pat Dorminy came in and then it all went to hell as he couldn't get anyone out, giving up 5 straight hits and by the time the dust settled as Chris Toombs comically wild-pitched in a run and a passed ball allowed another to score on consecutive pitches, Seattle had scored 6 times. The Rays rallied to get 3 back in the bottom of the 9th and actually brought the tying run to the plate in Danny Ayala, but he flew out to end the game.

MLB News: Milestones galore for former Rays as former Tampa Bay superstar Wander Franco picked up hit #3000 tonight while playing for Cincinnati where he's winding down his career as a part-time player. Meanwhile Vlad Guerrero Jr. is still going strong with the Cubs and he recently belted HR #700. Vlad is 7th on the all-time HR list, and in 6th place is Juan Soto, who just hit #712 the other night and is 2 behind the Babe. Meanwhile another former Rays superstar is in the news for not-so-good reasons as one-time ace Christian Little tore his flexor tendon as is done for the year with the White Sox.

Game 2: Danny Romero can't shake out of his 2nd half slump and as a result the Rays dropped their third straight game, 5-3 to Seattle at Publix Park. Romero gave up 2 runs in the 1st and just when it looked as if he'd settled in with 4 scoreless innings, he was hit for 2 more in the 6th, and finished 5.1 6 4 4 3 5. His ERAs by month this season: 2.56, 3.31, 4.80, 6.92, 6.64 as he's now 13-9, 4.58 for the year. Jim Gebers (#15, a solo shot) and Jaiden Hardaway (#10, a 2-run blast) homered in the losing effort.

Game 3: The Rays' bats fell largely silent once again and they suffered the rare indignity of being swept at home as Seattle beat them 4-2, making it four straight losses overall. Mariner starter Brad Herrin wasn't overpowering them; instead they hit 10 lazy fly balls or pop-ups against him in his 5 2/3 innings and added 4 more against the Seattle pen. A Jeff Baez RBI double and Jaiden Hardaway's solo homer (#11) were the extent of the offense. Luis Balladares started and struggled a bit early but pitched decently overall (5.1 5 3 2 2 6) while Steve Abeles went the rest of the way, allowing only a solo homer and fanning 5.

Team record: 83-43. Next up: An off-day to lick our wounds then Toronto visits for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays took out their frustrations at a 4-game losing streak by thrashing Toronto 14-6 at Publix Park in a game that really wasn't even that close. They took a 13-2 lead after 4 and cruised the rest of the way, with big days from Jaiden Hardaway (4-5 with a 2-RBI triple), Kevin Morley (2-4 with 4 RBI including a 3-run HR, his 3rd), Daniel Vasquez (3-4 with a team record-tying 2 triples and 3 RBI), and Daniel Malone (a 2-run HR, #15). Nate Thompson enjoyed all the support and went 7 4 3 3 1 2 for the win, his 11th.

Game 2: Tampa Bay slipped back into losing ways, dropping a 5-4 decision to the Jays which saw the bullpen let them down. Ramon Ruiz's 11th homer in the bottom of the 6th broke a 2-2 tie and it was up to the pen after Tim Gates put two on to start the 7th. But Pat Dorminy was terrible, giving up 2 hits to score the Gates runners and then a solo homer of his own leading off the 8th as he continues to struggle much like Ken Neil as another lights-out reliever getting his lights punched out since joining the Rays. Daniel Malone homered for the second straight day (#16) to get the Rays back within 5-4 but that was the extent of the comeback as they dropped their fifth game in six.

Game 3: The Rays were on the cusp of losing their 6th game in their last 7, down 6-4 with two out and nobody on in the bottom of the 9th. But they loaded the bases against Danny de Jesus on two singles and a walk and Josh Alexander turned the Tampa Bay frowns upside down with a walk-off grand slam (#10) to provide a miracle win. And this came after the shocking top of the 9th which saw Toronto score twice against Kikuo Kawase to break a 4-4 tie, the first time KK has allowed two runs in a game since May 8 of last season. His ERA nearly doubled from 0.48 to 0.94 but he ended up with win #4. This all came after the Rays fought back from 4-1 down as Ron Adams had a brutal start (3.2 9 4 4 3 2) as Pat Moyer had a 2-run blast (#10) and Daniel Vasquez an RBI double to tie it up.

Team record: 85-44. Next up: The Rays close out the interleague portion of their schedule with 3 games in St. Louis where they reunite with old friends Nate Clark and Julio Cedillo.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Danny Romero turned in his best start since the All-Star break and the Rays hung on for a 4-3 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium. Romero went 6.1 9 3 2 0 4 and while that line won't be hung in the Louvre, it was a welcome change of pace for the reigning AL Cy Young winner. He improved to 14-9, 4.51 and with the big guns of the pen tired, Jon Harbour went 1 2/3 and Ken Burgess handled the 9th for save #3. Jaiden Hardaway was the offensive star, going 3-4 with a steal, double and solo homer (#12).

Game 2: The Rays jumped all over former teammate Josh Hanna with Jaiden Hardaway homering on the first pitch of the game (#13) to set the tone in a 13-2 rout of the Cardinals. They hit Hanna for 6 runs before he left in the 2nd with Jim Gebers adding a 2-run homer (#16) later in the 1st. Hardaway continued boiling lava hot with a 4-6, 4-RBI performance, Daniel Malone was 3-4 with 2 doubles, a triple and 3 RBI, and Pat Moyer had 2 doubles among his 4 hits with an RBI. With all this run support Luis Balladares had perhaps his best start as a Ray, going 6 6 2 1 1 5 to get his 2nd Rays win. Steve Abeles picked his first MLB save with 3 more scoreless innings, fanning 5 and giving him 83 Ks in 58 IP.

Game 3: I remain at a complete loss as to what happened to Pat Dorminy and Ken Neil, two stud relievers acquired during the season who have been just dreadful with since joining us, but the two of them combined to give up 4 runs in the 8th to squander a 6-2 Rays lead. Fortunately though we still have Kikuo Kawase and he held the game at 6-6 long enough for Daniel Vasquez to win it in the 11th with HR #32 and the Rays swept the series with a 7-6 win. In fact Kawase went 3 perfect innings on 34 pitches with 4 Ks to save his own win, #5. Before all the madness this was actually a 2-1 game the Rays trailed going to the top of the 8th before they busted out for 5 runs including a 2-run shot from Danny Ayala (#29) and a pinch-hit 2-run double from Pat Moyer. But Dorminy gave up 4 runs with Neil allowing the last couple to score (although 3 were unearned due an error and a passed ball). Nate Thompson started against the team he came up with and pitched well, going 6.1 5 2 2 0 6.

Team record: 88-44. Next up: We head west on I-70 to play 3 in Kansas City.

To the surprise of no one:



He was off to a slow start after missing two months with various injuries but over the last month or so he's been in his usual MVP form and I expect him to win Player of the Month when August ends in a few days.

[Art Deco]

The first game of this series was rained out, so we played a doubleheader the next day.

Game 1: The Rays got a fine start from Tim Gates and just enough offense to eke out a 2-0 win over Kansas City in the first game of the doubleheader. It was scoreless until the 7th when Daniel Malone drilled an RBI double, and Kevin Morley drew a bases-loaded walk in the 9th for some insurance. Gates picked up the win going 6.1 2 0 0 1 3 to improve to 14-6, 4.03 while Kikuo Kawase earned save #25.

Game 2: Tampa Bay made it a doubleheader sweep with a 10-inning 6-4 win over the Royals thanks to Jeff Baez's 2-run double. Ron Adams started and was hit for 3 runs in the 1st but the Rays answered in the 4th with a 2-run Jim Gebers homer (#17) and a back-to-back jack from Daniel Malone (also his 17th). The teams exchanged runs and on to the 10th we went when Baez came through. Adams finished 5.2 7 4 4 2 9 and Pat Dorminy picked up the win in a rare highly-effective outing. Ken Neil started the 8th and loaded the bases with one out before Dorminy got 2 outs without allowing a runner to score and then threw a perfect 9th. Jon Harbour came on and got KC 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 10th for his 3rd save.

Game 3: The Rays were held to 4 hits and lost the series finale 3-2 to Kansas City. Danny Romero was decent (6 6 3 3 2 8) but received scant support.

Team record: 90-45. Next up: An off-day then 3 in Chicago to face the White Sox.

[Art Deco]

September 1: Recalled 3B Josh Beckett and P Jose Mendoza from AAA Durham.

Roster expansion time and I brought up two guys from Durham who I wanted to see more of. Beckett, the namesake of the Marlins/Red Sox pitching great, is a pure hitter who's a 60-rated 3B and came over in the Bo Angeac deal last winter. He was hitting 348/392/504 at Durham with 7 HR and 68 RBI. He's got gap power but not a lot of HR power, and obviously can hit for average making him the opposite of the incumbent Jim Gebers. Mendoza meanwhile remains an elite SP prospect with some control issues. He was 13-5, 4.03 at Durham with 195 whiffs in 145 IP but 67 walks and is a rare starter who's rated for 80 stuff. With Nate Thompson leaving again via free agency, Mendoza is penciled into next year's rotation.

Game 1: Decided to throw the callups right into the lineup, with Jose Mendoza getting the start and Josh Beckett in the lineup at 3B. Mendoza pitched decently as the Rays took the series opener 8-2 from the White Sox. It was a bit of a struggle for him but he finished 5 7 2 2 3 8 for the win with Jon Harbour going the final 4 innings perfect with 5 Ks for his 4th save. Danny Ayala had a huge game, going 3-5 with a double, 2 HR (#s 30 & 31) and 4 RBI, Jaiden Hardaway had a 2-run shot in the 2nd to make it 4-2 Rays (#14), and Pat Moyer contributed a solo shot (#11). Josh Beckett was 0-3 with a HBP in his Rays debut.

Game 2: It was deja vu as the Rays beat the White Sox again, this time 7-2. Daniel Vasquez's 2-run homer in the 1st (#33) put them ahead right off the bat, and Jimmy Leonard had a 2-run double to break it open. Luis Balladares had his second fine start, going 6.2 5 2 2 2 4 and improving to 3-1, 3.67 as a Ray.

Game 3: Different day, same result as the Rays completed the sweep with another 7-2 win over the Pale Hose. It was a two-man wrecking crew on offense with Jimmy Leonard homering twice and driving in 3 to give him 27 dingers on the year and Danny Ayala staying hot with a double and a homer (#32) among his 3 hits, driving in a pair. Jeff Baez drove in the other two with a double and a single. Nate Thompson continued his strong run of late with a 5.2 4 2 1 1 5 outing, upping his record to 12-5, 3.66.

Team record: 93-45. Next up: Back home for Labor Day with a 3-game set against Minnesota.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Minnesota came into this series an MLB worst 43-93 and unsurprisingly the Rays had their way with them in the opener, taking a 10-2 win over the Twins at Publix Park. Tim Gates was outstanding against his old team, going 7 4 1 1 3 10 and moving to 15-6, 3.92 and taking over the AL wins lead. Pat Moyer gave Danny Ayala the day off and went 4-5 with a double and 3 RBI and Jimmy Leonard (a 2-run shot, #28) and Jaiden Hardaway (a 3-run shot, #15) both homered in the 6th to break the game open.

Game 2: The Rays went up 7-0 after 3 and cruised past the Twins 9-2 in another rout. Danny Romero had his best game in a while, clocking in at 5.2 2 2 2 2 6 and going to 15-10, 4.46. Despite his inflated ERA, he leads the AL in pitcher WAR at 4.4, which is also the 2nd best total in MLB. In fact he's on pace to have a better WAR than he did last season when he won the Cy Young. The differences this year is that while he's allowed fewer homers (only 13 in 161 IP), he's had bad BABIP luck at .349 as opposed to last year's .304. Jon Harbour's been racking up saves lately and he got #5 today going 3 1/3 scoreless. As for the offense, well check out this interesting box score:



I've never seen all 9 batters score exactly one run apiece and if Jaiden Hardaway hadn't gotten a second hit they'd all have exactly one hit as well. Ramon Ruiz (#12) and Daniel Malone (#18) homered.

Game 3: The Rays swept the hapless Twins with a 12-6 win after taking an early 8-0 lead. Jim Gebers was 3-5 with a double and 3 RBI, Ben Hill had 3 hits and 2 RBI, while they also got homers from Willie Zerman (his first in the bigs, a 2-run blast in the 1st), Daniel Malone (#19) and Jaiden Hardaway (#16). Ron Adams got the win going 6 7 3 3 0 5 with all 3 runs coming on solo homers as he improved to 13-8, 3.98.

Team record: 96-45. In the fait accompli department, the Rays did clinch a playoff spot with the last win. Next up: An off-day then a weekend at Fenway against Boston.

MLB News: Juan Soto homered twice on Wednesday for the Mets to pass the Babe on the all-time HR list, which now looks like this:

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays built a 6-0 lead and took an 8-4 win over Boston to open their series at Fenway Park. Jimmy Leonard had a big game, homering (#29), doubling and driving in 3 runs while the Rays also got homers from Josh Alexander (#11), Jim Gebers (#18) and Danny Ayala (#33). Luis Balladares started and won, although he wasn't exactly dominating at 5 5 2 2 3 2 in his 4th Rays win.

Game 2: The Rays ended up on the wrong end of an 11-9 decision, although that scoreline is misleading because they put up 6 runs in the final two innings to make it respectable. Nate Thompson cruised through 4 with a 3-0 lead and then completely fell apart in the 5th, giving up 5 runs and finishing 4.2 7 5 5 3 6. Jon Harbour, so good in relief of late, wasn't tonight as he allowed 5 more Boston runs in the 6th and the rout was on. Danny Ayala doubled and homered (#34), driving in 3 to represent on offense, and Jaiden Hardaway added a 2-run triple in a losing cause.

Game 3: Tampa Bay got a couple of big homers and some solid bullpen work in a 6-3 win over Boston to take 2 out of 3. Willie Zerman's 2nd HR of the year in the 5th tied the game at 1, and after Boston went ahead 3-1 Daniel Malone delivered a big 3-run homer (#20) in the 6th to put the Rays ahead to stay. That homer made a winner of Tim Gates, who stays the AL leader at 16 after going 6 9 3 3 0 5. The much-maligned Ken Neil turned in perhaps his best outing as a Ray, getting a 1-2-3 7th and the first out of the 8th with 3 whiffs, and Kikuo Kawase was perfect in the 9th for save #26.

Team record: 98-46. The win in the finale clinched the AL East for the 18th straight season. Next up: Back home for 3 vs the Yankees.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Danny Romero no-hit the Yankees through the first 5 innings and the Rays held a 5-0 lead before it all went wrong and they ended up behind 6-5. But try and tell Jaiden Hardaway that he's going to lose and he'll respond with a 3-run homer in the 8th (#17) to give the Rays an 8-6 win. Jeff Baez hit HR #6 and Kevin Morley had an RBI single with one of his 3 hits and the Rays were coasting. Romero looked like he was going to turn his BABIP bad luck around in a single start but ran into trouble in the 6th, giving up 3 runs and finishing 5.2 2 3 3 3 8. Vinny Willard then coughed up a 3-run homer in the 7th and the Rays founded themselves trailing before Hardaway's heroics. Willard pitched through the 8th and vultured win #4 while Kikuo Kawase picked up save #27.

Game 2: It started off a close game with the Rays up 3-2 going into the bottom of the 5th and it ended a 16-3 rout. Pat Moyer homered twice to give him 13 and drove in 4, Jaiden Hardaway was on base all 6 times up with 4 hits and 2 walks including HR #18 and Jim Gebers had a 3-run shot for #19. The Rays hit 7 homers in total with Daniel Malone (#21), Danny Ayala (#35) and Kevin Morley (#4) also going deep. You'd think with all this run support starter Ron Adams would have picked up the win but he struggled badly with his control and pitch count, leaving after going 4 5 2 1 5 3 on 103 pitches. Instead it was Steve Abeles who went the next three innings to improve to 6-0, 2.43.

Game 3: After putting 24 runs on the board in the previous 2 games the Rays had to eke out a 2-1 win to sweep the series. Jim Gebers' RBI single in the 8th broke a 1-1 tie and made a winner of Ken Burgess, his 4th, with Ken Neil picking up his 2nd Rays save (and 10th overall) filling in for a tired Kikuo Kawase. Luis Balladares started and pitched well at 6 7 1 1 1 3 to lower his Rays ERA to 3.45.

Team record: 101-46. Next up: An off-day before Boston comes to town for 3.

Durham Playoff Update: As usual the Bulls won their division, albeit in a less dominant fashion as they went 82-58, so they started their quest to regain the Governors' Cup after being knocked out in the opening round last year. They're matched up against Syracuse in Round 1, and split the first two games in Durham, losing the opener 6-3 and then taking a 2-0 win in Game 2. Veteran Jimmy Carroll had the big hit in Game 2, doubling in the first run of the game in the 6th after failing to lay down a bunt twice. Josh MacDonald went 5 1/3 scoreless, Danny Hill (who was up briefly earlier this season) got the win in relief and Ed Pretty (who will probably be in our pen next year) notched the save.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays rode Nate Thompson's arm and Danny Ayala's bat to a 4-1 win over Boston in the series opener. Thompson was outstanding at 6.1 7 1 1 1 8 to improve to 13-6, 3.74 with Kikuo Kawase picking up save #28. Ayala meanwhile homered twice and doubled to give himself 37 HR and 102 RBI and Daniel Malone was 2-4 with an RBI. Ayala has been rapidly moving up the WAR charts and is now right with Jimmy Leonard at 6.0.

Game 2: I decided to give Jose Mendoza another start and it didn't go so well in a strange game that saw him give up 5 in the first inning on 46 pitches, the Rays come back and take the lead, then lose 8-6 despite outhitting the Red Sox 19-8. Mendoza did settle down after that rough first but still put up a very busy line of 4 6 5 5 5 6 as the walks with him are a problem. But Jaiden Hardaway's 2-run HR among 3 RBI (#19) sparked the comeback and Ben Hill's RBI single put the Rays up 6-5 after 5. However Vinny Willard gave up a game-tying homer in the 6th and a costly Jim Gebers error allowed 2 runs to score with 2 out in the 7th and that turned out to be the ballgame. They hit into two double plays and had a man thrown out at 3rd, but otherwise the Rays just couldn't get the big hit and yesterday's hero Danny Ayala left 7 men on base, going 0-4 as the only starter without a hit.

Game 3: Tampa Bay was up against Boston's Cy Young contender Rory Knopp, who came into the game 9-8 but with a 3.01 ERA, 195 whiffs in 151 innings and 3.7 WAR. The Rays were unimpressed though as they jumped on Knopp for 6 runs in the 1st on 3 homers, sending him to the showers after only 1/3 of an inning as they went on take a 9-6 win. Jimmy Leonard started things off with a 3-run shot (#30), Danny Ayala went back-to-back with him for the first of his two homers on the day (#s 38 & 39, and he now leads the AL in WAR at 6.1), and Daniel Malone had the kill shot, a 2-run blast (#22) that ended Knopp's day. Tim Gates couldn't stand prosperity though, and was unable to get through the 5th to pick up the win, going 4.2 10 6 6 2 4. Cue super-middle reliever Steve Abeles, who went 2 1/3 scoreless to improve to 7-0 with Kikuo Kawase closing things down in the 9th for save #29.

Team record: 103-47. Next up: An off-day then the Cubs visit for 2 games.

MLB News: Former Rays great Shane McClanahan announced his retirement today. Mac was 92-37 in a Rays uniform from 2022-2029 and won the 2027 AL Cy Young with a 20-5, 2.88, 4.9 WAR season. The 30s weren't as kind to him as after leaving the Rays via free agency to Houston, he had a few middling, injury-plagued years with them and spent the last several seasons of his career as a nomadic lefty reliever, playing for 7 different teams (not counting Arizona, whose organization he was late this year).

Durham Playoff Update: The Bulls are on to the championship round of the International League playoffs after winning Games 3 and 4 in Syracuse. They scratched out a 2-1 in Game 3 when Pat McKinney homered in the 8th inning to break a 1-1 tie and came from behind to win Game 4 7-4 on a 2-run homer from Marco Recinos in the 8th to go ahead 5-4. Quincy Siegle had a pair of homers and drove in 3 as well. Durham will play Buffalo for the title.

No shock here:

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Game 1: Danny Romero was brilliant and the Rays broke a 1-1 tie with 3 in the 8th to take a 4-1 win over the Cubs at Publix Park in a 2038 World Series rematch. Cubs ace Steve Fairweather held the Rays in check as well, allowing only a Kevin Morley homer (#5) in the 3rd while Romero went 7 4 1 1 1 8. Jaiden Hardaway got things started in the 8th with a leadoff double and he and Ben Hill scored on Danny Ayala's 2-run double with Daniel Vasquez singling home Ayala. Ken Neil got the final out in the 8th to pick up win #3 and Kikuo Kawase notched save #30.

Game 2: The Rays received another dominant pitching performance and sailed to a 6-1 win to sweep the 2-game mini-series from the Cubs. Ron Adams was today's hero, going 7 2 1 1 2 8 and improving to 14-8, 3.84. Ben Hill had a 2-run double to break a 1-1 tie in the 3rd and Daniel Vasquez drove in a pair to lead the offense.

Team record: 105-47. Next up: 4 games in Baltimore. The Orioles have moved into the first wild card spot, currently 2 games up on Texas in the second spot, with the Rangers 1/2 game ahead of Toronto.

Durham Playoff Update: The Bulls got underway in the IL Championship Series and things couldn't have started any worse with 8-6 and 9-5 losses to the Bisons in Durham, putting them in the unenviable position of having to win the next three. The starting pitching dug big holes in both games with Josh MacDonald not making it out of the first in the opener and Steve Beaver not lasting the 2nd in Game 2 as they fell behind 4-0 and 7-0 to begin the two games.

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Game 1: The Rays rolled into Baltimore to take on the red-hot Orioles, who have established themselves as the #1 wild card, so this series has a bit of an ALDS preview air about it. Hopefully for the Rays it's not an omen as they (Ken Neil, mostly) blew a 5-3 lead in the 8th and lost 7-5. Ben Hill had a big game (3-5 with HR #25 & 2 RBI) and Pat Moyer homered (#14) to give them the lead with Luis Balladares turning in his usual outing at 5.1 6 3 3 1 4, but Neil lost the plot (and the game) in the 8th, giving up an RBI double and then a 2-out 3-run homer to lose the game.

Game 2: More frustration for the Rays as they were shut down by Baltimore's Joe Welters, who came into the game with a 5.56 ERA but kept them off the board for 5 2/3 in a 2-1 loss. Josh Alexander's 9th-inning homer (#12) halved the lead but it was too little, too late and the Rays wasted a fine start from Nate Thompson, who went 7 5 2 2 3 7.

Game 3: The way he's gone this season Ken Neil blowing a game isn't a shock. But Kikuo Kawase blowing one does qualify as "man bites dog" and he yielded a 3-run homer in the 9th to turn a 5-4 win into a 7-5 loss. Danny Ayala continued his torrid September by homering twice, the second of which (#41) broke a 4-4 tie in the 8th and the Rays looked set. But Kawase put two men on with one out and served up a 3-run gopher ball to Cesar Gonzalez, the first he's allowed this season after allowing just one each of the previous 2 years. Tim Gates did not have a very good start (5 5 4 4 2 1) but 3 scoreless innings from the pen kept them in it before it all went wrong. Earlier Josh Alexander homered for the second straight day (#13).

Game 4: The Rays salvaged a game from the series behind another fine start from Danny Romero and another big day at the plate for Danny Ayala in a 6-3 win. With no clear front-runner for the AL Cy Young, Romero has a shot at repeating despite a 4.25 ERA as he's now 16-10 and clearly leads the AL in pitcher WAR at 4.9 after today's 6 5 1 1 1 5 outing with one more start to burnish his resume. Ayala meanwhile has to be considered the front-runner for MVP as he was 3-4 today with a 2-run homer in the first (an AL-leading #42) and has pulled away from the pack in the AL with 6.5 WAR. Pat Moyer also homered in a 4-run first (#15) and Daniel Vasquez was 3-5 with 2 RBI to increase his AL-leading total to 119.

Team record: 106-50. Next up: An off-day then we start the final week of the regular season with 3 at Yankee Stadium.

Durham Playoff Update: The Bulls pulled themselves off the mat and won Games 3 and 4 in Buffalo to force a deciding Game 5 in Durham in two days. They took a 5-2 Game 3 win behind a solid start from Mario Candelaria (signed as a free agent in August) and a big 3-run homer from Jose Mendez. Game 4 was won in similar fashion 6-2 with Jose Varela providing a great start and Quincy Siegle the big blow a 2-run single to which he added a homer later. Rather than go with the mercurial Josh MacDonald in Game 5, we've called up our best pitching prospect this side of Jose Mendoza in Sean Forbes from AA Montgomery to start. Forbes had a 3.63 ERA in 151 IP and a 49/167 BB/K ratio this season and is ranked as the #42 prospect in MLB by BNN.

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The division winners in the AL have long been settled: The Rays will be the #1 seed, and Houston holds a 3-game advantage on Cleveland to host the ALDS between those two teams. The wild card is 3 teams for 2 spots with a decided edge to Baltimore through games of Monday September 26:



Over in the NL two of the divisions are set as the Padres will be the #1 seed and the Cubs the #2. The NL East is still up for grabs as is one of the wild cards:





The Dodgers were in great position for a wild card 3 weeks ago before going into a serious free fall, losing 14 of their last 17 games. They're 3 1/2 out, not shown here.

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Game 1: The Rays were routed 10-1 in the series opener at Yankee Stadium. Ron Adams was pounded for 6 runs (4 earned) in 2 innings although the defense didn't help much with Jim Gebers committing an error that allowed 2 runs to score and Jimmy Leonard misplaying a ball in CF into a triple. Jose Mendoza then was torched for 4 more runs in relief in a forgettable night for Tampa Bay.

Game 2: The bullpen blew it as the Rays lost for the fifth time in six games 7-6. They took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the 6th only for Chris Toombs, Pat Dorminy and Ken Neil to combine to allow 5 runs on 8 hits over the final 3 innings to allow the Yankees to come back and win as the latter two continue to be consistently inconsistent since being acquired. Luis Balladares turned in his usual 5 decent innings going 5 6 2 2 0 4 before leaving, and Danny Ayala (#43) and Kevin Morley (#6, with 3 RBI) homered for the Rays.

Game 3: Like the last series in Baltimore, the Rays salvaged the finale as they bashed 4 homers in an 8-4 win. Jim Gebers and Jaiden Hardaway each hit their 20th homers of the year, Josh Alexander had a big 3-run shot (#14) and Jimmy Leonard hit #31. Nate Thompson wasn't great but won his final regular season start going 6 8 4 4 0 2 and finishing the year 14-7, 3.77. He's penciled in to start Game 2 of the ALDS. Unlike the dismal final 3 innings last night from the pen, Jon Harbour, Ken Burgess and Kikuo Kawase combined for 3 innings of 1-hit shutout ball.

Team record: 107-52. Next up: We close out the regular season with 3 games at home against Baltimore, who clinched a wild card spot when Texas lost tonight.

Durham Playoff Update: It all came down to one game for the Governors' Cup, and unfortunately Durham lost 7-4 to Buffalo as the Bisons retained the Cup after winning last year. It was a particularly excruciating loss as Buffalo scored on 4 consecutive bases-loaded walks in the 7th to turn a 4-3 Bulls lead into the 7-4 final. Dan Moone came in and walked all 3 men he faced to force in runs and then Danny Hill relieved him and walked another. Top prospect Sean Forbes made his AAA debut with the start and it was a mixed bag: He went 5 4 3 3 0 5 and allowed a pair of homers, but it was the bullpen which did them in.

Playoff Race Update: As mentioned above, the Orioles clinched a wild card and Toronto is one win (or Texas loss) over the final 3 days from clinching the other one, so not much of a race there. Nor is there much of a race in the NL as Columbus holds a 2-game lead over Washington for the NL East and Washington holds a 2-game lead over the Mets and Milwaukee for the 2nd wild card. None of these NL teams play each other this weekend.

MLB News: A couple of former Rays World Series winners retired, with Daniel Lynch, part of the 2023 and 2025 rotation, and Connor Kirkley, the starting 2B on the 2029 and 2030 winners and a backup to Gavin Lux on the 2028 championship team, hanging it up. Ironically the 42-year-old Lynch's final professional start came in Game 4 for Buffalo against Durham and he was beaten by the Bulls.

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Game 1: The Rays took out their frustrations from the weekend before when they dropped 3 of 4 in Baltimore by waxing the Orioles 13-0 at Publix Park, including scoring a touchdown and kicking the extra point in the first inning. Jim Gebers, who has been a disappointment in his first year as the full-time 3B but has been hot of late, became the latest in a string of Rays to tie the team record for homers in a game with 3, going 4-5 for the day with 6 RBI. Gebers' slam in the first got things going and Daniel Malone followed with a 2-run shot (#23) while Josh Alexander later blasted #15 as he was on base all 5 times with 3 hits and 2 walks. Ramon Ruiz also knocked in 3 with a pair of doubles. Tim Gates closed his regular season with a flourish, going 6 2 0 0 1 9 to finish the year 17-6, 4.09 and tied for 1st in wins in the AL.

Game 2: Today was Danny Romero's last chance to impress the Cy Young voters and impress he did, going 6 6 2 2 0 11 in a 7-2 Rays win. He joined teammate Tim Gates on 17 wins, lowered his ERA to 4.21, increased his WAR to a league-best 5.2 and went over the 200-strikeout mark. The ERA is the only negative against him, and that was due in large part to an inflated .341 BABIP. Jimmy Leonard led the charge on offense, going 3-4 with a 2-run homer (#31) while Kevin Morley, who is now going to be our starting catcher through the ALDS as Mike McKee isn't going to be ready as soon as we originally thought, had 2 doubles among his 3 hits and drove in a run.

Game 3: Jose Mendoza was given the start in the regular season finale and failed miserably as the Rays fell short of 110 wins in a 9-6 loss. Mendoza was battered to the tune of 3.2 5 7 7 3 4, allowing a couple of homers and did not look good at all in his September audition. He may still make the 2022 squad as a long reliever, but the rotation opening with Nate Thompson going free agent is looking more and more like Steve Abeles's as he went 3 scoreless innings in relief and finished his year with a 2.12 ERA in 72 IP with a 20/98 BB/K ratio. Ben Hill (#26) and Daniel Malone (#24) homered as the Rays tried to come back from 9-0 down.

Final Regular Season Record: 109-53, our fewest wins in a regular season since winning 105 in 2027.

Playoff race update: There was little suspense last we checked 3 days ago, and there weren't any miracle runs so it's Baltimore at Toronto in the AL Wild Card, and in the NL Columbus took the East while Washington took the 2nd wild card and will go to San Diego.

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Rays all over the AL leaderboards, and cut off on the screenshot here is that Tim Gates and Danny Romero tied Andy Cormier for the wins lead, Romero lead in pitcher WAR at 5.2 (a full 1 WAR ahead of the competition), and was second in Ks at 205 (2 behind the leader, Boston's Rory Knopp).

The final team stats:



New year, same old Rays: great hitting, very good pitching, and horrible defense. While still league-leading, the offense is a bit down overall which isn't a surprise as we said goodbye to offensive dynamos like Jon Jimenez, Omar Rodriguez and Bo Angeac and went 2 months without Jaiden Hardaway. Also the starting pitching was more inconsistent this year.

Batting stats:



An embarrassment of riches on offense once again, and it could have been more as Jaiden Hardaway would have had another 10-WAR season (and another MVP award) had he stayed healthy. Also what a year for Mike McKee, 4.1 WAR in only 94 games. It's a shame we lost him for the last month and won't have him back until at least the ALCS should we get there. Jim Gebers salvaged his season with a hot last 3 weeks and Jimmy Leonard was a revelation.

The pitching stats:



Let me just say that Kikuo Kawase might be the best reliever in the history of baseball, after yet another unbelievable season (his 7th with us). The starters were probably better than they seemed, given the first 4 all had WARs of 3 or above as our lousy defense makes them look worse. I'm not sure why our defense is so bad - we don't regularly start anyone below a 50, and Jeff Baez is a 70 at SS with Daniel Malone a 60 in CF. Anyway, you can also see that while Ken Neil has been bad on his own merits (the walks), Pat Dorminy has been undone by our defense (.421 BABIP), so I'm more inclined the trust the latter than the former in the playoffs.

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