The 2021 (and only 2021) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

For the third straight series the Rays maintained their .667 win percentage by taking 2 of 3, this time from the A's. Combined with a pair of Yankee losses the division lead has grown to 7 for Tampa Bay.

Joe Marlette tossed a five-hit complete-game shutout and the Rays handled the A's 7-0 to open the series at the Trop. Marlette improved to 7-2, 2.48 after walking none and fanning 11 on a pretty-high 127 pitches. The shutout was the fourth of his career. Billy Doughty broke open a 2-0 game with a 3-run homer (#8) in the 5th.

The Rays dropped the middle game to Oakland 3-2 in 11 innings. Mario Urizar hurled seven shutout innings in a 0-0 game before getting touched for a 2-run homer in the 8th but the Rays equalized in the bottom of the frame on back-to-back solo shots from Danny Rodriguez (#10) and Jeremy Begley (#12). Unfortunately they couldn't generate any additional offense and in the 11th Stan LeVea gave up an RBI double to score Branden Gammage's (2-1) runner and lose the game. Urizar was an excellent 8 5 2 2 0 7 on an economical 94 pitches.

Tampa Bay almost got its second complete-game shutout of the series in the finally as Danny Morales took a 1-hitter and an 8-0 lead into the 9th before giving up a run and leaving. Morales (7-4) appears to have finally gotten into a groove, lowering his ERA below 5 (4.71) and going 8 4 1 1 0 8 today. All 8 runs came quickly in the 4th inning on a 2-run Danny Arroyave double, a pair of bases-loaded walks, and a Jeremy Begley grand slam (#13).

Team record: 38-19. Next up: Closing out the homestand with 4 games against Baltimore.

[Art Deco]

A rare misstep of a series for the Rays as they dropped 3 of 4 to the Orioles at home, including a couple of tough ones. Meanwhile the Yankees swept their series with Oakland, cutting the Rays' division lead from 7 to 4 1/2 games.

Transaction: Claimed P Chad Montgomery on waivers from the Cubs, optioned P Jordan Rodriguez to Durham. J-Rod never got into a game and made way for Montgomery, who is rated 55/70/50 and saved 20 games for Milwaukee last year.

The Rays played a rare 2038 stinker in the opener, getting blasted by Baltimore 10-2. Danny Arevalo hit his first MLB homer to give them an early 2-1 lead but it was all downhill after that with Jake Bridgewater (2-1) not faring as well in his recent starts going 6 6 5 5 3 2 and then the bullpen giving up another 5 including a 2-run homer off Chad Montgomery in his Rays debut.

Tampa Bay pitching was poor again and the Rays dropped an 8-6 decision to the Orioles in the second game. Gabe Bryant (2-2) was hit hard at 4.2 7 5 5 1 5 and the bullpen was disappointing again, allowing 3 runs which proved to be the difference in the end. In their attempt to keep pace four Rays homered: Jeremy Begley (#14), Isaiah Jackson (#6), Justin Blackwell (#2) and Danny Arroyave (#12) but it wasn't enough.

There was an element of "here we go again" when even Joe Marlette was knocked around for 3 runs in the opening frame by Baltimore, but he and his teammates settled down to come back and take a 6-4 win in game #3. They trailed 4-2 in the 6th when they tied it up on Billy Doughty's RBI single and then won it in the 7th on a 2-run Tony Fisher homer (#17). Justin Blackwell went 3-4 with 2 RBI and a steal while Danny Rodriguez added an early solo shot (#11). Marlette finished 6 8 4 4 1 2 in a no-decision with the win going to Stan LeVea (5-0) who went two scoreless and Tony Alicea finished for save #17.

The finale was most frustrating loss of the lot as the Rays came back to tie the game up off perhaps the game's best pitcher in Baltimore's Joe White, but succumbed 6-5 in 10 innings. They took a quick 2-0 lead in the 2nd off White but the Orioles ended up grabbing a 4-2 lead off Mario Urizar, who turned in one of his typical starts at 6.1 7 4 3 1 3. But for the second straight night Tony Fisher came up with a clutch 2-run homer, hitting a 419-foot shot (#18) to center off a tiring White in the 8th to even the game at 4. Unfortunately Stan LeVea (5-1) coughed up a pair of runs in the 10th and although they got one back in the bottom of the frame and had men on 1st and 3rd, they couldn't equalize again and dropped the series.

Team record: 39-22. Next up: The Rays are going to need to right the ship quickly as they head to the Bronx to play 3 against the Yankees where their division lead could dwindle further.

[Art Deco]

A disastrous trip to the Bronx as the Rays were swept by the Yankees to make it 6 losses in 7 games while seeing their division lead sliced to a mere game and a half.

Danny Morales was one out away from getting through the 6th with a 2-1 lead but instead gave up a 3-run homer and the Yankees took the opener from the Rays 4-3. Morales (7-5) ended up 6 9 4 4 1 1 and the Rays got homers from Danny Rivera (#8) in the 2nd and Danny Arevalo (#2) in the 9th, the latter cutting the lead to one but the next three Rays whiffed to end the game.

Tampa Bay pitching was poor in the second game and despite the best efforts of the offense they dropped a 9-5 decision to New York. Jake Bridgewater (2-2) was lit up like a Christmas tree, going 2 5 5 5 2 0 with 3 homers allowed to put them in an early 5-0 hole that was too deep. Danny Charlton and Danny Arevalo each knocked in a pair including Charlton's 10th homer but the bullpen gave up four more runs to keep them from getting too close.

The finale was the toughest pill to swallow. They hit three solo homers in the 2nd to go up 3-0 and it looked like they might be on their way but the Yankees chipped away and tied it up while the bats took the rest of a long day off with New York ultimately prevailing in 14 innings 4-3. Danny Charlton (#11), Danny Arroyave (#13) and Danny Rodriguez (#12) all went deep and it might have been the first time 3 Dannys homered in the same inning in MLB history. Gabe Bryant couldn't hold the lead though but pitched decently enough at 7 8 3 3 1 5. The problem was that the offense was stifled for almost the entire rest of the game with the New York bullpen in particular going a combined 8 1 0 0 1 11 against them. And it was a Rodriguez error in the 14th as he overran a single in front of him which cost them, allowing a man to go to 3rd who scored on a sac fly off Stan LeVea (5-2) to lose it.

Team record: 39-25. Next up: Off to play 3 in Georgia against 19-44 Atlanta to try and turn things around.

[Art Deco]

The woes continue for Tampa Bay as they dropped 2 of 3 to an Atlanta team that came into the series a woeful 19-44. Combined with the Yankees taking 2 of 3 in Miami and the Rays' division lead is now a mere half-game and they're even with New York in the loss column.

The opener was the one game they won, and they had to come back late to do it, scoring 5 times in the final 3 frames to beat Atlanta 6-4. It was the home run ball that did it for them as Danny Charlton's 2-run shot (#12) in the 8th put them up 4-3 and Jeremy Begley broke an 1-17 mini-slump with a 2-run homer (#15) in the 9th for insurance. Earlier they received dingers from Danny Rivera (#9) and Danny Rodriguez (#13) as all three Dannys homered for the second straight game. Joe Marlette went 5.2 6 3 2 1 4 in the start, Moises Baca (1-1) got the relief win and Branden Gammage earned save #2 despite allowing a run in the 9th.

The Rays were annihilated by Atlanta 14-5 in the second game as Jose Arias, the only dangerous bat in their lineup, had a game he'll likely never top in his career belting 4 homers and 10 RBI. The 4 homers ties an MLB record held by many and the 10 RBI was an Atlanta club record. Mario Urizar (5-2) was the first of his victims as the righty was blasted to the tune of 3.1 5 7 7 3 3, allowing the first 2 of Arias's homers and one other. Arias also victimized Danny Mauricio and Ken Battle. Justin Blackwell was 2-4 with 2 RBI for Tampa Bay.

The finale was a much tougher loss as the Rays fell 3-2 in 10 innings to Atlanta. The blame can be laid on the bats, who managed only 4 hits on the day with only Jeremy Begley able to hold his head high after getting 2 of them, both of which figured into the Tampa Bay scoring. Danny Morales pitched quite well at 7 5 2 2 2 5 but Atlanta got to Moises Baca (1-2) in the 10th after he gave up the game-winning hit following an intentional walk to yesterday's 4-homer hero Jose Arias with first base open, making it 8 losses in 10 for Tampa Bay.

Team record: 40-27. Next up: A day off then more interleague action as we head to Philly for 3.

MLB News: Former Ray, Current Dodger, and Future Hall-of-Famer James Hays pitched a no-hitter against St. Louis, walking 3 and fanning 8 on 115 pitches. It was the first of his illustrious career which features 6 Cy Youngs and 3 rings (one with the Rays, 2 with LA).

[Art Deco]

The struggles continue for Tampa Bay as they lost their fourth straight series, dropping 2 of 3 in Philly and are now 3-10 in their last 13 games. Luckily the Yankees also lost 2 of 3 to the Mets so the Rays are still clinging to a 1/2-game division lead.

They did win the opener though, riding a trio of homers to an 8-3 win over the Phillies. Tony Fisher's solo shot (#19) and a 2-run jack from Danny Arroyave (#14) gave them a 3-0 first-inning lead and they never looked back. Arroyave added an RBI double and Billy Doughty was 2-3 with a homer (#9) and 3 ribbies as well. Jake Bridgewater (3-2) bounced back from a couple of bad starts to go 6 5 2 2 3 4.

After putting 8 on the board the day before the offense was completely asleep in the next game, managing only 3 hits in a 3-0 loss to Philadelphia. Gabe Bryant (2-3) wasn't great at 5 5 3 3 2 7 but a little offense could have at least got him a no-decision.

A couple of solo homers among a mere 5 hits was all the bats could manage in the finale and they lost a 3-2 heartbreaker and the series to Philly in 11 innings. Tony Fisher hit another first-inning homer (#20) and Danny Rivera went deep (#10) in the 4th to give them a 2-0 lead but an unearned run off Joe Marlette (who finished 6 3 1 0 2 5) and a solo homer allowed by Stan LeVea in the 7th erased that lead. And in the 11th Moises Baca (1-3) let the Phillies walk it off with a solo shot to conclude a miserable 2-7 east coast road trip.

Team record: 41-29. Next up: Back home for 3 against Cleveland before heading on another lengthy road trip.

[Art Deco]

The Rays came home and righted the ship, sweeping the Guardians and in a reversal of how things have gone lately the Yankees lost 2 of 3 to San Antonio so the division lead is back up to 2 1/2 games.

Tampa Bay romped in the opener, beating Cleveland 12-5 after jumping out to an 11-0 lead after 4 innings and cruising from there. Tony Fisher's 2nd-inning grand slam (#21) broke the game open and they banged out 18 hits as a team. Danny Arevalo was 4-5 with 2 RBI and Isaiah Jackson drove in 3 including a 2-run double. Mario Urizar (6-2) ended up pitching to the score as he was hit for 4 runs in the 5th and finished an ugly 5.2 9 5 5 3 0 but it didn't matter and Ken Battle went the rest of the way for his 2nd save.

The Rays blew out the Guardians again in the second game 9-2, but it took longer to develop than the night before as they didn't go ahead until the 5th before pouring it on afterwards. Tony Fisher delivered the big hit again, homering for the third straight day with his 2-run blast (#22) putting Tampa Bay up 3-2 in the 5th. Jeremy Begley's 2-run double padded the lead in the 6th and then they got homers from Danny Rivera (#11), Isaiah Jackson (#8) and Billy Doughty (#10). Danny Morales (8-5) overcame a slow start and went 7 7 2 2 0 7 for the win.

Danny Rodriguez almost single-handedly led the Rays to victory in the finale, singling in a run in the 2nd, tripling in another 6th, and then leading off the 9th with a double and scoring on Alex Rivas' single to walk off a 3-2 win and a series sweep in the bottom of the 9th. The rookie CF has played at an All-Star level and has already earned 3.0 WAR less than halfway through the season, hitting 299/380/510 with 13 HR, 38 RBI and 25 SB along with above-average D in center. Jake Bridgewater turned in a solid start at 5.1 5 2 1 1 0 and Branden Gammage (3-1) earned the win with two perfect innings of relief.

Team record: 44-29. Next up: After a day off the Rays hit the road yet again, kicking off a 9-game road trip with 3 in Oakland.

We also made a minor but interesting trade:



Was shopping some guys around and notice Atlanta was eager to part with Perez even though he's rated the #23 prospect in baseball and was just recently called up by them. The 24-year-old boasts real power (65 current, 70 potential) and decent contact (55 current, 60 potential) but has some real flaws as well (35 eye, 45 potential), strikes out a lot and is a lousy OF (45 in left, although he could potentially be a 50 at 1B). He'll report to Durham for now but one thing he has going for him is that he's a RH hitter and most of the significant bats on our depth chart are lefties. Galicia meanwhile is a B-/C+ prospect as a starter who will have to rely on command with only 45 stuff potential, so he wasn't a great loss.

[Art Deco]

The Rays continued their resurgence by taking 2 of 3 in Oakland but the Yankees pulled off a sweep to move back within 1 1/2 games in the division.

Transaction: Luis Berumen was activated from the IL as the team's recent swoon could be chalked up in large part to his absence, and Danny Arevalo was returned to Durham.

RBI singles from Jeremy Begley (in his first game back in Oakland after becoming a superstar there) and Luis Berumen (in his first game off the IL) in the 9th inning gave the Rays a 3-2 comeback win over the A's to kick off their 3-game series. Before that the Rays had been stymied by one of the players they traded for Begley as Dwayne Marion held them to one run on three hits through five. Marion has pitched well as the rookie has a 3.13 ERA through 84 innings so far although he did give up a solo homer to Danny Rodriguez (#14). Gabe Bryant went 4.1 4 0 0 1 2 before leaving with a minor back tweak, Ken Battle (1-1) got the win in relief and Tony Alicea closed it out for save #18.

Jeremy Begley continued to torment his old team, going 3-5 with a 2-run homer (#16) to lead Tampa Bay to a 5-3 win in the second game. Begley's homer came in the 3rd and the Rays scored all their runs by that inning and all via homer with a 2-run shot from Danny Charlton (#13) in the 1st and a solo blast from Luis Berumen (#15). Joe Marlette (8-2) didn't have his best stuff today but got through at 6 5 3 3 2 2 and Tony Alicea had a 2K 1-2-3 9th to earn his 19th save.

The Rays dropped the finale to Oakland as the A's scored three times in the 5th to break a 2-2 tie and went on to prevail 6-2. Mario Urizar (6-3) had an off-game, finishing 4.1 8 4 4 1 4 and ran a-cropper in that 5th. The Rays did get homers for the second straight day from Jeremy Begley (#17) and Luis Berumen (#16) but nothing else.

Team record: 46-30. Next up: 2 games in Toronto.

[Art Deco]

The Rays split a pair north of the border with the Jays and held serve at 1 1/2 up as the Yankees split their two games as well.

Some early thunder gave the Rays a 4-1 win over Toronto in the opener. Danny Arroyave belted a 3-run homer (#15) in the first and Luis Berumen homered for the third straight game, a solo shot (#17) in the 3rd to provide the scoring and it was more than enough for Danny Morales (9-5) to get the win. The righty was excellent at 6 4 0 0 3 7 but things got a bit dicey in the 9th requiring Tony Alicea to get the final out for save #20.

The Jays turned the tables in the second game, beating the Rays by the same 4-1 scoreline they lost by the night before. Jake Bridgewater (3-3) had one bad inning, but a 3-run 5th was enough sink him and the team as he finished 5 5 4 4 1 2 while the bats struggled to score.

Team record: 47-31. Next up: Two games in New York against those very same Yankees so they'll need to at least get a split to stay in first.

[Art Deco]

The Rays remained in first place by 1 1/2 games after their 2-game set with New York by getting a split, but they should have pulled off the sweep.

The offense propelled the Rays to an 8-5 win over the Yankees in the opener. Danny Arroyave was the main man, going 3-5 with 3 RBI, including a 2-run homer (#16) in the 4th, and Tony Fisher slammed a solo blast (#23) for insurance in the 7th and added a sac fly. Gabe Bryant (3-3) went 7 7 4 4 0 7 for the win and Tony Alicea got all 3 outs in the 9th via the whiff for his 21st save.

Homers from Jeremy Begley (#18), Tony Fisher (#24) and Danny Charlton (#14) helped the Rays to stake a 5-2 lead in the 6th in the second game, but Joe Marlette and the bullpen could not hold it and the Yankees came back to salvage a split with a 7-5 decision. Marlette didn't have his best stuff today but left ahead 5-3 before Moises Baca gave up a couple of hits to allow New York to even things in the 6th, leaving Marlette with a 5.2 8 4 4 2 3 line. And then in the 7th Branden Gammage (3-2) served up a 2-run homer to lose it.

Team record: 48-32. Next up: Back home for 3 against Baltimore.

[Art Deco]

Overall the first half of the 2038 season has gone well for the Rays, although they've taken a tumble from the heady days of April and May when they were winning 2 out of every 3 games. As things stand now after a .500 June they're playing .600 ball and hold down first place in the AL East by a game and a half. Of course getting to the postseason is rarely an issue with this team - it's doing something once they get there, and to that end the big move was made this winter to acquire one of the best (if not the best) players in baseball in Jeremy Begley, and for the most part he's lived up to billing. The big-picture view:



As you can see Begley is 3rd in the AL in WAR and 5th in MLB, so he has been who we thought he was. Houston remains a juggernaut.

The team stats:



Really nothing to complain about here overall, except for some crappy baserunning. It feels like the offense can do more even if they are second in the league in runs - it seems they either score 5+ runs or struggle to push runs across on any given night, especially of late. They were without Luis Berumen for close to a month so that contributed to the inconsistency. Meanwhile thanks largely to Begley this is probably the best defensive team in this save (or probably any of my Rays saves).



We all figured Begley would lead the team in WAR given his all-around superstar play but who knew a rookie and a near-rookie would be #s 2 and 3? D-Rod has been incredible, doing it all - in addition to the batting stats you see (which have come from the bottom third of the order), he's put up a +4.2 ZR in CF to date. And Doughty has rapidly become of the game's best catchers. But there are players who have been better and should be much better. Berumen has hit for power but is better than a .274 hitter, Charlton slugging .447 is about 100 points lower than he should be, and new pickup Rivera has not only been a bust at the plate, but the two-time reigning Gold Glover in RF is only at +1.2 ZR so his slump at the plate has possibly affected his play in the field. I expect some regression from D-Rod and Doughty so these guys will need some positive regression on their end.



The pitching has been good, and longtime ace Marlette is having another Cy Young-caliber season. But there's a bit of a caveat with him - his 70+ stuff has been downgraded to 60 by the scouts and his last few starts have been pedestrian with only 16 strikeouts over 29 1/3 IP. We need him to be the ace and if he turns into just another guy that'll be problematic. At least Danny Morales has bounced back to 2037 form of late:



I'm a bit disappointed Urizar has a 5.01 ERA as he seems like the type of contact-oriented pitcher who'd be helped by the vastly-improved defense, and although he's only allowed 8 homers and his BABIP is a very reasonable .289 something's still not clicking. Maybe he's giving up an inordinate amount of doubles and triples. Leo Gutierrez should be back by the end of July so that would be a boost to the rotation.



No truly elite prospects here but a lot of breadth and depth to the system. Remember that D-Rod and Doughty were not top 100 prospects either and look how they're doing. Of the list above Duron was up briefly last year and could be up again given his current 65 contact and 60 power ratings. The problem is that he's a 1B/DH type and barring injury there's no room there. Arevalo was up for an extended look while Berumen was out and while he struggled at first he started heating up just before Berumen came back. Others who could contribute include OF Danny Perez and slugging 1B Ines Monts and veteran IF Luis Cisneros is a 3.5-star-rated guy who could be in a lot of other MLB lineups. On the pitching side Sergio Espinoza, who struggled in a brief stint in the MLB rotation earlier this year, is better than he looked then and could help out.

[Art Deco]

The Rays pulled out two walk-off wins and had 8 innings to tie or go ahead in the finale but couldn't do it, so they settled for two of three. Meanwhile the Yankees also won two of three but then won their game in hand on the Rays' off day on Monday and are now 1 game back.

Tampa Bay got a terrible start from Mario Urizar and trailed 6-3 in the middle innings before coming back to take a walk-off 7-6 win over Baltimore. The Rays loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the 9th with the score 6-6 and three straight singles culminated in Tony Fisher's game-winner. Danny Charlton's 3-run homer (#15) in the 6th tied it, and they earlier got a 2-run blast from Danny Arroyave (#17). Urizar was a brutal 3 7 6 6 2 2 but the bullpen was brilliant with 6 shutout innings and Tony Alicea (3-2) earned the win after a perfect 9th.

The Rays left it late again in the second game, trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the 9th before Jeremy Begley came off the bench and belted a 2-run walk-off homer (#19) to win it. Danny Morales continued his excellent run by going 7.2 5 1 1 1 4 but it looked like he'd be a hard-luck loser before Begley's blast, which was one of only four Rays hits on the night with Justin Blackwell getting the other three including one in the 9th.

The finale was a strange affair as Baltimore jumped on Jake Bridgewater for 5 runs in the top of the 1st only to see the Rays answer back with 4 of their own in the bottom of the inning. But that would be the extent of the day's scoring as the Rays fell 5-4. Tampa Bay had numerous chances to tie or go ahead over the final eight frames but never could get they hit they needed. Bridgewater (3-4) was horrible, going 1.1 7 5 4 0 0 but like on Friday night the bullpen was outstanding, going 7 2/3 scoreless today and not allowing the Orioles a hit over the final 5 innings but this time it couldn't buy the Rays a win.

Team record: 50-33. Next up: After that off-day the Angels visit for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Some bad pitching doomed the Rays to losing 2 of 3 in this series but fortunately the Yankees also dropped 2 of 3 at home to a bad Boston team so Tampa Bay remains on top in the AL East by a game.

The Rays did take the opener, eking out a 4-3 win over the Angels. Gabe Bryant (4-3) gave up a pair of homers in the top of the 4th to put them behind 3-0 but Danny Rodriguez continued his Rookie of the Year bid with a 3-run homer (#15) in the bottom of the frame to level things. And an inning later Danny Arroyave singled in the go-ahead run which the bullpen made stand up from there. Bryant piled up the whiffs going 5.2 7 3 3 1 11 and the pen only allowed a hit and a walk in total the rest of the way with Tony Alicea closing for save #22.

Tampa Bay jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the second game and saw superstar Jeremy Begley have his biggest game as a Ray with 3 homers, the third being inside-the-park, but some horrendous hurling from the bullpen mean they'd end up being blown out 12-5 by LA. Begley led off the game with a home and then added a 3-run shot in the 2nd, and completed his hat trick of homers with an inside-the-parker in the 5th to make it 5-2 and give him 22 for the season. But Joe Marlette put a man on to start the 6th and departed, starting the downward spiral. Jon Coggin gave up 3 hits to the first three men he faced, allowing the Angels to equalize and saddling Marlette with a 5 7 3 3 2 5 line, and then in the 7th Moises Baca (1-4) gave up 2 more runs to put LA ahead. Danny Mauricio then gave up 5 more in the 8th and the rout was on.

Mario Urizar was hit hard once again in the finale and although the Rays attempted a comeback they fell short and lost 5-3. Urizar (6-4) has pitched himself out of the rotation after today's 5.2 10 5 5 2 2 outing ballooned his ERA to 5.62, making it 27 runs allowed in 22 innings over his last 5 starts. Jeremy Begley made it four homers in two games with a 2-run shot in the 6th (#23) to get the Rays on the board, and Danny Rodriguez went solo in the 7th (#16) but they couldn't add any more.

Team record: 51-35. Next up: Boston visits for 3 games. The Red Sox are a dismal 34-52 but just beat the Yankees 2 of 3 in New York so combined with the way we're going they won't be taken lightly.

So if Urizar is out of the rotation, who takes his place? The answer has come from elsewhere:



Welcome back Chris Ericson! The righty pitched out of our bullpen in 2034-35, combining for a decent 2.9 WAR over those two years, but can start (as a 5-inning guy with 40 stamina) and was 2-3, 4.02 in Cincinnati's rotation. He'd been on a roll of late with 1 run allowed in his last 19.2 IP over 4 starts and is rated 60/65/60 as a starter. Urizar is demoted to long relief, Moises Baca is demoted to Durham as he had an option and was pitching poorly of late, and OF Rocky Corniell is DFA'd to make room on the 40-man for Ericson. bin Khaled was a C-prospect starter whose ceiling was a 50/40/45 rating.

[Art Deco]

The Rays beat up on a bad Boston team, outscoring them 28-6 over a three-game sweep as they head into the All-Star break on a high note.

Danny Morales was outstanding and he was backed by a 3-run Tony Fisher homer (#25) as the Rays bounced Boston 7-2. Morales (10-5) continued his in-season renaissance and equaled his win total from a poorly-supported (yet stellar) season last year, going 7 4 0 0 2 6. Fisher's 2nd-inning homer provided all the scoring they'd need but the Rays also got longballs from Billy Doughty (#11), Luis Berumen (#18) and Danny Charlton (#16).

Although the final scoreline shows a decisive Tampa Bay win, the Rays were in serious jeopardy of losing as they trailed 3-2 going into the bottom of the 8th before exploding for 7 runs to take a 9-3 win over the Sox. Jake Bridgewater gave them a decent start at 5.2 7 3 3 2 6 but it looked like it would enough to lose before that 8th inning. RBI singles from Justin Blackwell (off the bench) and Art Bing put them ahead for good before Jeremy Begley broke it open with a 3-run blast (#24). Danny Arroyave also ended up 3-5 with 3 RBI and the win went to Stan LeVea (6-2), who kept it close with two perfect innings of relief in which he fanned four.

Chris Ericson made his return to the Rays a success and he was amply supported in a 12-1 rout of Boston. Ericson was excellent at 6 1 0 0 4 3 and his support came in the form of seven - count 'em, seven - home runs including 3 players who each belted a pair, which might be a team single-game record. Going yard twice were Justin Blackwell, who doubled his season HR total and knocked in 3, Billy Doughty (now with 13, both solo) who celebrated being named to the All-Star team earlier in the day, and Jeremy Begley, who drove in 4 and now has 26 after a scorching week at the plate. The sole Ray to hit a single homer was Tony Fisher (#26) who had to settle for a 3-3, 3-run day with 2 RBI.

Team record: 54-35. The sweep enabled the Rays to put a little distance between themselves and the Yankees with the division lead up to 3 after New York dropped a pair over the weekend. Next up: The All-Star break followed by 4 games in Toronto. We also had the amateur draft over the weekend and there will be a post on that next.

Rays news: Starter Leo Gutierrez was sent to Durham on injury rehab and he'll be ready to rejoin the rotation after a start or two, likely replacing Bridgewater.

[Art Deco]

Thanks to all the comp picks and our usual high finish we didn't draft until #33 overall, but I do like this class.

Gardener: A switch-hitting 3B out of that college hotbed Embry-Riddle, he boasts 70 potential contact and 60 power as well as 55 potential in the field. He could be our Danny Arroyave replacement in 2 or 3 years.

Lopez: Dipped into the college ranks again to grab Lopez, a CF from Ohio University. In addition to being a legit CF with 55 potential at the position (75 in LF) he could have prodigious power with a 70 grade from the scouts if he gets things together. And of course he has well-above average speed so he's a potential 30/30 guy.

Campbell: A high-school arm from NY, Campbell has 65/70/60 potential and is a groundball specialist.

Selby: My head scout was after me to draft this guy in the 1st round (and the 2nd and 3rd thereafter) and I finally pulled the trigger when he fell to the late 4th round to do some signability concerns. The bat could be special from this Jersey high-school kid (70 contact/65 power) but his defense is suspect (only 50 potential in LF) so that's why I held off in the earlier rounds.

Robinson: High-school 1B isn't a great demographic to draft from but it's the 5th round and like Selby above he has 70/65 potential at the plate (not to mention 65 gap potential). Also he's a righty batter which helps given I always seem to have LH-hitting prospects.

[Art Deco]

The Teams:

Scheduled to play for the American League All-Stars are:

SP Norm Barger (CLE) - 3-7, 2.73 ERA, 69.1 IP, 1.28 WHIP, 9.0 K/9, 1.9 WAR
SP Neill Giddens (BOS) - 9-5, 2.07 ERA, 91.1 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 2.8 WAR
SP Jose Lizarde (KC) - 6-4, 3.61 ERA, 109.2 IP, 1.16 WHIP, 9.1 K/9, 3.2 WAR
SP Joe Marlette (TB)* - 8-2, 3.01 ERA, 110.2 IP, 1.00 WHIP, 9.6 K/9, 4.0 WAR
SP Ethan McElvain (BAL) - 6-3, 2.24 ERA, 96.1 IP, 1.08 WHIP, 8.1 K/9, 3.0 WAR
SP Andy Mumford (TOR) - 6-4, 3.04 ERA, 100.2 IP, 1.24 WHIP, 6.6 K/9, 2.5 WAR
SP Wayne Weir (CLE) - 10-5, 2.71 ERA, 126.1 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, 4.0 WAR
SP Joe White (BAL) - 6-8, 4.10 ERA, 116.1 IP, 1.15 WHIP, 15.0 K/9, 3.1 WAR
RP Daniel Cuvet (OAK) - 0-1, 3.69 ERA, 39.0 IP, 0.97 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 0.6 WAR
RP Jorge Ochoa (HOU)* - 7-0, 3.99 ERA, 29.1 IP, 1.12 WHIP, 12.6 K/9, 1.3 WAR
CL William Parra (SEA) - 3-2, 22 SV, 1.91 ERA, 42.1 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 0.8 WAR
CL Jadon Smith (HOU) - 2-1, 27 SV, 2.51 ERA, 46.2 IP, 1.11 WHIP, 10.6 K/9, 0.9 WAR
CL Devon Williams (LAA) - 1-2, 21 SV, 2.83 ERA, 35.0 IP, 1.00 WHIP, 12.1 K/9, 0.5 WAR
C Billy Doughty (TB) - .279/.337/.462, 251 AB, 11 HR, 117 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
C Willie Tellez (CWS) - .260/.316/.477, 258 AB, 13 HR, 112 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
C Raul Vu-Pham (CLE)* - .289/.349/.440, 284 AB, 7 HR, 115 wRC+, 1.6 WAR
1B Salvatore Garza (DET) - .286/.381/.527, 315 AB, 23 HR, 1 SB, 141 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
1B Darius Williams (SA)* - .364/.437/.663, 332 AB, 24 HR, 194 wRC+, 5.2 WAR
2B Patrick Cofield (NYY)* - .298/.366/.512, 332 AB, 15 HR, 3 SB, 136 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
2B Ricky Minjares (MIN) - .297/.350/.483, 300 AB, 13 HR, 2 SB, 124 wRC+, 0.4 WAR
3B Jalen Smith (TEX)* - .285/.357/.592, 319 AB, 26 HR, 1 SB, 150 wRC+, 3.4 WAR
3B Cam Stalker (OAK) - .308/.395/.657, 201 AB, 18 HR, 179 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
3B Patrick Upchurch (HOU) - .313/.367/.617, 326 AB, 28 HR, 159 wRC+, 3.6 WAR
SS Jeremy Begley (TB)* - .282/.332/.528, 358 AB, 24 HR, 19 SB, 130 wRC+, 4.5 WAR
SS D.J. Perez (SA) - .350/.391/.562, 354 AB, 15 HR, 9 SB, 156 wRC+, 3.6 WAR
LF Nate Miller (SEA)* - .265/.310/.480, 344 AB, 19 HR, 6 SB, 112 wRC+, 1.2 WAR
CF Josh Manuel (HOU)* - .325/.383/.596, 342 AB, 20 HR, 14 SB, 161 wRC+, 4.3 WAR
CF Danny Rodriguez (TB) - .293/.363/.508, 297 AB, 16 HR, 28 SB, 135 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
CF Dasadyu Sidhu (BAL) - .312/.365/.463, 324 AB, 8 HR, 22 SB, 122 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
RF Luis Berumen (TB)* - .256/.311/.508, 258 AB, 18 HR, 119 wRC+, 0.7 WAR
RF Tony Fisher (TB) - .254/.348/.526, 331 AB, 25 HR, 1 SB, 136 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
RF Nicodemas Jacobson (HOU)* - .290/.370/.450, 338 AB, 9 HR, 36 SB, 124 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
RF Nelson Muniz (MIN) - .264/.333/.543, 326 AB, 21 HR, 4 SB, 128 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
RF Hector Ruiz (SA) - .298/.373/.524, 319 AB, 17 HR, 141 wRC+, 2.7 WAR

The National League All-Stars will feature these players:

SP Jimmy Carufel (NYM) - 11-6, 3.74 ERA, 110.2 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 7.9 K/9, 1.6 WAR
SP James Hays (LAD)* - 7-6, 2.93 ERA, 113.2 IP, 0.88 WHIP, 11.6 K/9, 2.6 WAR
SP Josh Johnson (MEM) - 7-4, 3.54 ERA, 101.2 IP, 1.13 WHIP, 11.6 K/9, 2.8 WAR
SP Juan Ramires (NYM) - 9-6, 2.80 ERA, 122.1 IP, 1.05 WHIP, 9.3 K/9, 2.9 WAR
SP Guonçallo Ribas (ARI) - 6-2, 2.61 ERA, 93.0 IP, 1.12 WHIP, 9.2 K/9, 2.5 WAR
SP Marco Rivera (MIA) - 6-6, 4.03 ERA, 102.2 IP, 1.35 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 2.0 WAR
SP Henry Williams (SD) - 8-3, 1.96 ERA, 110.0 IP, 1.10 WHIP, 8.1 K/9, 2.8 WAR
RP Drew Christo (MEM) - 2-1, 1.38 ERA, 45.2 IP, 0.99 WHIP, 9.1 K/9, 0.7 WAR
RP Vic Correa (EP) - 4-3, 4.95 ERA, 87.1 IP, 1.66 WHIP, 7.7 K/9, 0.1 WAR
RP Bob Fisher (COL) - 2-2, 4.06 ERA, 44.1 IP, 1.44 WHIP, 7.7 K/9, 0.9 WAR
RP Jesus Ortiz (STL) - 1-0, 2.10 ERA, 51.1 IP, 0.99 WHIP, 8.4 K/9, -0.1 WAR
CL Chris Bohlig (WSH)* - 2-4, 21 SV, 2.29 ERA, 35.1 IP, 1.39 WHIP, 11.7 K/9, 1.4 WAR
CL Eric Lewis (LAD) - 2-4, 25 SV, 2.37 ERA, 30.1 IP, 0.99 WHIP, 12.8 K/9, 0.8 WAR
C Jon Born (NYM) - .273/.332/.478, 249 AB, 13 HR, 121 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
C Jun-young Hong (MIL) - .232/.294/.492, 246 AB, 19 HR, 104 wRC+, 0.8 WAR
C Jonathan Ruelas (SF)* - .318/.383/.490, 239 AB, 11 HR, 140 wRC+, 1.6 WAR
1B John Natson (EP) - .265/.380/.557, 309 AB, 25 HR, 157 wRC+, 3.4 WAR
1B Melvin Olvera (ATL) - .235/.368/.475, 221 AB, 14 HR, 129 wRC+, 1.4 WAR
1B Nate Strickland (STL)* - .336/.396/.616, 333 AB, 25 HR, 171 wRC+, 4.2 WAR
2B Bill Herrera (CIN) - .267/.317/.585, 176 AB, 14 HR, 134 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
2B Jared McCrae (CHC)* - .311/.349/.422, 334 AB, 6 HR, 1 SB, 109 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
2B Cesar Torrescano (PHI) - .272/.339/.553, 313 AB, 21 HR, 3 SB, 136 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
3B Josh Beckelman (PHI)* - .281/.369/.654, 231 AB, 23 HR, 165 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
3B Eddie Leyva (WSH) - .360/.396/.515, 297 AB, 6 HR, 1 SB, 143 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
SS Mike Jennings (SD)* - .332/.373/.533, 229 AB, 7 HR, 8 SB, 147 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
LF Kevin Aguillard (CHC)* - .305/.377/.672, 338 AB, 32 HR, 18 SB, 176 wRC+, 4.1 WAR
LF Melvin Archundia (CHC)* - .375/.427/.808, 360 AB, 45 HR, 103 RBI, 6.3 WAR
LF Quim Faleiro (SD) - .304/.341/.558, 335 AB, 20 HR, 139 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
LF Angel Guterez (SF) - .312/.367/.506, 346 AB, 13 HR, 15 SB, 137 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
LF Alex Rodriguez (MEM) - .282/.386/.612, 309 AB, 28 HR, 1 SB, 167 wRC+, 3.7 WAR
LF Tomas Rojo (NYM) - .275/.361/.560, 309 AB, 27 HR, 1 SB, 151 wRC+, 3.4 WAR
CF Mario Velasguez (PHI)* - .338/.394/.581, 198 AB, 13 HR, 1 SB, 159 wRC+, 1.6 WAR
RF Billy Carlow (CHC) - .307/.369/.550, 329 AB, 20 HR, 1 SB, 147 wRC+, 3.5 WAR
RF Rogelio Fitzgerald (MIL)* - .283/.362/.603, 307 AB, 28 HR, 157 wRC+, 2.4 WAR

Former Rays in italics.

We're well represented on the AL squad with rookies or near-rookies Doughty and D-Rod getting the call for the first time. Elsewhere, it's the 7th appearance for Marlette, the 8th for Begley (first as a Ray), and the 2nd trip for Berumen (a surprise) and Fisher.

The Derby:



The Game:



Not much doing from the Rays' representatives. Marlette did pitch a perfect 1st as the starter, but the position players didn't do a lot. Begley grounded into a pair of double plays although the first one brought the game's first run home, D-Rod was 0-2 including a pop-up with the bases loaded, Berumen reached twice on a walk and HBP, Fisher walked in his only plate appearance, and Doughty only played as a defensive replacement in the 9th.

[Art Deco]

A rough start to the traditional second half of the season as the Rays emerged from the All-Star break losing 3 of 4 in Toronto thanks largely to poor pitching and saw their lead over the Yankees sliced to 1 1/2 games.

The Rays trailed 5-3 after 3 innings in the opener and fought back to equalize, only to lose on a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 9th 6-5 to Toronto. Danny Morales struggled big-time early but settled in to pitch into the 7th, going 6.2 7 5 5 1 8 and the Rays got even on Billy Doughty's single in the 8th as the backstop finished 3-5 with 2 RBI on the day. But in the bottom of the 9th Branden Gammage (3-3) came on to face lefty Hector Carr, and the 23-year-old Jays star took Gammage deep for his second homer of the game to win it. Tony Fisher hit HR #27 in a losing cause.

Once again the Rays came back from an early deficit, this time going ahead 3-2, before succumbing to Toronto 5-3. The Jays took a 2-0 lead against Jake Bridgewater in the second, but he pitched well otherwise and finished 5 6 2 2 1 2. Meanwhile Luis Berumen's 2-run double in the 5th gave Tampa Bay the lead but it all fell apart in the 7th with Branden Gammage (3-4) facing Hector Carr for the second straight night and with the same result as Carr once again took him deep with 2 men on to win the game for Toronto.

After taking a 1-0 lead in the 2nd on Justin Blackwell's 5th homer of the game the Rays were not competitive and lost their third straight to the Jays 6-1. Gabe Bryant (4-4) was decent at 6 4 3 3 2 10 but gave up a couple of costly homers and the bullpen let it get out of hand after that.

Tampa Bay did salvage the finally - just barely - holding on to beat Toronto 8-7 in a wild back-and-forth affair. Chris Ericson wasn't as successful as he was in his first start since returning to the Rays and one thing that he didn't do well last time out (4 walks in 6 IP) returned today as he issued four more free passes and went 3 4 5 5 4 2 to put his team in an early 5-2 hole. But the bats responded powerfully and Billy Doughty's 3-run homer in the 6th (#14) put the Rays up 6-5. Then in the 7th Jeremy Begley (#27) and Luis Berumen (#18) added solo shots to make it 8-5 and that became important when Tony Alicea served up a 2-run shot in the bottom of the 9th while holding on for save #23. Danny Mauricio (1-2) picked up the relief win.

Team record: 55-38. Next up: We'll hope for better results in Baltimore where we'll play a pair against the Orioles.

[Art Deco]

The Rays got a split in Baltimore and thanks to the Yankees losing a pair in Toronto they saw their AL East lead grow to 2 1/2 games.

Tampa Bay's loss in the opener was unfortunate as they fought back from a 3-0 deficit to go ahead 6-3 by the 7th, only to see the bullpen allow 8 runs in the 7th and 8th to send them to an 11-6 loss to the Orioles. Joe Marlette's first post-ASB start was an up-and-down one as he gave up 3 in the first 3 innings but settled in and left up 6-3 with two men on in the 7th. Unfortunately Chad Montgomery (0-1) allowed Marlette's men to score and one of his own and then Branden Gammage had his third straight poor outing, allowing Montgomery's man to score and a couple more of his own. Marlette finished 6.1 6 5 4 1 7 while Danny Rivera's 2-run single looked like the big hit of the game before the Rays let it get away.

The second game started out similarly as the Rays had to come from behind but this time they made it stick, winning 8-4 over Baltimore. Danny Morales (11-5) gave up 3 runs and they trailed 3-2 with Jeremy Begley's 2-run homer (#28) their only offense until the 7th, when they loaded the bases with nobody out. Two men struck out and it looked like the rally would fizzle out, but Danny Arroyave stepped up a belted a grand slam to make it 6-3 and then added a solo shot (#19) for insurance. Morales went 6 7 3 3 2 7 for the win and Begley had a 3-hit day including his round-tripper.

Team record: 56-39. Next up: A pair at home against Toronto.

[Art Deco]

The Rays split another two-game series while the Yankees won both games of theirs, so New York pulls back to within 1 1/2 games ahead of a 3-game series between the teams starting tomorrow at the Trop.

In what turned out to be his final appearance for the Rays Jake Bridgewater was bombed for 8 runs in 2+ innings and Tampa Bay dropped the first of the two-game set 9-5 to Toronto. Bridgewater (3-5) went a brutal 2 7 8 8 1 1 as the Jays put 7 on the board in the 3rd capped by a 3-run homer off Jon Coggin. The Rays did get a 2-run homer from Danny Rivera (#12).

After the game Bridgewater was sent across the country:



Leo Gutierrez was ready to come off the IL and rejoin the rotation, and there were no pitchers I wanted to send down who had options left so someone had to go. Rather than put Bridgewater on waivers he was shopped and the Giants offered up Ramirez, who gives us yet another MLB-ready outfielder to stash at Durham. Ramirez has 65 MLB contact and 55 power, is a 70-rated LF and a 55 basestealer. He was hitting 241/281/422 in limited action with the Giants.

Tampa Bay bounced back to take the second game from Toronto 5-3 behind a strong outing from Gabe Bryant. The righty improved to 5-4, 3.76 after a fine 6 4 1 1 3 6 performance. Stan LeVea did his best to blow it, allowing 2 runs in the 7th and Tony Alicea had to end up coming in for a 2-inning save, his 24th. Bryant was backed by Danny Arroyave, who drove in 3 of the 5 Rays runs on a single and a 2-run double while Agustin Lopez was 2-3 with a double and an RBI.

Team record: 57-40.

[Art Deco]

The Yankees rolled into town for a huge series with the Rays holding a 1 1/2-game lead on them, and when New York left the lead was 2 1/2 thanks to Tampa Bay taking 2 of 3.

Welcome back, Leo Gutierrez. The lefty, who had been out since April, returned from the IL in triumphant fashion, going 8 2 0 0 2 9 and improving to 3-0 as the Rays beat the Yankees by the same score. Braden Gammage got the call in the 9th and shook off his recent bad run by completing the shutout for his 3rd save. All the offense that was needed came on Danny Arroyave's 20th homer of the year in the 4th, a solo shot that stood up until the Rays tacked on 2 more runs in the 7th with Agustin Lopez's RBI double the key hit.

The second game was a marathon but the Rays came out on top when Billy Doughty's solo homer (#15) leading off the bottom of the 14th gave Tampa Bay a 3-2 walk-off win over New York. The Yankees took an early 2-0 lead off Chris Ericson, who went 4 6 2 2 0 2 but the Rays equalized in the bottom of the 4th on a 2-run Danny Arroyave homer (#21) as the third-sacker remained hot. On and on we went from here including 3 scoreless from Tony Alicea in relief on an efficient 26 pitches before Doughty's blow made a winner of Danny Mauricio (2-2), who went two scoreless himself.

The Rays were not competitive in the finale and fell 5-1 to the Yankees. Joe Marlette (8-3) has been in a bit of a slump lately and didn't pitch well today, going 4.2 9 4 4 3 3. Justin Blackwell's 4th-inning solo homer (#6) kept them from being shut out.

Team record: 59-41. Next up: A long 2-week road trip begins with 3 in Boston.

[Art Deco]

Nearly 60 years after the Yankees did it, the Rays committed their own Boston Massacre as they went into Fenway and swept the Red Sox by a combined score of 28-8.

Danny Morales was dominant and so were the Rays' bats in a 9-1 win over Boston in the opener. Morales improved to 12-5, 3.72 after a dazzling 7 4 0 0 1 10 outing and Luis Berumen led the barrage at the plate going 3-5 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI. Justin Blackwell added a 2-run pinch-triple as six different Rays drove in runs.

Tampa Bay raced out to an 8-0 lead in the second game before holding on to prevail 8-5 over the Red Sox. Danny Rodriguez went yard twice (#17 & 18) and drove in three while Luis Berumen homered (#20) and knocked in a pair. Gabe Bryant (6-4) was decent at 6 7 3 3 0 6 and then Danny Mauricio made a mess in the 9th, requiring Tony Alicea to come in and record the game's final out on a three-pitch whiff for his 25th save.

The Rays completed the sweep with an 11-2 rout of Boston. Tony Fisher had a big 3-run homer in the third to put the Rays on top for good and then went deep again (#29) in the 9th, going back-to-back with Jeremy Begley who also hit #29. Begley also added a 2-run single to give him a 3-RBI day while Luis Berumen capped a big series with a 2-run homer (#21). It was easy sailing for Leo Gutierrez (4-0), who was outstanding again at 7 5 2 1 1 5 in his second start back from the IL.

Team record: 62-41. With the Yankees losing a game the Rays upped their lead to 3 1/2 in the division. Next up: An off-day then a trip to Texas to play 3 at San Antonio.

And after the game we made a big trade to bolster the bullpen before the deadline:



Welcome back Eric Lewis for the third time! The long-time veteran closer who has 423 career saves got 51 of them as our closer in both 2033 (as a deadline acquistion then) and 2036 (when he was signed to a 1-year deal). He hasn't lost a step, maintaining his 80/60/65 ratings and with a 9/54 BB/K ratio in 38 IP this year for the Dodgers. Luckily LA wanted Urizar in return and someone would have had to go to make room for Lewis so that worked out. Lewis is a free agent at year's end so we're renting him again, and I'm undecided whether he'll set up Alicea or vice-versa.