The 2020 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

We made it through Spring Training with only one injury of note: Sean Forbes strained an oblique and will be out through late April. He was questionable to make the team as the 5th starter anyway, and now that role will go to Jose Mendoza, who looked good in March after coming back from surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow.

A couple of notes: I've deadened the ball this year so offense will be down across the board, just to shake things up. Also we're still negotiating with Mike Barkley and as expected he's driven up his price with our last offer a little bit over $9M. After having to up our offer every 3-4 days early in March, he's gone quiet now for a couple of weeks so we'll see where things go.

One bit of housekeeping before we set the OD roster:



Briones looked good in ST but with Jon Harbour also coming back healthy there wasn't room for him on the roster so we parlayed him into Morales, a 2038 draftee who has a power lefty relief arm (70 stuff). Considering we got Briones for free off waivers, this was a good return.

The Opening Day roster:

C-McKee, Cordova
1B-Alexander
2B-S.Williams
SS-Baez
3B-Beckett
IF-Ruiz, Phillips
LF-Willis
CF-Gregory
RF-Leonard
OF-Mendez, Moyer
DH-Ruggles

SP-Romero, Jackson, Brockman, Willard, Mendoza
LR-J.Perez, Harbour
MR-Toombs, D.Anderson, Burgess
SU-Pretty, C.Williams
CL-Kawase

The big surprise here is that Tony Cordova is the backup catcher and Kevin Morley has been optioned to Durham after spending 3 years as our backup. That's because Cordova was out of options and Morley had one left. Morley's going to have every right to be pissed but I want to keep them both around since Mike McKee is a free agent at year's end.

The preseason predictions:



Looks reasonable to me although the Astros are projected to go 82-80 despite all they added as OOTP does not like their pitching. Note the lower HR totals among the leading hitters.

[Art Deco]

First an update on the Mike Barkley negotiations: they're over. We went to $9.5M and now Barkley wants $23M (!) claiming the Padres have made him a huge offer. Enjoy San Diego Mike, it's a beautiful city.



It wasn't just another Opening Day at Publix Park this year as the Houston Astros came to town, bringing a pair of Rays heroes with them in the person of Jaiden Hardaway and Danny Ayala, in enemy uniforms for the first time. Neither did much against their old team and the good guys won 4-3 thanks to a couple of huge homers. First Josh Alexander took Houston ace Elias Gomez deep with a man on in the 6th to tie the game, and then Jeff Baez won it with a solo shot off Gomez in the 7th. Dan Gregory had a nice debut with a double and Seth Williams notched his first big league hit, a single. Danny Romero turned in a decent start and the bullpen was lights-out with Ed Pretty getting the win after picking up 9 last season, Chris Williams making an impressive Rays debut and Kikuo Kawase doing Kikuo Kawase things.

Game 2: The Rays battled back from an early deficit and beat another old friend to take a 7-4 win over the Astros. Brad Jackson started and was shaky early, giving up 3 runs in the first two innings. But he settled in to finish 5 6 3 3 3 4 and pick up the win when the comeback happened. That comeback started with an RBI single from Jose Mendez off former Ray Kevin Kerstetter to tie it up, and then a 2-run homer from new Ray and one-time Astro Dan Gregory in the 5th put them ahead to stay. Earlier Seth Williams hit his first MLB homer in the 1st and Josh Alexander hit his second in as many games in the 6th. Kikuo Kawase picked up another save with a solid 9th.

Game 3: Jeff Brockman was solid and the bats got the best of still another former Ray to make it 3 wins in 3 with a 5-2 triumph over the Astros. Brockman notched the win going 5.1 4 2 2 2 3, Dan Anderson turned in a valuable (and perfect) 2 1/3 innings of relief and with Kikuo Kawase having gone the last two days Ken Burgess got the call in the 9th and converted his first save of the year. Meanwhile the still ludicrously-hot Jose Mendez took old friend Jon Soranno deep in the 1st, and a 4-run 5th won them the game with a Dan Gregory single tying it, a Seth Williams fielder's choice scoring the go-ahead run, and Pat Moyer's 2-run single capping the inning.

Game 4: You can't win 'em all and thanks to a 5-2 Houston win in the series finale the Rays won't be going 162-0. Josh Alexander's third homer in four games and a Mike McKee RBI double gave the Rays an early 2-0 lead, but Vinny Willard couldn't hold it and Chris Toombs struggled in relief. Willard went 4 7 2 2 2 2 on 92 pitches, while Toombs allowed a couple of runs although they scored from a single off Jordan Perez. Pat Moyer tore an abdominal muscle while doubling in the 4th and will be out 5 weeks.

Team record: 3-1. Next up: 3 at home against the tough Colorado Rockies, who were 2039 World Series winners and a playoff team last year. The series will mark the return of Daniel Vasquez to Publix Park.

[Art Deco]

April 1: Placed OF Pat Moyer on the 10-day IL with a torn abdominal muscle, recalled P Danny Hill from AAA Durham.

Game 1: The Rays scored twice in the 8th to take a 6-4 win over the Rockies at Publix Park. Jimmy Leonard led off the 8th with a double and was singled home by Dan Gregory who came home on a Jeff Baez single to give Tampa Bay the win. Ed Pretty picked up relief win #2 of the very young season and Kikuo Kawase notched save #3. Jose Mendoza started and pitched pretty well, although a couple of homers and a Baez error hurt him in a 7.1 4 4 2 1 6 outing. Earlier Leonard had a 2-run single and Andy Ruggles hit his 1st homer of the year.

Game 2: Danny Romero was dazzling and the Rays took a 5-0 win over Colorado. Romero went 6 2 0 0 3 6 to win his 1st game of the year while Dan Anderson, Chris Williams and Jon Harbour finished out the team shutout. A 4-run 5th got the Rays going as Dan Gregory tripled in a run as part of a 4-hit, 2-steal, 2-RBI day as the All-Star CF has been everything the Rays hoped for and more so far. Seth Williams had an RBI single and Josh Alexander capped the inning with a 2-run double.

Game 3: The Rays completed the sweep with a 4-2 come-from-behind win over the Rockies. Colorado's Manny Garza was dominating the Rays through 6 and held a 2-0 lead but the Rays got to him in the 7th for 3 runs to take the lead with Mike McKee's bases-loaded HBP forcing in a run and then Josh Beckett delivered a 2-run double to put them ahead. Seth Williams added some insurance in the 8th with his 2nd homer. Brad Jackson pitched well, allowing only a couple of solo homers in a 7 6 2 2 0 4 outing and improved to 2-0, and Kikuo Kawase recorded save #4 despite walking a pair in the 9th.

Team record: 6-1. Next up: An off-day then a weekend in the other Bay Area to play the Giants for 3.

MLB News: In a bid to reassemble the mid-'30s Rays, Houston has now signed 3B Bo Angeac to a 1-year, $25M(!) deal, now giving them the highest payroll in MLB at $283M.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays eked out a 4-3 at Oracle Park over the Giants behind a solid start from Jeff Brockman and some key hits. Brockman went 6 7 2 2 1 5 to improve to 2-0 and Kikuo Kawase notched his 5th save despite a very shaky outing which saw him give up a run and end the game with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Eric Phillips came on as a defensive replacement and made a spectacular play to help bail him out. Offensively the big hit of the game was a 2-run Jeff Baez double which tied the game at 2 in the 5th, and Jose Mendez's 2nd HR of the year in the 9th proved to be the difference.

Game 2: The Rays rallied from 5-2 down to tie it in the 8th before succumbing to the Giants 6-5 in 10 innings. Vinny Willard had another start with less than dominating stuff, going 4.2 8 4 2 2 1 which led to an early 5-2 Frisco lead. But Dan Gregory, who had homered (#2) to lead off the game, hit a 2-run triple and Seth Williams followed with an RBI single to equalize in the 8th. Ed Pretty had 2 perfect innings before Jordan Perez was given the ball in the 10th and the righty was terrible, giving up a walk, double and RBI single to the 3 batters he faced as the Giants walked it off.

Game 3: Different day, same result as the Rays lost again in extra innings 7-6, this time in 11. The Rays took an early 6-4 lead in the 5th, overcoming a bad start from Jose Mendoza who allowed 4 runs on 7 hits in an inning-plus. Josh Alexander (#4) and Jimmy Leonard (#1) homered and Mike Willis hit a 2-run triple to lead the comeback. Jon Harbour was excellent in long relief, going 5 3 1 1 0 3 but Chris Williams gave up the tying homer in the 8th and although Chris Toombs got through the 9th and 10th, he couldn't stop the Giants in the 11th. And the Rays had injury added to insult when Ken Burgess had to leave in the 7th and it turns out he needs surgery for bone chips in his elbow which will shelve him until at least September.

Team record: 7-3, 1/2 game behind the hot-starting Orioles who are 8-3. Next up: 3 games on the South Side of Chicago against the White Sox.

[Art Deco]

The opener was rained out so we played a doubleheader the next day.

April 8: Placed P Ken Burgess on the 60-day IL with surgery to remove bone chips in elbow, recalled P Alex Stephens from AAA Durham.

Game 1: The Rays got a rare bad Danny Romero start and despite a good game from the offense they lost a high-scoring affair 11-7 to the White Sox, their third straight defeat after starting the year 7-1. It looked like the Rays' day in the 1st when Jimmy Leonard slugged a 3-run HR (#2) but Romero gave the 3 runs back in the bottom of the 1st and was hit hard from there, finishing 4 9 6 6 1 2 and falling to 1-1. The relief was no relief either as Dan Anderson, Alex Stephens and Danny Hill combined to allow 5 more runs. Jeff Baez drove in 3 with a single and a homer (#2) in a losing cause.

Game 2: The Rays snapped their 3-game losing streak in the nightcap thanks to a 12-3 thrashing of the Pale Hose. A balanced 14-hit attack was led by Dan Gregory (3-5 with a triple and 2 RBI), Jimmy Leonard (3-5 with 2 doubles and an RBI), Seth Williams (a bases-clearing triple) and Andy Ruggles (HR #3). Brad Jackson shook off a slow start (3 runs in the first 4 innings) and finished 7.2 7 3 3 1 5 to go to 3-0, 3.66.

Game 3: Jeff Brockman was brilliant and the bats feasted again in a 9-0 win at Guaranteed Rate Field over Chicago. The game was effectively over after the Rays put 5 on the board in the 2nd on a 2-run Mike McKee double and a 3-run Jeff Baez homer (#3). McKee later added another 2-run double and Seth Williams went yard for #3. Brockman meanwhile went 6.2 3 0 0 2 4 and is 3-0, 2.00, and Jon Harbour went the final 2 1/3 to complete the shutout.

Team record: 9-4. Next up: An off-day then the road trip which started all the way out in San Francisco heads to Toronto for 3.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays took a wild and crazy game from Toronto in the opener at Rogers Centre, finally winning 6-5 in 11 innings after taking their third lead after the 8th inning. Vinny Willard was better today (6.1 5 3 3 0 6) but Toronto had a 3-0 lead after 5 before Jimmy Leonard had a 2-run triple in the 6th to cut it to 3-2. Jeff Baez hit a dramatic 9th inning homer (#4) to tie it up then with two out Seth Williams doubled and Josh Alexander singled him home to give the Rays a 4-3 lead. But Kikuo Kawase hasn't been his usual untouchable self this year and blew the lead to let Toronto tie. No problem as Mike Willis put the Rays ahead 5-4 in top of the 10th with an RBI single, but then Ed Pretty blew the save in the bottom of the inning. Finally Alexander hit HR #5 in the top of the 11th and Pretty saved his own vultured win, his 3rd of the year.

Game 2: With his 80 stuff Jose Mendoza has always been a bit of a tease, struggling to find consistency. But he put it all together today in a 2-0 shutout of the Blue Jays, going to distance on a 3-hitter, walking 2 and fanning 9 on 119 pitches. His outing was huge to give the "A" bullpen a rest after last night's extra-inning affair and he's now 1-0, 3.12 on the season. He received all the support he needed in the 7th when Andy Ruggles hit HR #4 and Eric Phillips followed a few batters later with his first Rays homer.

Game 3: Danny Romero was locked in and the Rays completed the sweep of Toronto with a 5-1 win. Romero was 7 3 1 1 1 7 to improve to 2-1, 3.91, bouncing back after his terrible start in Chicago last time out. Alex Stephens was given the ball in the 9th with the 4-run lead but put two men on with one out so Kikuo Kawase had to be called in for save #6, but not after walking a man to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. Seth Williams was the star on offense, falling a homer short of the cycle and has now hit in all 16 MLB games in which he's played. Josh Alexander was 2-4 with another homer (#6) and Jose Mendez's RBI single put the Rays ahead to stay as they got to old friend Jon Hayes, now a Jay.

Team record: 12-4. Next up: An off-day then we finally return home to take on Baltimore for 3.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays returned to Publix Park after a long road trip and made themselves right at home by blasting Baltimore 11-2. Former Oriole Brad Jackson overcame allowing 2 runs in the first 3 innings by going 6 6 2 2 1 10 to improve to 4-0, 3.51 and Jordan Perez fanned 5 over 3 scoreless innings for his first 2041 save. The 11 runs came on 15 hits and none of them were homers with Seth Williams and Josh Beckett each driving in 3, Josh Alexander had a 2-run double and Mike McKee and Dan Gregory collected 3 hits apiece.

Game 2: Jeff Brockman was sharp and Ramon Ruiz hit a 2-run homer off former Ray Jeremy Curtis for the game's only runs in a 2-0 win over the Orioles. Brockman was 6 6 0 0 3 8 to go to 4-0, 1.50 on the young season and Kikuo Kawase recorded his 7th save despite walking a pair as he's battled his control this year with 7 walks in 9.2 IP. Ruiz's homer came in the bottom of the 3rd and was one of only 3 hits the Rays managed tonight and it marked the first MLB game in which Seth Williams did not have a hit.

Game 3: Tampa Bay scored 5 times in the 1st inning and never looked back in a 9-2 drubbing of Baltimore to sweep the series and extend their winning streak to 8 games. Andy Ruggles was 3-3 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI, Josh Beckett had a bases-clearing double in the 1st to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, and Dan Gregory was on base 3 more times and leads the AL with 1.5 WAR to date. Vinny Willard gave up 2 runs on 5 hits over the first 2 innings and then was unhittable after that, finishing 7.1 5 2 2 1 5 to pick up his first win of the year.

Team record: 15-4. Next up: Boston visits for 3.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Jimmy Leonard single-handedly beat the Red Sox today as he homered twice and drove in all 5 runs in a 5-4 win at Publix Park. The RF doubled his homer total for the season with a 2-run shot in the 2nd and a 3-run blast in the 3rd. That was enough for Jose Mendoza, who wasn't quite as sharp as in his shutout last time out, but despite allowing 3 homers minimized the damage in a 5.2 7 4 4 2 11 outing to improve to 2-0. Kikuo Kawase picked up save #8 and looked more like his old self, getting Boston 1-2-3 with 2 whiffs.

Game 2: A 4-run 4th inning and fine pitching from Danny Romero enabled the Rays to extend their winning streak to double digits with a 7-2 victory. Romero was 7.1 4 2 2 3 6 to up his record to 3-1, 3.56 and Josh Beckett was the hitting star, going 3-4 with 2 RBI while making it 19 straight games with a hit. Mike McKee was 2-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI as well.

Game 3: The new-look Rays might not homer as much as they used to, relying more on pitching and defense for a change, but they belted 3 dingers today to support the shutout pitching of Brad Jackson in a 5-0 win, the team's 11th straight. Jackson was excellent and efficient going 9 5 0 0 0 6 on 110 pitches for his first complete game shutout as a Ray and improved to 5-0, 2.60. Josh Beckett extended his hitting streak to 20 in grand fashion by belting a 2-run shot to get the Rays on the board in the 2nd, his 1st of the year and Dan Gregory followed with a 2-run blast of his own (#3). Ramon Ruiz hit his 2nd with the bases empty to round out the scoring.

Team record: 18-4. Next up: Kansas City comes to town for 3.

[Art Deco]

With all the new players, here's a team photo so you can put the faces to the names:

[Art Deco]

Game 1: I'm enjoying this season way more than the last one, as even though we still won 108 games in 2040 the run prevention this year has made things considerably less aggravating, and tonight was a prime example as the Rays took a 1-0 win over Kansas City, their 12th straight. I can't remember the last 1-0 game we won but Jeff Brockman was great again (6 2 0 0 2 8 to lower his ERA to 1.20) and Dan Anderson ended up with the win after a scoreless 7th when Mike McKee picked a great time to hit his first homer of the season. Kikuo Kawase seems back in form as he struck out the side in the 9th for save #9.

Game 2: The Rays jumped out to early leads of 4-0 and 7-2 but then the game turned into something from 2040 as Vinny Willard and Jon Harbour got knocked around in a 6-run 4th and the Royals ended up winning a 12-11 slugfest snapping Tampa Bay's 12-game win streak. Jimmy Leonard's 3-run HR (#5) in the bottom of the 4th put the Rays back up 10-8 but Chris Williams gave up 2 runs in the 7th and Ed Pretty 2 more in the 8th to take the loss. Andy Ruggles (#5) and Josh Alexander (#8) hit solo homers and Mike McKee had a bases-clearing double but for one time this season, the pitching and defense (17 hits allowed) truly let them down.

Game 3: Jose Mendoza was inefficient but effective as the Rays bounced back from last night's loss with a 7-2 win in the Wednesday afternoon getaway game. Mendoza went 5 4 2 2 3 7 on 106 pitches to improve to 3-0, 3.86 and he had plenty of offense backing him. Andy Ruggles (#6) and Josh Alexander (a 2-run shot for #8) went deep in a 3-run first and hit their second homers in as many days and Josh Beckett was 2-4 with an RBI to extend his hitting streak to 22 games and up his batting average to .372.

Team record: 20-5. Next up: An off-day then we head to Boston for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

The Friday night game was rained out so we played a doubleheader on Saturday.

Game 1: Danny Romero was solid as usual and the Rays took the first game of the doubleheader over Boston at Fenway Park 7-3. Romero improved to 4-1, 3.50 by going 5.2 6 2 2 2 6 and Chris Williams picked up his first Rays save with 2 perfect innings, staying in for the 9th after the lead expanded. Jeff Baez had the game's biggest hit, a bases-clearing double in a 5-run 4th inning, and Andy Ruggles added HR #7 while Mike Willis was 2-4 with a steal and an RBI double.

Game 2: With the doubleheader being played and no off-days for the next turn through the rotation, Jordan Perez was given the ball for a spot start in the nightcap and was very good as the Rays got the DH sweep with a 10-3 win. Perez went 6 3 1 1 5 6 and notched his first win this season. The Rays pounded out 10 extra-base hits among their 16 with Josh Alexander (an MLB-best #9) and Dan Gregory (#4, part of a 3-hit day) each hitting 2-run homers while Tony Cordova got his first 3 hits of the season including two doubles and drove in one. Josh Beckett also doubled twice and drove in a run to extend his hitting streak to 24 games.

Game 3: Brad Jackson nearly pitched his second consecutive shutout in a 7-0 win to sweep the series from Boston. Jackson entered the 9th at 106 pitches and stayed in, and should have had it but a Josh Alexander error with 2 out loaded the bases and Jackson was on 126 pitches so Alex Stephens was summoned for the final out. Still an 8.2 3 0 0 3 8 line is nothing to sneeze at and Jackson has won all 6 of his starts this season with a 2.08 ERA. Andy Ruggles doubled twice and drove in a run, Jimmy Leonard had a 2-run single and Mike McKee was 2-4 with an RBI. The only down note was that Josh Beckett's 24-game hitting streak came to an end after going 0-4, although he did drive in a run on a fielder's choice.

Team record: 23-5. Next up: 4 games in Kansas City.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Jeff Brockman continues to be MLB's stingiest pitcher and the Rays got the offense they needed in a 5-0 win in the series opener at Kansas City. Brockman was 5.1 5 0 0 2 5 on 95 pitches to improve to 5-0 with an MLB-best 1.02 ERA. The Dans (Anderson and Hill) pitched the final 3 2/3 to complete the shutout. Josh Beckett was the hitting star, going 2-3 with an RBI single to get the Rays on the board and then a 2-run HR (#2) in the 4th.

Game 2: The Rays shellacked the Royals 10-1 to make it 6 straight wins and 18 of 19 behind the bat of Seth Williams and the arm of Vinny Willard. Willard, who's had his ups and downs so far, was up today going 6.2 7 1 1 1 4 to go to 2-0, 4.41. Williams meanwhile was 3-5 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI as the team banged out 6 doubles in all. Andy Ruggles and Jose Mendoza each drove in a pair with doubles as well. The only unfortunate moment was that Jeff Baez suffered one of his semi-regular injuries (he's "wrecked" after all), straining his back which will shelve him for 2 weeks.



May 1: Placed SS Jeff Baez on the 10-day IL with a strained back, recalled IF Jon Callahan from AAA Durham.

Callahan, acquired with Josh Beckett in the deal which sent Bo Angeac to Arizona before the 2039 season, gets the call for the first time and will serve as the IF backup with Ramon Ruiz taking over at SS.

Game 3: Seth Williams celebrated his Rookie of the Month honors by staking a claim to May's award with a huge game as the Rays pulled away from Kansas City 11-4. Williams was 4-6 with a HR (#4) and 3 RBI to lead a 17-hit attack which featured 8 extra-base hits. Josh Alexander hit HR #10 and drove in 3, Josh Beckett was 3-4 with 2 RBI and Mike Willis doubled and tripled among his 3 hits and scored 3 runs. Jose Mendoza started and had a rough 3rd allowing 4 runs to put the Rays briefly behind but stuck around long enough to get the win, finishing 5 4 4 4 3 10 to improve to 4-0, 4.36.

Game 4: The Rays swept the 4-game series from Kansas City, extended their winning streak to 8 and made it 20 wins in 21 with a 7-4 victory. They trailed 3-2 going into the 7th before a 5-run 7th put them in charge, capped by a bases-clearing Jimmy Leonard double. They were double-happy again, hitting 7 of them as Leonard had also hit one earlier knocking in 2 to give him a 5-RBI day. Mike McKee added a pair himself. Danny Romero notched the win after going 6 3 3 2 3 3 and is now 5-1, 3.43 and Kikuo Kawase was needed for the first time in 10 days to get his 10th save.

Team record: 27-5. We have the best record in MLB of course but the Houston Astros (or Rays West as they should be known) have been hot and are now 22-10 after starting the year by losing 3 of 4 to us. Next up: the road trip continues with 3 in Baltimore.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays survived a bullpen meltdown, losing a 6-2 lead, but eventually prevailed 8-7 in 17 innings over the Orioles to keep the win streak alive at 9 and 21 of 22. They did suffer a key injury though as All-Star C Mike McKee broke a cheekbone in a collision at second base and will be out 6 weeks. Good thing we kept Kevin Morley around. Josh Alexander's 11th HR of the year, a 446-ft blast to right center, was the game-winner and Alexander's 5th hit of the day. Jimmy Leonard also homered (#6) and drove in a pair as Brad Jackson was very good (6 4 2 2 1 6) but Dan Anderson and Chris Williams combined to allow 5 Oriole runs in the 7th with the latter giving up a grand slam to a lefty hitter. This actually put the Rays behind but they managed to tie it in the 8th on a wild pitch and then we slogged through 8 extra innings with Jon Harbour turning in 4 scoreless and Jordan Perez going the final 3 without allowing a run for his 2nd win.

May 4: Placed C Mike McKee on the 10-day IL with a fractured cheekbone, recalled C Kevin Morley from AAA Durham.

Game 2: The Rays took a 9-5 win to bring their latest streak to 10 games in a game that really wasn't that close. Jeff Brockman gave up a couple of runs to increase his microscopic ERA but was still dominant in a 6 5 2 2 1 11 outing to go to 6-0, 1.31. Jose Mendez was the star on offense, driving in 4 including a 3-run homer (#3) to break a 1-1 tie in the 3rd. Mike Willis added his first homer of the year and Ramon Ruiz contributed a 2-run shot (#3). Things got a bit dicey in the 9th when Danny Hill gave up 3 runs, Alex Stephens struggled and Chris Toombs was finally called on and fanned his only batter for the final out and save #1.

Game 3: Like Game 1 a bullpen meltdown sent us to extra innings but unlike Game 1 it didn't take long to win it as the Rays won their 11th straight and 23rd in their last 24 6-3 at Camden Yards. Andy Ruggles had a career game with 3 homers and 5 RBI, including a 2-run shot in the 10th after Josh Alexander had tripled in the game-winner. Ruggles now has 10 longballs on the year as he joins many others as the Rays' single-game HR record holder. Vinny Willard started and pitched quite well, not allowing a hit through 4 and finishing 6.1 3 1 1 1 4. He would have had the win but Ed Pretty blew the save in the 9th, allowing 2 runs and loading the bases with one out although to his credit he got a pair of whiffs to end the inning and keep the game alive so that Alexander and Ruggles could come through. With Kikuo Kawase still tired from a lengthy outing in Game 1 Alex Stephens closed the door in the 10th for his first MLB save.

Team record: 30-5, and if they can win their next 5 they'll equal the 1984 Tigers' MLB-record 35-5 start to a season. Next up: 3 at home vs Arizona.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays' win streak looked like it would be over at 11 as Arizona took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the 9th but Andy Ruggles had other ideas, drilling a 3-run homer (#11) to give the Rays a 5-4 walk-off win. The homer extended Ruggles' hit streak to 19 and the team's win streak to 12. Danny Hill got the win in relief, his first, and the Rays overcame an action-packed start from Jose Mendoza, who had an unusual line of 4.1 3 4 1 4 11 and left in a 3-run 5th which saw him walk his last 3 batters faced, including one with the bases loaded. Seth Williams had HR #5 in the 7th.

Game 2: Deja vu all over again as Jimmy Leonard's 2-run HR (#7), this time in the bottom of the 8th, rescued the Rays in a 3-2 win. It was a matchup of Rays aces past and present as Arizona sent Nate Schultz to the mound to face Danny Romero, and the pair lived up to billing as Schultz held Tampa Bay to 1 run (another Seth Williams HR, his 6th) and 5 hits over 7 innings while Romero went 7 3 2 2 1 10. Dan Anderson ended up with win #2 and Kikuo Kawase continued to shake off his early-season wildness by getting the Snakes 1-2-3 with 2 whiffs in the 9th.

Game 3: No need for late-game heroics today as Jimmy Leonard picked up where he left off the night before with 2 more homers, including a 3-run shot in the 1st, to give him 9 and give the Rays a 9-4 win. Their latest win streak now sits at 14 and they've remarkably won 26 of their last 27 games (the only loss in that span a 12-10 shootout with the Royals). Arizona followed up last night's starter Nate Schultz with a pitcher named Nate Scholz (I am not making this up), and this Nate did not last long. Josh Alexander drove in a pair with a double and a single and Jose Mendez had 3 hits. Brad Jackson went to 7-0 with another dominating outing (7 6 2 0 2 12) and the Rays are now two wins away from matching the 1984 Tigers for the best start in MLB history.

Team record: 33-5. Next up: An off-day then the Yankees visit for 3.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Consecutive win #15 and win #27 in 28 games was achieved tonight with a 7-2 thumping of the Yankees at Publix Park. With the win the Rays improved to 34-5, one win short of the all-time MLB best start set by the 1984 Tigers. The Rays got to business right away with the red-hot Jimmy Leonard (#10) and Josh Alexander (#12) hitting 2-run homers in the first to offset a 2-run shot by former Ray Jon Jimenez off Jeff Brockman in the top of the 1st. The Jimenez homer was the first Brockman has allowed this season. Dan Gregory also went deep with a man on (#6) and Brockman was stingy after the early homer going 6 5 2 2 1 7 to go to 7-0, 1.52.

Game 2: History was on the line tonight as the Rays sought to equal the MLB record for best start to a season and they took a 4-3 lead into the 9th. But their most reliable player of the last 7-8 years, closer Kikuo Kawase, blew the save in the 9th and the Yankees won 5-4, leaving the 1984 Tigers as still the best-starting team in MLB history as the Rays couldn't equal their 35-5 mark. Kawase gave up a leadoff double, a walk, a sac bunt and then a 2-run single in his 2nd blown save of the season. Vinny Willard started and wasn't that sharp, going 5 6 3 3 4 3, but Seth Williams drove in a pair and Mike Willis doubled and tripled, driving in a run to give them what normally would be a secure lead.

Game 3: The Rays bounced back to win today and this time the bullpen did the job, nursing a 3-2 lead from the 6th inning on and holding that score. Jose Mendoza started and had his usual mix of walks and Ks, going 5.1 6 2 2 3 8 to improve to 4-0, 4.01 and move into 2nd in the AL in whiffs at 63, and then 4 relievers (including Chris Toombs, who got Dan Anderson out of a two-on, nobody-out jam in the 7th) held New York at bay with Kikuo Kawase forgetting last night's blown lead by getting the Yankees in the 9th for his 12th save. Jose Mendez supplied most of the offense, going 3-4 with a double and 2 runs scored and Josh Beckett singled in what proved to be the difference-making run.

Team record: 35-6. Next up: An off-day then 2 games in Columbus against the always-tough Lightning, off to an excellent 28-12 start of their own.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: It was the Danny Romero show at Nationwide Ballpark in Columbus as the Rays' lefty threw a 1-hit shutout in a 5-0 Tampa Bay win. Romero threw a "Maddux", shutting out the Lightning on only 85 pitches in a 9 1 0 0 2 5 outing in which he was on only 48 pitches through 6. It was his 5th career shutout and first since 2038. Ramon Ruiz was the unlikely offensive hero, homering to lead off the 7th to break a scoreless tie with his 4th, and Kevin Morley followed with his first of the season to make it 2-0. Ruiz then singled in a run in the 9th before Josh Alexander homered with a man on (#13) to break it open. And they did pass the 1984 Tigers for the best 42-game start at 36-6 as Detroit lost three straight that year after starting 35-5.

Game 2: Things didn't look great early after Brad Jackson was tagged for 3 runs and the Rays trailed 3-1 after 7 as they were being shut down by the Lightning's Omar Sanchez. But a 3-run rally in the 8th off Sanchez gave them a 4-3 win as they improved to an incredible 37-6. RBI singles from Josh Alexander and Mike Willis tied it up, and Ramon Ruiz's sac fly brought home Alexander with the game-winner. Jackson finished 5.2 4 3 3 2 3 and former Bolt Jordan Perez picked up the win in relief, his 3rd, while Kikuo Kawase nailed down save #13.

Team record: 37-6. Next up: An off-day then we visit Yankee Stadium for 3 over the weekend.

[Art Deco]

So we're off to a 37-6 start, everything humming along, and then we get this on the off-day:



Time and place, dude.

Game 1: Whatever Mendez's misgivings may be, the team was unfazed by it as they scored 5 times in the 1st, 5 more in the 2nd and twice more in the 3rd as they rolled the Yankees 12-2. And who had the big hit in the first inning to break the game open? None other than the maligned Jimmy Leonard, who hit a grand slam (#11) and also doubled in a run in the 2nd. You don't have to run out a homer, I guess. Josh Alexander also drove in 3 with a 2-run double and a single and Dan Gregory added a 2-run shot (#6) in the 2nd. Jeff Brockman (you don't know how many times I have to stop myself from typing his first name as "Kent") went 7 2 0 0 0 5, improved to 8-0 and lowered his already puny ERA to 1.33.

And then after the game, this happens:



So I guess we're going to try to be the 1973 A's or the 1978 Yankees here. As you can see I opted to suspend Leonard with the other options being "do nothing" (not sure that's wise) or "release player" (fat chance as Leonard's an elite player, 2nd in the league in OPS). I will note I shopped him to see what I could get in trade and while there wasn't anything I liked among a return in prospects, there were several regular MLBers who were very attractive. We'll see how things go when Leonard comes back.

May 18: Activated OF Pat Moyer from his rehab assignment at AAA Durham.

He'll take the open roster spot with Leonard on the restricted list, keeping an extra pitcher (most likely Alex Stephens) up for now.

Game 2: After yesterday's drama the Rays turned in a subdued performance at the plate and suffered a rare 2041 defeat, falling 3-2 to New York. Josh Alexander was the only one swinging a decent stick, doubling and homering (#14), with Jose Mendez (whom I'm just as mad at about the whole Leonard incident as Leonard himself) going 0-3 in Leonard's spot in RF. Vinny Willard started and was so-so, going 6 5 3 3 0 2 and taking his first loss this season.

May 19: Activated SS Jeff Baez from the 10-day IL, optioned IF Jon Callahan to AAA Durham.

Game 3: The Rays bounced back and took a tight 4-0 win over the Yankees behind 6 2/3 shutout innings from Jose Mendoza, who turned in a very atypical contact-dominated line of 6.2 3 0 0 3 2 and improved to 6-0, 3.47. In fact Mendoza's two strikeouts didn't come until the 7th inning right before he departed after a walk. They held a slim 1-0 lead most of the game after Eric Phillips singled in a run in the 2nd and didn't get comfortable until the 9th when Seth Williams hit a 2-run homer (#7). Chris Williams got the final out of the 8th and then stayed on when there was no save situation for Kikuo Kawase so he got one instead, his 3rd.

Team record: 39-7. Next up: An off-day then we return home to play a pair against the Dodgers.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: The Rays got past a rough early inning from Danny Romero to take an 8-4 win over the Dodgers at Publix Park. Romero served up a 3-run dinger to NL HR champ Kevin Crater in the 3rd, but the Rays fought back thanks in large part to Andy Ruggles, who hit a 3-run HR in the 1st (#12) and then doubled in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the 4th. Jeff Baez added a 2-run double for insurance in the 8th and Romero got the win despite going 6 6 4 4 1 5 as he went to 7-1.

Game 2: Today's game was almost a carbon copy of yesterday's with the Rays' starter getting into early HR trouble but the offense storming back and the final score was almost the same as they won 7-4. Brad Jackson gave up 3 runs in the 4th on homers to former Rays Dayle Jenkins and Eric Titcombe but like yesterday the Rays immediately responded, this time putting up 4 in the bottom of the inning keyed by RBI hits from Kevin Morley (who was 3-4) and Mike Willis. Josh Alexander had a pair of RBI singles and Seth Williams drove in 3 with a single and a fielder's choice. Jackson got the win just like Romero yesterday despite not pitching great as his 6 5 4 4 2 5 line improved his record to 8-0, 2.51. Kikuo Kawase nailed down save #14.

Team record: 41-7. Next up: 4 games in Cleveland.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: Jeff Brockman remained untouchable as he led the Rays to a 7-0 win in the series opener at Cleveland. Brockman was 6.2 3 0 0 1 6 and trimmed his ERA to a Bob-Gibson-in-1968-like 1.18 to go with a 9-0 record as a Cy could be in sight for him. Josh Alexander gave him all the support he'd need with a 3-run homer in the 1st (#15) and Ramon Ruiz added a 2-run shot (#5).

May 24: Activated OF Jimmy Leonard from the restricted list, optioned P Alex Stephens to AAA Durham.

Looks like we had the optimal outcome from Leonard's suspension:



We're all one big happy family now, Kumbaya and all that.

Game 2: After rescuing the rotation upon joining it in mid-season last year, Vinny Willard has been the weak link this season, and he and Chris Toombs couldn't hold a 6-1 lead as the Rays fell 7-6. They hit four doubles in a 6-run 2nd with Kevin Morley's driving in a pair but Willard gave Cleveland 3 runs back in the 4th and limped to a 5 9 4 4 1 2 outing which sees his ERA at 4.42 amid an alarming drop in whiffs, only 33 in 55 IP after averaging nearly a K an inning in the past. Chris Toombs, who had a rough year last year but has pitched well this season, had a rough outing in relief, allowing a pair of homers for Cleveland to go ahead and the offense couldn't come back.

Game 3: Jose Mendoza got over a tough first inning and led the Rays to a taut 4-2 win to keep them from falling into a losing streak. Mendoza walked 3 in the first, including one with the bases loaded to put Cleveland briefly ahead, but was locked in after that and finished 6 4 1 1 3 7 to improve to 7-0, 3.25 as he's been on a nice run of late. Kikuo Kawase notched his 15th save with a clean 9th. Jimmy Leonard swung the big bat today, homering in the 4th (#12) and doubling and scoring in the 2nd while Jeff Baez contributed a 2-run double in the 3-run 2nd.

Game 4: Like in the second game the Rays built a big early lead and watched Cleveland come back, but this time they held on to take a 9-6 win and 3 of 4 in the series. Tampa Bay was up 8-0 after 2 innings with some sloppy play by Cleveland contributing. Jimmy Leonard had another big game, going 3-5 with a double and 2 RBI, Josh Beckett drove in a pair and Seth Williams had a 3-hit game. Danny Romero started and was rolling until the wheels came off in the 6th and Cleveland pulled within 8-6. A Ramon Ruiz error opened the door for the runs to score, but Romero was hit hard and finished 5.2 7 6 1 1 3. He still picked up the win to go 8-1, and Chris Williams had a 2-inning save (#4) to preserve the win. One bit of bad news, though: Dan Gregory, who has almost single-handedly turned us into a decent defensive club, strained his forearm making a throw to the plate in that 6th inning and suffered a "moderate" injury for 2 weeks. Theoretically he could play through it but there's no need, so off to the IL he goes.

Team record: 44-8. Next up: 3 at home vs Toronto.

[Art Deco]

May 27: Placed OF Dan Gregory on the 10-day IL with a strained forearm, recalled P Alex Stephens from AAA Durham.

Game 1: The Jays dealt the Rays a rare loss before a Memorial Day crowd at Publix Park 4-2. It was a frustrating affair for the Rays, who had baserunners galore (13 hits + 3 walks) but couldn't get the hits when they counted and left 13 on base. In fact the only way they scored was via the homer with Jeff Baez hitting a solo shot (#5) in the 8th and Pat Moyer (#1) doing likewise in the 9th. Brad Jackson suffered his first loss of the season against eight wins after going 5.1 8 3 3 2 5.

Game 2: The Rays snapped back to take a 7-4 win over Toronto thanks to three solo homers after the Jays had come back to tie the game at 4. Jose Mendez broke the deadlock with HR #4 then Jimmy Leonard followed suit in the 7th with #13 and Kevin Morley hit one in the 8th (#2). They built an early 4-0 lead in large part on Mike Willis's 2-run single but Jeff Brockman proved human in 2041 by allowing 4 runs in 5 innings, twice as many as he's allowed in any of his starts this year. But thanks to Mendez & Co, he still went to 10-0 even though his 5.2 8 4 4 1 1 brought his ERA up to 1.62. The pen took it from there and Kikuo Kawase grabbed save #16 with 3 whiffs in the 9th.

May 29: Optioned P Alex Stephens to AAA Durham, recalled P Billy Haroutunian from AAA Durham.

Haroutunian, once the top prospect in baseball when he was in the Arizona system and the #1 overall pick in 2036, finally gets his call to the Rays after a season and a half at Durham. He'd been a starter there and while his numbers weren't eye-popping (although he won his last two starts allowing only 2 runs in 16 IP) he's a power arm who will pitch in relief for us with 70 stuff and 75 stamina.

Game 3: Tampa Bay dropped its first series this year since losing 2 out of 3 in San Francisco a week into the season after they were edged 2-1 by Toronto. The bats had a rare quiet night, held to 5 hits with the only run coming on Josh Beckett's 3rd homer of the year leading off the 5th. Vinny Willard started and continued to search for his strikeout pitch but got through things to the tune of 6 8 2 2 0 2, falling to 2-2, 4.28.

Team record: 45-10. Next up: 4 games at home vs Minnesota.