general

Rays’ offense shackled by Jays’ Ray

July 12, 2021 general

Monday, 4 a.m. It wasn’t just that Tampa Bay was out pitched on Sunday. They were. It didn’t matter that they were outhit. They were. The worst thing was this: They got out-Rayed. Toronto pitcher Robbie Ray made the Rays look silly, carving them up as the Blue Jays smothered Tampa Bay, 3-1. Perhaps someone […]

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Lowe showing signs of heating up for Rays

July 11, 2021 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. There have been too many times this season that Brandon Lowe didn’t look like a big-league hitter, too many times when he looked like an automatic out in the middle of the batting order, too many times when it seemed that he was being held up by last year’s performance. Maybe, just […]

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Hidden weapon helps Rays to fifth straight

July 10, 2021 general

Saturday, 4 a.m. By now, you know what to expect from Andrew Kittredge. You just don’t know when. He is the Rays’ hidden-card trick. You could see him early in the game, or you could see him late. You could see him in the middle. He is Captain Anytime. And to the opposition, he always […]

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The days that changed a town’s reputation

July 9, 2021 general

Friday, 4 a.m. Call it 500 Days that Shook the World. At least, call it 500 Days that Reinvented Tampa Bay as a sports town. Today, we strut. Today, we are full of ourselves. No one can remember the bad old days of front offices that bumped into each other. No one remembers the draft […]

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July 9, 2021 general

Friday, 4 a.m. Call it 500 Days that Shook the World. At least, call it 500 Days that Reinvented Tampa Bay as a sports town. Today, we strut. Today, we are full of ourselves. No one can remember the bad old days of front offices that bumped into each other. No one remembers the draft […]

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Lightning strikes twice as Bolts win title

July 8, 2021 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. For now, they are champions, again, and that is enough. There is nothing like watching the rehearsed steps of the last team standing, the way it smiles and waves, the way it passes the grand trophy from one player to the next, the dance steps as it moves from one section of […]

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Rays allow no hits, but don’t get a no-hitter

July 8, 2021 general

Thursday,, 3 a.m. Officially, it wasn’t a no hitter. The accountants who run Major League Baseball, the guys who make the rules, say so. On the other hand, did you see any Cleveland hits in the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader sweep by the Tampa Bay Rays? Let’s see. None at the top of the […]

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Who should win the Conn Smythe Trophy?

July 7, 2021 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. So who matters more: the fast Russian who keeps putting the puck into the net, or the big Russian who keeps keeping it out? That has become part of the sub-text of this year’s Stanley Cup finals. Who deserves to win the Conn Smith award: Nikita Kucherov or Andrei Vasilevskiy? The Big […]

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Montreal keeps series alive by beating Bolts

July 6, 2021 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. Blame the posts. Blame the power play. Blame desperation, which the Montreal Canadiens had buckets filled with. Blame missed opportunities, and blame Montreal goaltender Carey Price, and blame the bounce of the puck. For whatever reason, the Canadiens live to fight another day. Montreal staved off elimination the Stanley Cup Finals Monday […]

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Rays win wacky game against Cleveland

July 6, 2021 general

Tuesday, 3 a.m. You can analyze it if you wish. You can compare the metrics, and you can hold it up the light. Still, it comes down to this: Coming from behind is better than falling from ahead. Ask the Tampa Bay Rays, who managed to fit both into their evening on Monday night in […]

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