general

Bolts successful in their return to ice

August 4, 2020 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. Is this really the Stanley Cup playoffs? No fans? A three-on-three overtime? A shootout (the first in the history of the Stanley Cup playoffs)? To the Tampa Bay Lightning, it doesn’t matter. After 806 days without a playoff victory, the team was pleased to take whatever post-season victory it could. The team […]

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Bucs’ Barrett wants big numbers once again

August 4, 2020 general

Tuesday, 3 a.m. Nice number, 12. Nice thought, a dozen. Unless you’re Bucs’ defensive end Shaquil Barrett, whose aim is much higher than that. Granted, 12 sacks is a solid number for a defensive end. A lot of great ends have had had less than that. But for Barrett, 12 means something else is wrong. […]

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Sinking Rays swept by Baltimore

August 3, 2020 general

Monday, 4 a.m. They are a stone in water. Every day, they sink a little farther. The Tampa Bay Rays lost again Sunday, and what else is new? They were swept by the lowly Orioles, a team you wouldn’t exactly confuse with a contender, and their losing streak reached five games — matching last season’s […]

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Baserunning leaves Rays as losers once again

August 2, 2020 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. In a season that is so short, how can a team endure a losing streak that is so long? The Tampa Bay Rays lost their fourth straight game Saturday night, sleepwalking their way to a. 5-4, 11-inning decision against a cellar-dwelling team Baltimore Orioles team. Five games? It doesn’t sound like that […]

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Sloppy play dooms Rays vs. Orioles

August 1, 2020 general

Saturday, 4 a.m. The defense continued to play in its funk, and the old ace continued in his slump, which meant that the team continued on its slide. Pick an adjective. Pick any adjective, but the lackluster play of the Tampa Bay Rays continued Friday night in Baltimore. The Rays lost a 6-3 decision to […]

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Late comeback fizzles as Rays lose again

July 31, 2020 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. What’s the old line? You can’t come back to win them all? Oh, the Tampa Bay Rays are trying. This season, they’ve trailed in six of their seven games. But sometimes, the hole is just too deep — or the other guys make a key play, too — and a losing streak […]

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Rays lose second game as bullpen wobbles

July 30, 2020 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. Are we certain — absolutely certain — that the Tampa Bay Rays team that left Tropicana Field Wednesday is the one that arrived in Atlanta? There were so many odd sights, from Kevin Kiermaier misplaying a fly ball to Willy Adames making a wide throw, that a 7-4 bonking from the Atlanta […]

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Rays win fourth straight behind Churns

July 29, 2020 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. When the discussion turns to a big inning, fans think about offense. They think about runners crossing the plate, and drives into the gap. They think about big hits and changing scoreboards. But for the Tampa Bay Rays, the big inning in Tuesday night’s 5-2 win over Atlanta wasn’t the five-run bottom […]

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Rays bats wake up in big win over Atlanta

July 28, 2020 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. There for a while, it appeared the bats of the Tampa Bay Rays were trying to keep their social distance away from the baseball. Despite winning two of their first three games against Toronto, the Rays simply didn’t hit enough to inspire a lot of confidence. They led after only five of […]

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Kiermaier’s late triple gives the Rays a comeback

July 27, 2020 general

Monday, 4 a.m. I would have bunted him. You would have bunted him. Put it on the ballot and most of America would have bunted Kevin Kiermaier in the bottom of the 10th inning of Sunday’s game against Toronto. And why not? Kiermaier hadn’t had a hit all season (in 11 at-bats), and the Rays […]

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