general

The basic question: Will Winston be better?

September 5, 2019 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. Despite the interceptions, there is faith. Despite the fumbles, there is hope. His offensive line is made of spackle, and his running backs are held together with duct tape. There are too many losses on his resume, too many games where he came up short.The defense gives up too many points. And […]

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Bucs’ defense to welcome back David, Vea

September 4, 2019 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. When the Tampa Bay Bucs make their first effort to prove there is really something improved about their defense, they will have two of their most important weapons back in the lineup. Lavonte David? Healthy. Vita Vea? Healthy. It will help a defense that has been (mostly) abysmal for years as the […]

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Rays’ bullpen salvages split against Baltimore

September 4, 2019 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. They won one. They lost one. Was it enough? They had a game when they didn’t hit. They had a game where their pitching dominated. Was it enough? That’s the thing about the Tampa Bay Rays. It’s hard to say if an afternoon of playing .500 ball against one of the league’s […]

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Pham’s scowl allows Rays to keep smiling

September 3, 2019 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. The look on his face seems to suggest that Tommy Pham is usually fairly ticked off. His face twists into that of a boxer’s, and his eyes glow as if they were lasers, and his jaw muscles tighten. For the Rays, it is the face they love. Check the 10th inning of […]

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Can the Bucs be significantly better in 2019?

September 3, 2019 general

Tuesday, 3 a.m. As they prepare to launch another voyage, there are two questions that really matter to fans of the Tampa Bay Bucs. Are they better? And are they good? The first part of that seems to be a positive answer. There was a new energy in this training camp, and the defensive plan […]

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Morton guides the Rays back into the Wild Card lead

September 2, 2019 general

Monday, 4 a.m. Perhaps the Tampa Bay Rays belong in the American League playoffs, after all. After spending most of the last month making you wonder, the Rays swept one of their most important series of the season Sunday, beating the Cleveland Indians. 8-2. It was the Rays’ third straight win over Cleveland (fourth straight […]

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At this moment, the Rays are good (but hang on)

September 1, 2019 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. Do you have them figured out yet? The puzzling Tampa Bay Rays are at their best after they have been at their worst. And just when they convince you they are good, they prove that they are not. They are Team Contrarian, defying whatever you may believe of them. Trust them at […]

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Pruitt’s big start leads the Rays to a shutout victory

August 31, 2019 general

Saturday, 4 a.m. With other pitchers blowing up around him, with the pitching mound turning into a minefield, whoever would have expected this? Austin Pruitt. Star. Pruitt, the Rays’ up-and-down reliever, entered the game with a 5.57 ERA. He hadn’t started a game in two seasons. In a crucial game against Cleveland, he didn’t figure […]

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USF blasted by Wisconsin in worst-ever defeat

August 31, 2019 general

Saturday, 3 a.m. Oh, my goodness. They’re Charlotte, or some other weak sister of college football. It has happened so quickly, as if an entire football program has fallen off of a cliff. And by the time they landed, they were too ugly to behold. They do not play offense. They do not play defense. […]

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Arians pleased as Bucs finish preseason by winning

August 30, 2019 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. With most of the players who matter on the sideline, the temptation was to pay attention to the coaches. And while you’re of a mind, why not give a game ball to Todd Bowles? Bowles’ defense just carried the Bucs to a successful preseason, for whatever that’s worth. At minimum, we’d have […]

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