general

Bullpen fail again in Rays’ loss

April 2, 2026 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. No, that isn’t the Tampa Bay Rays’ bullpen. It’s the Towering Inferno. Once more, the relievers of the Rays were tossing batting practice Wednesday afternoon at American Family Life Field in an 8-2 loss to Milwaukee. Consider. In six games, Rays’ starters have given up 13 runs, an acceptable total. But the […]

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Rays lose, but welcome McClahan back

April 1, 2026 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. If you are measuring the Rays’ loss to Milwaukee on Tuesday night, it’s understandable if you are disappointed. The team blew a 2-0 lead. They managed just six hits. They allowed the go-ahead run on a sloppy play where they were unable to tag a runner out as he lay prone in […]

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Montreal closes in on Lightning

April 1, 2026 general

Wednesday, 3 a.m. These days, the Lightning seem to be focused on Buffalo, the team in front of them in the standings. Perhaps they should pay a little more attention to Montreal, the just behind them. The Canadiens won their sixth straight game Tuesday night, beating the Lighning 4-1 at Benchmark International Arena. That allowed […]

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Deluca leads Rays to narrow victory

March 31, 2026 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. Jonny Deluca, game-buster. Deluca, not normally a slugger, turned the game for the Tampa Bay Rays Monday night. Deluca, who had only eight home runs in his previous three seasons with the Rays, took over the game late in a 3-2 win over Milwaukee at American Family Field. In the seventh inning, […]

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Bolts overcome sluggish start

March 30, 2026 general

Monday, 4 a.m. The Tampa Bay Lightning spend much of Sunday afternoon sleep-walking. They were dull and uninspired. They got off only one shot in the entire first period. They won only two face-offs. They were one tick above being comatose. And still, they won. Somehow, they won. Without Andrei Vasilevskiy in net, without Nikita […]

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Rays’ bats highlight season’s 1st win

March 30, 2026 general

Monday, 3 a.m. Offense. Following their first win, the Tampa Bay Rays want you to talk about their offense. They want you to talk about an opening weekend in which they scored 23 runs, and one in which they compiled 41 hits. They want you to talk about Yandy Diaz, who had five hits and […]

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Bolts win in another comeback

March 29, 2026 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. Yeah, they start slow. Yeah, they dig themselves a hole too often. Yeah, they tend to turn games into uphill climbs. But on days such as Saturday, the Tampa Bay Lightning treats slow starts as minor inconveniences. The Bolts fell behind for the fifth straight game, and they fell behind by two […]

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Rays come back, but lose to Cards late

March 29, 2026 general

Sunday, 3 a.m. Another day, another slice of agony for the Rays’ bullpen. The Rays, who gave up an eight-run sixth inning in Thursday’s opener, gave up two runs without recording an out in the 10th inning of Saturday’s game. The result was a blown comeback by the Rays and a 6-5 loss to St. […]

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Bolts can’t dig themselves out of a hole

March 27, 2026 general

Friday, 4 a.m. Maybe the Tampa Bay Lightning should stop giving their opponent a head start. Lately, games of the Lightning have followed a familiar pattern. They start slow. They catch up. And then it’s a coin flip. For the third straight game, the Bolts fell behind 3-1, this time to Seattle in Thursday night’s […]

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Rays let huge lead slip away in opener

March 26, 2026 general

Friday, 4 a.m. If Opening Day can be viewed as an opening statement, there was only one message delivered by the Tampa Bay Rays Thursday. Oops. The Rays dropped their first game, 9-7, to the St. Louis Cardials at Busch Stadium. Along the way, there were several misstatements, and misplays, by the Rays. — Their […]

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