Last-second goal gives Bolts a 2-0 lead

May 20, 2022 general

Friday, 4 a.m. The final pass was so dazzling, so breathtaking, that you tend to forget about the 59 minutes and 56 seconds that came before it. The final goal was so sudden, so deadly, that you tend to forget about the pain and the passion that preceded it. That’s the thing about last-heartbeat victories […]

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Paredes says hello with two-homer game

May 19, 2022 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. Regarding that much-discussed Austin Meadows trade… Maybe the Rays didn’t give up enough. The trade for Isaac Paredes caused a lot of frowns at the time, seeing as how Meadows was a popular player who had driven in 106 runs a year ago. But, no, the Rays didn’t give him away for […]

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Bolts jump to 1-0 lead over Panthers

May 18, 2022 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. When the Florida Panthers turn off the light at night, do they see the faces of the Tampa Bay Lightning hover over them? Do they see the looming features of Andrei Vasilevskiy, the goalie who has denied them so often? Do they see the eyes of Nikita Kucherov, who haunted them a […]

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Rays’ outfield goes deep against Tigers

May 18, 2022 general

Tuesday, 3 a.m. For a night, they were sluggers. For a night, they made infielders nervous. They are the outfield of the Tampa Bay Rays, normally a light-hitting bunch (now that Manuel Margot is injured) who try to make it through on defense and timely plays. Ah, but in Monday night’s 8-1 drubbing of Detroit, […]

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Kittredge gives up another homer in loss

May 17, 2022 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. One of the toughest things in baseball is when a strength becomes a weakness. Take it from Andrew Kittredge, who has had a rough eight days. Kittredge gave up yet another home run late in Monday night’s 3-2 loss to Detroit, the worst team in the American League. It was Kittredge’s third […]

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Toronto helps Tampa Bay to series win

May 16, 2022 general

Monday, 4 a.m. When a team is scuffling at the plate, it will accept all favors, and thank you very much. Take the Tampa Bay Rays, who have averaged fewer than five hits a game over its last four. Yet, defense and one big inning — in which the Blue Jays blew up — led […]

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Bolts beat Leafs to advance in playoffs

May 15, 2022 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. Big moment. Big man. Big pressure. Big Cat. If you are comparing seasons, Andrei Vasilevskiy didn’t have his finest season for the Tampa Bay Lightning. But in the team’s biggest game of the season, he was once again a guard dog at the net. Vasilevskiy stopped 30 of 31 shots, leading the […]

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Jays pull away from Rays with late surge

May 15, 2022 general

Sunday, 3 a.m. For the Tampa Bay Rays, the bullpen has been perhaps their strongest weapon. Until Saturday. For the Toronto Blue Jays, the bullpen had been beaten up by opponents and by critics. Until Saturday. The Blue Jays, in a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, won the game by out-relieving the Rays. […]

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Two-strike hitting lifts Rays past Jays

May 14, 2022 general

Saturday, 4 a.m. Give the Rays credit for this: Even in the best of times, the Tampa Bay Rays know a lot about strike three. Their hitters were eighth in the major leagues in strikeouts Friday, and that was before the team had nine in their game against Toronto. Ah, but for once, that third […]

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Bolts survive in OT to force a Game 7

May 13, 2022 general

Friday, 4 a.m. It was late in the evening, and still, the Lightning needed a lot of things. Maybe that’s the Point. They needed someone to take them off of life support. They needed someone to promise tomorrow. They needed someone to help blunt the attack of the Toronto Maple Leafs. They needed clutch, and […]

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