Rays clobbered as Patino injured early

April 12, 2022 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. Well, this one felt like a punch to the oblique. The Rays took a gut-punch early in Monday night’s game against Oakland and never recovered. The A’s went on to club the Rays, 13-2, to hand the Rays their first loss of the season. Starting pitcher Luis Patino was only 13 pitches […]

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Bolts end losing streak in shutout victory

April 11, 2022 general

Monday, 4 a.m. On the night the wrong-way streaks died, the Tampa Bay Lightning finally looked like a team that had been reborn. And isn’t it about time? The Bolts, playing against an improved Buffalo team, played a solid game and beat the Sabres, 5-0, behind Brian Elliott’s shutout. It was enough to return the […]

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Rays sweep Orioles in 8-0 laugher

April 11, 2022 general

Monday, 3 a.m. Here’s a secret about dominating an opponent: It’s never soon for the broom. The Tampa Bay Rays swept their first series of the season, beating perennial punching-bag Baltimore, in an 8-0 drubbing at Tropicana Field. It was the 15th straight game the Rays have beaten the Orioles, and their 21st victory in […]

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Rays’ Mejia again powers team to win

April 10, 2022 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. Two games in, and the Tampa Bay Rays are trying to figure out their magic number. Two games in, and the bullpen is singing. Two games in, and Francisco Mejia is a star. Two games in, and the Rays are hoping that the Baltimore Orioles can stick around for a while. Two […]

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Look out below: Lightning falls again

April 9, 2022 general

Saturday, 4 a.m. These days, they are a rock in water, sinking fast. These days, they are a bird that has forgotten how to fly, falling at an alarming rate. These days, the Tampa Bay Lighting are a mediocre hockey team trying to find their way. True, they have won championships in their previous two […]

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Rays scrape by Orioles to win opening game

April 9, 2022 general

Saturday, 3 a.m. Is it too soon for Wander Franco to ask for a raise? Certainly, no one on the Tampa Bay Rays is asking Franco, who signed an 11-year, $182-million contract in the off-season, for a rebate. On his first-ever opening day, Franco had three hits, the last one of them leading to the […]

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Bucs expect Shoyinka to be a better player

April 8, 2022 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. The very best kind of impact, you will agree, is instant. We want a force, and we want it now. We want someone to kick in the saloon doors and announce that there is a new sheriff in town. We want microwave success, hot and fast. And so it is that we […]

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Bolts held out of playoff berth in defeat

April 7, 2022 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. At a time they should be charging toward the post-season, the Dallas Stars had a message for the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday night. Wait a minute. The Bolts, prepared to clinch their fifth straight post-season berth, were delayed by Dallas in a 1-0 defeat. Roope Hintz scored with 4:50 left for the […]

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Lightning slide continues against Washington

April 7, 2022 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. He is their insurance policy. He is their security blanket. He is their backbone. So, yeah, if you follow the Tampa Bay Lightning, you want to see Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. You need to see Vasilevskiy in goal. But what happens when Vasilevskiy gets tired? There were more indications Thursday night that […]

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Why did the Rays trade away Meadows?

April 6, 2022 general

Wednesday, 4 am. Here we go again, and there he goes again. This time, the Ray-out-the-door is Austin Meadows, a popular young player with a good amount of talent. He follows the never-ending conga line of promising players out the door, and the thing you can most be sure of is this: Meadows shouldn’t shut […]

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