Gator quarterbacks chew up USF defense

September 12, 2021 general

Sunday, 3 a.m. Once, back when they were giant-killers, the result might have been disappointing. These days, a 42-20 defeat sounds, well, about right. In their early days, the USF Bulls made a name for themselves with huge upsets over highly ranked programs. But over the years, that aura has faded. Florida won by 22 […]

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Tigers embarrass Rays’ highly-rated bullpen

September 11, 2021 general

Saturday, 4 a.m. Call it the night the bullpen blew up. The relievers of the Tampa Bay Rays, one of the team’s primary strengths for much of the season, imploded in Friday night’s 10-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers. The bullpen, the best in the American League in ERA and batting average against, was clobbered […]

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Looking back at Bucs’ win over Dallas

September 11, 2021 general

Saturday, 3 a.m. 5 Thoughts There are a lot of ways to rate quarterbacks. Yardage. Touchdowns. Wins. Third-down conversions. My favorite has always been the fourht-quarter comeback, that time of the game when you can smell either victory or defeat. If you have a great one, he’s going to deliver. And no one has ever […]

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Bucs pulled out a late win, but there is work to do

September 10, 2021 general

Friday, 4 a.m. The comeback was perfect. The Tampa Bay Bucs are not. Oh, the final score worked out, all right. The winning kick was flawless. And 1-0 certainly looks better than the alternative. But for most of the night, you could hardly suggest the Bucs resembled the defending Super Bowl champions. “As I told […]

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Boston’s Renfroe comes back to haunt Rays

September 9, 2021 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. Just asking, but is it too late for the Tampa Bay Rays to rethink that decision to designate Hunter Renfroe for assignment last November? Renfroe, who left after an abysmal season a year ago, has taken his revenge this year, but never more than Wednesday night. Renfroe hit a two-run homer in […]

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Bucs must recapture their hunger to win

September 9, 2021 general

Thursday, 3 a.m. For months, they have been conquering heroes. They have been praised, and feted, and admired. They have signed rich contracts. They have preened and posed and enjoyed their championship. Now come the biggest enemy of them all. Themselves. Content beyond this point is for members only. Already a member? To view the […]

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Rays homer their way to big win over Sox

September 8, 2021 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. The finish line, evidently, is somewhere over the fence. More and more, the Tampa Bay Rays seem to be closing in on it. The Rays powered their way to yet another win over the Boston Red Sox Tuesday night,12-7, expanding their American League East lead to 9 1/2 games over the New […]

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Bucs’ road won’t always be a smooth one

September 8, 2021 general

Wednesday, 3 a.m. The expectations were high then, too. The Bucs were champions, finally. Surely, they would make another run. Right? It was fall of 2003, and the Bucs had the feel of a dynasty. I supposed all champions are that way to a degree, but the Bucs had a dynamic young coach, and a […]

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Rays’ latest comeback defeats Red Sox

September 7, 2021 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. You have seen it before. By now, the image of the Tampa Bay Rays is that of a battered boxer, bruised and bleeding as he leans against the ropes. He seems to be barely holding on as he absorbs the beating. And then the music starts, and he starts to fight back. […]

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Rays can’t hold late lead as bullpen wobbles

September 6, 2021 general

Monday, 4 a.m. This time, no one turned out the lights. This time, no one slammed the door. The bullpen of the Tampa Bay Rays, so good all season, let a game slip away Sunday — and a chance to widen the lead in the AL East along with it. Mainstays Andrew Kittredge and Pete […]

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