Squandered chances lead to loss by Rays

September 2, 2021 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. Perhaps it was a matter of the rent coming due. All good baseball teams lose now and then. For the Tampa Bay Rays, maybe it was the odds catching up to them. On the other hand, can anyone around here hit the ball? The Rays squandered repeated chances in a 3-2 loss […]

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Rays beat Red Sox despite getting just five hits

September 1, 2021 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. Were you watching when the Boston Red Sox decided they wanted to chase the Baltimore Orioles? Were you paying attention when they thought about the post-season and decided, as a team, that it just wasn’t worth the effort. The backward slide of the Red Sox continued Tuesday night as they got in […]

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Patino makes Rays feel better about starters

August 31, 2021 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. All wins take care of today. Some of them, however, promise tomorrow, as well. For the Tampa Bay Rays, it was significant enough that the team beat the Boston Red Sox, 6-1, on Monday night. That ran the team’s winning streak to eight, and it put them nine full game ahead of […]

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Wendle finds his muscle, leads Rays to win

August 30, 2021 general

Monday, 4 a.m. For the longest time, Joey Wendle was powerless. For 50 games, he was, well, solid. He went to the plate 178 times, and he was, oh, dependable. Just that. He hit .267, and he had 13 extra base hits. But the voltage seemed to have disappeared from his bat. For 50 games, […]

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Once again, Rays snatch a late victory

August 29, 2021 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. Yeah, you’ve heard this before. The Rays came from behind. Again. They won in a late-game surge. Again. They beat the Baltimore Orioles. Again. Andrew Kittredge shut the door. Again. If the script feels kind of familiar, well, it’s because it is. It was the Rays’ 40th comeback of the year. They […]

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Bucs finally play their stars, beat Houston

August 29, 2021 general

Sunday, 3 a.m. Don’t worry about the result. You’ll forget it in 13 minutes. The efficiency? That may last a little longer. For the Tampa Bay Bucs, the highlight of a 23-16 preseason victory over the Houston Texans was that, frankly, the Bucs looked like the Bucs again. Finally, they looked like they might be […]

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Another catcher, another home run, another win

August 28, 2021 general

Saturday, 4 a.m. Ah, the pressure on Kevin Cash as he makes out another lineup. Let’s see. Should he start this power-hitting catcher today? Or should he start that power-hitting catcher? Such is the quandary of being a major league manager. Cash can pick Mike Zunino, who had a three-run homer to win Friday’s game. […]

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Bucs’ final decisions still up in the air

August 27, 2021 general

Friday, 4 a.m. Keep one, cut one: Jaelon Darden or Travis Mickens? And while you’re at it, who would you rather have: Grant Stuard or Joe Jones? How about Nick Leverett or Earl Watford? Anthony Hamilton or Dee Delaney? Oh, yeah. It’s the final preseason game for the Bucs, and after two losses, you’d like […]

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Mejia’s home run lifts Rays over Phillies

August 26, 2021 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. For a part-time player, Francisco Mejia has a a big-time bat. Mejia, the backup catcher to all-star Mike Zunino, struck again Wednesday night. His three-run homer on a 0-2 count in the ninth inning lifted the Rays to a 7-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. It was just another big swing by […]

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Cruz on first? Rays slip past Phillies

August 25, 2021 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. Who knows, but the new kid at first base just might have a future. He’s got good hands. He has enough of a bat. And considering that he’s 41 years old, he moves pretty well. Yeah, that Nelson Cruz just might hang around some. Cruz, the Rays’ ageless slugger, has played 1,852 […]

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