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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Backup tight end Hudson fights the odds

August 24, 2021 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. So this is what Don Ho meant when he sang about Tiny Bubbles. Let’s be honest. You could trim the roster of the Tampa Bay Bucs in the dark, and they could spin you around three times first. Between the returners and the draft, it’s pretty much a closed shop. We’re down […]

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Archer returns, but departs in a hurry

August 23, 2021 general

Monday, 4 a.m. The wait was eternal. The return was brief. After missing 116 games with an injury, Chris Archer returned to the mound Sunday afternoon for a hurried start in the Rays’ 9-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Archer lasted only 41 pitches — and two innings — before leaving with hip stiffness. […]

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Bucs’ backups battered in preseason game

August 22, 2021 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. First things first: The sky is not falling. Huge chasms have not appeared in the field at Raymond James Stadium. Lovie Smith has not returned as a head coach. No one is talking about who to take as the No. 1 draft choice. On the other hand, yuck. There wasn’t much to […]

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Youth leads Rays to win over White Sox

August 22, 2021 general

Sunday, 3 a.m. The temptation is to measure them by their years. They have been around long enough, and they have won enough, to push the rocking chair toward them. After all, Nelson Cruz is 40. Collin McHugh is 34. Kevin Kiermaier and Joey Wendle are 31. Mike Zunino is 30. Still, there seems to […]

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