Rays allow no hits, but don’t get a no-hitter

July 8, 2021 general

Thursday,, 3 a.m. Officially, it wasn’t a no hitter. The accountants who run Major League Baseball, the guys who make the rules, say so. On the other hand, did you see any Cleveland hits in the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader sweep by the Tampa Bay Rays? Let’s see. None at the top of the […]

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Who should win the Conn Smythe Trophy?

July 7, 2021 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. So who matters more: the fast Russian who keeps putting the puck into the net, or the big Russian who keeps keeping it out? That has become part of the sub-text of this year’s Stanley Cup finals. Who deserves to win the Conn Smith award: Nikita Kucherov or Andrei Vasilevskiy? The Big […]

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Montreal keeps series alive by beating Bolts

July 6, 2021 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. Blame the posts. Blame the power play. Blame desperation, which the Montreal Canadiens had buckets filled with. Blame missed opportunities, and blame Montreal goaltender Carey Price, and blame the bounce of the puck. For whatever reason, the Canadiens live to fight another day. Montreal staved off elimination the Stanley Cup Finals Monday […]

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Rays win wacky game against Cleveland

July 6, 2021 general

Tuesday, 3 a.m. You can analyze it if you wish. You can compare the metrics, and you can hold it up the light. Still, it comes down to this: Coming from behind is better than falling from ahead. Ask the Tampa Bay Rays, who managed to fit both into their evening on Monday night in […]

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Rays break losing streak by stressing details

July 5, 2021 general

Monday, 4 a.m. They came from behind. They padded their lead. It took a while, but they hit with men on base. And in these strangest of all occurrences, the Tampa Bay Rays won a game on Sunday afternoon. After five straight losses, after 12 losses in their previous 16 games, the Rays paid attention […]

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Watch out for falling Rays; Jays win again

July 4, 2021 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. The way things are going, no one can be quite sure if the Tampa Bay Rays are chasing the Boston Red Sox … or the Baltimore Orioles. The suddenly ordinary Rays, who haven’t been good since May, took another one in the teeth Saturday afternoon. They lost their fifth straight game, this […]

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Lightning closes in on another Stanley Cup

July 3, 2021 general

Friday, 4 a.m. Hello? Is this the engraver? It’s time to start sketching out your work. Some reminders: There is an “I” between the “K” and “Y” in Vasilevskiy. Brayden Point spells is first name with an “e.” Ondrej Palat spells his first name with an “o.” Yes, Sergachev is just how it sounds. The […]

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Rays lose again as Blue Jays start fast

July 3, 2021 general

Saturday, 3 a.m. It was a night drawn in tragedy. But even for the Tampa Bay Rays, it ended in comedy. Most of the embarrassment was over in the Rays 11-1 defeat at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays — their fourth straight loss — when outfielder Brett Phillips was called on to pitch […]

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For the Lightning, these are the days worth savoring

July 2, 2021 general

Friday, 4 a.m. John Cooper is better than John Tortorella. Andrei Vasilevskiy is better than Nikolai Khabibulin. Nikita Kucherov is better than Brad Richards. It sounds like heresy, doesn’t it. For so many years, the members of that 2004 Lightning team have been the gold standard around here. If you wanted to compare greatness, that […]

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Nationals clobber Rays’ bullpen in rout

July 2, 2021 general

Thursday, 3 a.m. Evidently, word of the prowess of the Tampa Bay Rays’ bullpen has not reached Washington. The Nationals simply annihilated the Rays Wednesday afternoon, embarrassing them by a 15-6 count. When a team wins by more than two grand slams, it’s a punch to the self-esteem. The Rays came in with the American […]

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