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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Vasy’s strength, Coleman’s sizzle lead Bolts

July 1, 2021 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. In the celebration of the latest victory of the Tampa Bay Lightning, this question came to mind: Could Marc-Andre Fleury have won this game? Could he have stopped 42 shots by a desperate Montreal team? Could he have kept his team from falling asleep in a mundane second period? Could he have […]

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Rays loss leaves Rays’ Hill frustrated

June 30, 2021 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. When. you think about it, maybe the water cooler had it coming. After all, it couldn’t get the Washington Nationals out early in the Tuesday night’s game, either. So there Rich Hill was in the bottom of the second inning, taking a bat to the water cooler to let out his frustrations. […]

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Bolts take strong first step in win over Montreal

June 29, 2021 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. Calm down. Take a deep breath. Don’t get ahead of yourself. It isn’t time to find the confetti yet. It isn’t time to plan the boat parade. The Tampa Bay Lightning took an impressive first step in the finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs Monday night, but there is more to do. […]

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Rays bullpen has a rare poor outing in loss

June 28, 2021 general

Monday, 4 a.m. They are the players you trust the most. With a lead on the scoreboard, and the ball in one of their hands, the bullpen of the Tampa Bay Rays can be overwhelming. Pitcher after pitcher, they come at you in waves. Their fastballs are electric, and their breaking balls are sharp, and […]

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Rays’ offense breaks loose in win over Angels

June 27, 2021 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. Oh, so that’s why he’s in the lineup. Brett Phillips, good old weak-hitting Brett, had spent a lot of time being a hole in the Tampa Bay batting order until Saturday afternoon. He had been hitless in his last 15 at-bats, and he had one hit in his last 18 and two […]

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Bolts head for the Finals after close win

June 26, 2021 general

Saturday, 4 a.m. At first glance, the temptation is to give most of the credit to Andre Vasilevskiy. After all, it was Vasy who slammed the door…again. For the fourth straight series, Vasilevskiy pitched a shutout in the close-out game, snuffing the New York Islanders in 1-0 semifinal victory that advanced the Tampa Bay Lightning […]

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Rays walk their way to win over Angels

June 26, 2021 general

Saturday, 3 a.m. One night, Manuel Margot wins a game with his legs. The next, Brandon Lowe wins one with his butt. That’s the thing about the Rays. Sometimes, it takes all parts to get past the opposition. The Rays won a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels Friday night when Lowe was hit […]

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