Hitless Rays lose third straight game

September 11, 2020 general

Friday, 4 a.m. You hear the number, and you think of the immortals. Seventeen strikeouts? In nine at-bats? Even for a team that is slumping at the plate, that’s a ton. So who did it? Roger Clemens? Max Scherzer? Randy Johnson? Nolan Ryan? How about Mike Kickham and the fun bunch? All together: Who? Content […]

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Kucherov’s late goal leads to Lightning win

September 10, 2020 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. For a moment, the two men locked eyes. Around them, the clock was ticking, and others were skating, and overtime hung in the air. But just like that, when Nikita Kucherov met the gaze of defenseman Ryan McDonagh, it was over. And the Lightning was in charge of the Eastern Conference Championship […]

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Rays’ pitching struggles again in defeat

September 9, 2020 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. As a franchise, it is their greatest pride. As a team, it is their greatest weapon. And suddenly, things are all wrong. Sure, the Rays are hitting badly these days. That happens from time to time. They are not a lineup that dents the fences every night. But the pitching? Who stole […]

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Fournette happy so far as a member of Bucs

September 9, 2020 general

Wednesday, 3 a.m. Already, Leonard Fournette has something that most Tampa Bay running backs have not. He has a quarterback. That’s enough to make him happy for now. While in Jacksonville, Fournette played in Blake Bortles’ last year and rookie Gardner Minshew’s first year. Now, he gets to play behind the Bucs’ Tom Brady. Content […]

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Lightning turn Game One into a highlight show

September 8, 2020 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. Start with the reasons that it was so lopsided. Follow with the suggestions of why you should still pay attention. The Islanders were tired, okay? They had just finished a seven-game series against Philadelphia. They had to travel the day before. The stars were not properly aligned. On the other hand, wowie. […]

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Nationals’ Scherzer quiets Rays’ bats in win

September 8, 2020 general

Tuesday, 3 a.m. There was nothing like Max to minimize the Rays’ batting order Monday night. Max Scherzer, the three-time Cy Young winner, put the Rays’ bats in his back pocket, growing stronger as the game went on to lead the Washington Nationals to a 6-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Scherzer threw seven […]

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Lowe shows he can still drive in runs in Rays’ win

September 7, 2020 general

Monday, 4 a.m. For Brandon Lowe, the fall has been agonizing. One day, he was among the finest players in the American League. The next, he wasn’t. For 24 straight at bats, he had been hitless. For three weeks, he had seen his average slip from .338 to .250. It had been seven days since […]

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Rays’ Snell frustrated by his shortcomings

September 6, 2020 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. The words come out slowly, haltingly, as if he were trying to find the proper way to describe the disappointment. Blake Snell, less than the sum of his stuff, had fallen short. He had walked more batters, and he had given up another home run, and once again, he had failed to […]

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Perez opens the door, Anderson closes it

September 5, 2020 general

Saturday, 4 a.m. The more you see him on the mound, the more you appreciate Neal Anderson. He deals in bullets. The more you see him behind the plate, the more you like Mikey Perez. He’s the Rays’ new Mr. Clutch. And the more you see this Rays’ team, the more you think they could […]

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Bucs’ backfield is full … and interesting

September 4, 2020 general

Friday, 4 a.m. The most improved position is quarterback. The biggest question is the offensive line. The deepest position is wide receiver, although tight end gets an honorable mention. The position with the most sizzle is the defensive line. But the running back position of the Tampa Bay Bucs? Suddenly, it’s very, very intriguing. Content […]

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