Winston talks, but offers few details on suspension

July 27, 2018 general

Friday, 3 a.m. If Jameis Winston had stayed in that night, we might be talking about the rebuilt Bucs’ defense instead. If he had kept his hands to himself, we might be talking about whether DeSean Jackson can make more of an impression in his second season. If Winston had not struck a deal with […]

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Rays beat Yankees after Eovaldi trade

July 26, 2018 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. The story, for the day, wasn’t the pitcher who left. The story, for the day, was the guys who stayed. The Tampa Bay Rays, moments after trading starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, followed with a half-dozen relief pitchers — one of them twice — to piece together a 3-2 victory over the New […]

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Yanks’ Tanaka tames Rays with three-hit shutout

July 25, 2018 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. One night after beating up the best pitcher on the New York Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays saw their bats shrivel to the size of toothpicks. The Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka made the Rays’ hitters looked feeble in a 4-0 victory Tuesday night, allowing only three hits and striking out nine. Tanaka (8-2) […]

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Adames’ focus allows Rays to survive against Yanks

July 24, 2018 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. You have heard about his bat. You have heard about his glove. You have heard about his future. But when talking about rookie Willy Adames, don’t forget to mention his presence of mind. Take the late stages of Monday night’s 7-6 victory over the New York Yankees, when the Rays were jugging […]

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Robertson caps comeback with grand slam

July 23, 2018 general

Monday, 4 a.m. One swing of the bat, and Daniel Robertson took the brooms out of the hands of the Miami Marlins. One swing of the bat, and Robertson allowed the Tampa Bay Rays to keep a winning record. One swing of the bat, and Robertson turned defeat into victory. He changed the image of […]

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Random thoughts: Trump stands amid kneelers

July 22, 2018 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. Want to know why Donald Trump is railing against NFL players kneeling again? It’s to distract from the fact that he got caught slow-dancing with Putin. It’s called a trick play. — Fansided.com ranked Jameis Winston as the fifth most overrated quarterback in the NFL, behind Jimmy Garoppolo and Case Keenum and […]

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Rays fall back to .500 after another one-run loss

July 22, 2018 general

Sunday, 3 a.m. Well, that didn’t take long, did it? Just 10 days earlier, the Tampa Bay Rays had soared to four games over .500, and it seemed they would go into the All-Star break on a hot streak. The pitching was effective, the scoring was good, the defense was dependable. All together now: Oops. […]

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Ask Gary: Which team wins clash of titans?

July 21, 2018 general

Each week, the readers take over GarySheltonsports.com and play Ask Gary. They send in a question, or a couple, on Thursday night or Friday morning and we all talk about the world of sports. Think of it as a radio show where you don’t have to be on hold. Join us and ask a question, […]

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Rays open second half with a loss to Marlins

July 21, 2018 general

Saturday, 3 a.m. One game into the second half of the season, and here we go again. The Tampa Bay Rays, whose first half consisted of good stretches at bad, lost their second-half opener to Miami Friday, falling 6-5 despite a four-run rally in the ninth. Was it familiar? Well… — The Rays lost by […]

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How about a replay for the Rays’ accountant?

July 20, 2018 general

Friday, 4 a.m. Let’s hear it for the beancounters. There aren’t a lot of beans, mind you, but so far, the counting is impressive. The accountants have remembered to carry the one. They have made sure Column A adds up to Column B. They have their calculators working extra innings. Oh, if only we celebrated […]

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