
6 MLB Offseason Moves That Are Already Paying Off
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Tensions getting high as CC Sabathia is ejected after hitting a batter.— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 27, 2018
(via @FOXSportsFL) pic.twitter.com/WJMw04Sri0

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| [ PHOTO: NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ] |

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Curt Casali hit his first home run of the season and Blake Snell had a career-high 13 strikeouts to lift the Tampa Bay Rays to a 6-0 victory against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday at Tropicana Field. The Rays swept the Orioles and closed the season winning four straight to finish 80-82,…

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| [ PHOTO: THE BALTIMORE SUN ] |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Brad Miller hit a three-run homer and Chris Archer threw five shutout innings, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night at Tropicana Field. The Rays (79-82) won their third straight and clinched the season series with the Orioles, as they enjoy a 10-8…

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| [ PHOTO: THE NEW YORK TIMES ] |
NEW YORK -- Wilson Ramos highlighted a seven-run top of the fifth inning Thursday with a go-ahead two-run homer, lifting the Tampa Bay Rays to a 9-6 victory over the New York Yankees, who are on the verge of elimination from the American League East title race. Aaron Judge hit his league-leading 51st homer as New…

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NEW YORK -- Luis Severino pitched six effective innings as the New York Yankees blasted three homers in the bottom of the sixth inning and defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 Wednesday night. Severino (14-6) allowed one run on four hits in his final start before a likely start in next Tuesday's wild-card game. He struck…

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BALTIMORE -- J.J. Hardy and Chance Sisco each hit a two-run homer as the Baltimore Orioles ended their home season in style with a 9-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday at Camden Yards. Hardy, playing in what might have been his final home game as an Oriole, received a standing ovation from fans…

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BALTIMORE -- Jake Odorizzi struck out a season-high nine batters and Lucas Duda matched his career high with his 30th home run of the season, as the Tampa Bay Rays eliminated the Baltimore Orioles from playoff contention with a 9-6 victory Saturday night at Camden Yards. Odorizzi (10-8, 4.26 ERA) kept the Rays' long-shot playoff hopes…

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BALTIMORE -- Wilson Ramos belted a grand slam, and Evan Longoria added a solo shot as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Baltimore Orioles 8-3 on Friday night. Ramos hit the grand slam off Baltimore starter Ubaldo Jimenez after the first three Rays (75-79) reached in the second inning. He finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs, getting…

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BALTIMORE -- Rookie Gabriel Ynoa allowed one run over a season-high eight innings, Manny Machado hit his 33rd homer, and the Baltimore Orioles took the series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays with a 3-1 victory Thursday night. Ynoa, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Sept. 3, gave up five hits with three strikeouts and…

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla -- For almost half the season, Tampa Bay Rays starter Blake Snell couldn't find a way to earn a victory. Now he can't lose. Snell threw seven innings of two-hit shutout baseball, and Tampa Bay ended the Chicago Cubs' seven-game win streak, bouncing back with an 8-1 win on Wednesday night at Tropicana…

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CHICAGO -- Avisail Garcia, Omar Narvaez, Alen Hanson and Yolmer Sanchez all homered as the Chicago White Sox snapped a four-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night. Garcia's two-run homer in the seventh inning gave the White Sox some breathing room after the Rays got within a run…

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CHICAGO -- Blake Snell won for just the third time in 21 career road starts and Logan Morrison drove in three runs to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 3-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night. Snell (3-6) allowed an unearned run and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He picked up…

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Eric Hosmer hit a three-run shot, and Whit Merrifield and Jorge Bonifacio contributed solo home runs as the Kansas City Royals topped the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 on Tuesday night. The Royals snapped a five-game losing streak and a 45-inning scoreless drought. Hosmer's 22nd home run with Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar…

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Austin Pruitt and Matt Andriese combined on a two-hitter as the Tampa Bay Rays blasted the skidding Kansas City Royals 12-0 on Monday night. Pruitt (7-4) gave up a double in the fourth inning to Lorenzo Cain for the only hit he allowed in six innings. He struck out six and walked…

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Mitch Haniger's grand slam got the Seattle Mariners an early lead en route to their fourth straight victory, a 7-6 decision over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday at Tropicana Field. The Mariners (63-61) had a 7-2 lead in the sixth and held off a rally from a Rays' team that had…

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A return home to Tropicana Field did little to slow down the Tampa Bay Rays' recent slump as the Seattle Mariners won their third straight game, opening a three-game series with a 7-1 win on Friday night at Tropicana Field. Nelson Cruz crushed his 30th home run of the season in the…

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Steven Souza Jr. hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Rays a much-needed 2-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday at Tropicana Field. Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson held the Rays in check for eight innings, but Souza took the second pitch from reliever Jacob…
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Zach Davies pitched seven innings of one-hit baseball and the Milwaukee Brewers shut out the Tampa Bay Rays for the second straight night, winning 3-0 on Saturday at Tropicana Field. Hernan Perez hit a solo home run in the ninth for separation in a 1-0 game, and Milwaukee (59-53) handcuffed Tampa Bay's…

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Orlando Arcia, hitting ninth in the batting order, had a triple and home run, scoring the only runs in the Milwaukee Brewers' 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night at Tropicana Field. Brewers rookie Brandon Woodruff (1-0) was superb in his major league debut, getting out of early jams…

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HOUSTON -- Steven Souza Jr. homered and delivered a go-ahead two-run double as the Tampa Bay Rays rallied for a 5-3 victory and series win over the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Minute Maid Park. Souza, hampered by a left foot contusion, clubbed his 23rd home run and limped noticeably around the bases one plate…

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HOUSTON -- Rookie Austin Pruitt delivered a memorable start in his hometown, and the Tampa Bay Rays turned some early offense into a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park. Pruitt (6-2), born in the Houston suburb of The Woodlands, pitched at the University of Houston. With a vocal contingent…

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PITTSBURGH -- Straight out of his suburban Chicago high school, John Tumpane became a professional umpire at 18. After a long slog beating the bushes, he reached his destination last year: the major leagues. Apparently, however, there was one more place he needed to be. That place was the Roberto Clemente Bridge, where on Wednesday a…

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PITTSBURGH -- Pirates right-hander Ivan Nova labored through five innings, his shortest outing of the season, but managed to hold off the Tampa Bay Rays in a 6-2 victory Wednesday at PNC Park. Nova (8-5), who pitched at least six innings in each of his first 15 starts -- the first Pirates pitcher to do so…

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Mallex Smith went 3-for-3 and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Corey Dickerson to lift the Tampa Bay Rays to a 5-4 win against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field. Smith, who was called up from Triple-A Durham on Friday to replace injured center fielder Kevin…

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Ryon Healy and Chad Pinder each hit a home run in the seventh inning to break open a close game and lead the Oakland Athletics to a 7-2 win against the Tampa Bay Rays in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday at Tropicana Field. The Athletics (27-35) earned a split…

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Evan Longoria's RBI single off Liam Hendriks in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the Tampa Bay Rays to a 6-5 win over the Oakland Athletics in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday at Tropicana Field. Longoria worked a full count and roped Hendriks' offering down the left-field line…

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A day after controversy erupted regarding Derek Norris, his bat erupted for two home runs, lifting the Tampa Bay Rays to a 7-5 victory against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday at Tropicana Field. Major League Baseball is investigating allegations from Norris' former fiancee that the catcher "physically and mentally abused'' her.…

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Jacob Faria earned his first major league win in his debut as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Wednesday at Tropicana Field. Faria, a former 10th-round pick, went 6 1/3 innings and gave up one run on three hits. He struck out five on 95 pitches (62…

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SEATTLE -- Ariel Miranda pitched a four-hitter and struck out a career-high nine as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 7-1 on Sunday afternoon at Safeco Field. It was the first career complete game for Miranda (6-2), a 28-year-old left-hander from Cuba who has won five consecutive decisions. He walked one. Nelson Cruz hit…

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| [ PHOTO: ESPN RADIO 710 AM-SEATTLE ] |
SEATTLE -- Mike Zunino hit a grand slam that nearly left Safeco Field and drove in a career-best seven runs as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 9-2 Saturday night. Zunino's fifth-inning blast went 441 feet down the left-field line and landed three rows from the top of the second deck. It gave the…

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MINNEAPOLIS -- Evan Longoria and Logan Morrison hit back-to-back homers to open the 15th inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays outlasted the Minnesota Twins 8-6 on Sunday in the longest game in Target Field history. Longoria's seventh homer of the season came off the second pitch of the inning from Hector Santiago (4-4), who is scheduled…

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MINNEAPOLIS -- Brian Dozier hit a tie-breaking, two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to send the Minnesota Twins to a 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. Dozier's seventh home run of the season was deep to the opposite field, hitting off the ribbon video board in front of the second…

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MINNEAPOLIS -- Ace Chris Archer got the Tampa Bay Rays' nine-game road trip off to a great start. Jake Odorizzi will try and follow suit on Saturday. Odorizzi (3-2, 3.14 ERA) will start the Saturday matinee contest against the Minnesota Twins, who will counter with rookie Adalberto Mejia (1-1, 4.96). "We've got a long trip," Rays…

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MINNEAPOLIS -- Chris Archer dazzled for six innings before some late trouble, while Logan Morrison and Kevin Kiermaier each hit two-run homers for the Tampa Bay Rays in a 5-2 win against the Minnesota Twins on Friday night. Archer (4-3) allowed one hit until the seventh inning and struck out 11 batters. He ended up with…

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| [ PHOTO: THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER ] |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Colby Rasmus drove in all four runs for the Tampa Bay Rays in a 4-0 win against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay (25-25) won the final two games of the four-game series to climb back to .500. The Angels (25-25) will travel to Miami to face…