The New What Next: Rays vs. Yankees — the Gauntlet Continues

Here we go. The second leg of the Rays 11-game road gauntlet commences in the Bronx, Monday, where Tampa Bay will take on the Evil Empire in a three-game set. The Rays are riding a massive wave of momentum following their big series victory against the Orioles, not to mention a pretty damn good second half of June — since June 15th, Tampa Bay has gone 9-6, outscoring their opponents 67-53 in that span, while averaging 4.46 runs per game.

The New What Next: Rays vs. Orioles — the Gauntlet Begins

If you subscribe to the idea that the Tampa Bay Rays still have a shot at remaining relevant in the second half of the season, the two upcoming series’ against the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees are incredibly important. After all, no one has run away with things in the AL East — making an 85 win playoff berth seem reasonable — and the Rays have an opportunity to gain some major ground against their direct competition (to the tune of seven games) over the next six days. It all starts Friday, when the good guys head to Baltimore for a four game set against the Orioles, including a double header in the series opener.

The New What Next: Rays vs. Pirates — A Series Preview of Sorts

The Rays are back at it Monday, following a quite successful series against the Astros. They’ll welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates into The Trop for a three-game Interleague Series — their first visit in 11 years. The Pirates, who have won three of their last four games, are 9-4 in their previous 13 road games, while Tampa Bay has won seven of their last 11 contests, averaging 4.4 runs in that span.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Put Up A Shutout of Their Own, 5-0

On the heels of their league leading 11th shutout of the season, and behind a few timely hits and an impressive start from Chris Archer, the Tampa Bay Rays found themselves on the winning track once more, taking down the Astros by a 5-0 margin.