2015 Tampa Bay Rays season

[Tobywan]

Tonight's line-up:

Revere LF

Donaldson 3B

Bautista RF

Encarnacion DH

Smoak 1B

Navarro C

Pillar CF

Goins SS

Pennington 2B

Estrada P

Jaso LF

Sizemore DH

Longoria 3B

Cabrera SS

Souza Jr RF

Loney 1B

Beckham 2B

Kiermaier CF

Rivera C

Acher P

Marco Estrada (13-8) retired the first 22 Rays batters he saw en route to a no-decision on June 24. He allowed just two hits and no runs in 8.2 innings. Then on July 19, he held the Rays scoreless on three hits to earn the win.


Chris Archer (12-13) seeks to add on to his Rays franchise season strikeout record, he will be the first Rays pitcher to strike out 250 or more batters in a season.

[Tobywan]

The local chapter of the BBWAA announced the winners of the Rays season awards.


Congratulations!



Richie Shaffer was named Minor League Player of the Year.


Outstanding Rookie Nathan Karns.


Paul C. Smith Community Champion Award to Chris Archer.


Don Zimmer MVP Award, from Zimmer's widow, Soot, and Marc Topkin to Logan Forsythe.

[Tobywan]

The Rays started the scoring in the first when Jaso led off with a homer to right center putting them on the board 1-0.

In the third, Pennington led off with a single, Revere singled, Bautista singled, Pennington scored tying the game 1-1.

In the 6th, Brandon Gomes pitching for Tampa Bay, Bautista was hit by a pitch, Encarnacion homered to left, Jays take a 3-1 lead.


In the 7th, Cabrera led off with a homer cutting the Jays lead 3-2.

In the 9th, Roberto Osuna pitching for Toronto, Sizemore led off with a double,Longoria popped out, Cabrera struck out, with two outs, Souza Jr walked, Loney walked, with the bases loaded, Beckham singled, Sizemore and Souza scored for a walk off win, 4-3.


Estrada went 6.2 innings giving up two runs on three hits, no walks and struck out 9, Osuna took the loss.


Archer went 5 innings giving up one run on five hots, one walk and struck out three. Colome took the win. He became the seventh pitcher since 1900 to strike out more than 250 and not have a winning record (12-13) for the season. Others to accomplish it are Roger Clemens, Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, Phil Niekro, Ben Sheets and Ed Walsh. He finished with 252 Ks, the new Rays record and a career high 212 innings pitched.

Edwin Encarnacion homered for the fourth consecutive game.

Encarnacion, Jose Bautista (40) and Josh Donaldson (41) set a team record -- breaking the mark set in 1998 by Jose Canseco (46), Carlos Delgado (38) and Shawn Green (35) for most homers by three players in one season with 120.



Marco Estrada ended his stretch of 21 scoreless innings this season against Tampa Bay when Jaso launched off him to lead off the first.

The series is tied 1-1.

[Tobywan]

The Rays got the scoring started in the first, Guyer was safe on an error by Goins, Mahtook grounded into a fielder's choice, Guyer out at second, Longoria single, Cbrera singled. Souza safe on an error by Encarnacion,Mahtook scored. With two outs, Beckham walked, Longo scored, bases still loaded, Butler homered. Maile doubled, Guyer singled, Maile scored, Tepera relieved Buehrle. Mahtook homered, Rays take a 9-0 lead.


In the fourth, Colabello led off with a homer putting the Jays on the board 9-1, Rays.

In the fifth, Drew Hutchison pitching for Toronto, Souza led off with a single then went to second on a wild pitch, Loney singled, Butler homered (again), Rays up 12-1.


In the 9th, Enny Romero pitching for Tampa Bay, Pompey doubled, Barney homered to left, that would be all the Jays would get, Rays take the game 12-3 and the final series. Jays go on to the post season, but without home field advantage.


Buehrle didn't even last an inning and came up short on the 200 innings for 15 seasons mark and took the loss.

Moore went six innings giving up one run on four hits, four walks and struck out four for the win.


Joey Butler's grand slam in the first would be the only one hit by the Rays for the 2015 season. The last grand slam hit by a Ray was when Kevin Kiermaier did it on July 9, 2014, at Tropicana Field against the Royals. Butler snapped a 229-game drought.

The nine runs scored in the first by the Rays was one shy of the most in franchise history for that inning.



The Tampa Bay Rays' pitching staff ranks in the top three of the American League in team ERA, strikeouts and batting average-against, and their team defense ranks in the top four in most defensive metrics.

The Rays finished with an MLB-low home attendance of 1,247,668 after drawing 15,815 on Sunday. Tampa Bay drew 1,446,464 last season.


The Rays finish the season 3 games better than 2014 with a 80-82 record, shy of the .500 mark.