Okay, so we're down a few pegs from the whole 'first place Rays' thing that was going on a few months ago, and the monolithic Tampa roster seems to have calmed down a bit, thanks to some major injuries to starting pitching, and losses of Brandon Lowe and Yandy Diaz, but...the team is still zooming along, with an 8-2 record in their last 10 games. One would think that they're trying the Yankees' strategy of defying injury...only...unlike the Yankees, they're not in first.
I mean, with Charlie Morton as their only healthy original starter, you'd think they'd be doing worse, but...Brendan McKay's not bad, and...all the other options seem to be relievers. Ryan 'long man' Yarbrough is the closest thing we have to another starter, but even he's got 11 wins, nearly a repeat from last year. Trevor Richards would be a great starting option, but...for some reason he is still in Durham. He's...doing well in Durham. And should be up with the Rays, but no...the relievers are taking up all the space.
At least the lineup is bang-on. Jesus Aguilar and Eric Sogard have proven to be awesome acquisitions, with both hitting over .350 in their first 10 games. Mike Brosseau and Matt Duffy have been doing fine in keeping the infield stable in Diaz' absence. Willy Adames and Kevin Kiermaier are back to their team-leading best. And Tommy Pham...never stopped being awesome. He leads the team in hits, runs and doubles. The guy's a fantastic athlete, and I'm glad the Rays get him in his prime.
The Rays have a shot at the WC spot, and do have a leg up on Oakland for the second opening, and will probably get it if they don't succumb to the starting pitching problem. The Rays have turned weirdness into productivity, and have gone from a novelty to being a legitimate threat, and I'm very impressed with how far they've come.
Coming Tonight: One of two NL East teams streaking like mad. Their cycle-friendly shortstop.
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