First of all, let me explain where Sarah has been this week. She is interning for the Tampa Bay Times, formerly the St. Pete Times, one of the top newspapers in the country.

This past week, she has been on assignment covering the Republican National Convention in Tampa and doing things like waking up at 4am to watch Morning Joe instead of Joe Maddon. Her week has been off the wall regarding time and schedule. It’s the first major event she has covered, and I have to believe it has been invaluable for her in her quest to land a full-time job in the field of journalism.

I am certainly not talking politics here, simply the opportunity of experience, which is one of the greatest things we can acquire in our career pursuits.

Secondly, I apologize for not posting on Wednesday. It’s been a heck of a week at school, and I lost my focus. I recall that same situation a number of years ago, and I got a fastball blown right by me for a called third strike. And I didn’t strike out much.

And now, for Tampa Bay’s week…

Very odd, to say the least. David Price was not perfect Monday evening, and against the Texas Rangers, you almost have to be to get out alive. Price fell victim to the Rangers’ long ball, giving up a pair of homers, and the Rays fell, 6-5. Heartbreaker.

I don’t want to hear anyone mention that Price fell out of the Cy Young race with that loss. He’s been lights out, and I’ll take his 16-5 record, especially considering how he usually handles the big games.

Tuesday was another killer for the Rays. James Shields was tremendous, allowing a single run that came on a solo shot by Ian Kinsler in the bottom of the fourth. The Rays put men on second and third with nobody out in the second, but a Carlos Pena strikeout, Ryan Roberts fly out, and a Jose Lobaton groundout resulted in no runs scored.

In the top of the fourth, the Rays loaded the bases with one out. Lobaton hit into a ground ball double play to end the rally. Tampa Bay never really sniffed a score after that point.
Wacky Wednesday brought a rough outing for youngster Alex Cobb, who had a lead but was removed in the fifth after giving up four earned runs.

The Rays plated eight runs on sixteen knocks, including four by Jeff Keppinger and three by Ben Zobrist. Jake McGee earned the win in relief as the bullpen allowed a single hit and nothing else but zeroes over the last 4.1 innings.

Yesterday saw Matt Moore get off to a rough start, giving up a pair of runs in the first. After that, he gave up nothing. The Rays bats were silenced, however. Toronto arms limited the Rays to six base runners, and the Tampa Bay was oh-for-four with runners in scoring position.

All that adds up to three runs in four games on the road trip for the good guys. Tonight, they will send Jeremy Hellickson to the bump to face off with Brandon Morrow. Hellickson is 8-9 on the season, and Morrow stands at 7-5.

• In their three losses this week, the Rays have been a combined five-for-twenty-two. In their Wednesday victory, they were three-for-seven.

• Along with the RISP problems, Tampa Bay has forty-three strikeouts over the past four games.

• Ben Zobrist has been six for his past fifteen with a pair of walks this week.

• Jeff Keppinger is hitting .326, and has an OPS of .824 for the season.

• Rays’ relievers have been tremendous this week. They have allowed zero runs – yes, zero runs – in 11.1 innings.

Along the way, they have only given up four hits, while striking out thirteen and walking just two. And power lefty Jake McGee picked up the win in Wednesday’s game against Texas.