DREW RASMUSSEN

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — (AP) — Former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zach Eflin has agreed to join the Tampa Bay Rays on a three-year, $40 million contract that’s the largest the club has ever awarded in free agency, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity Thursday night because the agreement was subject to a successful physical and had not been announced. Overall, he has a 36-45 career record with a 4.49 ERA over 127 games, including 115 starts. He appeared in 10 games as a reliever during Philadelphia’s postseason run this year, going 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA over 10 2/3 innings. The $40 million commitment to Eflin is the largest the budget-minded Rays have made to a free agent, surpassing the five-year, $35 million contract pitcher Wilson Alvarez signed in 1998, and the two-year, $30 million deal right-hander Charlie Morton received in 2019.

A person familiar with the deals tells the Associated Press that former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zach Eflin has agreed to join the Tampa Bay Rays on a three-year, $40 million contract that’s the largest the club has ever awarded in free agency.

My son is 53. He’s a baseball fan. He has Down syndrome. To him, baseball is more than a game.

HOUSTON — (AP) — Drew Rasmussen pitched seven effective innings and the Tampa Bay Rays clinched a playoff spot for the fourth straight season, beating the Houston Astros 7-3 on Friday night. The Rays (86-71) began the day in the third and final AL wild-card spot, trailing Toronto and Seattle. Tampa Bay extended the longest postseason streak in franchise history and earned a playoff spot for the eighth time, all since 2008. Despite the loss, Houston (102-55) clinched home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. The Rays scored first after Valdez walked the first two batters and Harold Ramirez hit an RBI single.

Drew Rasmussen pitched seven effective innings and the Tampa Bay Rays clinched a playoff spot for the fourth straight season, beating the Houston Astros 7-3.

Randy Arozarena hit his 20th homer and drove in six runs as the Tampa Bay Rays beat Toronto 10-6, tying the Blue Jays at the top of the AL wild-card standings.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — (AP) — The Houston Astros clinched their fifth AL West title in six years, getting a leadoff home run from Jose Altuve in a 4-0 victory over the Tampa Bays on Monday night. Headed to the postseason for the sixth straight season, Houston won for the eighth time in nine games and improved the AL's best record to 97-51. Luis Garcia (13-8) won his fifth straight decision, giving up two hits and four walks in five innings while striking out four. Hunter Brown pitched three innings and Héctor Neris finished the five-hitter, the Astros 16th shutout this season. Altuve’ hit his 25th homer on the fifth pitch of the game, his 11th leadoff homer this season and 32nd of his career.

The Houston Astros clinched their fifth AL West title in six years, getting a leadoff home run from Jose Altuve in a 4-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Framber Valdez set a major league record with his 25th straight quality start, and Yordan Alvarez and Martin Maldonado had four RBIs each to help the Houston Astros to an 11-2 rout of the Oakland Athletics.

Rasmussen allowed his first baserunner when Jorge Mateo doubled down the left-field line on the first pitch of the ninth. Mateo, who went 5 for 5 on Friday night, later scored on a Rasmussen wild pitch. There hasn’t been a perfect game in the majors since Seattle’s Felix Hernandez accomplished the feat at home against the Rays on Aug. 15, 2012. Tampa Bay has never thrown a perfect game. Rays: LHP Ryan Yarbrough (0-7) will start or follow an opener against the New York Yankees on Monday night.

Drew Rasmussen took a perfect game into the ninth inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays expanded their lead over Baltimore for the final AL wild card to 1 1/2 games with a 4-1 victory over the Orioles.

Orioles Rays Baseball Tampa Bay Rays starter Drew Rasmussen pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius) (Steve Nesius)ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen has a perfect game through seven innings against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. He has five strikeouts, and Tampa Bay has a 4-0 lead. His longest career start lasted seven innings, coming June 4 against the Chicago White Sox. There hasn't been a perfect game in the majors since Seattle's Felix Hernandez accomplished the feat at home against the Rays on Aug. 15, 2012. Tampa Bay has never thrown a perfect game.

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen has a perfect game through eight innings against the Baltimore Orioles.

Rays Tigers Baseball Tampa Bay Rays' Isaac Paredes is greeted in the dugout after scoring from third on a bases loaded walk to Yu Chang during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) (Carlos Osorio)DETROIT — (AP) — Yu Chang and Yandy Diaz drew bases-loaded walks in a seven-run ninth inning, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 7-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. With the game scoreless in the ninth, Isaac Parades hit a one-out single off Tigers closer Gregory Soto (2-6), then took third on a two-out double by Francisco Mejia. “When you go up there in the ninth inning of a scoreless game, your first impulse is to do something big,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. Rays opener Drew Rasmussen pitched three scoreless innings and Colin Poche (4-1) got the win.

Yu Chang and Yandy Diaz drew bases-loaded walks in a seven-run ninth inning to help the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Detroit Tigers 7-0.

Mark Kolozsvary scored on a game-ending balk by Matt Wisler in the 10th inning, lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Los Angeles will be well represented in the July 19 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium.

Cubs rookie Christopher Morel has homered in three straight games and looks to keep up the run when he faces Boston at Wrigley Field on Saturday.

Anthony Rizzo hit a solo home run with one out in the ninth inning and the streaking New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 for their 14th straight home win.

Shane McClanahan pitched eight superb innings to win his fifth consecutive start and the Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a 2-1 victory.

Vidal Bruján got an RBI double leading off the 10th inning for his first hit of the season, and the Tampa Bay Rays rebounded from their no-hit loss with a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

A day after six major league games were rained out, the weather could still cause scheduling problems in some places this weekend.

Cole Irvin pitched into the seventh inning,and the Oakland Athletics beat Tampa Bay 6-3 to take three of four from the Rays, Irvin allowed three runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings as the rebuilding A’s under new manager Mark Kotsay improved to 4-3.

One day after the 2022 Major League Baseball season began, Florida’s very own – the Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays — kicked off their seasons on Friday. Game 1: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore OriolesThe Rays hosted the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg to begin their season. Coming off a 10-6 season, where he posted a 3.43 ERA and 141 strikeouts, Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan was gifted the opening day start – and he did not disappoint. En rout to his first win of the year, the Rays’ left-handed pitcher struck out seven batters, and forced a shutout in 4.1 innings. Pablo Lopez will get the start for the Marlins, who will be looking to even the series.

J.

Rays Astros Baseball Tampa Bay Rays' Ji-Man Choi (26) celebrates with Brett Phillips after hitting a three-run home run against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021, in Houston. The Astros lost for the fifth time in six games on a night they could have clinched their fourth AL West title in five seasons with a win. With the best record in the AL, the two-time AL East champions secured home-field advantage through the AL Championship Series. Choi’s three-run shot in the fifth pushed Tampa Bay's lead to 6-0 before the Astros got a runner on base. The Astros didn’t get a hit until the fifth inning Wednesday, a night after being held hitless until the sixth before rallying for a 4-3 victory.

Drew Rasmussen and three relievers combined for a three-hitter, Brandon Lowe and Ji-Man Choi both homered and the Tampa Bay Rays coasted past the Houston Astros 7-0, giving them the No. 1 seed in the American League playoffs.

Nelson Cruz homered twice and, at 41 years old, became the oldest player in major league history to hit 30 home runs in a season, powering the Tampa Bay Rays past the Boston Red Sox 12-7.

Austin Meadows hit a tying, inside-the-park homer in the ninth inning, Nelson Cruz had a go-ahead single in the 10th and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied from a six-run deficit to beat the Boston Red Sox 11-10.

Randy Arozarena, rookie Wander Franco and the Tampa Bay Rays won their ninth straight game, breaking away from Boston soon after Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts was pulled because of a positive COVID-19 test.

Major League Baseball teams can now expand their rosters, but there’s something different about September call-ups this season — clubs can add just two players.

Bobby Dalbec drove in a career-high five runs, Xander Bogaerts and Hunter Renfroe each had four RBIs and the Boston Red Sox routed the Tampa Bay Rays 20-8.

Rays Nationals Baseball Washington Nationals' Trea Turner (7) slides on his way to stealing second against Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, left, during the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 30, 2021, in Washington. Two innings later, Turner hit a ball into the right-field corner, and the Nationals Park crowd immediately stood anticipating a play at third. Mike Zunino belted his 18th home run and fourth in his last five games for Tampa Bay. ... Tampa Bay placed RHP Ryan Thompson on the 10-day injured list with shoulder soreness, retroactive to Monday. Nationals: RHP Daniel Hudson (right elbow) threw a 25-pitch bullpen session and will throw another on Friday.

Trea Turner completed his record-tying third career cycle by hitting a sixth-inning triple for the Washington Nationals, accomplishing the feat on his 28th birthday in a 15-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Trea Turner has completed his record-tying third career cycle by hitting a sixth-inning triple for the Washington Nationals.

The Baltimore Orioles have lost 14 straight games, the worst skid in the majors since Houston dropped 15 in a row in 2013.

The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired shortstop Willy Adames (pronounced ah-DAH-mes) and pitcher Trevor Richards from the Tampa Bay Rays for relievers J.

Nolan Arenado hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning of his home debut with the Cardinals, lifting St. Louis over the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 as fans returned to Busch Stadium for the first time since 2019.