As I write this, the Devil Rays have just won two in a row over the Diamondbacks, spurred by a deluge of offense and a spell of solid pitching. As you read this, the circumstances may have completely changed, and the team may be stinkin' it up. And so it goes with the Rays, where inconsistency is the hallmark, as it is with most developing teams. The Rays also have the unpleasant lot in life to play the powerhouse Red Sox and Yankees seemingly every other week. And so the Sox come to town for a four-game series beginning Monday. Hey, it's at home, at least. There's a lot of optimism surrounding the team right now; the return of centerfielder Rocco Baldelli has added some juice. We'll see how they go against Boston. By the way, directly after this series, the Yankees come in to the Trop for a three-game stand. Tampa Bay Devil Rays vs. Boston Red Sox, July 3-6, 7:15 p.m. Mon., Wed. and Thurs., 4:15 Tues., Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, tickets start at $10, www.devilrays.com.
—
This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 4, 2006.