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Major Damage to “The Trop”

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TAMPA-St. PETERSBURG  – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Tampa Bay Rays organization will assess the damage done to Tropicana Field, inflicted on Wednesday night as Hurricane Milton bore down on the region.

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The roof at the stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla., broke apart amid the wind and rain from the Category 3 hurricane. The Rays didn’t address whether the “Trop,” as it is called, will be playable to start the 2025 season.

“During the past couple weeks, our beloved city, region and state have been impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. We are devastated by the damage incurred by so many,” the team noted Thursday afternoon in a statement posted to social media.

“Our priority is supporting our community and our staff. We are fortunate and grateful that no one was hurt by the damage to our ballpark last night. Over the coming days and weeks, we expect to be able to assess the true condition of Tropicana Field. In the meantime, we are working with law enforcement to secure the building.

“We ask for your patience at this time, and we encourage those who can to donate to organizations in our community that are assisting those directly impacted by these storms.”

The stadium, initially called the Florida Suncoast Dome when it opened in 1990, has been the Rays’ home since the franchise played its first game in 1998. It had been set to serve as a staging area for first responders in the storm.

Tropicana Field cost $138 million to build. The 1.1-million square foot building was covered by what the team media guide calls “the world’s largest cable-supported domed roof,” which is “made of six acres of translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass and supports itself with 180 miles of cables connected by struts.”

It was built to withstand winds up to 115 mph.

The Weather Channel reported wind gusts of up to 102 mph in St. Petersburg. Parts of the downtown Tampa and St. Petersburg were drenched by as much as 17 inches or rain, per the report.

There was good news at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, however. NFL Network reported Thursday that the stadium and the Bucs’ practice field sustained only “cosmetic” damage.

–Field Level Media

After Hostile G2, Padres Rebound vs LA

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SAN DIEGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – No matter what has been thrown the San Diego Padres’ way — from the mound or from the stands — not much has deterred a club headed back to the warm embrace of home. The Padres did not just even their National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at a game apiece on Sunday.

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They walked into a must-win situation on the road, hit six home runs and grew even closer as a team amid a hostile fan atmosphere to put momentum firmly on their side.

The Padres return home on Tuesday for Game 3 of the best-of-five series following Sunday’s 10-2 win at Los Angeles.

San Diego controlled the Dodgers’ offense and rose to the occasion after Dodgers fans threw baseballs and beverage cans toward Padres outfielders Jurickson Profar and Fernando Tatis Jr. in the seventh inning on Sunday.

Padres third baseman Manny Machado was the voice of reason before the eighth, gathering his teammates for a reminder on channeling anger and energy into the game. San Diego made it a rout from there, scoring six runs over the final two innings, with four home runs during that span.

Padres right-hander Yu Darvish, who allowed one run over seven innings on Sunday, characterized Machado’s rallying cry as, “Some dirty words here and there.”

Tatis, who hit a pair of homers, offered a bit more insight.

“We just gathered up together and we told each other, especially Manny, to control our emotions,” Tatis said. “The game was on our side. We know what we’re capable of. It was just a reminder who we really are as a group and just how crazy we can turn a place to go nuts.”

Now Padres fans get a chance to turn up the energy with the next two games of the series at their park.

San Diego can advance to the NL Championship Series without leaving home, which is the route it took in 2022 after it lost Game 1 of the NLDS to the Dodgers before winning the next three.

The Padres will send right-hander Michael King (1-0, 0.00 ERA) to the mound for Game 3 after he struck out 12 over seven scoreless innings last Tuesday in a 4-0 Game 1 win over the Atlanta Braves in the wild-card round.

King was 2-0 with a 3.10 ERA in four appearances (three starts) against the Dodgers this season and has a 2.82 ERA in five career appearances (22 1/3 innings) against Los Angeles.

The Dodgers will turn to right-hander Walker Buehler (0-0, 0.00), who has playoff pedigree but has traveled a rocky road this season after two years away following his second career Tommy John surgery.

Buehler was 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts this season but was solid on Sept. 26, when he gave up one run to the Padres in five innings. He ended up with a no-decision as Los Angeles went on to a 7-2 win that clinched its 11th NL West title in 12 seasons.

With their pitching situation tenuous at best, the Dodgers knew they would have to lean into their offense, but the heralded top three spots in the order combined to go 0-for-12 in Game 2.

Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and Mookie Betts had a home run robbed by Profar in left in the first inning.

No. 3 hitter Freddie Freeman went 0-for-2 before exiting after the fifth inning with continued right ankle discomfort from a late-season injury. Enrique Hernandez went 0-for-2 in Freeman’s place.

“It’s really frustrating but there’s nothing really to do right now,” Betts said after Sunday’s game. “You just have to keep going and hopefully it turns.”

–Doug Padilla, Field Level Media

Ohtani 50/50 Ball to Auction

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RUNNEMEDE, NJ – (Staff and Wire service Report) – The owner of the ball that Shohei Ohtani hit for his historic 50th homer of the year remains in dispute, but the souvenir will continue to be auctioned off while legal proceedings continue.

Goldin Auctions announced Monday that the lawyers for the fans who are arguing over the ball’s rightful owner agreed to let the auction continue. With another two weeks to go in the auction, the latest top bid was $1.5 million, which would see the buyer owing more than $1.8 million when the auction house’s fee is included.

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The ball has significant value because of its place in baseball history: When that ball cleared the fence in Miami on Sept. 19, Ohtani became the first player ever to amass 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same year. The Los Angeles Dodgers star ended the season with 54 homers and 59 steals.

After the ball landed in the left field stands, Chris Belanski wound up with it, and he is the one who initiated the auction. However, two other fans, Max Matus and Joseph Davidov, subsequently filed separate lawsuits alleging that they had possession of the ball before it was taken from them.

Davidov’s attorney, Devon Workman, told Front Office Sports on Monday, “Parties have agreed to let the sale proceed and then the parties will continue to litigate over ownership over the final proceeds of the sale.”

Goldin said in a statement, according to ESPN, that “all parties want the 50/50 ball to be auctioned by Goldin, and have agreed to convey any and all of their ownership interests in the 50/50 ball to the winner of the auction, giving the winner full assurance that they will receive free and clear title to the 50/50 ball.”

The record price for a baseball is $3 million, which was paid for the ball Mark McGwire hit for his 70th homer in 1998.

–Field Level Media

A Royal Fourth

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Kansas City’s catcher Salvador Perez hit a towering homer off New York’s Carlos Rodon to start a four-run fourth inning and the Royals beat the Yankees 4-2 on Monday night to even their American League Division Series at one game apiece.

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Game 3 of the best-of-five set is scheduled for Wednesday night in Kansas City.

The only remaining player from Kansas City’s 2015 World Series team, Perez forged a 1-1 tie by hammering a 2-0 slider to the back of the left field seats.

It was Perez’s sixth career postseason homer and first since Game 5 of the 2015 AL Championship Series.

The veteran catcher’s 402-foot drive gives him 13 hits in 28 career at-bats off Rodon (0-1), whom he faced frequently when the Yankees left-hander pitched for the Chicago White Sox.

Following Perez’s homer, the Royals continued to pounce on Rodon’s slider, as Tommy Pham and Garrett Hampson had run-scoring singles.

Yuli Gurriel followed Perez’s drive with a single to left on a 2-2 slider and took second on a wild pitch. After Rodon got the first out of the fourth, Pham lined another slider to center to plate Gurriel for a 2-1 lead, then stole second.

With two outs, Pham easily scored when Hampson hit a slider to left for a 3-1 lead, chasing Rodon from the game in the process. Maikel Garcia added an RBI single off Ian Hamilton, but he got caught in a rundown for the final out of the frame.

Kansas City starter Cole Ragans struggled with command at times but held the Yankees to one run on three hits in four innings before the Royals used four relievers to finish the game. Ragans struck out five and walked four.

Angel Zerpa (2-0) got a double play to end the fifth, and John Schreiber got three flyouts in the sixth for Kansas City.

Kris Bubic pitched two innings, getting Juan Soto to fly out to the warning track to end the seventh and retiring Giancarlo Stanton on a double-play grounder to end the eighth. Lucas Erceg gave up Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s homer to start the ninth and a two-out single to Jon Berti before notching the save.

Rodon allowed four runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. He didn’t issue a walk and fanned seven.

The Yankees took a 1-0 lead in the third on Stanton’s RBI single.

New York finished 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

–Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media

Twins Push Towards Wild Card

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – After gaining a cushion in the American League wild-card race with their series-opening win, the Minnesota Twins will look for another victory over the host Boston Red Sox on Saturday.

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Minnesota (81-73), which broke through for a three-run 12th inning in its 4-2 triumph on Friday, will now turn to ace right-hander Pablo Lopez with a chance to win the series.

A day after being held to three hits in a 3-2, 10-inning loss at Cleveland, the Twins struck for 13 hits against the Red Sox. The top five batters in the Minnesota order produced two-hit efforts in a result that gave the Twins a one-game lead over the Detroit Tigers for the final AL playoff spot.

“It’s a really important eight games that we have left, so it was a huge (win) for sure,” Twins shortstop Carlos Correa said. “The way everyone came together to make it happen was really special. … The message is simple: Never give up.”

Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner had RBI singles in the 12th inning, while the eight pitchers who followed Twins starter David Festa to the mound allowed a total of five hits and one unearned run in seven innings.

The Twins have the utmost confidence in Lopez, who is 5-0 with a 1.35 ERA over seven straight quality starts since his Aug. 6 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

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Lopez (15-8, 3.84 ERA) had won four straight starts prior to Monday at Cleveland. He pitched 6 1/3 innings in an eventual 4-3 Twins loss, striking out four while allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks.

“He pitched so well until (the seventh),” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of Lopez. “A leadoff walk, that’s not … like him.”

Lopez is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two career starts against the Red Sox, including a win on May 4, when he fanned eight while tossing six innings of one-run ball.

“I didn’t make pitches when I needed to,” Crawford said. “Obviously, you can’t throw Judge a 92-mile-per-hour fastball right down the middle. I just didn’t do my job (on Sunday).”

The home run ball has been a backbreaker for Crawford. He has allowed five in his past three starts and a major-league-leading 33 on the season.

–Field Level Media

 

Twins Beat Sox in Extra Innings

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Minnesota’s Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner each had RBI singles during a three-run top of the 12th inning, helping to propel the Minnesota Twins to a 4-2 win over the host Boston Red Sox in the opener of a three-game series on Friday.

The Twins (81-73) moved to a game ahead of the Detroit Tigers for the final American League wild-card spot. Detroit lost 7-1 to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. Each of the top five hitters in Minnesota’s lineup had multiple hits, including leadoff hitter Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis, who doubled.
With Kyle Farmer placed as the designated runner on second to start the top of the 12th, Buxton and Larnach singled to help bring home the go-ahead run. After Carlos Correa walked, Wallner added an insurance run with another single. Two batters later, Willi Castro hit a sacrifice fly to right to push the lead to 4-1.
Griffin Jax allowed only Connor Wong’s RBI groundout in Boston’s half of the inning to save a victory for Scott Blewitt (1-0).
A two-out hit allowed Boston to take the lead in the fourth. Tyler O’Neill drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on Wilyer Abreu’s single two batters later. O’Neill scored the opening run as Story ripped an RBI single into center.
The Twins tied the score in the seventh. Correa beat out a potential double play, allowing Buxton to score.
After Ceddanne Rafaela’s leadoff double in the Boston seventh, Twins relievers Cole Sands and Jhoan Duran struck out five straight Red Sox before the latter stranded the bases loaded with two outs in the eighth.
Minnesota rookie starter David Festa allowed one run and four hits in six innings, walking three and striking out six.
After the game, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said third baseman Rafael Devers is going to have an MRI exam Saturday on his right shoulder and is likely done for the season.
–Field Level Media

Red Sox Scratch-out Win vs Rays

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ST PETERSBURG – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jarren Duran drove in the winning run in a small-ball eighth inning as the Red Sox evened their three-game series with Tampa Bay on Wednesday, edging the Rays 2-1 in Florida.

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After Trevor Story (2-for-3, homer, two runs) opened the eighth with a weak single past Drew Rasmussen (0-2), the Boston shortstop stole second and third. With one out, Duran slapped the winning hit to right for the Red Sox (76-76).

Boston starter Tanner Houck yielded one run and four hits in four innings. He struck out four without issuing a walk.

Justin Slaten (6-2) pitched out of trouble in the seventh. Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen worked around two walks in the ninth to notch his 27th save.

Josh Lowe (double, run), Jonny DeLuca (hit by pitch) and Taylor Walls (RBI, walk, stolen base) had two hits apiece for Tampa Bay (74-78).

Rays starter Ryan Pepiot dominated Boston for six innings, allowing just one run on two hits and no walks while fanning a career-high 12 batters. He crafted an immaculate inning (struck out all three batters on a total of nine pitches) in the fifth.

One night after tying their season high by going deep four times in an 8-3 win, the Rays produced a second-inning run. Lowe doubled with one out and DeLuca was hit by a pitch. After a strikeout, Taylor Walls slapped a liner that scored Lowe for a 1-0 lead.

In the fifth, Pepiot blew away the Red Sox lineup, whiffing Connor Wong looking and Wilyer Abreu and Triston Casas swinging.

The first-year Rays hurler set down 15 of the first 16 Boston batters he faced — 10 by strikeouts, nine swinging.

However, Story was ready to swing right away in the sixth and belted a first-pitch 93 mph fastball to left-center, making it 1-all with his second homer of the year.

Not known for his defense, Rays left fielder Christopher Morel prevented two runs in the seventh by ending the inning with a leaping catch above the fence’s pads on Casas’ drive with two runners on base.

–Field Level Media

Joe Castiglione to Retire

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame broadcaster Joe Castiglione, the voice of the Boston Red Sox radio for over four decades, announced his retirement from the WEEI broadcast booth. His 42-season tenure (1983-2024) stands as the longest of any play-by-play announcer in franchise history. Castiglione will remain part of the Red Sox family in an honorary ambassador role. The club will pay tribute to his storied career prior to its final regular season game on September 29 at Fenway Park.

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“After 42 seasons with the Red Sox and more than 6,500 games, I have decided it’s time to retire from a regular broadcast schedule,” said Castiglione. “While I feel I am at the pinnacle of my career, have been blessed to call four World Championships, and received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Hall of Fame in July while working for the greatest franchise in sports, it’s time to spend more time with Jan, my bride of almost 53 years, my kids, and grandkids. The Red Sox and Audacy have been wonderful to me and have let me call my own shots, which is so rare in broadcasting. They will keep me in the family as a club representative making appearances with clients and fans, working special events, and filling in on game broadcasts when the need arises. While I will miss the daily interactions with baseball people and talking to the fans of Red Sox Nation, I think this is the right decision for my family and myself.”

“Joe is one of the greatest in baseball broadcasting,” said Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry. “His recognition by the Hall of Fame in July punctuated a career of vivid storytelling that has brought the game to life for generations of listeners. His brilliance in the booth is matched only by his exceptional character. Though his role has placed him squarely in the spotlight, he has aways let the action on the field take center stage, a trait he has shown even behind the mic with an uncanny ability to put others first. His kindness and genuine spirit have touched everyone around him and as he steps into a well-deserved retirement, he leaves behind a legacy of humility and warmth that will continue to inspire us all. We are grateful for his more than four decades of dedication and for sharing his love for baseball and the Red Sox with all of us night after night.”

“Joe calls games with an authenticity that makes every listener feel like an insider,” said Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner. “He turns every play into a shared experience, perfectly capturing our joy and disbelief with his unforgettable call ‘Can you believe it?’ after the final out of the 2004 World Series. He has carried us through loss and disappointment with compassion and sincerity and has been a nightly companion to millions for generations, earning his place as one of New England’s most beloved voices. So many of us at the Red Sox have been lucky to have him as a friend and witness the incredible relationships he built with the many broadcasters he’s mentored over the years. His legacy will last well beyond his final call, and we are profoundly thankful for his service and the immeasurable impact he’s had on our organization and the game of baseball.”

“You’d be hard-pressed to find someone more friendly and dependable than Joe,” said Red Sox President & CEO Sam Kennedy. “Like countless New Englanders, I grew up listening to him call Red Sox games every season and his broadcasts always felt like a conversation with a trusted friend, a rare gift that made him a fixture in homes across the region. After working with him for over two decades, I have come to appreciate that Joe’s talent in the broadcast booth is an attribute equaled only by his unfailing kindness. He is down-to-earth and one of the most authentic individuals I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. It’s difficult to have imagined a better voice or a finer person to serve as the narrator of Red Sox baseball these past four decades and he has certainly earned a very well-deserved retirement.”

“Joe Castiglione has provided the soundtrack of summer to Sox fans throughout New England on the WEEI Red Sox Radio Network for 42 seasons,” said Mike Thomas, SVP/Market Manager, Audacy Boston. “To work any job for 42 years is a colossal accomplishment, but to do play-by-play for one team for that long is legendary. As great as Joe is in the booth, he’s an even better person and teammate. It has been a privilege to listen to Joe and an honor to work with him. Congratulations Joe and thank you for bringing the sights and sounds of the Sox through our radio for so many memorable moments.”

Born March 2, 1947, in Hamden, Connecticut, Castiglione graduated from Colgate University and earned his master’s degree from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication. He began his broadcasting career at WFMJ-TV in Youngstown, Ohio, before calling MLB games for Cleveland (1979, 1982) and Milwaukee (1981). He joined the Red Sox broadcast team in 1983, first airing games for WPLM and later for WRKO/WEEI beginning in 1989. Over the years, Castiglione’s voice has become synonymous with iconic Red Sox moments, including the final outs of each of the club’s four World Series victories from 2004 to 2018.

In July 2024, Castiglione received the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum for excellence in broadcasting. He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2014 in a class that included Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens, and Nomar Garciaparra. In 2022, Fenway Park’s home radio booth was officially named the “Joe Castiglione Booth” to honor his storied career.

Devers Delivers vs Cole, Yanks

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BRONX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s 3B Rafael Devers hit a two-run single with the bases loaded in the fifth inning to continue his dominance of New York’s SP Gerrit Cole and the Red Sox snapped a seven-game road losing streak with a 7-1 victory over the host Yankees on Saturday afternoon in New York.

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The Red Sox (75-74) avoided falling under .500 for the first time since June 11 after opening the series with a pair of one-run losses.

Cole (6-5) hit Devers with a pitch in the first inning and intentionally walked the slugger with one out in the fourth to set up a three-run inning. According to YES Network (sourcing stathead.com), it was on record the earliest intentional walk with the bases empty ever issued by the Yankees.

In the fifth, Cole was forced to face Devers after grazing Jarren Duran with a pitch. Devers improved to 14-for-40 in the regular season off Cole by lining a 1-0 curveball to right field that allowed Trevor Story and Danny Jansen to score and give the Red Sox a 5-1 cushion.

Masataka Yoshida started Boston’s comeback with a tying RBI ground-rule double in the fourth, two batters after Devers drew his free pass. In the fifth, Yoshida followed Devers’ hit with a two-run single after Cole hit Tyler O’Neill with a pitch.

OF Wilyer Abreu put the Red Sox ahead 3-1 in the fourth with a two-run single. Earlier, Abreu made a strong throw from right field to throw out Alex Verdugo at second in the third inning.

Boston’s SP Brayan Bello (14-7) allowed one run on four hits in 5 1/3 innings and retired Aaron Judge three times after the slugger hit a go-ahead grand slam on Friday. Bello struck out two, walked two in improving to 4-2 in his past six starts.

Four relievers followed Bello, including left-hander Zach Penrod, who made his major league debut and retired Anthony Rizzo with two on to end the eighth.

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Before using four fingers on his right hand to signal he wanted to put Devers on, Cole retired nine of the first 10 hitters. After hitting Devers, he got O’Neill to bounce into a double play to end the first.

Cole was lifted after Yoshida’s single in the fifth and heard some boos while coming off the mound.

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was tagged for a season-high seven runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. He has allowed 11 runs on 12 hits in 8 2/3 innings during his two starts against the Red Sox this season.

New York’s Gleyber Torres hit an RBI single in the third for the Yankees (86-63), whose magic number to clinch a playoff spot remained at four.

–Field Level Media

 

Paxton to Retire at Season’s End

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher James Paxton announced he will retire at the conclusion of this season. Paxton, 35, made three starts following a trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 26. The Ladner, British Columbia native has been on the injured list since Aug. 12, one day after he sustained a strained right calf while attempting to cover first base in a game against the Houston Astros.

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“I’m hoping that we can squeak into the post-season and I can get the opportunity to pitch again,” Paxton said on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast. “But I think after this season [I’m] going to be retiring and moving on to the next chapter.
“It was tough. Obviously, I think that I can still do it. I can still go out there and compete and help a team win. But I just think with where my family’s at and what they need right now, they need me home, and I feel a duty and a responsibility to be at home with my family. And I’m looking forward to being at home with my family and spending more time with them, too.”
Paxton is 9-3 with a 4.40 earned-run average in 21 starts this season with the Dodgers and Red Sox.
He is a 73-41 with a 3.77 ERA in 177 regular-season starts for the Seattle Mariners (2013-18, 2021), New York Yankees (2019-20), Red Sox (2023, 2024) and Dodgers (2024).