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Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

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May: The weather got warmer and Rays grew cold

Posted Jun 1, 2010 by Roger Mooney

Updated May 31, 2010 at 11:47 PM

ROGER MOONEY
TORONTO – It is June yet? It is. OK.

The month of May wasn’t particularly kind to the Rays, who followed their 17-6 April with a 17-12 May.

Yes, they still have the best record in baseball and, with it, the lead in the AL East. But the Yankees won’t go away and the Blue Jays are charging, owners of the highest winning percentage in the American League since April 29.

Matt Garza, 5-1 at one point, is now 5-3 with losses in his last three starters and winless in his last five.

Garza’s latest loss was a 3-2 decision Monday to the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre, when he pitched into the seventh and allowed only three runs on 10 hits.

One of those hits was a two-run, opposite field home run by Adam Lind in the first inning that had the Rays playing catch-up the rest of the night.

Jays starter Brandon Morrow wasn’t dominating but he wasn’t overpowering either. Still, the right-hander held the Rays hitless until Sean Rodriguez beat out a grounder to short with two outs in the top of the sixth.

After a 2-5 homestand, Rays manager Joe Maddon said a change of uniform would do the Rays good. Maybe a chance to wear the road grays would wake up the offense. After all, the Rays entered Monday’s game 19-5 on the road.

They are now 19-6.

While the change in venue – and countries – didn’t help, maybe a change in the calendar will.

Here is a breakdown between April and May:

Batting average: .270 in April, .247 in May.

Runs: 144 in April, 122 in May.

Runs per game: 6.3 in April, 4.2 in May.

Home runs: 25 in April, 21 in May.

RISP average: .336 in April, .247 in May.

In addition, their on-base percentage has dropped by 25 percent and their slugging percentage has dropped by more than 60 percent.