There are a lot of reasons why the Rays lost the World Series in five games.

What turned out to be the biggest and most obvious reason is the one they could do the least about: The Brewers were just the better team.

After the Brewers bolted out to a three games to none series lead — winning the first two games by one run and the third in a ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — There had been no doubt. And there was no waiting.

Right out of the gate, on the morning of the first day after the World Series, Michael King opted out of the final two years of his contract with the Padres.

The 31-year-old right-hander will become one of the most coveted free agents on the market.

While King is said to have a ...Read more

Wander Franco took a big loss in a Dominican appeals court Thursday, with the panel keeping in place the verdict that found him guilty of sexual abuse of a minor and adding a three-year suspended sentence (similar to probation).

The court ruling is another blow to Franco’s hopes to return to the major leagues to resume what had been a career ...Read more

CHICAGO — The end of the World Series always brings me down a little, knowing there will be no baseball to watch until spring training in February.

This year’s end was doubly tough, realizing there might not be a spring training because of the impending owners lockout, which could also eat into the 2027 season.

But at least it was a fun ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — The final out has been recorded, and the better team is dancing toward history.

Any minute now, they’ll turn off the scoreboard and lights at Tropicana Field. The disco ball in the Tampa Bay Rays clubhouse will remain joyless and dark, and the players will soon share hugs and muted jokes on their way out the door.

This is how...Read more

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A Rays season that lasted much longer than most expected came to a disappointing and painful conclusion Wednesday night with a 4-1 loss to the Brewers in Game 5 of the World Series.

Given little chance by media and industry experts to even contend for a playoff spot in the rugged American League East, the Rays had a ...Read more

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Even before the first pitch, Game 5 looked bleak for the Rays.

Their bullpen was wiped out after a marathon win in Game 4, and Drew Rasmussen was making an unprecedented start on short rest.

Considering the Rays would not likely win a low-scoring affair, Tampa Bay’s best chance of staying alive in the 2026 World ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Drew Rasmussen will start for the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth game of the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.

Rasmussen will be working on three days’ rest after starting Game 2 on Saturday in Milwaukee.

The Rays ace didn’t pitch well by his standards in that game, allowing three runs on six hits ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — We’ll always have Game 4.

No matter what the future holds, no matter how the 2026 World Series ends, Tampa Bay will always have the memory of one of the great comebacks in franchise history.

Staring at the face of elimination while trailing by a run in the bottom of the 12th inning in Game 4 Tuesday night, the Rays put ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — After helping open T-Mobile Arena and Allegiant Stadium, Vikrant Bodalia is excited about the use of technology in stadiums and how that will translate to the Athletics’ Las Vegas ballpark.

Hired by the A’s last October as senior vice president of technology, Bodalia has been guiding what technologies will be included in the ...Read more

BALTIMORE — There was a significant confession buried amid the compliments Tuesday morning inside the brick-laden warehouse at Camden Yards, where Baltimore Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias sat beside Jared Banner, the club’s new general manager.

The spotlight belonged to Banner, who, according to Elias, is taking charge ...Read more

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Down three games to none in the World Series, with the Brewers and history against them, the Rays talked a lot going into Tuesday night about how all they were focused on was winning that night’s game.

“We’ve just got to go 1-0,” leftfielder Chandler Simpson said.

Mission accomplished, and in dramatic fashion, ...Read more

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As the Rays got set to take the field Tuesday night for Game 4 of the World Series against the Brewers, they were headed toward making history, either improbable or ignominious.

With wins Tuesday and Wednesday at the Trop and Friday and Saturday in Milwaukee, the Rays would become the first of 26 teams to fall behind 3-...Read more

CHICAGO — As a proud member of the fraternity of Racing Sausages, I was dismayed to learn that Fox Sports opted to ignore the first-ever World Series Sausage Race on Friday at the former Miller Park in Milwaukee.

Guido, the Italian sausage, was the winner of the historic race, which can be viewed on YouTube and social media. The Polish won ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Hours before the 2026 World Series opener, Brett Durda threw out the real first pitch.

Instead of slinging a baseball at 95 mph, he gently lobbed a middleneck clam.

With a kerplunk, the clam plopped into the pool of 10 hungry male cownose rays who now live year-round in the Cownose Clubhouse, an exhibit just behind the right-...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Talking before Monday’s third game of the World Series, Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash made the first step to climbing out of a two-games-to-none deficit sound so reasonably doable.

Score some early runs, get the Tropicana Field sold-out crowd behind them, have starter Freddy Peralta pitch deep into the game and walk off ...Read more

CHICAGO — The perfect fall weather in Chicago and the turning of the ivy reminds us that Game 3 of the World Series could have been set for Monday night at Wrigley Field.

Alas, the Chicago Cubs did not cooperate, falling to the San Diego Padres in two straight games of the wild-card series, leaving the ballpark empty this October for all but ...Read more

NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor once described Roberto Clemente’s legacy as being “big on the field, but even bigger off the field.” The New York Mets shortstop’s influence grew Monday when MLB named him the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, presented annually to baseball’s top humanitarian.

The league will present him with the ...Read more

CHICAGO — Right on schedule, notorious buzzkill Bud Selig is back to try to spoil your World Series experience.

Best known for canceling the 1994 World Series as interim MLB commissioner, Selig is again lobbying for a salary cap, 32 years after the players struck to avoid one, leading to the postseason he canceled.

Go figure.

The former ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — In retrospect, conventional wisdom might not be all that wise. Just check out this postseason.

The Atlanta Braves should have started Chris Sale in Game 2 of the division series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. They didn't. They won.

The Braves then had an edge with Sale starting Game 3. They didn't. They lost that game, and ...Read more