Tuesday, July 2. Game 86. Rays win. Morton sharp, again.

Rays 6, Orioles 3

Record:  50-36

Attendance:  20,925

One point of value:  The Rays were sold by Vince Naimoli to a group headed by Stu Sternberg in 2004 for $200 million, according to Forbes, which places the team value at $1 billion today.  Sternberg's initial investment has picked up $800 million in 15 years, an incredible return that most people, though not Sternberg and company, would be thrilled with.  Adding icing to Sternberg's cake, Forbes also reports that the team's new contract with Fox Sports will yield them this year (and for the next 14) $87 million, an increase of $52 million a year over the previous earnings.  And still the Rays cry poor and blame the population for not showing up in high enough numbers for Rays games.  Their profit margin has to be higher--or they will move to Montreal.  It's pure greed, not very pretty, that motivates Sternberg and Co.  I say good riddance.  We deserve a franchise that can figure out how to fill seats without making fans feel they are depriving poor Stu from the profits he deserves.  Take responsibility for your failures, Stu.

Tuesday's game was a cookie-cutter duplication of Monday's game, hardly worth pausing over.  It didn't even have the curiosity level of seeing Brendan McKay DHing.  Charlie Morton did win his ninth game and Rays pitching did combine for 17 strikeouts.  And Brandon Lowe did go 3 for 3 with a home run.  But in the end this one, like yesterday's game, went according to pregame analyses, and didn't do much to keep fans glued to their seats.