Lawmakers face off in congressional baseball game
PK Press Club correspondent Chad Pergram previews the annual congressional baseball game, where Republican lawmakers aim to extend their five-game winning streak against Democrats. The report highlights the competitive spirit, the challenges faced by both teams during early morning practices and the game’s significant fundraising efforts for D.C. nonprofits.
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I mentioned how humiliating baseball can be in yesterday’s article. I was certainly touched last night. Humble might not even be the right word – instead, he should probably be incredibly frustrated. I was 10.5 under in the Royals-Padres game, and in nine innings there were exactly six runs scored. Unfortunately, there were three on each side, so it went to a 10th inning. In the top of the 10th, three runs crossed home plate. This brought the total to 9, but I was still alive. In the bottom of the inning, the Royals scored four runs. A seven-run 10th inning and the game is over. About as brutal as it gets. Fortunately, I won against the Reds, but that… that was something. Let’s try to avoid that chance as the Rays take on the Red Sox.
Tampa Bay is one of the best teams in baseball, which isn’t that shocking when you consider their franchise as a whole. They are 56-40 for the season with sole possession of first place in the division. The Rays have been hot all year, but I would challenge almost any casual fan to name more than three players on the team. Junior Caminero is probably the most well-known, partly because he is an All-Star, and partly because he almost got injured in the All-Star Game.
Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates his solo home run against Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brandon Williamson during the third inning of a baseball game in St. Petersburg, Florida, April 22, 2026. (Chris O’Meara/AP)
You may be familiar with some of the starting pitchers on the staff, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you weren’t. The Rays are a little unconventional at times with their rotation and arms. Today they send in Ian Seymour to start the game, or maybe we should consider calling it opening the game? Seymour has 33 appearances and only six starts. It’s normal for a guy to stretch out and move from the bullpen to the rotation, but some are better left in the bullpen, and it seems like that might be the case for him. As a starter, he allowed teams to hit .242 against him, compared to just .197 as a reliever. The encouraging sign for the Rays is that in 18 at-bats against him, the Red Sox recorded no hits and struck out seven.
THE RED SOX HAD A NIGHTMARE TRAVEL DAY FOR THE AGES, BUT FOUND A WAY TO BEAT THE METS IN NEW YORK
The Boston Red Sox looked dead in the water just a month ago. They were in last place in the division and likely appeared to be sellers at the trade deadline. Maybe it was just a really bad start. Maybe this team is better than we expected. Or, it’s possible that it’s just a hot spell and they end up falling back down the rankings. There’s still a lot to figure out, but the club has finally clicked, and I know they’re looking to ride that success for as long as possible.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JULY 7: Ceddanne Rafaela #3 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates her two-run home run during the second inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on July 7, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
The Red Sox will send Patrick Sandoval to the hill today. This is only his second start of the season for the Red Sox, and he has no record with a 2.08 ERA and 1.38 WHIP. He only has 4.1 innings under his belt, so I would be very surprised if I saw him go deeper in this game. It’s possible, since yesterday was a doubleheader, that they need Sandoval to eat innings even if he pitches poorly. Rays hitters have faced him 28 times, but 17 of them have come from Yandy Diaz, who is just 3 for 17 against him. The other three players who have already seen Sandoval are a total of 2 of 11.
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I think this could be a match where you see points from both teams. Neither starter is exactly going to strike fear into their opponent. However, I will at least give them credit for being successful against their opponent in limited exposure. I’m leaning towards the over at 9.5 for this match, but I think there’s a better game.
Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Yandy Diaz is congratulated on his two-run home run against the Atlanta Braves in the fourth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 9, 2023, in St. Petersburg, Florida. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
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The Red Sox have won 11 straight games, but I don’t see them getting to 12. Boston should be very happy to be back to .500, but Tampa Bay is a very good team, and I actually think Seymour is more reliable than Sandoval in only his second start. Combine that with the Red Sox winning both games yesterday, and I think the Rays win this one. Give me Tampa Bay on the moneyline.
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