Monday, April 1, Game 5: José Alvarado vs. Nolan Arenado

Rays 7, Rockies 1
Record:  4-1

Attendance:  10,850       

          With their seven runs, this was an offensive explosion for the Rays, who managed only 11 runs against the Astros in four games.  Brandon Lowe got his first two hits of the year, including a home run to the opposite field with one on in the fourth, and Kevin Kiermaier blasted a monster home run to the back row in right center with two on in the sixth.  Austin Meadows just missed another in the bottom of the eighth when the ball bounced high off the wall in deep right field.

            On the pitching end Ryne Stanek opened with a scoreless first, striking out the side.   He was followed by Ryan Yarbrough who went four and a third for the win, and then for the last four innings, Kevin Cash used four more pitchers to wrap it up.  When everything falls so neatly into place, it's almost boring. 

But that's okay.  We’ve become so used to the nail-biters the Rays usually play that this one was a ho-hum affair, start to finish.

            One at-bat, however, got my attention:  José Alvarado vs. Nolan Arenado in the top of the eighth.  Alvarado is six feet, 245 pounds, and throws hundred-mile-an-hour strikes.  Arenado is one of the top two or three players in the game right now, signing a contract extension during spring training that will pay him $32.5 million over the next eight years.  (All he did last year was hit .297, slam 38 homers, drive in 110 runs, and score 104 more.)  But the thing is, he doesn’t look like much when he gets to the plate, sort of nervous with fidgety feet, like Johnny Damon used to have when he played for the Rays in 2011.  Arenado already had two hits when he came up in the eighth against Alvarado.  They fought well until the count reached 3-2—and then Alvarado put a fast ball out over the plate and Arenado took it into center field for a single.  Somehow he managed to get the job done.  Damn good work.  A pleasure to watch.    

            Joey Wendle’s left hamstring is serious enough for him to be put on the IL, which could spell trouble—except for the Ray’s well-established and already-proven versatility.  They called up Christian Arroyo from Triple A, the centerpiece of their trade a year ago of Evan Longoria to the Giants.  He hasn’t had a chance to prove himself at the major league level, but at 23, he could show a huge upside—and this could be his big opportunity.  It looks like he may  find playing time in Kevin Cash’s rotating infield.      

            On the dark side, the attendance was the worst yet this year, at 10,850.  We’re going to have to do better if we’re going to keep this team in the area.  Damn Portland.