Rays 3, Twins 5
Record: 35-20
Attendance: 14,375
It isn't especially surprising the Rays lost last night. They didn't have two of their hottest hitters, Tommy Pham and Avisail Garcia (both out with what appear to be minor injuries), but they only managed four hits, after all. What is surprising is that they were right in the game, a 3-3 tie, going into the ninth inning. Diego Castillo came in to get the last out in the top of the eighth, but then in the ninth he got into immediate trouble by hitting the leadoff hitter and then hitting the fifth hitter, squeezing two outs in between. Lefty Adam Kolarek came in to face lefty Eddie Rosario, who promptly grounded a single inside third base, and suddenly the game was 5-3 Twins, which is how it ended.
Put the blame for this one on the closer tandem of Alvarado and Castillo. This time it was Castillo who got the loss and is now 1-4 (but 6-0 in saves). Alvarado is 0-4 (but also 6-0 in saves). It's the losses of course that are causing concern. Those are eight games the Rays might have won if their closer situation was more rock solid. Finding the strike zone has become an adventure. Too many high velocity fastballs get spiked into the dirt and require acrobatic moves by the catcher to keep runners from advancing--or scoring. And last night, Castillo plunked two men in the ninth inning of a tie game.
Let's be positive here: The Rays are no doubt trying to work out a deal with one-time All Star closer Craig Kimbrel, who is still available on the free agent market. And due to the language of MLB's rules and regs, after June 1, the signing team doesn't have to give up a draft pick to sign him. It is possible that the tag team of Alvarado and Castillo will come back and be the steaming strike throwers they were in April, and there is no telling that Kimbrel will be up to the job. But with everything else going so well for the Rays, it would be a terrible decision not to throw the dice. Kimbrel could be the single piece of the puzzle that puts the Rays into the playoffs. Deep into the playoffs.
As quiet as Rays bats were last night, Kevin Kiermaier hit his sixth homer of the year in the second, a towering fly ball to straightaway center with one man on. And in the third inning, with Austin Meadows on third and Willy Adames on first, the Rays pulled off a double steal, Adames breaking for second and drawing a throw, which was enough distraction for Meadows to steal home. But that was it for offense, which was apparently resting on its Thursday night laurels.
Today's day game pits Yonny Chirinos (6-1, 2.91) against Kyle Gibson (5-2, 4.08).
Thursday, May 30. Game 54: Rays maul Twins
Rays 14, Twins 3
Record: 35-19
Attendance: 8,076
It doesn't make sense that the Rays' most dominating performance of the year should come at the expense of the team with the best record in baseball. But that's what happened last night when the Rays took on the Minnesota Twins, which at 37-17 were 20 games over .500. And this is the team the Rays beat 14-3, to raise their own record to 35-19, 16 games over .500 and one-half game out of first place in the AL East. .
The successful evening got started with Charlie Morton (now 6-0) going seven innings in which he gave up two runs on four hits (no walks). Mopping up were Adam Kolarek and Oliver Drake. But the damage was done by the Rays' offense, six runs in the third and five more in the fourth. They left only eight men on base, and with men in scoring position, they went 9 for 11. Austin Meadows once again showed the way, hitting a double inside the first base line with the bases loaded in the third. In his recent attack on the record books, Meadows had another two-hit night with four RBIs, putting his season BA at .361 and his RBI total at 35; he also leads the team with 12 HRs. He played left field last night where he managed a full-extension grab of a fly ball slicing away from him near the wall. Nothing but the IL has been able to stop him so far this year.
Yandy Diaz, on the shelf since being hit on the left hand almost two weeks ago against the Yankees, is showing progress and is nearly ready for a rehab assignment. Meanwhile, the Rays called up Christian Arroyo, who had two doubles and two RBIs in yesterday's game and seems readier than ever to compete for a regular job. Mike Zunino played his second rehab game at Charlotte (three Ks in seven innings), which probably means there will be a roster change at the catcher position very soon.
Tonight's game is back to opener Ryne Stanek with Jalen Beeks (4-0) slotted as the bulk-man
Record: 35-19
Attendance: 8,076
It doesn't make sense that the Rays' most dominating performance of the year should come at the expense of the team with the best record in baseball. But that's what happened last night when the Rays took on the Minnesota Twins, which at 37-17 were 20 games over .500. And this is the team the Rays beat 14-3, to raise their own record to 35-19, 16 games over .500 and one-half game out of first place in the AL East. .
The successful evening got started with Charlie Morton (now 6-0) going seven innings in which he gave up two runs on four hits (no walks). Mopping up were Adam Kolarek and Oliver Drake. But the damage was done by the Rays' offense, six runs in the third and five more in the fourth. They left only eight men on base, and with men in scoring position, they went 9 for 11. Austin Meadows once again showed the way, hitting a double inside the first base line with the bases loaded in the third. In his recent attack on the record books, Meadows had another two-hit night with four RBIs, putting his season BA at .361 and his RBI total at 35; he also leads the team with 12 HRs. He played left field last night where he managed a full-extension grab of a fly ball slicing away from him near the wall. Nothing but the IL has been able to stop him so far this year.
Yandy Diaz, on the shelf since being hit on the left hand almost two weeks ago against the Yankees, is showing progress and is nearly ready for a rehab assignment. Meanwhile, the Rays called up Christian Arroyo, who had two doubles and two RBIs in yesterday's game and seems readier than ever to compete for a regular job. Mike Zunino played his second rehab game at Charlotte (three Ks in seven innings), which probably means there will be a roster change at the catcher position very soon.
Tonight's game is back to opener Ryne Stanek with Jalen Beeks (4-0) slotted as the bulk-man
Wednesday, May 29. Game 53: Walk-off single by Willy Adames wins game in 11
Rays 4, Blue Jays 3 (11 innings)
Record 34-19
Attendance: 6,166 The second lowest figure in franchise history.
Jose Alvarado did his best to give this one away by allowing a game-tying run in the eighth and leaving with the bases loaded and without getting a single out. The guy who is supposed to be the Rays premier high leverage reliever thus imploded once again. How much longer can the Rays go with him? How much longer can they ignore his inability to command the strike zone, often by throwing his hundred-mile-an hour fast balls into the dirt and often right by a desperate catcher who can't stop the ball from shooting all the way to the backstop? But this time he was saved by his teammates from being the goat he seemed destined to become.
Hunter Wood relieved Alvarado and got a double play, forcing a run at the plate, and then getting a fly out to center. That's the kind of magic it took for Alvarado to limit his failure to his own stats and not the team's won-lost record. The Rays scored in the eleventh on a walk, a single, an intentional walk, and with the bases loaded, a long fly ball by Willy Adames that carried well beyond the drawn-in outfield. Walk-off Willy. Notch up another one-run victory and another extra inning win.
Blake Snell gave up two runs on his first three pitches, a single by leadoff hitter Eric Sogard and a home run by Lourdes Gurriel. But Snell settled down after that and pitched six good innings and leaving with the 3-2 lead that Alvarado gave away. So Snell gets a no decision and lowers his ERA to 3.06. The regular cast of relievers followed Snell: Roe and Kolarek before Alvarado, and Wood and Castillo after Alvarado. Castillo got the win (1-3).
For such a low-scoring game, the teams combined for a surprising 26 hits, 14 for the Rays. Predictably they also combined for 57 runners left on base, 30 for the Rays. The Rays were 3 for 16 (.187) with runners in scoring position.
But in the end, the Rays won their fifth straight, swept the Blue Jays in a three-game set, and ended the night a healthy fifteen games over .500. And they are only one game out of first place, as the Yankees continue hot, 8-2 in their last ten as compared to the Rays' 7-3.
But tonight Rocco Baldelli leads his Minnesota Twins and their major league best 37-17 record into the Trop. It remains to be seen how many people will drop in to see the game.
Record 34-19
Attendance: 6,166 The second lowest figure in franchise history.
Jose Alvarado did his best to give this one away by allowing a game-tying run in the eighth and leaving with the bases loaded and without getting a single out. The guy who is supposed to be the Rays premier high leverage reliever thus imploded once again. How much longer can the Rays go with him? How much longer can they ignore his inability to command the strike zone, often by throwing his hundred-mile-an hour fast balls into the dirt and often right by a desperate catcher who can't stop the ball from shooting all the way to the backstop? But this time he was saved by his teammates from being the goat he seemed destined to become.
Hunter Wood relieved Alvarado and got a double play, forcing a run at the plate, and then getting a fly out to center. That's the kind of magic it took for Alvarado to limit his failure to his own stats and not the team's won-lost record. The Rays scored in the eleventh on a walk, a single, an intentional walk, and with the bases loaded, a long fly ball by Willy Adames that carried well beyond the drawn-in outfield. Walk-off Willy. Notch up another one-run victory and another extra inning win.
Blake Snell gave up two runs on his first three pitches, a single by leadoff hitter Eric Sogard and a home run by Lourdes Gurriel. But Snell settled down after that and pitched six good innings and leaving with the 3-2 lead that Alvarado gave away. So Snell gets a no decision and lowers his ERA to 3.06. The regular cast of relievers followed Snell: Roe and Kolarek before Alvarado, and Wood and Castillo after Alvarado. Castillo got the win (1-3).
For such a low-scoring game, the teams combined for a surprising 26 hits, 14 for the Rays. Predictably they also combined for 57 runners left on base, 30 for the Rays. The Rays were 3 for 16 (.187) with runners in scoring position.
But in the end, the Rays won their fifth straight, swept the Blue Jays in a three-game set, and ended the night a healthy fifteen games over .500. And they are only one game out of first place, as the Yankees continue hot, 8-2 in their last ten as compared to the Rays' 7-3.
But tonight Rocco Baldelli leads his Minnesota Twins and their major league best 37-17 record into the Trop. It remains to be seen how many people will drop in to see the game.
Tuesday, May 28. Game 52: Homers from Meadows and Garcia. Again.
Rays 3, Blue Jays 1
Record: 33-19
Attendance: 5,786 A new low, maybe? An all-time low? In fact, according to Marc Topkin in the Tampa Bay Times, this was indeed the lowest Rays attendance of all time, that would be 22 years. He commented that "there is no excuse for the embarrassment of Tuesday, with the lowest crowd in franchise history." The newspaper for May 30, carried this unbowed quote from team president Brian Auld: "We appreciate the support of our fans, and we believe that St. Petersburg, Tampa, and the entire Tampa Bay region will rally around this exciting and compelling Rays team."
But almost as though he were answering Auld, one Hal Batey of St. Petersburg wrote this to the editor of the same May 30 edition of the Times: "The Tampa Bay Rays have a great fan base. But competing with beaches ins't going to work. I'd much rather go to the local watering hole, pay three bucks for a beer and watch the game there. The fan experience at Tropicana Field involves paid parking, walking, searches, lines, and ridiculously priced everything at a venue that doesn't take cash anymore." This is a fan base or sorts, but it isn't going to keep the team in the Tampa area.
Note too that going to a low attendance game is better than going to a game with transplants who root against the Rays. This is a good team that may have a very serious upside come October, which means either that the crowds will finally catch up to the team they have, or they will continue to ignore the team and guarantee that the franchise will end up in Portland, Montreal, Las Vegas, or elsewhere. Blame the transplants who are too stubborn to embrace their new local team. It's their fault that we (and they) are likely going to lose major league baseball. Then the transplants will be totally stuck. They deserve it.
The game itself was a routine Rays victory, with single runs in the first and third plus one more in the eighth. Two of them came on homers. Austin Meadows, who played right field after two in a row as DH, went 2 for 4, including one of the homers, which puts him at 7 for his last 11 at bats, three homers, and seven RBIs. He's up to 12 homers on the year--and he was on the IL for three weeks. It's hard to imagine a hotter hitter in baseball. The other "homer" was hit by Avisail Garcia, a routine fly ball to short right field that was so completely misplayed by Randal Grichuk that it bounced the length of a double wide behind him rolling all the way to the wall. Garcia, who is so much faster than anyone thought, circled the bases and slid home for an inside-the-park dinger.
Pitching was the story once again as the Rays gave up only six hits all night and would have had a shutout if Diego Castillo could have gotten out of the ninth unscored on. Ryne Stanek opened for two innings, Ryan Yarbrough was the bulker who went three and two-thirds for the win (4-1), and then came Roe, Pagan, and finally Castillo for the slightly sloppy save.
Two roster items. First, two-way guy Brendon McKay made his triple A debut at Durham, after his promotion from double A Montgomery, and worked five scoreless innings. It is not out of the question at this point that he may have an impact on the major league team this summer. The lefthander continues to pitch every sixth day and DH three other days a week, according to the Times, which also reports that Mike Zunino is rehabbing his quad strain at single A Charlotte, where he went 3 for 3 with two walks yesterday. When Zunino returns, it will be interesting to see how the Rays manage the four catchers they currently are supporting. Travis d'Arnaud may have sticking power.
At 33-19, the Rays are 14 games over .500. Up tonight is Blake Snell (3-4), who is pitching better than his record and may be poised to make a big-time impact on the rest of the season.
Record: 33-19
Attendance: 5,786 A new low, maybe? An all-time low? In fact, according to Marc Topkin in the Tampa Bay Times, this was indeed the lowest Rays attendance of all time, that would be 22 years. He commented that "there is no excuse for the embarrassment of Tuesday, with the lowest crowd in franchise history." The newspaper for May 30, carried this unbowed quote from team president Brian Auld: "We appreciate the support of our fans, and we believe that St. Petersburg, Tampa, and the entire Tampa Bay region will rally around this exciting and compelling Rays team."
But almost as though he were answering Auld, one Hal Batey of St. Petersburg wrote this to the editor of the same May 30 edition of the Times: "The Tampa Bay Rays have a great fan base. But competing with beaches ins't going to work. I'd much rather go to the local watering hole, pay three bucks for a beer and watch the game there. The fan experience at Tropicana Field involves paid parking, walking, searches, lines, and ridiculously priced everything at a venue that doesn't take cash anymore." This is a fan base or sorts, but it isn't going to keep the team in the Tampa area.
Note too that going to a low attendance game is better than going to a game with transplants who root against the Rays. This is a good team that may have a very serious upside come October, which means either that the crowds will finally catch up to the team they have, or they will continue to ignore the team and guarantee that the franchise will end up in Portland, Montreal, Las Vegas, or elsewhere. Blame the transplants who are too stubborn to embrace their new local team. It's their fault that we (and they) are likely going to lose major league baseball. Then the transplants will be totally stuck. They deserve it.
The game itself was a routine Rays victory, with single runs in the first and third plus one more in the eighth. Two of them came on homers. Austin Meadows, who played right field after two in a row as DH, went 2 for 4, including one of the homers, which puts him at 7 for his last 11 at bats, three homers, and seven RBIs. He's up to 12 homers on the year--and he was on the IL for three weeks. It's hard to imagine a hotter hitter in baseball. The other "homer" was hit by Avisail Garcia, a routine fly ball to short right field that was so completely misplayed by Randal Grichuk that it bounced the length of a double wide behind him rolling all the way to the wall. Garcia, who is so much faster than anyone thought, circled the bases and slid home for an inside-the-park dinger.
Pitching was the story once again as the Rays gave up only six hits all night and would have had a shutout if Diego Castillo could have gotten out of the ninth unscored on. Ryne Stanek opened for two innings, Ryan Yarbrough was the bulker who went three and two-thirds for the win (4-1), and then came Roe, Pagan, and finally Castillo for the slightly sloppy save.
Two roster items. First, two-way guy Brendon McKay made his triple A debut at Durham, after his promotion from double A Montgomery, and worked five scoreless innings. It is not out of the question at this point that he may have an impact on the major league team this summer. The lefthander continues to pitch every sixth day and DH three other days a week, according to the Times, which also reports that Mike Zunino is rehabbing his quad strain at single A Charlotte, where he went 3 for 3 with two walks yesterday. When Zunino returns, it will be interesting to see how the Rays manage the four catchers they currently are supporting. Travis d'Arnaud may have sticking power.
At 33-19, the Rays are 14 games over .500. Up tonight is Blake Snell (3-4), who is pitching better than his record and may be poised to make a big-time impact on the rest of the season.
Monday, May 27: Game 51: Five inning no hitter--then the hook
Rays 8, Blue Jays 3
Record: 32-19
Attendance: 15,883
Yonny Chirinos had a no hitter going through five innings, 69 pitches, when Manager Kevin Cash gave him the hook. He was surprised, he said after the game, but was satisfied that management had his best interests at heart. Not his short-term best interests certainly, but his long-term best interests. And who knows? Maybe Cash's approach keeps his pitchers fresh in October--if the Rays play themselves into post-season October games. Meantime, Chirinos picked up his sixth win of the year. And the Rays are thirteen games over .500 on Memorial Day.
Today the Rays played efficiently and had the game in hand early, scoring a single run in the second, three more in the fourth, and holding a 6-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth when Austin Meadows launched a two-run homer to right for an 8-2 lead, the final score being 8-3. The home run was Meadows' 11th of the year, and his 3 for 5 game gives him a two-game total of 7 for 9, including two homers and six RBIs. Oh, and he also stole a base. He was in the leadoff DH slot for both games.
Altogether the Rays had 14 hits, even Travis d'Arnaud contributing three (including a comebacker to the mound that deflected off the pitcher's glove and rolled into left field for a double) and everyone but Brandon Lowe getting at least one hit. The relief corps of Drake, Roe, Wood, Alvarado, and Kolarek was uneven with Wood and Kolarek giving up home runs. Overall, however, it was a piece of cake.
Sometimes they make it look easy.
Record: 32-19
Attendance: 15,883
Yonny Chirinos had a no hitter going through five innings, 69 pitches, when Manager Kevin Cash gave him the hook. He was surprised, he said after the game, but was satisfied that management had his best interests at heart. Not his short-term best interests certainly, but his long-term best interests. And who knows? Maybe Cash's approach keeps his pitchers fresh in October--if the Rays play themselves into post-season October games. Meantime, Chirinos picked up his sixth win of the year. And the Rays are thirteen games over .500 on Memorial Day.
Today the Rays played efficiently and had the game in hand early, scoring a single run in the second, three more in the fourth, and holding a 6-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth when Austin Meadows launched a two-run homer to right for an 8-2 lead, the final score being 8-3. The home run was Meadows' 11th of the year, and his 3 for 5 game gives him a two-game total of 7 for 9, including two homers and six RBIs. Oh, and he also stole a base. He was in the leadoff DH slot for both games.
Altogether the Rays had 14 hits, even Travis d'Arnaud contributing three (including a comebacker to the mound that deflected off the pitcher's glove and rolled into left field for a double) and everyone but Brandon Lowe getting at least one hit. The relief corps of Drake, Roe, Wood, Alvarado, and Kolarek was uneven with Wood and Kolarek giving up home runs. Overall, however, it was a piece of cake.
Sometimes they make it look easy.
Sunday, May 26. Game 50: Meadows, 4 for 4 with a homer, Bulker Beeks gets the win
Rays 6, Indians 3
Record: 31-19
Attendance: 20,288
It was back to openers and bulkers today, Ryne Stanek going one and two-thirds, followed by Jalen Beeks, who pitched four and two-thirds (two hits, three walks, but no runs) for the win, putting his record at 4-0. It seemed like an uneventful afternoon through seven innings and a 5-0 Rays lead when newly called up Oliver Drake gave up a run before being replaced by Adam Kolarek, who gave up two more in a third of an inning. Suddenly it was a 6-3 game--and the great adventure began again: Jose Alvarado. Fresh off Manager Kevin Cash's vocal support of his suddenly vulnerable (unofficial) closer, Alvarado made short work of the last two batters in the ninth inning this time.
The Rays won the series, three games to one and raised their record to 32-19, twelve games over .500 for the first time this year. Solid. Even though they are two full games behind the Yankees, these Rays are poised nicely at the end of fifty games for a serious run at the post season. If they can keep it up.
Finishing out the month, the Blue Jays and Twins are at the Trop with old friends as new opposing managers making appearances, Charlie Montoya with the Blue Jays and Rocco Baldelli with the Twins.
Record: 31-19
Attendance: 20,288
It was back to openers and bulkers today, Ryne Stanek going one and two-thirds, followed by Jalen Beeks, who pitched four and two-thirds (two hits, three walks, but no runs) for the win, putting his record at 4-0. It seemed like an uneventful afternoon through seven innings and a 5-0 Rays lead when newly called up Oliver Drake gave up a run before being replaced by Adam Kolarek, who gave up two more in a third of an inning. Suddenly it was a 6-3 game--and the great adventure began again: Jose Alvarado. Fresh off Manager Kevin Cash's vocal support of his suddenly vulnerable (unofficial) closer, Alvarado made short work of the last two batters in the ninth inning this time.
The Rays won the series, three games to one and raised their record to 32-19, twelve games over .500 for the first time this year. Solid. Even though they are two full games behind the Yankees, these Rays are poised nicely at the end of fifty games for a serious run at the post season. If they can keep it up.
Finishing out the month, the Blue Jays and Twins are at the Trop with old friends as new opposing managers making appearances, Charlie Montoya with the Blue Jays and Rocco Baldelli with the Twins.
Saturday, May 25. Game 49: Morton rights the ship
Rays 6, Indians 2
Record: 30-19
Attendance: 25,882
Delivering one of his best games of the year, Charlie Morton tossed six innings of one run, three-hit and two-walk baseball keeping the Cleveland Indians off balance and earning his fifth win of the year without a loss. Casey Sadler gave up a home run to Carlos Santana in the bottom of the eighth. Diego Castillo finished it out.
Morton was supported by three long balls, by Tommy Pham (8), Brandon Lowe (11), and Ji-Man Choi (4). In all the Rays had 12 hits on the night, and though they won handily, they left 15 on base, always a troublesome statistic.
The LOB problem is illustrated by their futility with the bases loaded, a pathetic 5 for 35 (.143), if the Tampa Bay Times statistics today can be trusted. In the fourth inning, they loaded the bases with one out , but Kevin Kiermaier and Travis d'Arnaud struck out. A too familiar pattern.
The game was scheduled to begin at 4:10 but was delayed nearly three hours for an imminent rain that never came.
The Rays are back up to eleven games over .500, a strong statistic.
Record: 30-19
Attendance: 25,882
Delivering one of his best games of the year, Charlie Morton tossed six innings of one run, three-hit and two-walk baseball keeping the Cleveland Indians off balance and earning his fifth win of the year without a loss. Casey Sadler gave up a home run to Carlos Santana in the bottom of the eighth. Diego Castillo finished it out.
Morton was supported by three long balls, by Tommy Pham (8), Brandon Lowe (11), and Ji-Man Choi (4). In all the Rays had 12 hits on the night, and though they won handily, they left 15 on base, always a troublesome statistic.
The LOB problem is illustrated by their futility with the bases loaded, a pathetic 5 for 35 (.143), if the Tampa Bay Times statistics today can be trusted. In the fourth inning, they loaded the bases with one out , but Kevin Kiermaier and Travis d'Arnaud struck out. A too familiar pattern.
The game was scheduled to begin at 4:10 but was delayed nearly three hours for an imminent rain that never came.
The Rays are back up to eleven games over .500, a strong statistic.
Friday, May 24. Game 48: Another frustrating setback
Rays 1, Indians, 3
Record: 29-19
Attendance: 24,084
The Rays blew another chance to move to 12 games over .500 when Jose Alvarado gave up two cheap runs in the bottom of the eighth, one on a dribbler to third that couldn't be played and then on a bases loaded walk--to ex-Ray Jake Bauers. For the second time in a week, Alvarado gave away a game with his unpredictable power pitching that sprays hundred-mile-an-hour bullets inside, outside, and into the dirt. When he can find the strike zone he's fine most of the time, but even then opposing batters are getting their bats on the ball too often, at least the Yankee bats did. He's going to have to step up his game--and soon. Either that or the Rays have to find a legitimate closer. Wait. Did I just hear someone call out the name Craig Kimbrel, the mysteriously still unsigned free agent closer?
Oh yes, it was also the second time in a week that Manager Kevin Cash expressed continued support for Alvarado. Go figure.
Meantime, Blake Snell was denied another win. He was a little shaky, six and two-thirds, four hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts, but he deserved a better fate. His record is a less-than-sterling 3-4 with a still-good 3.07 ERA. And as Marc Topkin reported in today's Tampa Bay Times, this was the seventh time in ten starts that he has received one or no runs in support. Tonight his teammates struck out 16 times, record-tying futility, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Charlie Morton tries to get himself back on the right track tonight after struggling through four innings against the Yankees in his last outing May 19, when he gave up five runs. For the Rays, everything these days seems to be teetering on the edge of collapse. We'll see just how much mental toughness this team has--and how much talent.
Record: 29-19
Attendance: 24,084
The Rays blew another chance to move to 12 games over .500 when Jose Alvarado gave up two cheap runs in the bottom of the eighth, one on a dribbler to third that couldn't be played and then on a bases loaded walk--to ex-Ray Jake Bauers. For the second time in a week, Alvarado gave away a game with his unpredictable power pitching that sprays hundred-mile-an-hour bullets inside, outside, and into the dirt. When he can find the strike zone he's fine most of the time, but even then opposing batters are getting their bats on the ball too often, at least the Yankee bats did. He's going to have to step up his game--and soon. Either that or the Rays have to find a legitimate closer. Wait. Did I just hear someone call out the name Craig Kimbrel, the mysteriously still unsigned free agent closer?
Oh yes, it was also the second time in a week that Manager Kevin Cash expressed continued support for Alvarado. Go figure.
Meantime, Blake Snell was denied another win. He was a little shaky, six and two-thirds, four hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts, but he deserved a better fate. His record is a less-than-sterling 3-4 with a still-good 3.07 ERA. And as Marc Topkin reported in today's Tampa Bay Times, this was the seventh time in ten starts that he has received one or no runs in support. Tonight his teammates struck out 16 times, record-tying futility, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Charlie Morton tries to get himself back on the right track tonight after struggling through four innings against the Yankees in his last outing May 19, when he gave up five runs. For the Rays, everything these days seems to be teetering on the edge of collapse. We'll see just how much mental toughness this team has--and how much talent.
Thursday, May 23. Game 47: Easy as pie
Rays 7, Indians 2
Record: 29-18
Attendance: 18,884
Recently recalled from triple A Durham, pitcher Ryan Yarbrough changed the direction of his game dramatically, acting as a traditional starter tonight rather than the bulker who takes over from the opener. He pitched into the eighth inning giving up only two runs on four hits and a walk over 99 pitches. It was a commanding performance that raised his record to 3-1. It was also backed up by a power surge: two solo homers in the first from Tommy Pham (7) and Avisail Garcia (9); one solo homer in the second from Willy Adames (4); and a three-run "jack" from red-hot Kevin Kiermaier, who took advantage of his speed and an outfield collision between Oscar Mercado and Leonys Martin for an inside-the-park homer. The final score was 7-2, but the final outcome was never in doubt.
Yandy Diaz was put on the IL after a couple of days of pain from being hit on the hand by a Yankee pitcher (on purpose Diaz maintains), and so he had to miss this series against the team that traded him to the Rays over the winter. To date he is hitting .256 with 9 homers and 22 RBIs. Jake Bauers who went to Cleveland in the trade is hitting .221 with 5 homers and 17 RBIs. There isn't enough to claim victory in the trade, but the Rays confidence in Diaz looks warranted at this point--and it had better continue because Bauers was a popular young player many hated to lose.
Blake Snell tomorrow. This is a legitimate chance to improve to 12 games over .500 for the first time this year.
Record: 29-18
Attendance: 18,884
Recently recalled from triple A Durham, pitcher Ryan Yarbrough changed the direction of his game dramatically, acting as a traditional starter tonight rather than the bulker who takes over from the opener. He pitched into the eighth inning giving up only two runs on four hits and a walk over 99 pitches. It was a commanding performance that raised his record to 3-1. It was also backed up by a power surge: two solo homers in the first from Tommy Pham (7) and Avisail Garcia (9); one solo homer in the second from Willy Adames (4); and a three-run "jack" from red-hot Kevin Kiermaier, who took advantage of his speed and an outfield collision between Oscar Mercado and Leonys Martin for an inside-the-park homer. The final score was 7-2, but the final outcome was never in doubt.
Yandy Diaz was put on the IL after a couple of days of pain from being hit on the hand by a Yankee pitcher (on purpose Diaz maintains), and so he had to miss this series against the team that traded him to the Rays over the winter. To date he is hitting .256 with 9 homers and 22 RBIs. Jake Bauers who went to Cleveland in the trade is hitting .221 with 5 homers and 17 RBIs. There isn't enough to claim victory in the trade, but the Rays confidence in Diaz looks warranted at this point--and it had better continue because Bauers was a popular young player many hated to lose.
Blake Snell tomorrow. This is a legitimate chance to improve to 12 games over .500 for the first time this year.
Wednesday, May 22. Game 46. The antidote to sour thoughts
Rays 8, Dodgers 1
Record: 28-18
Attendance: 12,826
Nothing shuts up a rant about the Rays' weaknesses better than a good performance--for a change. And that's just what they got across the board. Eight runs, ten hits, and no errors. The visiting Dodgers got one run on five hits, and committed one error. It was a scoreless game until the bottom of the fourth when Tommy Pham homered for the first run of the night. The Dodgers tied it in the top of the sixth, but the Rays blew it open with a seven-run seventh that featured a pair of two-run homers, from Avisail Garcia and Kevin Kiermaier.
And Kiermaier put on a show in center field too, fielding a single that bounced right up to him and throwing on the run to catch Cody Bellinger at the plate. The throw was clocked at 100 mph. Well, shut my mouth. That's Kiermaier at his best. Three cheers.
In a rare start (this time in right), Guillermo Heredia, the 29-year-old Cuban star who came over from Seattle with Mike Zunino in the Mallex Smith trade over the winter, had three hits and is hitting .280. This is a first-rate spare part.
On the mound, Ryne Stanek opened and was followed by Yonny Chirinos, who gave up the only run to the Dodgers, a solo blast from Max Muncy, his tenth of the year. Adam Kolarek and Emilio Pagan (who got the W) combined with tonight's closer Casey Sadler to put this snoozer to bed.
This is how Rays baseball is supposed to work.
Record: 28-18
Attendance: 12,826
Nothing shuts up a rant about the Rays' weaknesses better than a good performance--for a change. And that's just what they got across the board. Eight runs, ten hits, and no errors. The visiting Dodgers got one run on five hits, and committed one error. It was a scoreless game until the bottom of the fourth when Tommy Pham homered for the first run of the night. The Dodgers tied it in the top of the sixth, but the Rays blew it open with a seven-run seventh that featured a pair of two-run homers, from Avisail Garcia and Kevin Kiermaier.
And Kiermaier put on a show in center field too, fielding a single that bounced right up to him and throwing on the run to catch Cody Bellinger at the plate. The throw was clocked at 100 mph. Well, shut my mouth. That's Kiermaier at his best. Three cheers.
In a rare start (this time in right), Guillermo Heredia, the 29-year-old Cuban star who came over from Seattle with Mike Zunino in the Mallex Smith trade over the winter, had three hits and is hitting .280. This is a first-rate spare part.
On the mound, Ryne Stanek opened and was followed by Yonny Chirinos, who gave up the only run to the Dodgers, a solo blast from Max Muncy, his tenth of the year. Adam Kolarek and Emilio Pagan (who got the W) combined with tonight's closer Casey Sadler to put this snoozer to bed.
This is how Rays baseball is supposed to work.
Tuesday, May 21. Game 45: A time to reflect on the season and the team
Rays 3, Dodgers 7
Record: 27-18
Attendance: 15,862
It isn't just that the Rays were red hot in April and that they have cooled off in May. That's just the superficial description of the obvious. It's more like they started the season knowing they were good and playing hard every day to prove it. And they did. Nobody wanted to see the Rays coming up on the schedule. They had good at bats, good defense, and good pitching. It was a thing of beauty. They willed themselves into being a good team.
But that takes an every day effort that has to extend over six months, and the Rays are showing that they don't have the inner strength of mind and body to do that. Injuries explain part of it, particularly the loss of Tyler Glasnow and Mike Zunino. But there's also the very mediocre play of Willy Adames, whom we have waited for as the SS savior for several years now, and is now "enjoying" a second season that shows he is over his head. He may yet prove to be worth the long buildup that we've heard about for so long. But increasingly it seems it'll be the sort of long term success that sees a player reach his potential long after his original team has finally called an end to the financial support of an underperforming player. Some other team will reap the benefits.
First base doesn't have a single player that can be counted on day after day. Manager Kevin Cash's musical chairs approach to the position has resulted in low numbers from all the candidates, Ji-Man Choi, Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe, Nate Lowe. Some of the players are okay with the bat, but their defense is shaky. No one has solved both parts of the equation.
Even third base looks shakier than it should, especially as the projected starter Matt Duffy has been on the IL since the beginning of the season and has just had a hamstring setback at Durham. Diaz and Robertson have been serviceable, not brilliant, but but that's about as good as its going to get for this edition of the Rays. Second base with Lowe there is as good as the third base situation, although the best player at just about every infield positions is injured Joey Wendle, who is still weeks away from returning to action--and the Rays can't afford to lose May and half of June waiting for him.
Catcher was beginning to look like a solved problem with Mike Zunino and Michael Perez covering the plate offensively and defensively just fine. And then within hours of each other they wound up on the IL together, which meant the Rays had to scavenge through major and minor league rosters just to put bodies behind the plate. They signed Travis d'Arnaud and Erik Kratz, both of whose careers had seemingly ended this year, as stop gaps who happen to have both the experience and the bats and gloves to be potentially equal to the very bad situation they find themselves in.
Pitching seemed fairly solid, with a somewhat shaky Blake Snell followed by Charlie Morton and Tyler Glasnow. With Glasnow out, the entire strategy of openers, bulkers, and finishers has been called into question. There are too many games for these middle men to manage at the level they need to be at. One bulker, Ryan Yarbrough, who had been heavily counted on, had to be sent down to AAA.
As to the outfield, Kevin Kiermaier has become the vocal post-game analyst every night. He's always ready for the camera and always willing to give a timely quote for the print media. The team needs him to shut up and hit. And run the bases better. His vaunted defense remains spectacular at times, but at other times he makes routine plays look spectacular with hot dog leaps and rolls. He defies gravity giving high fives to himself. Tommy Pham is the one sheer professional it is a pleasure to watch day in and day out. His base running too has been an adventure from time to time, but he is humble and hard working and low key. Right field has Austin Meadows who was out for three weeks and Avisail Garcia, not exactly platooning, because both of them are usually in the lineup either in RF or as DH, but neither one has claimed the position outright. Which would be fine as long as the team is winning. It's too bad neither one can play first base.
But April has become May and the Rays are no longer steamrollering their way through opposition lineups. It's time to take hard looks at the players who take the field every day. Changes in personnel or in attitudes and performances have to come soon if this team is to meet any of its preseason goals.
Yesterday's first game of a two-game set against the Dodgers is a case in point. The Dodgers scored solo runs in the first, third, and fourth, added three more in the seventh, and took a 6-0 lead before the Rays answered back with three of their own in the bottom of the seventh. The Dodgers tacked one on in the ninth to make the final score 7-3.
The Rays had ten hits and scored three runs, but it was too little too late. Hunter Wood was the opener and gave up one run in his two innings--and took the loss. Jalen Beeks followed him and pitched four and two-thirds and gave up five runs. All told, another mess.
Maybe the April Rays will show up tonight in the second game of a two-game set against the Dodgers. It would be a timely return to competitive baseball.
Record: 27-18
Attendance: 15,862
It isn't just that the Rays were red hot in April and that they have cooled off in May. That's just the superficial description of the obvious. It's more like they started the season knowing they were good and playing hard every day to prove it. And they did. Nobody wanted to see the Rays coming up on the schedule. They had good at bats, good defense, and good pitching. It was a thing of beauty. They willed themselves into being a good team.
But that takes an every day effort that has to extend over six months, and the Rays are showing that they don't have the inner strength of mind and body to do that. Injuries explain part of it, particularly the loss of Tyler Glasnow and Mike Zunino. But there's also the very mediocre play of Willy Adames, whom we have waited for as the SS savior for several years now, and is now "enjoying" a second season that shows he is over his head. He may yet prove to be worth the long buildup that we've heard about for so long. But increasingly it seems it'll be the sort of long term success that sees a player reach his potential long after his original team has finally called an end to the financial support of an underperforming player. Some other team will reap the benefits.
First base doesn't have a single player that can be counted on day after day. Manager Kevin Cash's musical chairs approach to the position has resulted in low numbers from all the candidates, Ji-Man Choi, Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe, Nate Lowe. Some of the players are okay with the bat, but their defense is shaky. No one has solved both parts of the equation.
Even third base looks shakier than it should, especially as the projected starter Matt Duffy has been on the IL since the beginning of the season and has just had a hamstring setback at Durham. Diaz and Robertson have been serviceable, not brilliant, but but that's about as good as its going to get for this edition of the Rays. Second base with Lowe there is as good as the third base situation, although the best player at just about every infield positions is injured Joey Wendle, who is still weeks away from returning to action--and the Rays can't afford to lose May and half of June waiting for him.
Catcher was beginning to look like a solved problem with Mike Zunino and Michael Perez covering the plate offensively and defensively just fine. And then within hours of each other they wound up on the IL together, which meant the Rays had to scavenge through major and minor league rosters just to put bodies behind the plate. They signed Travis d'Arnaud and Erik Kratz, both of whose careers had seemingly ended this year, as stop gaps who happen to have both the experience and the bats and gloves to be potentially equal to the very bad situation they find themselves in.
Pitching seemed fairly solid, with a somewhat shaky Blake Snell followed by Charlie Morton and Tyler Glasnow. With Glasnow out, the entire strategy of openers, bulkers, and finishers has been called into question. There are too many games for these middle men to manage at the level they need to be at. One bulker, Ryan Yarbrough, who had been heavily counted on, had to be sent down to AAA.
As to the outfield, Kevin Kiermaier has become the vocal post-game analyst every night. He's always ready for the camera and always willing to give a timely quote for the print media. The team needs him to shut up and hit. And run the bases better. His vaunted defense remains spectacular at times, but at other times he makes routine plays look spectacular with hot dog leaps and rolls. He defies gravity giving high fives to himself. Tommy Pham is the one sheer professional it is a pleasure to watch day in and day out. His base running too has been an adventure from time to time, but he is humble and hard working and low key. Right field has Austin Meadows who was out for three weeks and Avisail Garcia, not exactly platooning, because both of them are usually in the lineup either in RF or as DH, but neither one has claimed the position outright. Which would be fine as long as the team is winning. It's too bad neither one can play first base.
But April has become May and the Rays are no longer steamrollering their way through opposition lineups. It's time to take hard looks at the players who take the field every day. Changes in personnel or in attitudes and performances have to come soon if this team is to meet any of its preseason goals.
Yesterday's first game of a two-game set against the Dodgers is a case in point. The Dodgers scored solo runs in the first, third, and fourth, added three more in the seventh, and took a 6-0 lead before the Rays answered back with three of their own in the bottom of the seventh. The Dodgers tacked one on in the ninth to make the final score 7-3.
The Rays had ten hits and scored three runs, but it was too little too late. Hunter Wood was the opener and gave up one run in his two innings--and took the loss. Jalen Beeks followed him and pitched four and two-thirds and gave up five runs. All told, another mess.
Maybe the April Rays will show up tonight in the second game of a two-game set against the Dodgers. It would be a timely return to competitive baseball.
Monday, May 20. Off day.
The Rays have a day to get ready for a rare appearance at Tropicana Field of the 31-17 L.A. Dodgers, who will start superstar lefty Clayton Kershaw (3-0), who will be battling an as-yet unannounced Rays opener.
Say a prayer.
Say a prayer.
Sunday, May 19. Game 44: A rare day: Rays get blown out
Rays 5, Yankees 13
Record: 27-17
Attendance: 43,032
Today the Rays fell into second place and lost the series against the New York Yankees, 2 games to 1, the same record they put up last weekend, which puts them down two series, and puts their six games against the Yankees a not-so-healthy 4 games to 2. Most of the games were close and not too much should be read into this home and away series. But the Rays did lose to a better team. For now. They were hot and we were not--and still we put up a good fight. Until the worst, most embarrassing inning in recent Rays history. Maybe of all time.
Charlie Morton was not his impressive self today, giving up five runs (three earned), on four hits, four walks, and two two-run homes to Aaron Hicks and Brett Gardner. He threw 88 pitches in four innings of work, but escaped with a no decision. That was disaster enough, but there was more to come.
Diego Castillo came on for an inning and a third giving up another three runs on two hits and three walks. Ryne Stanek gave up another three runs in a third of an inning, and Casey Sadler pitched two and a third giving up the final two runs. Add it up and the pitching staff gave up 12 hits, 9 walks, and 13 runs Ouch.
And even so, the Rays put up numbers of their own against starter Chad Green and his replacement Nestor Cortes, Jr. in five and two-thirds innings. Willy Adames hit his third homer of the year, and Brandon Lowe, heating up again, hit his tenth, a three-run blast. So it was 5-5 going into the bottom of the sixth when the Yankees put together a seven-run inning--and that was the end of that. Consult the box score for the bloody postmortem.
Next up are the LA Dodgers, in to the Trop for a two-game set, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Record: 27-17
Attendance: 43,032
Today the Rays fell into second place and lost the series against the New York Yankees, 2 games to 1, the same record they put up last weekend, which puts them down two series, and puts their six games against the Yankees a not-so-healthy 4 games to 2. Most of the games were close and not too much should be read into this home and away series. But the Rays did lose to a better team. For now. They were hot and we were not--and still we put up a good fight. Until the worst, most embarrassing inning in recent Rays history. Maybe of all time.
Charlie Morton was not his impressive self today, giving up five runs (three earned), on four hits, four walks, and two two-run homes to Aaron Hicks and Brett Gardner. He threw 88 pitches in four innings of work, but escaped with a no decision. That was disaster enough, but there was more to come.
Diego Castillo came on for an inning and a third giving up another three runs on two hits and three walks. Ryne Stanek gave up another three runs in a third of an inning, and Casey Sadler pitched two and a third giving up the final two runs. Add it up and the pitching staff gave up 12 hits, 9 walks, and 13 runs Ouch.
And even so, the Rays put up numbers of their own against starter Chad Green and his replacement Nestor Cortes, Jr. in five and two-thirds innings. Willy Adames hit his third homer of the year, and Brandon Lowe, heating up again, hit his tenth, a three-run blast. So it was 5-5 going into the bottom of the sixth when the Yankees put together a seven-run inning--and that was the end of that. Consult the box score for the bloody postmortem.
Next up are the LA Dodgers, in to the Trop for a two-game set, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Saturday, May 18. Game 43: In another one-run game, the Rays take back first place
Rays 2, Yankees 1 (11 innings)
Record: 27-16
Attendance: 43,079
The Rays won their first extra inning game of the year and only their third one-run game while racking up eight losses. And they did it with grand style, Brandon Lowe tying the game with a homer in the seventh, Austin Meadows winning it in the top of the eleventh--and Jose Alvarado, who was hit hard yesterday to lose the game, coming through in the clutch to earn his fifth save in the bottom of the eleventh.
If Meadows' eleventh-inning heroics weren't enough, he also cut down Aaron Hicks with a laser from left field to the plate in the sixth inning. If he hadn't done that, there wouldn't have been an eleventh inning.
The pitching was nearly perfect from start to finish, Blake Snell going six innings and giving up one run on six hits and a walk, and striking out nine on 93 pitches. Roe (one walk) and Kolarek combined for an inning; Pagan threw two innings striking out five; Hunter Wood pitched a perfect tenth for the win; and Alvarado finished it up. These guys are more often on than off--three cheers for the bullpen. Charlie Morton gets the ball tomorrow for the rubber game in this set against the Yankees.
Every day these Rays put yesterday behind them and come out to play a new ball game. Resilient yes, but tough as nails at the same time. They don't get bullied. They believe in themselves. They are not intimidated by the AL East--maybe they should be, but they aren't.
But take heart Portland. During a Q and A, Tampa Bay Times's Marc Topkin asked Rays' principal owner Stu Sternberg about attendance at the Trop: "And he had an obvious, though potentially ominous, answer: 'There are ramifications.'"
Record: 27-16
Attendance: 43,079
The Rays won their first extra inning game of the year and only their third one-run game while racking up eight losses. And they did it with grand style, Brandon Lowe tying the game with a homer in the seventh, Austin Meadows winning it in the top of the eleventh--and Jose Alvarado, who was hit hard yesterday to lose the game, coming through in the clutch to earn his fifth save in the bottom of the eleventh.
If Meadows' eleventh-inning heroics weren't enough, he also cut down Aaron Hicks with a laser from left field to the plate in the sixth inning. If he hadn't done that, there wouldn't have been an eleventh inning.
The pitching was nearly perfect from start to finish, Blake Snell going six innings and giving up one run on six hits and a walk, and striking out nine on 93 pitches. Roe (one walk) and Kolarek combined for an inning; Pagan threw two innings striking out five; Hunter Wood pitched a perfect tenth for the win; and Alvarado finished it up. These guys are more often on than off--three cheers for the bullpen. Charlie Morton gets the ball tomorrow for the rubber game in this set against the Yankees.
Every day these Rays put yesterday behind them and come out to play a new ball game. Resilient yes, but tough as nails at the same time. They don't get bullied. They believe in themselves. They are not intimidated by the AL East--maybe they should be, but they aren't.
But take heart Portland. During a Q and A, Tampa Bay Times's Marc Topkin asked Rays' principal owner Stu Sternberg about attendance at the Trop: "And he had an obvious, though potentially ominous, answer: 'There are ramifications.'"
Friday, May 17. Game 42: Rays lose another costly one-run game
Rays 3, Yankees 4
Record: 26-16
Attendance: 41,281
In an eerie replay of Sunday's game at the Trop, there was a about a half-hour delay followed by a ninth-inning Yankee rally and a Ray collapse. They were both painful, but this one was worse because the Yankees rallied for a walk-off win against the Rays' most trustworthy, high leverage, late-inning reliever, Jose Alvarado--and because the loss pushed them out of first place and put the Yankees into first place--and because it was a game they had almost put into the win column. Altogether it was a first-class disaster, and the less said about it, the better. The Rays did have ten hits, two each from Meadows, Robertson, and Lowe, and Willy Adames homered, his second of the year, which upped his BA to .236. And the pitchers until Alvarado, did well too, giving up only five hits and one run (no walks) over eight innings. The Rays gave this one away.
Tomorrow's matinee features two aces, Masahiro Tanaka and Blake Snell.
Anthony Bemboom went on the 10-day IL after spraining his left knee (four to six weeks) in his breakout game against the Marlins on Wednesday. The Rays replacement player is Erik Kratz whom they acquired from the Giants for a player to be named later. At age 38, Kratz is not a long-term investment, but he should be just fine as Travis d'Arnaud's backup. In a similar role for the Brewers last season, he hit .236 in 67 games with six home runs and 23 RBIs. There's no telling what is going to happen when Mike Zunino and Michael Perez get back from their stints on the IL, especially if d'Arnaud and Kratz happen to click. More to come.
Record: 26-16
Attendance: 41,281
In an eerie replay of Sunday's game at the Trop, there was a about a half-hour delay followed by a ninth-inning Yankee rally and a Ray collapse. They were both painful, but this one was worse because the Yankees rallied for a walk-off win against the Rays' most trustworthy, high leverage, late-inning reliever, Jose Alvarado--and because the loss pushed them out of first place and put the Yankees into first place--and because it was a game they had almost put into the win column. Altogether it was a first-class disaster, and the less said about it, the better. The Rays did have ten hits, two each from Meadows, Robertson, and Lowe, and Willy Adames homered, his second of the year, which upped his BA to .236. And the pitchers until Alvarado, did well too, giving up only five hits and one run (no walks) over eight innings. The Rays gave this one away.
Tomorrow's matinee features two aces, Masahiro Tanaka and Blake Snell.
Anthony Bemboom went on the 10-day IL after spraining his left knee (four to six weeks) in his breakout game against the Marlins on Wednesday. The Rays replacement player is Erik Kratz whom they acquired from the Giants for a player to be named later. At age 38, Kratz is not a long-term investment, but he should be just fine as Travis d'Arnaud's backup. In a similar role for the Brewers last season, he hit .236 in 67 games with six home runs and 23 RBIs. There's no telling what is going to happen when Mike Zunino and Michael Perez get back from their stints on the IL, especially if d'Arnaud and Kratz happen to click. More to come.
Thursday, May 16. Off Day
Would anyone have predicted that the Rays at 26-15 would be in first place in the AL East at the one-quarter mark of the season? Or that they would be on a path to win 102 games on the year?
According to Las Vegas oddsmakers, the Rays are now 15/1 to win the World Series, a four-way tie with the Indians, Twins, and Phillies. The Cubs and Red Sox are 10/1; the Yankees are 7/1; the Dodgers are 6/1; and the favorites to win it all are the Astros at 5/1. (vegasinsider.com)
A second oddsmaker puts the Rays in seventh place, behind the Astros, Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies, Cubs, and Red Sox. (oddsshark.com)
But really, who thought that a quarter of the way through the 2019 season, the Rays would be part of this conversation?
According to Las Vegas oddsmakers, the Rays are now 15/1 to win the World Series, a four-way tie with the Indians, Twins, and Phillies. The Cubs and Red Sox are 10/1; the Yankees are 7/1; the Dodgers are 6/1; and the favorites to win it all are the Astros at 5/1. (vegasinsider.com)
A second oddsmaker puts the Rays in seventh place, behind the Astros, Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies, Cubs, and Red Sox. (oddsshark.com)
But really, who thought that a quarter of the way through the 2019 season, the Rays would be part of this conversation?
Wednesday, May 15. Game 41: Rays win a one-run game! Rays win a one-run game!
Rays 1, Marlins 0
Record: 26-15
Attendance: 5,947
The Rays completed a two-game sweep of the Marlins, back-to-back shutouts that left Marlins' manager Don Mattingly wondering what he has to do to win a ball game as the Marlins fell to a major league worst 10-31. His pal Derek Jeter, Marlin CEO, can't be happy.
The Rays certainly are. On Friday they begin a three-game set against the Yankees in New York after these two warm-up games that left them 11 games over .500, matching their best record of the season so far.
Today's 1-0 win was tense of course, the Rays not exactly asserting themselves offensively, which is a credit to Marlin starter Jose Urena (six innings, one run) and three relievers (three innings, one hit and one walk). Their own shutout began with opener Ryne Stanek, bulker Jalen Beeks who got the win (3-0), and then the usual bullpen posse: Kolarek, Pagan, Alvarado, Roe, and Diego Castillo, who got the save, his fifth on the season.
The Rays one run, however, is the real story of the day. Anthony Bemboom, the nearly 30-year-old veteran minor-leaguer who was a surprise call-up for Sunday's game against the Yankees, got to see his second day of action. You might remember that the Rays sent Nick Ciuffo down to Durham and chose Bemboom to replace him as backup for newly acquired primary catcher, Travis d'Arnaud. You might also remember that d'Arnaud himself was a rush trade pick-up from the Dodgers because Mike Zunino and Michael Perez, the team's primary catchers for the first two months of the season, went on the IL within 24 hours of each other last week. (d'Arnaud, by the way, known as "lil d," according to the Tampa Bay Times, also plays second and third base. He's the perfect Ray. It makes you wonder why it took so long for them to find each other.)
The Rays have never had much luck at the catcher position, probably karma for having bypassed C Buster Posey when they had the first overall pick in the 2008 draft and took instead SS Tim Beckham. All Posey did was become an MVP, win Rookie of the Year honors, appear on five All-Star teams, and win three World Series titles. Beckham has bounced around, a journeyman infielder with a flair for bad base running.
So Anthony Bemboom got the call against the Marlins today. In the second inning, he lashed a ball to deep right center that bounced against the wall for a double, driving in Willy Adames. It was Bemboom's first major league hit and RBI. He followed that up with a single, 2 for 2 with the game-winning hit. But in the fifth, he had to lunge to his left, a play every catcher makes multiple times in a game, but this time his left knee twisted the wrong way, and according to Manager Kevin Cash, he too is heading to the IL. No official word on his status yet, but the Catcher Curse remains alive and well in St. Petersburg.
Meantime, the Rays had better figure out how to hit with the Yankees half a game behind and closing fast.
Record: 26-15
Attendance: 5,947
The Rays completed a two-game sweep of the Marlins, back-to-back shutouts that left Marlins' manager Don Mattingly wondering what he has to do to win a ball game as the Marlins fell to a major league worst 10-31. His pal Derek Jeter, Marlin CEO, can't be happy.
The Rays certainly are. On Friday they begin a three-game set against the Yankees in New York after these two warm-up games that left them 11 games over .500, matching their best record of the season so far.
Today's 1-0 win was tense of course, the Rays not exactly asserting themselves offensively, which is a credit to Marlin starter Jose Urena (six innings, one run) and three relievers (three innings, one hit and one walk). Their own shutout began with opener Ryne Stanek, bulker Jalen Beeks who got the win (3-0), and then the usual bullpen posse: Kolarek, Pagan, Alvarado, Roe, and Diego Castillo, who got the save, his fifth on the season.
The Rays one run, however, is the real story of the day. Anthony Bemboom, the nearly 30-year-old veteran minor-leaguer who was a surprise call-up for Sunday's game against the Yankees, got to see his second day of action. You might remember that the Rays sent Nick Ciuffo down to Durham and chose Bemboom to replace him as backup for newly acquired primary catcher, Travis d'Arnaud. You might also remember that d'Arnaud himself was a rush trade pick-up from the Dodgers because Mike Zunino and Michael Perez, the team's primary catchers for the first two months of the season, went on the IL within 24 hours of each other last week. (d'Arnaud, by the way, known as "lil d," according to the Tampa Bay Times, also plays second and third base. He's the perfect Ray. It makes you wonder why it took so long for them to find each other.)
The Rays have never had much luck at the catcher position, probably karma for having bypassed C Buster Posey when they had the first overall pick in the 2008 draft and took instead SS Tim Beckham. All Posey did was become an MVP, win Rookie of the Year honors, appear on five All-Star teams, and win three World Series titles. Beckham has bounced around, a journeyman infielder with a flair for bad base running.
So Anthony Bemboom got the call against the Marlins today. In the second inning, he lashed a ball to deep right center that bounced against the wall for a double, driving in Willy Adames. It was Bemboom's first major league hit and RBI. He followed that up with a single, 2 for 2 with the game-winning hit. But in the fifth, he had to lunge to his left, a play every catcher makes multiple times in a game, but this time his left knee twisted the wrong way, and according to Manager Kevin Cash, he too is heading to the IL. No official word on his status yet, but the Catcher Curse remains alive and well in St. Petersburg.
Meantime, the Rays had better figure out how to hit with the Yankees half a game behind and closing fast.
Tuesday, May 14. Game 40: Rays coast to 4-0 win over the Marlins
Rays 4, Marlins 0
Record: 25-15
Attendance: 6,306
Avisail Garcia hit a second inning home run that was the longest ever hit by an opposing player at Marlins Park, 471 feet with an exit velocity of 112.9 mph. It was majestic and landed in something the Marlins call the grand concourse halfway out of the county. Giancarlo Stanton, who once played for the Marlins, has the longest ball ever hit at Marlins Park, a mere eight feet longer than Garcia's. Garcia had three hits in all and drove in three runs, the last one on an infield hit that he beat out with sheer hustle. He carried the Rays all night, which should be inspirational to his team mates, and hopefully contagious.
The Rays' next-to-last run came at the expense of old friend Sergio Romo, who struck out two and walked four, forcing one runner in. It was not a good night for the Marlins, who were shut out and left their star starter Caleb Smith with his first loss of the season (3-1). He struck out eight of the fourteen tallied by Marlins' pitchers on the night.
Charlie Morton was workmanlike for six innings, striking out five and walking no one, reversing a recent spate of walks he had given up in recent outings and which he wanted to correct. Mission accomplished as he improved his record to 4-0. Kevin Cash brought in his inning-a-man relief show: Pagan, Castillo, and this time Chaz Roe, who managed to escape without issuing a single base on balls--cause for celebration
Tampa Bay Times Head Scratcher: Reporting on the latest "nerve irritation" in Brent Honeywell's pitching arm after Tommy John surgery, the Rays are saying the latest setback was "not structural or connected to the elbow ligament surgery" but that it "could be related." How's that again? It isn't connected to the surgery by could be related to it? What's the difference between "connected" and "related"?
Record: 25-15
Attendance: 6,306
Avisail Garcia hit a second inning home run that was the longest ever hit by an opposing player at Marlins Park, 471 feet with an exit velocity of 112.9 mph. It was majestic and landed in something the Marlins call the grand concourse halfway out of the county. Giancarlo Stanton, who once played for the Marlins, has the longest ball ever hit at Marlins Park, a mere eight feet longer than Garcia's. Garcia had three hits in all and drove in three runs, the last one on an infield hit that he beat out with sheer hustle. He carried the Rays all night, which should be inspirational to his team mates, and hopefully contagious.
The Rays' next-to-last run came at the expense of old friend Sergio Romo, who struck out two and walked four, forcing one runner in. It was not a good night for the Marlins, who were shut out and left their star starter Caleb Smith with his first loss of the season (3-1). He struck out eight of the fourteen tallied by Marlins' pitchers on the night.
Charlie Morton was workmanlike for six innings, striking out five and walking no one, reversing a recent spate of walks he had given up in recent outings and which he wanted to correct. Mission accomplished as he improved his record to 4-0. Kevin Cash brought in his inning-a-man relief show: Pagan, Castillo, and this time Chaz Roe, who managed to escape without issuing a single base on balls--cause for celebration
Tampa Bay Times Head Scratcher: Reporting on the latest "nerve irritation" in Brent Honeywell's pitching arm after Tommy John surgery, the Rays are saying the latest setback was "not structural or connected to the elbow ligament surgery" but that it "could be related." How's that again? It isn't connected to the surgery by could be related to it? What's the difference between "connected" and "related"?
Sunday, May 12. Game 39: Late power surge sinks Rays
Rays 1, Yankees 7
Record: 24-15
Attendance: 25,025 Another tainted sell out.
This afternoon's game was a scoreless match-up of aces Blake Snell and Masahiro Tanaka for four innings. Tanaka (3-3) lasted seven innings, striking out seven, Snell (3-4) was pulled after five and two-thirds, striking out twelve. It was in the fifth inning that Snell fell apart, taking 30 pitches to get two outs and allowing two runs. Going into the ninth inning the score was still a manageable 3-1 Yankees, but in the top of the ninth, the lights went out. Literally. For 43 minutes. And when play was resumed Austin Pruitt (who had just entered the game) gave up four runs on four hits, one walk and a home run from rookie SS Thairo Estrada. This one wasn't the blowout the score might suggest. And if it weren't for the power outage, there may not have been the Yankee power surge, and the Rays may have made a better showing in the ninth than they did.
The Rays got a 2 for 4 from Austin Meadows in his third game back from the IL, including a solo home run.
They started someone called Anthony Bemboom behind the plate, making his major league debut at age 29. This is a feel-good story about a kid who was drafted in the 22nd round and kicked around the minor leagues for eight years before getting his first major league chance with the Rays right now. We're happy for the kid of course, but the team is off to a great start in the middle of May and there is a sudden crisis at the catcher position right now; the signing of Travis d'Arnaud was a good move, but did they have to reach that far down to find a catcher to spell him?
Another problem today is that the Rays struck out 12 times, a prescription for disaster.
Bottom line: The Rays lost only their second series of the year. And they are still in first place, by half a game over the Yankees, with the Red Sox beginning to close the gap. Day off tomorrow, then the Marlins on Tuesday in Miami and the Yankees again up in the Bronx next weekend.
Eduardo A. Encina in the Tampa Bay Times makes a good point. Too many of the Rays runs are the result of home runs. "Nine of their 11 runs in the Yankee series came off homers, and after going 0 for 3 Sunday, they're hitting just .237 with runners in scoring position." Not a good sign, and what you'd expect from a team that is 1-7 in one-run games. They miss too many opportunities.
Crystal ball: From here on out, expect frequent changes in the standings, many heart-breaking losses, and a dog-fight right to the end. There's a lot of pride involved in this thing. Strap yourselves in.
Record: 24-15
Attendance: 25,025 Another tainted sell out.
This afternoon's game was a scoreless match-up of aces Blake Snell and Masahiro Tanaka for four innings. Tanaka (3-3) lasted seven innings, striking out seven, Snell (3-4) was pulled after five and two-thirds, striking out twelve. It was in the fifth inning that Snell fell apart, taking 30 pitches to get two outs and allowing two runs. Going into the ninth inning the score was still a manageable 3-1 Yankees, but in the top of the ninth, the lights went out. Literally. For 43 minutes. And when play was resumed Austin Pruitt (who had just entered the game) gave up four runs on four hits, one walk and a home run from rookie SS Thairo Estrada. This one wasn't the blowout the score might suggest. And if it weren't for the power outage, there may not have been the Yankee power surge, and the Rays may have made a better showing in the ninth than they did.
The Rays got a 2 for 4 from Austin Meadows in his third game back from the IL, including a solo home run.
They started someone called Anthony Bemboom behind the plate, making his major league debut at age 29. This is a feel-good story about a kid who was drafted in the 22nd round and kicked around the minor leagues for eight years before getting his first major league chance with the Rays right now. We're happy for the kid of course, but the team is off to a great start in the middle of May and there is a sudden crisis at the catcher position right now; the signing of Travis d'Arnaud was a good move, but did they have to reach that far down to find a catcher to spell him?
Another problem today is that the Rays struck out 12 times, a prescription for disaster.
Bottom line: The Rays lost only their second series of the year. And they are still in first place, by half a game over the Yankees, with the Red Sox beginning to close the gap. Day off tomorrow, then the Marlins on Tuesday in Miami and the Yankees again up in the Bronx next weekend.
Eduardo A. Encina in the Tampa Bay Times makes a good point. Too many of the Rays runs are the result of home runs. "Nine of their 11 runs in the Yankee series came off homers, and after going 0 for 3 Sunday, they're hitting just .237 with runners in scoring position." Not a good sign, and what you'd expect from a team that is 1-7 in one-run games. They miss too many opportunities.
Crystal ball: From here on out, expect frequent changes in the standings, many heart-breaking losses, and a dog-fight right to the end. There's a lot of pride involved in this thing. Strap yourselves in.
Saturday, May 11. Game 38: Rays meet the challenge
Rays 7, Yankees 2
Record: 24-14
Attendance: 25,025 Yeah, the creepy Yankee fans showed up in force once again. Always the same damn thing.
The Rays went long ball in the second and third innings, Avisail Garcia sailing one over the center field fence in the second and Yandy Diaz smoking a line drive into the left field bleachers in the third. The Yankees tied the game in the sixth at two, but in the bottom of the sixth, Willy Adames managed to get a run home with an infield hit, and Ji-Man Choi drove in a second run with another infield hit. Two long balls, two small balls. Four runs. And then in the bottom of the eighth Yandy Diaz hit his second HR of the night to the opposite field, a three-run jack, his ninth of the season.
Supporting the offense was the regular cast of relievers who will be more and more depended on now that the Rays have announced Tyler Glasnow will be out four to six weeks. Ryne Stanek opened flawlessly; Yonny Chirinos went four for the win (though he gave up both Yankee runs); Diego Castillo pitched the seventh and eighth; and Jose Alvarado tossed a perfect ninth.
Newly arrived catcher Travis d'Arnaud was pressed into immediate service and performed beautifully behind the plate, calling the game and handling the pitchers he probably hadn't even met yet. Suddenly there is a little hope after yesterday's disaster. What remains to be seen is how the Rays plan to account for Glasnow's innings for the next month and a half.
Tomorrow's matinee will decide who wins the series, but either way, the Rays will remain in first place at the end of the day. Things are looking up.
Record: 24-14
Attendance: 25,025 Yeah, the creepy Yankee fans showed up in force once again. Always the same damn thing.
The Rays went long ball in the second and third innings, Avisail Garcia sailing one over the center field fence in the second and Yandy Diaz smoking a line drive into the left field bleachers in the third. The Yankees tied the game in the sixth at two, but in the bottom of the sixth, Willy Adames managed to get a run home with an infield hit, and Ji-Man Choi drove in a second run with another infield hit. Two long balls, two small balls. Four runs. And then in the bottom of the eighth Yandy Diaz hit his second HR of the night to the opposite field, a three-run jack, his ninth of the season.
Supporting the offense was the regular cast of relievers who will be more and more depended on now that the Rays have announced Tyler Glasnow will be out four to six weeks. Ryne Stanek opened flawlessly; Yonny Chirinos went four for the win (though he gave up both Yankee runs); Diego Castillo pitched the seventh and eighth; and Jose Alvarado tossed a perfect ninth.
Newly arrived catcher Travis d'Arnaud was pressed into immediate service and performed beautifully behind the plate, calling the game and handling the pitchers he probably hadn't even met yet. Suddenly there is a little hope after yesterday's disaster. What remains to be seen is how the Rays plan to account for Glasnow's innings for the next month and a half.
Tomorrow's matinee will decide who wins the series, but either way, the Rays will remain in first place at the end of the day. Things are looking up.
Friday, May 10. Game 37: Dog days of summer arrive early
Rays 3, Yankees 4
Record: 23-14
Attendance: 20,846 Swollen by 10,000 hated Yankee fans.
The euphoria of spring baseball in Tampa has given way to an early summer reality check. It doesn't matter where you look, all the news is bad.
For example, the Rays lost yet another one-run game, extending their futility in this regard to 1-7. Brandon Lowe struck out three consecutive times, making an incredible team-tying eight consecutive strikeouts going back to Wednesday night against the D-backs. His personal futility of course impacts the futility of the team trying to score runs (nine left on base last night, eleven on Wednesday). For the second consecutive game they loaded the bases and failed to score a single run. That's 0-6 with the bases loaded and nobody out. Nick Ciuffo the catcher called up for his defensive strengths (and also because Mike Zunino and Michael Perez went to the IL within hours of each other) managed to turn a passed ball into a run by the Yankees.
And of course none of that is the worst news. Tyler Glasnow, he who was previously 6-0, was saddled with his first loss and and experienced "tightness" in his right (pitching) forearm that forced him out of the game in the sixth inning. Tests are scheduled to determine the extensiveness of the damage and how much time he will lose.
But I lied about all the news being bad. Austin Meadows came off the IL and went 2 for 4, including a double and a two-run homer, his seventh, in the fifth. Ji-Man Choi added a solo homer in the same inning. And with an absolutely depleted catching corps at the major and triple A levels, Rays management went out and landed a once-highly regarded catcher off the Dodger roster, Travis d'Arnaud, who hit .244 with 17 HRs and 57 RBIs in 2017 for the Mets. He was out with an elbow injury for most of 2018 before being designated for assignment by the Mets and being signed by the Dodgers, where he appeared in only one game. He will provide a veteran presence behind the plate. Ciuffo will be his backup and backing up the backup is one Anthony Bemboom, 29, who has been in the minors seven years and is now about to join his first major league team. It isn't likely he realizes that his presence on the roster is a sign that the Rays are on the verge of falling apart.
Record: 23-14
Attendance: 20,846 Swollen by 10,000 hated Yankee fans.
The euphoria of spring baseball in Tampa has given way to an early summer reality check. It doesn't matter where you look, all the news is bad.
For example, the Rays lost yet another one-run game, extending their futility in this regard to 1-7. Brandon Lowe struck out three consecutive times, making an incredible team-tying eight consecutive strikeouts going back to Wednesday night against the D-backs. His personal futility of course impacts the futility of the team trying to score runs (nine left on base last night, eleven on Wednesday). For the second consecutive game they loaded the bases and failed to score a single run. That's 0-6 with the bases loaded and nobody out. Nick Ciuffo the catcher called up for his defensive strengths (and also because Mike Zunino and Michael Perez went to the IL within hours of each other) managed to turn a passed ball into a run by the Yankees.
And of course none of that is the worst news. Tyler Glasnow, he who was previously 6-0, was saddled with his first loss and and experienced "tightness" in his right (pitching) forearm that forced him out of the game in the sixth inning. Tests are scheduled to determine the extensiveness of the damage and how much time he will lose.
But I lied about all the news being bad. Austin Meadows came off the IL and went 2 for 4, including a double and a two-run homer, his seventh, in the fifth. Ji-Man Choi added a solo homer in the same inning. And with an absolutely depleted catching corps at the major and triple A levels, Rays management went out and landed a once-highly regarded catcher off the Dodger roster, Travis d'Arnaud, who hit .244 with 17 HRs and 57 RBIs in 2017 for the Mets. He was out with an elbow injury for most of 2018 before being designated for assignment by the Mets and being signed by the Dodgers, where he appeared in only one game. He will provide a veteran presence behind the plate. Ciuffo will be his backup and backing up the backup is one Anthony Bemboom, 29, who has been in the minors seven years and is now about to join his first major league team. It isn't likely he realizes that his presence on the roster is a sign that the Rays are on the verge of falling apart.
Thursday, May 9. Off Day
If ever the troops needed a day of rest to lick their wounds, physical and mental, this is it.
Wednesday, May 8. Game 36. Goats galore. Rays one-run record falls to 1-5
Rays 2, Diamondbacks 3
Record: 23-13
Attendance: 8,663. For once it is good that so few people actually saw this performance. The Rays should be hoping the TV audience was down too.
This was a game that got away. From the top of the first, when an inning-ending double play was botched by a bad throw to first and the D-backs scored when they shouldn't have, you could feel the bad vibes entering the building. In the bottom of the 12th, Tommy Pham (who has to take a remedial class in base running) drew a promising leadoff walk and was promptly picked off first by D-back pitcher Archie Bradley. The few people left in the stands could feel the adrenaline pumping with a fast runner on first to lead off the inning, but when Pham let himself be picked off, it was like the air had been suddenly let out of the building. The Rays seemed to feel it too as the D-backs won the game in the top of the 13th on a cue ball single off the end of Wilmer Flores' bat that floated in slow motion just over Brandon Lowe's glove and barely made it past the infield into right field.
In between the first and thirteenth innings, the Rays squandered opportunity after opportunity, the worst coming in the eighth when they had drawn to within one run and had the bases loaded and nobody out. A grounder to short forced one out at the plate. Next Brandon Lowe, the April Rookie of the Month, struck out, the third of five consecutive strikeouts on the night for him. Willie Adames then lined out to short. Futility in spades. And in the bottom of the ninth, Kevin Kiermaier pinch hit the tying run home with a single to center, only to turn too wide and get into a run down between first and second, which made Tommy Pham think he could score the game winning run with a sprint to the plate. He was out. Extra innings began, and the rest is history as the Rays extended their winless extra inning streak to 0-4.
The Rays struck out 23 times on the night and left eleven on base. It was brutally hard to watch. And it took four hours and 39 minutes.
Pitching kept the Rays in the game. Charlie Morton, not at his best, gave up two runs in his five innings on seven hits, four walks, and eight strikeouts. Six pitchers followed giving up only two hits for the rest of the way, but Adam Kolarek, who gave up a pair of ninth inning homers the night before, walked two and gave up a hit before he was replaced by Chaz Roe, who gave up the cue ball single to right that sealed the Rays' doom for the night.
And there was more bad news as catcher Mike Zunino went down with a tightened left quad. Tests will determine the extensiveness of the injury, which came on the same day backup catcher Michael Perez was placed on the IL with a right oblique strain. Nick Ciuffo, just recalled from Durham with a BA hovering around .200, was pressed into service in the late innings striking out twice in two plate appearances.
And the Yankees come to town tomorrow.
Record: 23-13
Attendance: 8,663. For once it is good that so few people actually saw this performance. The Rays should be hoping the TV audience was down too.
This was a game that got away. From the top of the first, when an inning-ending double play was botched by a bad throw to first and the D-backs scored when they shouldn't have, you could feel the bad vibes entering the building. In the bottom of the 12th, Tommy Pham (who has to take a remedial class in base running) drew a promising leadoff walk and was promptly picked off first by D-back pitcher Archie Bradley. The few people left in the stands could feel the adrenaline pumping with a fast runner on first to lead off the inning, but when Pham let himself be picked off, it was like the air had been suddenly let out of the building. The Rays seemed to feel it too as the D-backs won the game in the top of the 13th on a cue ball single off the end of Wilmer Flores' bat that floated in slow motion just over Brandon Lowe's glove and barely made it past the infield into right field.
In between the first and thirteenth innings, the Rays squandered opportunity after opportunity, the worst coming in the eighth when they had drawn to within one run and had the bases loaded and nobody out. A grounder to short forced one out at the plate. Next Brandon Lowe, the April Rookie of the Month, struck out, the third of five consecutive strikeouts on the night for him. Willie Adames then lined out to short. Futility in spades. And in the bottom of the ninth, Kevin Kiermaier pinch hit the tying run home with a single to center, only to turn too wide and get into a run down between first and second, which made Tommy Pham think he could score the game winning run with a sprint to the plate. He was out. Extra innings began, and the rest is history as the Rays extended their winless extra inning streak to 0-4.
The Rays struck out 23 times on the night and left eleven on base. It was brutally hard to watch. And it took four hours and 39 minutes.
Pitching kept the Rays in the game. Charlie Morton, not at his best, gave up two runs in his five innings on seven hits, four walks, and eight strikeouts. Six pitchers followed giving up only two hits for the rest of the way, but Adam Kolarek, who gave up a pair of ninth inning homers the night before, walked two and gave up a hit before he was replaced by Chaz Roe, who gave up the cue ball single to right that sealed the Rays' doom for the night.
And there was more bad news as catcher Mike Zunino went down with a tightened left quad. Tests will determine the extensiveness of the injury, which came on the same day backup catcher Michael Perez was placed on the IL with a right oblique strain. Nick Ciuffo, just recalled from Durham with a BA hovering around .200, was pressed into service in the late innings striking out twice in two plate appearances.
And the Yankees come to town tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 7. Game 35: Brandon Lowe's lead off homer sets the tone for an easy win
Rays 6, Diamondbacks 3
Record: 23-12 Major league best.
Attendance: 8,059. A new low. (A moment of embarrassed silence. . . .) According to Marc Topkin in the Tampa Bay Times, this is not only the lowest attendance of the year, it is the lowest since September 5 and 6, 2017 (6,509 and 7,185) when the area was in lockdown waiting for Hurricane Irma.
Brandon Lowe opened the game with a towering fly ball to center that cleared the fence and gave the Rays a 1-0 lead--a nice carry-over from last night's offensive display, 12 runs and 13 hits. In the end tonight they had six runs and 12 hits. Five men had two hits apiece. Only Kevin Kiermaier and Tommy Pham failed to get a hit. They managed to get small-ball runs in the seventh and eighth innings when they scored four runs to put the game out of reach, though reliever Adam Kolarek gave back a pair of solo homers to make it look closer.
Rays pitching tonight was excellent, with opener Ryan Stanek tossing two excellent innings. Jalen Beeks, who won the game, came on to pitch three and a third bulk innings, with Kevin Cash's favorite inning-or-less pitchers finishing things up. Everyone did a creditable job with even Chaz Roe improving to a single walk in his two/thirds.of an inning.
The ongoing up and down saga of Willie Adames saw him back at his post tonight. He went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a stolen base, thus taking some of the pressure off himself after his long slump this year and his base running gaffe on May 4 against the Orioles. In a related story, SS Jake Cronenworth was named Rays top minor league position player of April with a .370 BA at Durham.
Tomorrow's matinee is a Rays chance to sweep the Diamondbacks. Charlie Morton will take the mound.
Record: 23-12 Major league best.
Attendance: 8,059. A new low. (A moment of embarrassed silence. . . .) According to Marc Topkin in the Tampa Bay Times, this is not only the lowest attendance of the year, it is the lowest since September 5 and 6, 2017 (6,509 and 7,185) when the area was in lockdown waiting for Hurricane Irma.
Brandon Lowe opened the game with a towering fly ball to center that cleared the fence and gave the Rays a 1-0 lead--a nice carry-over from last night's offensive display, 12 runs and 13 hits. In the end tonight they had six runs and 12 hits. Five men had two hits apiece. Only Kevin Kiermaier and Tommy Pham failed to get a hit. They managed to get small-ball runs in the seventh and eighth innings when they scored four runs to put the game out of reach, though reliever Adam Kolarek gave back a pair of solo homers to make it look closer.
Rays pitching tonight was excellent, with opener Ryan Stanek tossing two excellent innings. Jalen Beeks, who won the game, came on to pitch three and a third bulk innings, with Kevin Cash's favorite inning-or-less pitchers finishing things up. Everyone did a creditable job with even Chaz Roe improving to a single walk in his two/thirds.of an inning.
The ongoing up and down saga of Willie Adames saw him back at his post tonight. He went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a stolen base, thus taking some of the pressure off himself after his long slump this year and his base running gaffe on May 4 against the Orioles. In a related story, SS Jake Cronenworth was named Rays top minor league position player of April with a .370 BA at Durham.
Tomorrow's matinee is a Rays chance to sweep the Diamondbacks. Charlie Morton will take the mound.
Monday, May 6. Game 34. Snell is back!
Rays 12, Diamondbacks 1
Record: 22-12
Attendance: 8,124 Story Line 1: The lowest home attendance this year. Lowest.
Story Line 2. Blake Snell. The Cy Young Award Winner from last year is back. He lost the opening game of the year to Justin Verlander and the Astros, then won his next two games in early April before his famous toe injury put him on the shelf for ten days. When he returned, he was either compensating for toe pain or unable to get into a post-toe pitching rhythm because his next two outings were so bad he couldn't get out of the fourth inning in either game. But tonight he was nearly perfect: no hits until the sixth, one hit in all, 83 pitches, nine strikeouts. He seemed to be laboring a little in the fifth and sixth, and was replaced by Chad Roe, who walked two, as usual, and then by Casey Sadler, who seems to be safely on the roster for now as the Rays sent Wilmer Font to the New York Mets for cash or a player to be named later. Sadler pitched two innings and gave up the only run of the night to the Diamondbacks, a tainted run that scored after an error by just-recalled Andrew Valazquez put in the game at third presumably for defensive purposes. Willy Adames was given the night off; Daniel Robertson played a very strong defensive shortstop, and went 1 for 2 with two walks and three RBIs.
Story Line 3. The bats came alive. They manufactured a run in the first and in the second Robertson walked with the bases loaded accounting for a second run. But then Tommy Pham hit a ball that carried some 430 feet (exit velocity 109.1 mph) to straightaway center for the first grand slam of his career. And then they piled on. 12 runs and 13 hits. The last two scored on Avisail Garcia's home run off catcher J. R. Murphy, put in by Diamondback manager Torey Lovullo to save his bullpen for tomorrow--a good decision if his bullpen comes in on Tuesday night throwing bullets.
This Arizona team is now 20-15 and went into last night's action a game behind the high flying Dodgers in the NL West. They're no pushovers. The Rays face two more games with them, and it's safe to say they had better be at their best if they hope to compete--they should not be fooled by this lopsided contest.
Story Line 4. Tommy Pham. In his post-game interview, Manager Kevin Cash had this to say about him: "He's a huge presence in our lineup. He can do damage with base hits, with the high average. He can do damage hitting balls in gaps. Knock them out of the ballpark. He works pitchers, he draws walks. He does everything."
Record: 22-12
Attendance: 8,124 Story Line 1: The lowest home attendance this year. Lowest.
Story Line 2. Blake Snell. The Cy Young Award Winner from last year is back. He lost the opening game of the year to Justin Verlander and the Astros, then won his next two games in early April before his famous toe injury put him on the shelf for ten days. When he returned, he was either compensating for toe pain or unable to get into a post-toe pitching rhythm because his next two outings were so bad he couldn't get out of the fourth inning in either game. But tonight he was nearly perfect: no hits until the sixth, one hit in all, 83 pitches, nine strikeouts. He seemed to be laboring a little in the fifth and sixth, and was replaced by Chad Roe, who walked two, as usual, and then by Casey Sadler, who seems to be safely on the roster for now as the Rays sent Wilmer Font to the New York Mets for cash or a player to be named later. Sadler pitched two innings and gave up the only run of the night to the Diamondbacks, a tainted run that scored after an error by just-recalled Andrew Valazquez put in the game at third presumably for defensive purposes. Willy Adames was given the night off; Daniel Robertson played a very strong defensive shortstop, and went 1 for 2 with two walks and three RBIs.
Story Line 3. The bats came alive. They manufactured a run in the first and in the second Robertson walked with the bases loaded accounting for a second run. But then Tommy Pham hit a ball that carried some 430 feet (exit velocity 109.1 mph) to straightaway center for the first grand slam of his career. And then they piled on. 12 runs and 13 hits. The last two scored on Avisail Garcia's home run off catcher J. R. Murphy, put in by Diamondback manager Torey Lovullo to save his bullpen for tomorrow--a good decision if his bullpen comes in on Tuesday night throwing bullets.
This Arizona team is now 20-15 and went into last night's action a game behind the high flying Dodgers in the NL West. They're no pushovers. The Rays face two more games with them, and it's safe to say they had better be at their best if they hope to compete--they should not be fooled by this lopsided contest.
Story Line 4. Tommy Pham. In his post-game interview, Manager Kevin Cash had this to say about him: "He's a huge presence in our lineup. He can do damage with base hits, with the high average. He can do damage hitting balls in gaps. Knock them out of the ballpark. He works pitchers, he draws walks. He does everything."
Sunday, May 5. Rainout
The rainout gave the Rays an even split of the two-game set with the Orioles, and more importantly gave them a day of rest as they head home for three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks beginning tomorrow. In the first game, Blake Snell looks to redeem himself after two-in-a-row three-inning outings (0-2, 12.79 ERA). It would be a lot easier to believe in this team if last year's Cy Young Award winner returned to his dominant performances of 2018. Without him, it's hard to imagine the Rays can amount to much in 2019. He says he's made some unspecified adjustments for today's game. We shall see.
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times interviewed Rays' General Manager Erik Neander in Baltimore and asked pointedly about the performances of Willy Adames (.221 BA) and Daniel Robertson (.172). Neander replied that only 20% of the season has been played and that he expected them both to come around as long as they continued "putting their work in." That's more or less supportive, but elsewhere in the interview he did say that "we've always got to be open to anything and anywhere that we think has a chance to upgrade out team." That's the thinking that got the Tommy Pham deal done last summer, so why not look for a big league shortstop?
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times interviewed Rays' General Manager Erik Neander in Baltimore and asked pointedly about the performances of Willy Adames (.221 BA) and Daniel Robertson (.172). Neander replied that only 20% of the season has been played and that he expected them both to come around as long as they continued "putting their work in." That's more or less supportive, but elsewhere in the interview he did say that "we've always got to be open to anything and anywhere that we think has a chance to upgrade out team." That's the thinking that got the Tommy Pham deal done last summer, so why not look for a big league shortstop?
Saturday, May 4: Game 33. Adames runs Rays out of a rally
Rays 0, Orioles 3
Record: 21-12
Attendance: 15,241
Yonny Chirinos was scheduled to be the bulker in tonight's game, but was named the starter instead about an hour before game time. He pitched into the eighth inning giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk, lackluster but not bad, but not nearly good enough to beat Baltimore's Dylan Bundy, who was 0-4 going into the game with a 6.67 ERA, and who pitched into the eighth, combining with two relievers to shut the Rays out.. Chirinos's record fell to 4-1 with a 3.52 ERA.
The Rays could manage a mere three hits off Bundy, who threw his best game of the new season--unless it was yet another of the too-frequent lazy hitting the Rays fall into. In the eighth the Rays had their only opportunity after Michael Perez slashed a one-out double to left. Willy Adames followed with a swinging bunt that he beat out to first and then took second while Perez scored on a wild throw to first. But, no. Adames ran out of the base path on his way to first and was called out for interference, which took the run off the board and put Perez back on second. Instead of having one run in, a man on second, and one out, there was no run in, a man on second, and two outs. Brandon Lowe made the last out of the inning. In the dugout Manager Cash seemed to flash uncharacteristic temper when Adames approached him.
Adames shows flashes of brilliance, but there are also flashes of incompetence. He may be the best the Rays have at shortstop right now, but I'd be surprised if management wasn't looking for options. It would be a bold move, but 18-year-old Wander Franco in A ball might be worth a look.
Today's Tampa Bay Times carried a long piece by columnist John Romano about the seriousness of the attendance problem, but nowhere does he recognize the significance of the retiree problem, namely that the many retired baseball fans in the area never stopped rooting for their old hometown team in favor of their new hometown team. That's what makes our franchise different from Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and Denver. If even half the fans of the Yankees, Red, Sox, Tigers, etc. began rooting for the Rays, the attendance would show a dramatic improvement, and we wouldn't be having this conversation. But that's not going to happen. The only reasonable conclusion is that the team will be forced to relocate. This isn't a political problem, a traffic problem, or a corporate problem, it's a problem traceable to the nature of our population--and nothing's going to change that. Sadly.
Record: 21-12
Attendance: 15,241
Yonny Chirinos was scheduled to be the bulker in tonight's game, but was named the starter instead about an hour before game time. He pitched into the eighth inning giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk, lackluster but not bad, but not nearly good enough to beat Baltimore's Dylan Bundy, who was 0-4 going into the game with a 6.67 ERA, and who pitched into the eighth, combining with two relievers to shut the Rays out.. Chirinos's record fell to 4-1 with a 3.52 ERA.
The Rays could manage a mere three hits off Bundy, who threw his best game of the new season--unless it was yet another of the too-frequent lazy hitting the Rays fall into. In the eighth the Rays had their only opportunity after Michael Perez slashed a one-out double to left. Willy Adames followed with a swinging bunt that he beat out to first and then took second while Perez scored on a wild throw to first. But, no. Adames ran out of the base path on his way to first and was called out for interference, which took the run off the board and put Perez back on second. Instead of having one run in, a man on second, and one out, there was no run in, a man on second, and two outs. Brandon Lowe made the last out of the inning. In the dugout Manager Cash seemed to flash uncharacteristic temper when Adames approached him.
Adames shows flashes of brilliance, but there are also flashes of incompetence. He may be the best the Rays have at shortstop right now, but I'd be surprised if management wasn't looking for options. It would be a bold move, but 18-year-old Wander Franco in A ball might be worth a look.
Today's Tampa Bay Times carried a long piece by columnist John Romano about the seriousness of the attendance problem, but nowhere does he recognize the significance of the retiree problem, namely that the many retired baseball fans in the area never stopped rooting for their old hometown team in favor of their new hometown team. That's what makes our franchise different from Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and Denver. If even half the fans of the Yankees, Red, Sox, Tigers, etc. began rooting for the Rays, the attendance would show a dramatic improvement, and we wouldn't be having this conversation. But that's not going to happen. The only reasonable conclusion is that the team will be forced to relocate. This isn't a political problem, a traffic problem, or a corporate problem, it's a problem traceable to the nature of our population--and nothing's going to change that. Sadly.
Friday, May 3. Game 32. Tyler Glasnow (6-0, 1.47 ERA), April's Pitcher of the Month Starts May Perfectly
Rays 7, Orioles 0
Record: 21-11
Attendance: 10,034 The Rays aren't the only team whose attendance figures are pathetic.
Still smarting from Wednesday's double-header loss to the lowly Kansas City Royals, the Rays called on their new ace, April's AL Pitcher of the Month, Tyler Glass, to get them retracked, which he did with amazing ease and efficiency in a 7-0 win against the Orioles. Added on to Thursday's performance by Charlie Morton that squared up the KC series, Glasnow went seven innings, striking out eight, walking none, and giving up only three hits over 92 pitches on his way to a major-league-leading six wins to go along with his 1.47 ERA. If the Rays can keep the pressure on, the double-header loss to Kansas City will become more motivation than embarrassment.
Jeff Seidel of MLB wrote the online wrap up and quoted Oriole manager Brandon Hyde: "On a night like that, you have to tip your hat to a really, really good pitcher who had his stuff. That was electric stuff. I liked his presence and how he attacks guys. The whole package. I haven’t seen many like that in a long time.”
The Rays scored in the first (again) on doubles by Brandon Lowe (the AL Rookie of the Month in April) and Tommy Pham. They went on to score four in the fourth, the big blow being Mike Zunino's three-run homer, and added on two more runs in the sixth. In all the Rays collected 12 hits and six walks and had this game won from the outset.
Now it would be good to see them improvise their way to another victory today, with opener Ryan Stanek scheduled to be followed by bulker Yonny Chirinos.
Record: 21-11
Attendance: 10,034 The Rays aren't the only team whose attendance figures are pathetic.
Still smarting from Wednesday's double-header loss to the lowly Kansas City Royals, the Rays called on their new ace, April's AL Pitcher of the Month, Tyler Glass, to get them retracked, which he did with amazing ease and efficiency in a 7-0 win against the Orioles. Added on to Thursday's performance by Charlie Morton that squared up the KC series, Glasnow went seven innings, striking out eight, walking none, and giving up only three hits over 92 pitches on his way to a major-league-leading six wins to go along with his 1.47 ERA. If the Rays can keep the pressure on, the double-header loss to Kansas City will become more motivation than embarrassment.
Jeff Seidel of MLB wrote the online wrap up and quoted Oriole manager Brandon Hyde: "On a night like that, you have to tip your hat to a really, really good pitcher who had his stuff. That was electric stuff. I liked his presence and how he attacks guys. The whole package. I haven’t seen many like that in a long time.”
The Rays scored in the first (again) on doubles by Brandon Lowe (the AL Rookie of the Month in April) and Tommy Pham. They went on to score four in the fourth, the big blow being Mike Zunino's three-run homer, and added on two more runs in the sixth. In all the Rays collected 12 hits and six walks and had this game won from the outset.
Now it would be good to see them improvise their way to another victory today, with opener Ryan Stanek scheduled to be followed by bulker Yonny Chirinos.
Thursday, May 2. Game 31. Rays split with Royals. Rookie and veteran step up.
Rays 3 Royals 1
Record: 20-11 Ten percentage points behind the Minnesota Twins (19-10) for the best record in baseball.
Attendance: 23,343. Maybe they showed up in embarrassment for the way they stayed home yesterday.
The bad news is that the Rays have still not won a one-run game this year. Going into the ninth inning they were tied at one with the Royals. Wily Peralta walked Daniel Robertson and then with two outs, the just announced American League Rookie of the Month of April, Brandon Lowe, hit a low liner into right field that kept carrying until it settled on the other side of the fence, his seventh round tripper of the year. So they won by two to keep their 0-5 record intact for one-run games. And for now, at least, that's just fine.
As Charlie Morton was quoted in the morning Tampa Bay Times on the Lowe homer, "To get up there in a tie ballgame and hit a go-ahead homer, right there to close out a series, it's a big deal. It's a really big deal."
Lowe, whose rookie status was preserved this year because he fell one at-bat short of rookie status last year, signed a six-year, $24 million contract extension during spring training.
This was a game that couldn't really be called "must win," it's only May 2 after all. But the way they looked losing two yesterday to the Royals, playing with neither energy or heart, was so bad that the Rays as a team had something to prove. In the end, they managed to escape Kansas City with a four-game split. It was a great relief, and the team was more than happy to leave Kansas City behind and move on to Baltimore. It's not that the Orioles are slim pickings, of course, but the 11-21 Royals (only the Marlins have a worse record) made one thing perfectly clear. If the Rays are going to play themselves into the post-season, they are going to have to bear down all the time, every game, every inning, every at-bat. Regardless of the competition.
Answering the bell for the Rays today was Charlie Morton who went six and two-thirds giving up five hits and a walk and striking out nine in 101 pitches. Good as he was, however, the score was tied when he left and the win went to Adam Kolarek, who got the last two outs in the eighth. Diego Castillo came on to pitch a perfect ninth for the save.
Alex Gordon, quoted by the AP in the game wrap-up, talked about Charlie Morton: "He's nasty. Usually I'm pretty frustrated when the offense only scores one run. But when the guy has stuff like that and commands it like that, it's hard to hit."
Record: 20-11 Ten percentage points behind the Minnesota Twins (19-10) for the best record in baseball.
Attendance: 23,343. Maybe they showed up in embarrassment for the way they stayed home yesterday.
The bad news is that the Rays have still not won a one-run game this year. Going into the ninth inning they were tied at one with the Royals. Wily Peralta walked Daniel Robertson and then with two outs, the just announced American League Rookie of the Month of April, Brandon Lowe, hit a low liner into right field that kept carrying until it settled on the other side of the fence, his seventh round tripper of the year. So they won by two to keep their 0-5 record intact for one-run games. And for now, at least, that's just fine.
As Charlie Morton was quoted in the morning Tampa Bay Times on the Lowe homer, "To get up there in a tie ballgame and hit a go-ahead homer, right there to close out a series, it's a big deal. It's a really big deal."
Lowe, whose rookie status was preserved this year because he fell one at-bat short of rookie status last year, signed a six-year, $24 million contract extension during spring training.
This was a game that couldn't really be called "must win," it's only May 2 after all. But the way they looked losing two yesterday to the Royals, playing with neither energy or heart, was so bad that the Rays as a team had something to prove. In the end, they managed to escape Kansas City with a four-game split. It was a great relief, and the team was more than happy to leave Kansas City behind and move on to Baltimore. It's not that the Orioles are slim pickings, of course, but the 11-21 Royals (only the Marlins have a worse record) made one thing perfectly clear. If the Rays are going to play themselves into the post-season, they are going to have to bear down all the time, every game, every inning, every at-bat. Regardless of the competition.
Answering the bell for the Rays today was Charlie Morton who went six and two-thirds giving up five hits and a walk and striking out nine in 101 pitches. Good as he was, however, the score was tied when he left and the win went to Adam Kolarek, who got the last two outs in the eighth. Diego Castillo came on to pitch a perfect ninth for the save.
Alex Gordon, quoted by the AP in the game wrap-up, talked about Charlie Morton: "He's nasty. Usually I'm pretty frustrated when the offense only scores one run. But when the guy has stuff like that and commands it like that, it's hard to hit."
Wednesday, May 1. Game two of doubleheader, A Mess
Rays 2, Royals 8
Record: 19-11
Attendance: 11,411 The announced crowd was for game two of the double header. Marc Topkin of the Times reported that there were no more than a "few hundred" people at the beginning of the first game.
Nothing went right for the Rays in the second game of the doubleheader except for ninth inning homers by Daniel Robertson and Ji-Man Choi. It was only the second game all year they were blown out, the other one being a 10-2 trouncing at the hands of, yes, the Kansas City Royals.
The post-game talk was all about the double collapse. Kevin Kiermaier, who has turned into the team conscience, was quoted in the Times that the team effort was "unacceptable" and that they "had no energy throughout the whole day." He added that they have "to come ready to play each and every day." Snell, however, who had just turned in one of his worst performances in two years, says that his broken toe had nothing to do with it. His post-break record (0-2, 12.79 ERA) might suggest otherwise, but he maintains everything is in order. "To fans, it'll be a big deal," he said, "but I'm not worried about it."
Okay. No worries. But just think what the Rays wonderful start this year would have been if their Cy Young award winning pitcher had shown up instead of the guy who is currently 2-3 with a 4.31 ERA.
And so we fans put the lost doubleheader behind us and rally behind (3-0) Charlie Morton to step up and get the team out of KC with a 2-2 record, which will be a small triumph.
One other small triumph should be noted. Willie Adames went 2 for 4 in the opener, driving in the team's only runs. Perhaps his job is secure after all, but Times columnist John Romano chose yesterday to publish a piece on 18-year-old switch-hitting shortstop Wander Franco, who was just named Class A Midwest League's player of the week. That would put him on track for maybe a 2021 big league debut, but a kid who turns as many heads as Franco does might surprise the experts. All he's done so far is hit .342 with 14 homers in his first 316 minor league at-bats. Willie may be safe for the moment, but unless he steps his game up considerably, he's just keeping the position warm until the Kid is ready to take over.
Record: 19-11
Attendance: 11,411 The announced crowd was for game two of the double header. Marc Topkin of the Times reported that there were no more than a "few hundred" people at the beginning of the first game.
Nothing went right for the Rays in the second game of the doubleheader except for ninth inning homers by Daniel Robertson and Ji-Man Choi. It was only the second game all year they were blown out, the other one being a 10-2 trouncing at the hands of, yes, the Kansas City Royals.
The post-game talk was all about the double collapse. Kevin Kiermaier, who has turned into the team conscience, was quoted in the Times that the team effort was "unacceptable" and that they "had no energy throughout the whole day." He added that they have "to come ready to play each and every day." Snell, however, who had just turned in one of his worst performances in two years, says that his broken toe had nothing to do with it. His post-break record (0-2, 12.79 ERA) might suggest otherwise, but he maintains everything is in order. "To fans, it'll be a big deal," he said, "but I'm not worried about it."
Okay. No worries. But just think what the Rays wonderful start this year would have been if their Cy Young award winning pitcher had shown up instead of the guy who is currently 2-3 with a 4.31 ERA.
And so we fans put the lost doubleheader behind us and rally behind (3-0) Charlie Morton to step up and get the team out of KC with a 2-2 record, which will be a small triumph.
One other small triumph should be noted. Willie Adames went 2 for 4 in the opener, driving in the team's only runs. Perhaps his job is secure after all, but Times columnist John Romano chose yesterday to publish a piece on 18-year-old switch-hitting shortstop Wander Franco, who was just named Class A Midwest League's player of the week. That would put him on track for maybe a 2021 big league debut, but a kid who turns as many heads as Franco does might surprise the experts. All he's done so far is hit .342 with 14 homers in his first 316 minor league at-bats. Willie may be safe for the moment, but unless he steps his game up considerably, he's just keeping the position warm until the Kid is ready to take over.
Wednesday, May 1: Game one of doubleheader, A Shame
Rays 2, Royals 3
Record: 19-10
Attendance: Not published
This is the fifth one-run game the Rays have dropped this season; they have won only one. Good teams, the ones that get to the post-season, always have a good record in one-run games. Three of those one-run losses were in extra-inning games. That's another category good teams excel at. Neither of these warning signs are critical on May first, but sometime in the next five months they had better learn how to win close games.
Turning the tables on the Rays, Kansas City scored three first inning runs, the big blow a two-run homer by Adalberto Mondesi, and made them hold up for the rest of the game. The Rays had eight hits to the Royals' four and the Royals seemed to be dodging bullets all afternoon, but in the end, the Rays could not push the tying run across after scoring two runs in the second on a Willy Adames double to right. After that both offenses took the rest of the game off.
That suggests good pitching, and both teams got it after opener Ryne Stanek, the Kansas City home boy who had his whole collection of friends and family on hand for his first perfect opening on Monday, collapsed this time around, the first such hiccup in his work in March and April. It was his first loss of the year: one inning, three hits, three runs, one walk, and the homer by Mondesi.
But Jalen Beeks came in for the next six and two-third innings and pitched a near perfect game allowing only one hit and two walks while striking out six. Hunter Wood struck out the only batter he faced in the eighth. But in the end, the near miss 3-2 loss wasn't nearly as hard to take as the second game of the double header, an 8-2 loss pinned on Blake Snell, who lasted three innings giving up six hits, three walks, and seven earned runs.
Record: 19-10
Attendance: Not published
This is the fifth one-run game the Rays have dropped this season; they have won only one. Good teams, the ones that get to the post-season, always have a good record in one-run games. Three of those one-run losses were in extra-inning games. That's another category good teams excel at. Neither of these warning signs are critical on May first, but sometime in the next five months they had better learn how to win close games.
Turning the tables on the Rays, Kansas City scored three first inning runs, the big blow a two-run homer by Adalberto Mondesi, and made them hold up for the rest of the game. The Rays had eight hits to the Royals' four and the Royals seemed to be dodging bullets all afternoon, but in the end, the Rays could not push the tying run across after scoring two runs in the second on a Willy Adames double to right. After that both offenses took the rest of the game off.
That suggests good pitching, and both teams got it after opener Ryne Stanek, the Kansas City home boy who had his whole collection of friends and family on hand for his first perfect opening on Monday, collapsed this time around, the first such hiccup in his work in March and April. It was his first loss of the year: one inning, three hits, three runs, one walk, and the homer by Mondesi.
But Jalen Beeks came in for the next six and two-third innings and pitched a near perfect game allowing only one hit and two walks while striking out six. Hunter Wood struck out the only batter he faced in the eighth. But in the end, the near miss 3-2 loss wasn't nearly as hard to take as the second game of the double header, an 8-2 loss pinned on Blake Snell, who lasted three innings giving up six hits, three walks, and seven earned runs.
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