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.