Rays 8, Athletics 2
Record 45-33
Attendance: 17,006
Eight runs. 15 hits. Three walks. Seven hits in a row in the fourth inning.
Two hits, one homer, and three RBIs from Travis d'Arnaud. Three hits from Joey Wendle. Three more from Avisail Garcia. Two hits and a walk from Mike Zunino. Two hits including a bases-clearing double from Austin Meadows.
All this from a team that has averaged fewer than three runs a game for more than a week.
What can account for such a blast of offense? Maybe they were celebrating Diego Castillo going on the Injured List for a heretofore unnoticed right shoulder inflammation. Maybe the team was jubilant in the knowledge that Castillo wouldn't be around to give the game away in the ninth.
That's harsh, I know, and there's no chance it can be true, but I wouldn't blame the team if the idea didn't pass through at least a few minds.
The pitching was excellent without Castillo. Stanek opened, Yarbrough picked it up in the second and lasted to the eighth when Chaz Roe pitched a flawless inning. Colin Poche pitched an even better ninth striking out Chad Pinder to end the game.
The only starting player to have a bad day was Willy Adames, who went 0 for 5 and committed a throwing error, his tenth error of the year. Willy hasn't reached his top form yet, not even close, and it remains to be seen if he will get to that level this year, but he's still very young (23) and may yet be the type of SS who pays annual dividends: 15-20 HRs, .285-.300 BA, 65-75 RBIs, and a few stolen bases. And if he can control his throws to first a little better, he may yet be the Rays' SS of the future--or at least until Wonder Franco joins the team.
The win evened the series in Oakland at 2 and 2 and put the Rays into a solid frame of mind as they prepare for three games against the Twins beginning on Tuesday.
No comments:
Post a Comment