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.
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