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Looking Backward While Moving Forward, Cobber’s Scoreless Streak Snapped, and X-Rays Spex Bid For Internet Domination

March 18, 2013 By Schmitty Leave a Comment

Rays starter Alex Cobb loses his spring scoreless streak after 13 innings but continues his impressive camp with 5⅓ sharp “get-your-work-in” innings against the Red Sox.

Rays starter Alex Cobb loses his spring scoreless streak after 13 innings but continues his impressive camp with 5⅓ sharp “get-your-work-in” innings against the Red Sox.

Well, that was an ugly weekend of baseball. The Rays are coming off back-to-back losses at the hands of the Boston Red Sox. To add insult to injury, Jon Lester and three relievers took a no-no into the ninth inning Sunday in what ended up being a 5-1 loss

If Spring training is about preparing for the regular season, then the Rays will probably handle yesterday’s game in the manner they have many times before: not put much thought into it and move on to the next game.

“We have a lot of practice in rebounding from those kinds of events, so from that perspective it was not that big of a concern,” Rays skipper Joe Maddon said. “If anybody can deal with a perfect game or no-hitter, we can.”

The Rays have been on the wrong end of three regular-season perfect games, as well as a no-no, since 2009.

“We get one a year, might as well get it out of the way now,” Rays starter Alex Cobb said.

Speaking of Cobb, the Rays fourth starter saw his spring scoreless streak end at 13 innings. Cobb threw 83 pitches (55 for strikes) in his 5⅓-inning outing, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits, while fanning five and walking one. The Rays finished the spring 2-4 vs. Boston.

Oh well, there’s always tomorrow

Noteworthiness:

Sam Fuld (right hamstring tightness), who’s expected to return to exhibition action this week, should be ready to start the season reports Rays beat writer Marc Topkin. David Price will get some work in the back fields of Port Charlotte today, throwing in another minor league game.

Yeah, there's this.

Yeah, there’s this.

In shameless self promotion news, we now have tabs to our Instagram and Flickr accounts on X-Rays Spex! They are conveniently located, along with the rest of the tabs, in the top right-hand corner. Follow us, as we continue our campaign for social media/internet domination.

Links For Finks:

  • Marc Topkin of the Times wrote about Evan Longoria’s $100MM contract extension. “It’s an insane number,” Longoria said. “And it comes with a lot of territory. It comes with the expectation that I will continue to do what I’ve done, and nothing less. I don’t feel that burden. I feel the same way that I felt with the last contract, but there’s just, I don’t know if there could be more of a desire, but there is still obviously a strong, strong desire to live up to it. And to win.”
  • In a piece titled, “Update: Maybe the Rays Can Afford David Price?” Shadow of the Stadium’s Noah Pransky asserts that “While the chic speculation amongst sportswriters these days is how the Rays may have to trade away David Price, it’s been the contention of this blog that the team’s financial future may not be as grim as some paint it.”
  • I think the title of another Noah Pranksy piece says it all: “Times Hates Corporate Welfare; Except for Maybe Pro Sports Teams.”
  • The Rays reassigned Wil Myers to minor league camp Saturday, much to the chagrin of fans and sports talk radio hosts alike. Why? Two reasons in my opinion: 1. He would benefit from a few months in Triple-A. Even Joe Maddon has said as much,
    “I want to observe, and I don’t want to tell him what to do… I want him to do what he does naturally well, and we’ll work it from there. There’s no preconceived genius thought from our end that we’re going to impact this guy in any way. Let him go out and impact the game the way he can, and we’ll observe.” 2. The Rays could save some $20MM in the long-run, if they keep Myers in Triple-A until July. Michael Valancius of DRaysBay wrote on that very subject in a piece called Wil Myers and Super Two.

 

 

The New What Next: Rays Drop the First of Two, Aceves Is Still An Idiot, Roster Moves, and More (3/17/13 Starting Lineup Included)

March 17, 2013 By Schmitty Leave a Comment

Infielder Sean Rodriguez #1 of the Tampa Bay Rays is hit by a pitch from the Boston Red Sox during a Grapefruit League Spring Training Game at the Charlotte Sports Complex on March 16, 2013 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

Infielder Sean Rodriguez #1 of the Tampa Bay Rays is hit by a pitch from the Boston Red Sox during a Grapefruit League Spring Training Game at the Charlotte Sports Complex on March 16, 2013 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

The Rays dropped the first of a two game set to the Red Sox by a score of 9-2. It was an ugly game, both offensively and defensively, but the Rays have a chance to rectify things today with Alex Cobb on the mound. The Sox will counter with Jon Lester. If the the old adage is true — Lester loses 5 MPH of velocity when his mouth is ajar — this could be a fun game.

Roberto Hernandez and Dane De La Rosa were responsible for the majority of the damage incurred by Boston. Hernandez allowed three runs (two earned) in the first inning, but inevitably settled down, posting a 5 IP/6 H/3 R/2 ER/1 BB/5 K line. Hernandez impressively induced six outs on ground balls. De La Rosa, on the other hand, lasted all of 2/3 of an inning, posting a 2/3 IP/3 H/4 R/4 ER/1 BB/2 K line.

Sean Rodriguez had a good day at the plate, accounting for both of Rays runs thanks to a two-run blast in the third. Fresh off his stint in the WBC, Alfredo Aceves plunked Rodriguez with a pitch in his next at bat. Some words were exchanged between Rodriguez and Aceves, who you may recall was in the thick of the Mexico/Canada brawl a week or so back. The Rays dugout began to empty but, tempers cooled and nothing escalated further. It wasn’t quite 2008, but if precedent holds true, this could be an ugly — hard fought — season.

Expect to see lots of numbnuts wearing green in Ft. Myers today. You know what they say: On St. Patricks day, all crappy Red Sox fans are Irish.

Rays 3/17/2013 Starting Lineup:

Escobar SS
Johnson 1B
Longoria 3B
Rodriguez CF
Loney DH
Lobaton C
Fontenot 2B
Bourgeois RF
Thompson LF
Cobb RHP

Noteworthiness:

  • In case you missed it, the Rays made a few roster moves Saturday. The Rays optioned OF Brandon Guyer and P Josh Lueke to Triple-A Durham. They also reassigned Wil Myers, Juan Sandoval, Will Inman and Brandon Martin to minor league camp.
  • Though he isn’t starting Sunday, Ben Zobrist is back from the WBC. Zobrist will work out in Port Charlotte today, and will be on the travel squad Tuesday for the Rays/Tigers game in Lakeland. Marc Topkin tweeted, “Zobrist said (the) WBC experience was great, feels ready to start season, will be on normal spring pace.” “It’s hard to believe that anybody passes the opportunity up after experiencing it,” said Ben Zobrist of the Team USA WBC experience.

The New What Next: Moore Improves, Vogt Goes Yard, and the Rays Travel to Ft. Myers to Take On the Sox

March 16, 2013 By Schmitty Leave a Comment

Rays starter Matt Moore pitching in Friday's game against the Phillies, in Port Charlotte, FL (Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times)

Rays starter Matt Moore pitching in Friday’s game against the Phillies, in Port Charlotte, FL (Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times)

The Rays walked away from their 10-inning matchup against the Phillies yesterday, with a 3-1 win thanks to a Stephen Vogt two-run walkoff homer. Vogt, who ended the day 1-2 at the plate, took a high meatball over the plate to deep right, driving in Rich Thompson who was pinch running for Cole Figueroa.

Matt Moore got the start for Tampa Bay* and showed a great amount of improvement over his last three outings, though he was still not right. Moore threw 88 pitches (57 for strikes) in five innings of work, fanning seven while giving up three hits and a run. His velocity is still down, registering in the 91-92 MPH range, a few ticks below his normal velocity.

Rays skipper Joe Maddon didn’t seem too concerned about the drop in velocity. Rather he was pleased with his outing, giving Moore a high-five after his final inning.

“I thought Matt was a lot better (Friday). Much better command of all of his pitches. Velocity’s getting closer to normal. Threw some really good change­ups, a couple better breaking balls. Overall, I thought he had a much better idea of where the fastball was going, and that’s what I liked most,” Maddon said. “Overall it was better, but there’s still another level of him as we’ve seen in the past.”

Moore said the reduction in velocity was not a worry.

“I feel strong in every sense of the word,” he said. “So it’s not that big of a concern for us right now.”

The bullpen was absolutely dominant. Jamey Wright, Kyle Farnsworth, Joel Peralta, and Brandon Gomes combined for five innings of one-hit baseball, fanning five and walking none.

Tampa Bay improved to 13-7 on the spring with yesterday’s win. The Rays head to Ft. Myers Saturday to take on the dreadful Boston Red Sox in a 1:05 PM game. Roberto Hernandez will get the start on the bump for the Rays, butting heads with Alfredo Aceves who gets the start for the Sox.

Rays 3/16/13 Starting Lineup:

Jennings CF
Rodriguez 2B
Joyce RF
Scott DH
Loney 1B
Roberts 3B
Anderson LF
Gimenez C
Figueroa SS
Hernandez SP

Noteworthiness:

  • Marc Topkin reported that there was some progress for Sam Fuld but it is still unlikely for him to return until the middle or end of next week. Fuld has been out for a couple of weeks with a hamstring injury.
  • The Rays expect for Ben Zobrist to return Sunday now that US team is out of WBC. He could play against the Red Sox at home in the 1:35 PM meeting.
  • The Rays optioned three players — Tim Beckham, Hak-Ju Lee, and Robinson Chirinos — to Triple-A Durham Friday.

*Ahem, it’s the TAMPA BAY RAYS, not the TAMPA RAYS as another blog may have you believe.

The New What Next: Looking Backward While Moving Forward, Wil Myers, and Lids to the Left (3/15/13 Starting Lineup Included)

March 15, 2013 By Schmitty Leave a Comment

OT_366071_BORC_5_rays031513_10461540_8col

Jeff Niemann was in the 85-86 mph range during much of his 71-pitch outing. (Photo courtesy of James Borchuck/Tampa Bay Times)

The Rays put the brakes on their three-game losing skid with a 4-3 win over the Orioles on Thursday. Tampa Bay caught a break, scoring the winning run when Baltimore catcher Luis Exposito was called for using his mask to pick up the ball. That ninth-inning call allowed Wil Myers to score after he doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch.

The Rays scored their three initial runs in the third inning following a Luke Scott two-run blast to right-center off of Mike Belfiore and an Evan Longoria RBI double.

Jeff Niemann got the start for the Rays and worked into the fifth. Niemann allowed four hits and was charged with a run when Juan Sandoval gave up a three-run homer to Matt Wieters.

Niemann threw the ball relatively well, though he didn’t throw the ball hard. The tall RHP was clocked mostly at 85-86 mph while topping out an 88, below his normal velocity. Though his velocity was down, Niemann mentioned everything was fine, and that he thought the in house radar gun may have been a little off. Joe Maddon noted that there wasn’t any concern that Niemann was injured, “He was not wincing. There were no issues.”

A bit of trepidation would be par for the course, Niemann said he was throwing that way by design. Niemann focused on movement rather than velocity, throwing cutters and two-seam fastballs during his outing.

We’re definitely going more movement right now; we’re able to execute and get those bad swings and get those weak-hit balls. For me, it’s more important what the hitter’s telling me than what the radar gun says.

The Rays return to Port Charlotte on Friday where they’ll take on the Phillies with Matt Moore on the mound. We’ll post the starting lineup when it becomes available.

Moving on, Marc Topkin reported that the Rays are expected to send uber prospect Wil Myers to Triple-A Durhm within the next couple of days.

Sometime in the next couple of days, maybe even this morning, Wil Myers will be summoned from the Rays’ Port Charlotte clubhouse to the conference room across from manager Joe Maddon’s office and told he is headed to Durham, N.C., to open the season.

This move is not surprising. The consensus has always been the Myers will start the season in Durham with a projected July call up. And you’d better believe that once the move is made official, speculation will begin on when he’ll be called up. Until then, Myers will use the opportunity to grow.

I just go out and play my game and try to get better every day. Whenever the front office thinks it’s time, then that’s when it happens.

Finally in WBC news, closer Fernando Rodney came close to sinking team USA’s battleship, striking out teammate Ben Zobrist as part of his 1-2-3 ninth inning. On watching the Rodney face Zobrist in the WBC, Joe Maddon said, “It was kinda weird. I could understand the Harbaughs. Who do you root for?” The Dominican Republic beat the United States 3-1 Thursday, forcing the Americans to drop into tonight’s elimination game against Puerto Rico.

Rays 3/15/13 Starting Lineup:

Jennings CF
Escobar SS
Longoria 3B
Duncan DH
Roberts 1B
Johnson 2B
Rodriguez LF
Myers RF
Lobaton C
Moore LHP

 

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: The Spring Training Stats Leader Board

March 14, 2013 By Schmitty Leave a Comment

Below is the Rays Spring Training stats leader board as of March 14, 2013. These numbers will undoubtedly change, however it will be interesting to see what becomes of Leslie Anderson and Chris Gimenez – both of whom are killing it – as Spring Training progresses.

Rays stats leaders (as of 3/14/13)

Rays stats leader board (as of 3/14/13)

 

 

 

 

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