Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Win 6-1 Amidst Flared Tempers

If Monday night’s three hour and 28 minute 1-0 walk-off victory was odd, Tuesday night’s contest must have been drafted by David Lynch. On a night when the Rays organization celebrated the career of Derek Jeter, Tampa Bay handed the Yankees a 6-1 loss, complete with a bench clearing almost brawl, and a pair of big hits by Nick Franklin who made his debut with the Rays. Jake Odorizzi was spotty, yet he held the Yankees to one run in six innings of work, while Franklin went 2-4 with a double, a stolen base that almost wasn’t, a run and an RBI. The game had everything anyone could ever want: the first time in Rays history two runs were scored on a sac-fly, three Yankee ejections, and a customized kayak.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Walk-Off For the Second Consecutive Day

Alex Colome got himself into seven full counts, although he only walked one Yankee. Meanwhile the Rays only had two hits from the first through eighth innings, yet they ended the night by slapping three singles and taking a walk in the ninth — good for their sixth walk-off win of the season. And as if things weren’t odd enough, the double shutout, which lasted two outs into the ninth, took three hours and 28 minutes.

Rays 9/14/14 Lineup, Etc

Rays 9/14/14 Lineup: Zobrist CF Guyer LF Longoria DH Myers RF Escobar SS Forsythe 2B Loney 1B Rodriguez 3B Casali C Colome RHP Noteworthiness Don’t forget to check out our series preview. If you already have, make it a two’fer. Derek Jeter enters the Trop in the throes of an 0-24 streak at the plate …

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Fall to Blue Jays 6-3, Expected Roster Moves, Etc

After facing RA Dickey 10 times over the last three seasons, while averaging just 2.4 runs per game in each of those starts, one thing has become certain: if you’re lucky enough to take a lead against the knuckleballer, then you’d better try your damnedest to hold it. The Rays did both Saturday. They were able to take a lead against Dickey, yet they gave it up in one fateful — error filled — inning. Despite a game tying sixth inning solo shot to left off the bat of Evan Longoria (his 21st homer of the year), the typically dependable Brad Boxberger gave up three runs an inning later, giving Toronto a 6-3 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. We in the blogosphere have deemed this the stereotypical (and clichéd) Rays loss.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Karns, Rays Shutout Blue Jays 1-0

While there’s not much to look forward to at this point in the season, I view these remaining 14 games as an audition of sorts. Players like Grant Balfour and today’s starter Jeremy Hellickson are pitching to prove their worth on the 2015 roster, and players like Curt Casali and last night’s starter Nate Karns are trying to make a statement. In the case of Nate Karns, he made quite a statement with his first major league win.