Category Archives: Lineups

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Groundhog Day

For the sixth time in 13 games, a Tampa Bay Rays’ starter has put up a quality outing, only to be rewarded with a loss. Jake Odorizzi was the mark in the Rays 1-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, last night. Make no mistake, Odorizzi was very good in his 104 pitch/7.1 inning outing — the deepest he’s ever worked into a major league game. He struck out five, walked only one, and gave up three hits; two singles, and an unfortunate Matt Holiday one run homer on a hanging change-up.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays, Balfour Fall 5-0 in the Ninth

A marquee pitching match-up was promised at the Trop Sunday, when Chris Archer took on Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners, and a marquee pitching duel between the two righties is what we got. In the case of the Rays’ starter, Archer was more than happy to have the M’s put the ball in play, responding with eight groundouts and five fly-ball outs. Hernandez, on the other hand, was dominant and efficient, ringing up 15 Rays over the span of his seven inning/100 pitch outing.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Fall, 7-4

A night removed from their big shutout victory, the Tampa Bay Rays fell to the Seattle Mariners by a 7-4 margin. Alex Cobb had a rough go of things; the typically dependable RHP was charged with seven runs on 11 hits in just 4-1/3 innings of work. Since it’s 6:00 AM and I’m en route …

Continue reading “Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Fall, 7-4”

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Snap Their Skid, Beat M’s 4-0

If someone was to ask me what a Rays way win is like — say someone who may not be familiar with baseball, yet will be attending Saturday’s game for the Weezer concert — I’d use Friday’s 4-0, shutout win against the Mariners as a point of reference. After all, it had all the hallmarks of a Tampa Bay Rays win we’ve come to expect; strong pitching, solid defense, and timely hitting. And though I’m certainly not willing to proclaim “The Rays are fixed,” it was nice to see the team playing the way we know they’re capable of. The question begs, can Tampa Bay win like this consistently? Talk to me after they (if they) string together 14 more of those wins in the month of June.