Looking Backward While Moving Forward: The “At Least the Pen Has Improved” Edition

Following last night’s 7-2 debacle, Joe Maddon tweeted, “I know I sound like a broken record but we have to pitch a lot better to get to the spot we want to this year.” Maddon’s got a point. Three of the five starters have given up five or more runs in an inning this week. …

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: The “A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words” Edition

A preface

Jeremy Hellickson was sailing along — pitching five innings of two hit, no run, ball. Then in sixth inning after throwing 70 pitches…

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Hernandez, Rays Roll to 8-3 Victory Over the Sox

Despite tossing 117 pitches, Joe Maddon elected send Hernandez back onto the mound in the eighth inning. What followed was a thing of beauty. After getting ahead of Dustin Pedroia, Robo plunked the Chris Elliot lookalike on a 1-2 pitch, feigning a reaction as the ball connected with Pedroia.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: A Rumble Was Brewing in the Trop…

What to say about last night’s rumble in the ‘Burg that hasn’t already been said? Hmmm. I think Gordon Edes summed things up well

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Clobber the O’s 8-0, Take the Series

On a day aptly titled the Goddamn Deluge, the Tampa Bay Rays jumped all over the Baltimore Orioles in a four hit shutout shellacking, demoralizing their AL East foes by a score of 8-0. Tampa Bay has been able to leapfrog Baltimore in the standings, now claiming sole ownership of third place by a half game. Just two-and-a-half games behind the AL East leading Boston Red Sox, the Rays will look to sweep their second consecutive series against the Orioles Sunday afternoon.