Wrigley Field, as seen through the eyes of a bleacher bum in the left field corner. (Photo courtesy of Schmitty E./X-Rays Spex)
Wrigley Field, as seen through the eyes of a bleacher bum in the left field corner. (Photo courtesy of Schmitty, E./X-Rays Spex)

Game recap by Michael Nazarro

Let me preface this by saying that trying to watch a baseball game on ESPN’s Livecast is incredibly difficult when you’re also trying to speak to parents at the summer camp you work at. It’s an awkward situation when you utter an obscenity under your breath after you see the Chicago Cubs take an early lead, as a parent walks up to pick up their kid. That being said, I have to now ask, where has the offense — or rather the clutch offense — been? Coming into this game, since what is more and more beginning to seem like one of the darkest days in recent history (the Price trade), the Rays are 2-6. And save for the Odorizzi’s five run first inning Sunday, the pitching has been all in all solid.

So where is that clutch hit?

Why don’t you ask Matt Joyce, of all people? Joyce pinch hit in the top of the eighth with the score tied 2-2. The Rays can thank Anthony Rizzo for falling asleep at first after a Kevin Keirmaier check swing strike three call on a ball in the dirt. Cubbie catcher John Baker looked down to Rizzo to throw down and get Keirmaier out at first but Rizzo just hung back (maybe dreaming about all the birthday presents he was going to get after the game?), not really paying attention. After an Evan Longoria strikeout, and with two outs, Joyce came in for the pitcher’s spot and promptly lined a ball over the second baseman into center, bringing in Zobrist, who’d led off the inning with a double.

Jake McGee came on in the bottom of the eighth, and after surrendering a lead off hit, he retired the next three Cubs in order — striking out a pair. With Tampa Bay up 3-2, things seemed set-up for a Brad Boxberger shutdown ninth inning.

That didn’t happen.

Former Ray Justin Ruggiano pinch hit for the pitcher’s spot, and after bunting foul a pitch that sailed towards his head, he hit a quick grounder through the hole between short and third. Arismendy Alcantara sac-bunted Ruggiano over to second, and Ryan Sweeney followed with a hard hit, game tying ground ball under the glove of a diving Logan Forsythe. The Rays were left looking for yet another clutch hit.

Luckily the search wouldn’t last long. Tampa Bay tagged reliever Hector Rondon with three straight hits, including a Kevin Keirmaier RBI base hit that gave the Rays a 4-3 in the 10th. Boxberger came back out to pitch in the 10th and held onto his second chance to close the game out.

Because I worked 10 hours today with obnoxious children and a head cold, I’m going to get lazy with and finish this in bullet form.

Game Peripherals

  • In the first inning, with one out and two on, Longo hit a bullet to third base which was caught by Luis Valbuena, who then fired to second to catch Zobrist a little too far off the bag. To the naked eye, it looked as though Vabuena made a great inning ending play, but upon closer review it looked as though Zobrist had gotten his fingers back just before the ball had gotten into the back of the mitt. Maddon challenged, and the call was overturned. A caveat, the Rays couldn’t capitalize after Sean Rodriguez was mowed down by Wada.
  • The Rays left seven on base and went 3-8 with RISP, which is obviously an improvement over, say… leaving 12 left on base and going 3-13 RISP against the Angels on Sunday. It’s the Cubs. I digress. In his at-bats, Longoria stranded six runners on the bags. The Rays failed to capitalize on enough to where it was a bit annoying.
  • To that end, Longoria did not exude that typical Longo confidence, and he hasn’t in some time. He chased pitches in the dirt, his swings looked really bad and off kilter, and he made a fielding error on a routine grounder.
  • The run Boxberger surrendered in the ninth was the first run he’d surrendered since June 27, snapping a streak of 15 games without allowing a run. Incidentally, it was his first blown save since May 15, and the first time he followed a blown save with a win in the same game.
  • I’m going to apologize in advance to all those who may or may not get annoyed with this, but I will be both basing my recap off of a game summary from ESPN and being a bad Rays fan by attending Paul O’neill day at Yankee Stadium. But as a kid growing up in Jersey, before the Devil Rays existed (and after) Paul O’neill was one of my favorite players to watch. His zest made things interesting all the time. The same type of passion we would later see from players like Matt Garza, I loved it. Again, all apologies.

The New What Next

Jake Odorizzi will take the mound Saturday against former Ray Edwin Jackson. You remember Jackson, (6-11, 5.66 ERA) right? You know, the RHP who was traded to Detroit after the 2008 season for Matt Joyce. Jackson hasn’t had much success this season, though he is coming off a win in which he allowed seven hits and two runs in six innings on Sunday against the Dodgers. He’s had a share of good outings this season (including a 7 IP shutout performance in May), they’ve been few and far in between. Nevertheless, the former is 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA in four starts against the Rays, including a June 2010 no-hitter for Arizona.You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.

Rays 8/8/14 Starting Lineup

Jennings CF
Zobrist 2B
Loney 1B
Longoria 3B
Joyce LF
Escobar SS
Molina C
Odorizzi RHP
Kiermaier RF

Noteworthiness

  • The Rays made it official, Wil Myers (right wrist) will begin a rehab assignment today with Triple-A Durham Bulls.
  • Your tweet of the day:

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