“Sometimes you eat the bar, and sometimes the bar eats you,” a good friend once wrote. To that end, sometimes you go to a fine local establishment to share a few drinks in a joyous environment with friends, and sometimes you feel a bit slow in the morning — this being one of those times. Forgive me. The Rays came from behind late in the game Saturday, walking away with 5-4 against Ron Washington’s crew. This being their third consecutive win, I believe that’s what the sabermetricians call a winning streak. Since I’m under, urm…precarious conditions at the moment, I’ll stick with the game peripherals, as opposed to a full on game recap.
Game Peripherals
- A simple fact: David Price didn’t have his best stuff Saturday night — something that, in hindsight, could be attributed to the Rays southpaw being sick. The Rays ace had a hard time with putting the Rangers away with two outs. Three of Texas’ four runs came with two outs, while Price relinquished five two-out hits. Price eventually settled into the game and shut the Rangers down, but that didn’t come till after the fourth inning. In any case, Price was able to keep the Rays in the game throughout the duration of his 6 IP/9 H/4 ER/6 K outing, giving them the opportunity to chink away at the Rangers’ lead.
- Yunel Escobar put the Rays on the board in the third inning, hitting a massive 428 foot blast to left field.
- Matt Joyce brought the Rays within one run in the fourth, sending a two-run no doubter 374 feet down the right field line, scoring James Loney.
- Tampa Bay had a scoring opportunity in the seventh inning, but couldn’t pounce. Joyce led off the inning by hitting a base hit to left, moving over to third on a Logan Forsythe pinch hit single to left center. But Forsythe was thrown out at second in an errant attempt to advance on the play. Yunel Escobar and David DeJesus ended the inning by grounding out to short. The Rays went 2-8 wRISP on the night.
- From his lips to God’s ears… Ian Malinowski of DRaysBay succinctly summed up the Rays eighth inning,
Myers lead off and quickly found himself behind in the count, but he fought off several cutters in on his hands before taking a walk. The strategy of the inning got interesting as Zobrist proceeded to lay down a perfect sacrifice bunt down the left field line. Longoria took the first pitch inside, and then was given an intentional walk to put men on first and second with one out for James Loney (who ultimately drove in two on an opposite field double off a Cotts cutter. …Loney said in his victorious postgame interview that Cotts struck him out for his last at bat of game 163 last season to move his average from .300 to .299, and that this game was payback. Lovely job today, Loney.
- Jośe Molina attempted to pickoff Choo at second, throwing a phantom bullet to no one at second base. Ben Zobrist, who was setup directly between first and second, high tailed it over to second to cover the bag — subsequently saving Molina from a throwing error. Choo made his way back to first. Jośe, you owe Zobrist a beer.
- OPERATION WICHITA! Maddon called for a review of an excellent fielding play by Yunel Escobar in shallow left field, gunning the ball over to James Loney at first. It appeared that the ball beat Chirinos by a half step, yet he was initially called safe by the first base umpire. Upon further review, the safe call was overturned. Maddon is now 2-for-2 in challenges
- Balfour didn’t pitch amazingly in his first save opportunity — missing the outside corner to lefties on multiple occasions — but he was certainly more efficient than he had been on Tuesday when he threw 21 pitches.
The New What Next
It’s a good thing the have already Rays won the series, because today is going to be no fun with Yu Darvish on the mound. Let’s hope Alex Cobb can keep the Rays in the game. You can read about the matchup here.
Rays 4/6/14 Starting Lineup
DeJesus DH
Myers RF
Zobrist 2B
Longoria 3B
Loney 1B
Jennings CF
Joyce LF
Hanigan C
Escobar SS
Cobb RHP
Noteworthiness
- Marc Topkin writes, “The two-year extension for SS Yunel Escobar isn’t necessarily a sign the Rays have given up on prospect Hak-Ju Lee (though last year’s severe knee injury caused understandable pause), but an opportunity to maximize value in Escobar, who could end up being traded.”