It’s been said of baseball, that momentum is only as good as your next starter. The Rays started the day on a three-game winning streak, chocked full of momentum. And on paper, the pitching matchup — helmed by David Price for the Rays, and Jake Peavy for the Red Sox — favored Tampa Bay. Yet things didn’t look so hot for the Rays after the first inning. Boston tagged Price for five runs on four hits, and it appeared the Rays ace was phoning in his start. My how things changed over the span of the 15-inning contest. The Rays, slowly but surely, scratched out runs in the second, fourth, fifth, and 15th innings, clawing their way back from a five run deficit (for the first time since Game 162) to defeat Boston by a 6-5 margin in their third consecutive walk off win.
Source: FanGraphs
Truth in reporting, a complete game recap I do not have. Instead, you can read a truly bizarre recap of the extra inning contest over at DRaysBay. Dare I say it’s akin to something that Mad Max and RoboCop would team up for to write? Click the screenshot (below) to be redirected to that piece:
I’m not that lazy, I live blogged the game at our Tumblr page. Below are some thoughts on the marathon game.
Game Peripherals
- Despite a self induced, first-inning face punching, David Price came back to put together an incredible start. The ace kept the Rays in the game throughout his time on the bump, throwing a Juego G. worthy, 8 IP/5 H/5 ER/2 BB/7 K/115 pitch outing. Price settled down (to say the least) after the 34 pitch first, relinquishing only one hit in the following seven innings. In fact, the Red Sox were two hit from the second inning on.
- The tandem of Logan Forsythe and Brandon Guyer combined to go 7-12 with four RBI and a pair of runs. Weird, right?!
- Cesar Ramos needed only 42 pitches to get the win Saturday with three shutout, one-hit innings. “The way the game was going, we could have been here all night,” said Ramos following the game.
- Suffice it to say, home plate umpire Larry Vanover’s strike zone expanded as the game progressed. If his calls were impartial — that, is not favoring one team over the other — they wouldn’t have been so egregious. However, more often than not, Vanover’s calls benefitted the Red Sox. One need only to look at his Pitch F/X to see as much:
- The Rays put together their third consecutive walk off last night — their first three-game walk off streak in franchise history:
The New What Next
The good guys are now 4-1 against the Red Sox this season. Jake Odorizzi and the Rays will go for the sweep this afternoon, when they take on 25 year-old RHP Brandon Workman and the Boston Red Sox. Odorizzi gave up at least three runs in five of his first six outings. Since then, he has given up only three earned runs total while striking out 26 in his past three starts. Workman has accrued eight innings of work against Rays, with Tampa Bay touching him for four runs (all earned) on nine hits — including a James Loney homer. Key match-ups: Yunel Escobar (1-2, BB), Desmond Jennings (1-3), James Loney (2-3, HR, 3 RBI), Evan Longoria (2-4, 2B, RBI).
Rays 5/25/14 Starting Lineup
DeJesus LF
Longoria 3B
Joyce DH
Myers RF
Loney 1B
Guyer CF
Forsythe 2B
Escobar SS
Molina C
Odorizzi RHP
Noteworthiness
- Per Marc Topkin, Erik Bedard’s contract included a consent waiver allowing the Rays to send him back to the minors within his first 45 days, a period that ends Wednesday, but his strong performance would seem to make it moot.
- Topkin also noted, Alex Colome’s 50-game steroid suspension ended after Saturday’s games, and he is expected to join Triple-A Durham in the next few days. … Class A Charlotte had a 19-inning game Friday night, with catching prospect Jake DePew earning the win by pitching 31/3 scoreless innings in a 5-3 victory over Lakeland.
- Zobrist took left-handed batting practice and ran the bases before Saturday’s game. He fielded grounders, Thursday and was reported to have told Maddon the soreness is decreasing.