I mentioned yesterday, that the true test would be whether the Rays could bounce back from their 8-1 shellacking at the hands of the Tigers, Thursday. Bounce back the could, and did. Nine (total) runs, three hit-by-pitches, and an ejected manager later, Tampa Bay was able to close out its Fourth of July game with plenty of fireworks, beating Detroit 6-3.
After a quiet start to the game, Ben Zobrist put the Rays on the board in the third inning, hitting an RBI double up the right field line — plating Desmond Jennings. Then in the fourth, Evan Longoria led off with a moon shot to left, giving Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead.
The mightily productive Jennings/Zobrist tandem struck again in the fifth inning. After Jennings reached on another double, Drew Smyly tried to pitch Zobrist inside — tossing him an errant, off-speed pitch. But Zobrist was not fooled. He swatted a liner up the left-field line, scoring Jennings, and giving Tampa Bay a three-run lead.
On the other side of things, Alex Cobb made things interesting in the fourth after he plunked Victor Martinez in the leg with a fastball. Cobb’s reaction following the pitch spoke volumes, leaving absolutely no doubt that the HBP was an accident. That is, Cobb was not happy with himself or the pitch. JD Martinez followed with a double to left, and Austin Jackson turned on an inside split-change for a fielder’s choice. Logan Forsythe ultimately limited the damage with Don Kelly at the plate, making an excellent play from shallow right field grass. Forsythe ranged backward and snagged Kelly’s bid for a hit, firing off a strong throw to first, consequently beating Kelly as he raced up the line.
Smyly quite obviously tried to pay retribution in the sixth by hitting Evan Longoria with a fastball under the arm, though the Rays — not being a team that’s willing to pay the Tigers any mind — made them pay with runs. After Smyly walked Forsythe, Sean Rodriguez cleared the bases, crushing a triple off the base of the center field wall and giving the Rays a 5-1 lead. Smyly’s day was done
The HBP fireworks would continue in the bottom of the inning.
Cobb started the Tigers half of the inning with a 60 MPH curve-ball that drifted in on Ian Kinsler’s shoulder. This HBP, as with his last, lacked any intentionality, especially when you consider that the “meat” of the Tigers’ order was due to follow. Still, the home plate umpire warned both benches. A furious Joe Maddon started hollering “It’s wrong!” from the Rays dugout, and was ultimately ejected from the steps by the crew chief at second.
Kinsler moved to second a few pitches later when Cobb yanked a pick-off throw to Loney. The pressure then mounted after the Rays righty issued a full-count walk to Miguel Cabrera. Eight pitches and an error later, Jim Hickey came to the mound to give Cobb a moment of pause. Yet that moment was for not. Victor Martinez laced a base hit up the middle, just past the outstretched glove of the diving Logan Forsythe. Cobb followed with another walk, and suddenly his night was over after 86 pitches. Brad Boxberger got the call from bench coach Davey Martinez.
Boxberger inherited a no-out, bases loaded jam of epic proportions. But Boxberger being, well…Boxberger, coaxed a double-play ground ball — conceding the run — then struck out Don Kelly to shut it down with the Rays still holding the lead. For Boxberger, he has now inherited three bases loaded jams this season, yet he’s allowed only one earned run to cross the plate (on a balk against the Blue Jays).
The Rays got a run back in the top of the seventh, after Desmond Jennings reached base for the third time, following his second double of the night. The second half of the tandem struck once more when Zobrist moved him to third on a fielder’s choice, while Brandon Guyer — doing his best Orioles impersonation — hit a deep chopper to second, scoring Jennings from third. The Rays earned back their three run lead…one they would not relinquish.
Despite allowing a pair of base hits, both Joel Peralta and Jake McGee pitched clean eighth and ninth innings (respectively) to cap off the game. A prototypical Rays’ win if ever there was one.
The New What Next
Chris Archer will take the mound against Anibal Sanchez this afternoon. The Rays have had success against Sanchez over the last few years, extending back to when he was a Marlin. Despite that, he’s been good this season. The Tigers are on a four game winning streak when Sanchez is on the bump, and Sanchez ceded all of 12 earned runs in his six June starts. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview, and I’ll post the starting lineup when it becomes available.
Rays 7/5/14 Starting Lineup
Jennings CF
Zobrist SS
Joyce DH
Longoria 3B
Loney 1B
Guyer LF
Forsythe 2B
Hanigan C
Kiermaier RF
Archer RHP
Noteworthiness
- In case you haven’t heard, the Cubs traded two of their top pitchers — Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel — to the Athletics for Oakland’s top two prospects, SS Addison Russell and OF Billy McKinley, as well as Dan Straily and a player to be named later. As it turns, the Athletics initially talked with the Rays about trading Price for a deal centered around Russell.
- Per Stats Inc., three times in the last 40 years a team has used the Tommy Tutone (8675309) lineup. All three scored only one run and lost. The Rays lost 8-1 Thursday.
- Your tweet of the day:
#Rays Maddon said #Tigers Smyly intentionally hit Longoria, both of Cobb’s hit batters were accidental
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) July 5, 2014