ST. PETERSBURG, FL – AUGUST 21: Outfielder Matt Joyce #20 of the Tampa Bay Rays is picked off first base as Eric Hosmer #35 of the Kansas City Royals applies the tag during the game at Tropicana Field on August 21, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

This will be another short one. I’m exhausted, frustrated, and frankly pretty upset with the outcome of tonight’s game. See, 10,877 people (myself included) endured what could be aptly titled the goddamn deluge, only to watch the Rays with their most potent offense since the month of April, get Hochevared once again.

Had you told me that the Rays would get two hit and shut out by a pitcher that had a 6-11 record with a 5.24 ERA prior to this game, I’d have laughed in your face. Yet with the exception of Luke Scott who hit a double, Tampa Bay’s offense forgot to show up. Ugh. I’ll bullet some thoughts below.

  • Props to Luke Scott on the aforementioned double. Scott came within 90-feet of scoring a run following an absolute blast of a sac-fly to dead center by Ryan Roberts. That sac-fly would have been a two-run bomb in any other stadium. Sadly Jose Molina and Desmond Jennings were unsuccessful in bringing LUKE home, with both striking out swinging.
  • Can someone please tell me why Jeff Keppinger, one of the Rays most consistent hitters, didn’t get the start at first in lieu of Carlos Pena? It could be argued that ‘Los had a negative effect on the team at the plate and in the field. Pena went 0-4 with two strikeouts, and two pop-outs. He also didn’t react to Ben Zobrist’s off-line throw in the tenth inning in a manner that would keep Jeff Francoeur out of scoring position. Sure the error was charged to Zobrist, and it would have been tough play to make even if he made a perfect throw. However in Zobrist’s defense, he did keep the ball low and it wasn’t air-mailed out of the reach of Pena. Carlos should have attempted to make the save, not the play. The fact of the matter is, had Pena taken his foot off the bag in an attempt to save the errant throw from ending where it did, Francoeur wouldn’t have made it to second on an infield hit. He also wouldn’t have come home on the Eric Hosmer bloop single that followed.
  • 0-3 wRISP, with four left on base. Ick.
  • What a shame of a waste David Price’s 8 IP/3 H/8 K gem.
  • Hochevar looked like Cy Young, collecting eight swinging strikeouts with 10 K’s total. The Rays looked like dear in the headlights, as Hochevar kept the ball down while pounding the glove side of the strike-zone.
Rays 8/22/12 Starting Lineup

Jennings LF
Upton CF
Joyce RF
Longoria DH
Zobrist SS
Keppinger 3B
Pena 1B
Roberts 2B
Lobaton C
Shields RHP

Noteworthiness: Color me surprised that Luke Scott, who actually has a hit against today’s starter mind you, isn’t getting the start at first yet Carlos “0-4 last night” Pena is. Mind = blown. Evan Longoria is again the DH, hitting in the fourth hole. Hey, at least Kepp’s back in the mix!

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2 Comments

  1. Kepp is right-handed, and likely needed a day off (see current schedule); Pena has a good history against Hochevar–yes, last night he was 0fer, but then again…almost everyone was (and all players go hitless at some point). With regard to the play at first, 1) Pena would have replaced Kepp at first by that time anyway 2) to argue Kepp could make a play Pena can not is the mindblowing argument–most Rays fans hate Pena, but he can play 1B pretty darn well (per my previous parenthetical reference–everyone makes mistakes in the field, note his error last week which blew the M’s game), and 3) Francouer was well in the grass when running to first, which should have been recognized by the ump. Managers like to play lefty hitters against right-handed pitchers, and righties against lefties…Maddon has mentioned his desire to provide time off for everyone…. Just trying to help explain why Maddon did what he did. (Maddon, like Pena, is derided by so many Rays fans it befuddles me. Where were the Rays before Maddon? Almost every other team in the league, if not every other team, would love to have him as manager. I don’t understand my fellow Rays fans…y’all are way too grumpy and need to appreciate the goods these gentlemen provide)

    1. I’ve waited to respond, partially because my previous responses haven’t saved the last three times I’ve tried to write something. Let’s take tonight’s game as a microcosm of Peña’s season. ‘Los is now 0-3 with (I could be wrong) two strikeouts. Peña also has a 30% strikeout percentage overall, as opposed to Keppinger who’s posting a .272 BA against RHP, and an overall 6% strikeout percentage. Not to mention that he has posted an overall .320 BABIP. ‘Los, for all intents and purposes, is having a terrible year. His job, upon his re-signing, was to drive in runs, otherwise Kotchman would still be a Ray. Peña strikes out 30% of the time, and either grounds or flies out 50% of the time as opposed to Keppinger who’s a contact hitter that’s been hot all season; who would you rather in the game? Kepp or Peña? I’d much rather Kepp who’s hitting better against RHP regardless of the L vs R matchup.

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