Kelly Johnson argues with home plate umpire Brian Gorman after being called out on strikes in the eighth inning. A pictorial metaphor of the Rays at the moment. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
Kelly Johnson argues with home plate umpire Brian Gorman after being called out on strikes in the eighth inning. A pictorial metaphor of the Rays at the moment. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

It was a long night — the first of ten. I woke up this morning with a sickening feeling in my gut — and to be honest, I’m not certain if it had more to do with the booze I steadily consumed for six or so hours yesterday, or the Rays 4-3 loss to the A’s. Perhaps it was the unholy combination of both. Whatever the case, both happened, and both left me feeling empty. Adding insult to injury, Tampa Bay fell three-and-a-half games behind Boston in the AL East, and a half game behind Oakland for the first wild card slot. Bright side: The Rays have two more games against the A’s today and tomorrow.

David Price tweeted, “I have GOT to be able to step up for us and make pitches when it matters most…I’ll take that one rays fans…stick with us!!” following the game. However, it’s a bit unfair to expect Price to shoulder all the responsibility for the loss. After all, the Rays did go 3-9 wRISP, while stranding eight men on the bags — including four in scoring position. Home plate umpire Brian Gorman complicated things with a pretty liberal and/or inconsistent strike zone.

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Called balls and strikes (vs. LHH) by home plate umpire, Brian Gorman. Each pitch is represented by a single dot. Green dots are balls and red dots are strikes. (Courtesy of Brooks Baseball)
Called balls and strikes (vs. RHH) by home plate umpire, Brian Gorman. Each pitch is represented by a single dot. Green dots are balls and red dots are strikes. (Courtesy of Brooks Baseball)
Called balls and strikes (vs. RHH) by home plate umpire, Brian Gorman. Each pitch is represented by a single dot. Green dots are balls and red dots are strikes. (Courtesy of Brooks Baseball)

The New What Next

Losing five out of the last six a’int so grand, is it? Tampa Bay will attempt a bounce back tonight against Sonny Gray and the Athletics.  Getting the start for the Rays is Alex Cobb, who’ll play the part of stopper once again. You can read about tonight’s pitching match-up here.

Rays 8/31/13 Starting Lineup

DeJesus LF
Escobar SS
Zobrist 2B
Longoria 3B
Joyce DH
Myers RF
Loney 1B
Lobaton C
Jennings CF
Cobb RHP

Noteworthiness

  • Friday’s loss meant the Rays will have their first losing August since 2006, Maddon’s 1st season — and that’s after a 21-5 July.
  • Jennings is hitting .114 since returning from DL — he’s been dropped to ninth tonight.
  • The Rays may not have a starter for Sunday’s game until postgame tonight, so it may have do with how bullpen is used.
  • Reinforcements are on the way. Brandon Gomes has been recalled from Triple-A, replacing Jake Odorizzi on the roster. Three more players are set to be added Sunday, when rosters can be expanded: Delmon Young, Chris Gimenez and Josh Lueke will join the team in Oakland Saturday in preparation for the move. Luke Scott, who was placed on the DL due to back spasms, will also come to Oakland to be evaluated and possibly activated.
  • Marc Topkin reports, “The Rays have big plans for Young, who has been playing his way back into form at Double-A Montgomery since being signed last week following his release by the Phillies, slating him for DH duties vs. all lefties and some right-handers, Maddon said Young hit .236 (6-for-26) in his first six games for Double-A Montgomery, with no extra-base hits and one RBI.”
  • Looking a down the road, Jake Odorizzi should be back soon. Both he and Jeff Believeau were optioned (in a procedural move) to Double-A Montgomery. The move allows him to be called back up Tuesday after the Biscuits’ season ends, as opposed to having to wait 10 days or until the Durham Bulls are done with the playoffs. Jeremy Hellickson and Matt Moore are likely to be activated  Tuesday as well.
  • The highlight of the game came in the eighth inning, when Fernando Rodney was freed from a small dugout bathroom after 15 hot minutes stuck inside. The door handle had to be broken off to get him out. Of the experience, Rodney said, “The door locked, I don’t know how,” he said. “I’m yelling, “Hey unlock this, someone’s in the bathroom.” … It was hot inside, I could only hear the crowd with the game, I can’t see what’s going on. “It was weird.”
Fernando Rodney is rescued from a dugout bathroom when a staff member in Oakland manages to pry the door open. Click the screen shot for video of the, ahem...incident.
Fernando Rodney is rescued from a dugout bathroom when a staff member in Oakland manages to pry the door open. Click the screen shot for video of the, ahem…incident.
  • The Process Report’s Jason Collette took a stab at explaining the problems of Jeremy Hellickson.
  • As if the trip from San Francisco to Oakland wasn’t complicated enough, after the Bay Bridge was closed for the weekend for construction purposes ahead of the opening of a new span, according to a late night tweet from Marc Topkin, the trip across the bay was equally harrowing. “Okay, so BART is not always the answer either; we’re being held between stations back to SF due to what announcement said was an earthquake.” An hour later he went on to note, “Made it across the bay on BART train with no further seismic issues. So that’s a good thing. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.”

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