The Tampa Bay Rays are in the midst of a four-game winning streak, all in come from behind fashion. Down by a run in the eighth, the Rays scored three runs with two-outs to beat Toronto by a 4-2 margin. At 10-8 on the season, and tied for first place in the AL East, the Rays will go for the series sweep Sunday afternoon, with Chris Archer on the mound. A win would assure at least a .500 record through the first month of play.
Erasmo Ramirez took the bump for the front four innings in this, his second start with the Rays. Erasmo limited the Blue Jays to just one run over four frames, slashing 4 IP/4 H/1 ER/1 BB/2 K/6 GB/0 FB on 58 pitches (40 strikes, 69% K/BB). The only run against him came in the first inning when Devon Travis doubled to right over the head of Steven Souza Jr. with one out. Josh Donaldson followed with a run-scoring single to left-center. Ramirez came back to retire five of the next six batters before getting into trouble in the third, after allowing back-to-back singles from Jose Reyes and Travis. But Ramirez coaxed a big double play, then fanned Edwin Encarnacion to put down the threat and inning.
After manager Kevin Cash pulled Ramirez before the fifth inning, Brandon Gomes tossed two shutout innings. Steve Geltz followed Gomes and gave up a tie breaking solo shot to Russell Martin in the seventh. Down by one, Geltz came back to put down the next three batters (two swinging strikeouts, bunt ground ball out) before handing the ball to Frieri.
Ernesto Frieri impressively struck out the side in the eighth, to earn the win, before Brad Boxberger threw a 1-2-3 ninth for the save. All told, the Rays bullpen only allowed one run over the final five innings.
Don’t look now, but the Tampa Bay Rays’ bullpen has posted a combined 1.14 ERA and 2.78 FIP in the last seven games, while allowing only three earned runs in 23-2/3 innings of work.
On the other end of the stick, the Rays were held in check by LHP Daniel Norris. Prior to the eighth inning, the only Tampa Bay run came in the first after Souza Jr. drew a one-out walk, and scored when Evan Longoria blooped an awkward two-out double off the right field line. Norris settled down from there, lasting seven innings, while giving up just five hits and three walks. Longoria was 3-for-3 against the lefty. Things changed two outs into the eighth.
The three-run uprising started with two-outs in the inning and nobody on, when Evan Longoria (4-for-4 on the night) blooped a single to right against Roberto Osuna. Left handed reliever Brett Cecil was called upon by John Gibbons to face David DeJesus, who singled to right-center — putting runners on the corners. Gibbons summoned closer Miguel Castro, yet James Loney welcomed the righty by ripping a double into the right field corner, tying the game at two. Tim T-Bex Beckham followed, working a 3-0 count before lacing a two-run double off the top of the left field wall. The laser shot was a mere millimeters away from being a three-run shot.
Following the contest, Tim Beckham told the media that he wanted one more chance in the batter’s box after a tough night at the plate. It’s a safe assumption the Rays Republic is happy he got it:
I was just hoping I had a chance to get another at-bat, man, Beckham said. I struck out twice tonight looking. I wasn’t too happy about that. That’s not what I like to do. Nobody likes to do it. But I definitely don’t like to strike out looking. Just wanted to get another AB, and another opportunity to hit the ball hard. Hopefully some runners on base and get some RBIs.
Beckham got the green light on the 3-0 count when he swung at a slider that he thought would clear the wall in left.
I didn’t get it clean off the barrel, but I put a good swing on it. He was throwing the ball pretty hard. Thought I had enough to get it out of here.
Rays win, 4-2. The Blue Jays have dropped two of the first three games in the series, and have won just one of their last 23 series at Tropicana Field.
The New What Next
The Rays will go for the three-game sweep with Chris Archer on the mound. He’ll be opposed by the soft tossing Mark Buehrle. Archer told the media he expects no carry-over when he faces the Blue Jays for the first time since April 16, when Longo was drilled by a pitch an inning after Archer plunked Edwin Encarnacion.
It seemed more like a misunderstanding than anything, Archer said. I’m not going to try and throw 99 (mph) and hit somebody. That’s just dangerous.
You can read about the pitching match-up in our series preview.
Rays 4/26/15 Starting Lineup
Guyer LF
Souza RF
Cabrera DH
Longoria 3B
Forsythe 2B
Loney 1B
Beckham SS
Kiermaier CF
Rivera C
Archer RHP
Noteworthiness
— The four hits by Longoria tied his career high, and was the first time he went four-for-four in the Trop.
— Jennings is listed as day-to-day after leaving the game with left knee soreness.
— Jake McGee threw a 21-pitch bullpen session and is slated to pitch Tuesday for Class-A Charlotte Stone crabs.
— Boo-fucking-hoo. Jays manager John Gibbons talked with the umpires following Beckham’s hit after he was told by someone in the dugout that Charlie Montoyo (Rays third base coach) may have touched one of the base runners.
You’re not allowed to do that, Gibbons said. But you can’t review that.
— Per Marc Topkin, crybaby of the year Wil Myers still has a hurt heart over the trade which sent him to San Diego. Topkin wrote:
OF Wil Myers, who had a pretty good week for the Padres, needs to decide if he is or isn’t playing to show the Rays up for trading him. He was quoted by mlb.com’s respected Tracy Ringolsby last week saying, “Almost everything I do is to be able to prove them wrong.” But the next day he sought out a San Diego writer to say, “It was completely taken out of context. Everything I’m trying to do is help the Padres win. It has nothing to do with Tampa this year.” Okay, then.
— By this point last season (18 games in) the Rays were 9-9, having been outscored 74-69 and blanked three times. Compare that with this season, where the team has been shutout twice, outscoring opponents 76-75. Not a shabby start to Kevin Cash’s career as a manager.