Thanks to WordPress, I couldn’t upload anything until now. In fact, everything I’d written previously was deleted by WordPress ― and boy was it a doozy! This comes directly from our Tumblr page.
For the second consecutive game, the Tampa Bay Rays scored five or more runs which allowed the team to shellack the Detroit Tigers by score of 10-2. In short, led by Curt Casali and Asdrubal Cabrera, the Rays’ bats came to life. Previous to Monday night, the team hadn’t scored more than four runs in a game since July 8. The two consecutive wins allowed Tampa Bay to get back to .500 (51-51), retake sole possession of third place, and clinch a series win against Detroit.
Moments that mattered
― Jake Odorizzi worked around a second inning leadoff triple from JD Martinez*, coaxing three consecutive weakly hit fly-ball outs to get out of the inning unscathed.
― In the bottom of the inning, Asdrubal Cabrera hit a one out double off the wall in left. The feat was pretty impressive, seeing as Cabrera hadn’t taken a hack at a pitch (in a game setting) in almost two weeks. Casali moved Cabrera to third on a base hit through the left side, and Beckham plated the run with an RBI single to left. Rays up, 1-0.
― In the fourth inning, Yoenis Cespedes hit a leadoff solo shot to right to tie the game. JD Martinez and Nick Castellanos followed with back-to-back one out singles. After they found themselves in scoring position, Odorizzi put a damper on the threat by striking out both James McCann and Alex Avila (both swinging).
― In the bottom of the inning, Steven Souza Jr. hit a leadoff double to left, then was driven home by Cabrera, who hit his second double of the game. Four pitches later, Curt Casali hit his first of two homers on a fastball left over the plate by David Price.
― Once again Casali answered the call with a sixth inning opposite field solo shot off Price. Casali earned a curtain-call from Rays’ fans and Price, graciously stepped off the rubber to allow Casali to pop out of the dugout to acknowledge the crowd.
Take a bow, @Curtcasali—the first catcher with back-to-back multi-homer games since Mike Napoli in 2011. #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/odk0pvn69r
Back-to-back multi-homer nights? Reason enough for a CURTain call, @CurtCasali. WATCH: http://t.co/MYhxM59EGS pic.twitter.com/VgnUDV7yGz
― Tampa Bay piled it on with five more runs in the eighth inning, starting with an Evan Longoria opposite field, leadoff solo-shot. The team eventually loaded the bases for Curt Casali with nobody out. Casali went down swinging, but Tim Beckham came up huge with a three-run triple, capping the scoring at 10.
― For the second time since July 8 the Rays scored more than four runs. It was also the first time Tampa Bay hit three home runs in a game since June 27th.
― Odorizzi battled, scattering six hits while striking out eight and walking only one.
*Martinez’s triple landed in front of a retreating Kevin Kiermaier. The play was ruled a triple on the field, but crew chief Paul Nauert wanted to review the play to see if Martinez’s ball hit the D-Ring catwalk, which would then grant Martinez a home run. However, there was no conclusive view of the ball hitting the catwalk so the call on the field stood.
The New What Next
Chris Archer (9-7, 2.67 ERA) will take the hill opposite of Justin Verlander (0-3, 5.57 ERA). Archer looks to snap a stretch in which he has not earned a win over his last five starts, despite allowing two runs or fewer in three of those outings. He is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in three career starts against the Tigers. Verlander’s seven starts thus far have all ended in Tigers losses with a combination of costly big innings and low run support. He tossed eight innings of one-run ball at Boston last Friday but left with a no-decision in a 2-1 Tigers extra-inning loss. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.
Rays 7/29/15 Starting Lineup
1. Jaso LF
2. Souza RF
3. Longoria 3B
4. Loney 1B
5. Forsythe 2B
6. Cabrera SS
7. Casali DH
8. Kiermaier CF
9. Rivera C
Archer RHP
Noteworthiness
― The Rays called up Bobby Wilson as the corresponding roster move following last night’s trade of David DeJesus. Rays manager Kevin Cash said Wilson is here for protection with Casali designated hitting. It still seems like an odd short-term move, since Wilson doesn’t have an option, and they’ll likely call up Sizemore on Friday.