X-Rays Spex

The Tampa Bay Rays started their final push for .500 with a 6-2 win against the last place Red Sox, Tuesday night. I read two things on the internet, in the midst of the game, that summed up the contest perfectly.

First, the Rays updated their Facebook page with the following,

Some updated Alex Cobb digits:

1.49 ERA after All-Star break (1st in MLB)
2.75 ERA overall (6th in AL)
81.1 IP without allowing HR (Rays record)

Then a dashing, yet anonymous, writer updated his Facebook page with this,

Irrelevant baseball? For sure. Whatever the case, watching Buchholz getting it handed to him is still gratifying!

Offensively, there really wasn’t much to talk about in the first seven innings. Clay Buchholz looked like he was en route to another excellent start against Tampa Bay, while the Rays looked like they were heading quickly toward their 18th shutout of the year. The Rays had an opportunity to take the lead in the third inning, yet they couldn’t pounce. Sound familiar? I digress…

With a runner on second and only one out, Yunel Escobar tested the arm of Yoenis Cespedes when he attempted to score on a base hit to left-field off the bat of Ben Zobrist. However, that attempt was errant on a couple of levels. First off, why Escobar would even attempt to score is well beyond the realm of my understanding. He’s not a burner, Zobrist’s single wasn’t hit deeply, and Cespedes — while not the best fielder — has a good arm. Secondly, the play potentially cost him the rest of the season.

Escobar’s cleat got caught on the dirt as he tried to avoid the tag at the plate. He went down with a sprained left knee — with a noticeable limp, Escobar had to be helped off the field by the Rays’ training staff. Tampa Bay announced that the shortstop will get an MRI, but the initial sense seems to be that it’s not a serious injury. Still, with five games left in the season, it should be assumed that he is most likely done for the season.

The Rays put on another base runner in the fifth, but he (Matt Joyce) was gunned down at second as attempted to swipe the bag with Brandon Guyer at the plate. Buchholz sailed into the eighth, but then the wheels fell off.

Nick Franklin worked a leadoff walk which would prove costly for the Alberto V0-5 bolstered RHP. Buchholz’s command was noticeably shaky, and after he struck out Matt Joyce swinging, he hit Brandon Guyer with a pitch to move Franklin into scoring position. And though he almost escaped the jam unscathed after coaxing a fly-ball to center out of Ryan Hanigan, Ben Zobrist came up with a big two-RBI double over the head of Cespedes to give the Rays a one run lead. David DeJesus was next, tagging Buchholz with an RBI single to center. David ultimately moved into scoring position on a passed ball with Evan Longoria at the plate.

After Longo reached on an HBP, and after both runners advanced to second and third (respectively) on a wild pitch, James Loney plated both runners on a single to center, giving Tampa Bay a four run lead.

Matt Joyce made up for his fielding and running gaffes with a solo blast to right in the ninth off Matt Barnes.

On the other end of things, Alex Cobb struggled with his command to start the game. He worked himself into a deep count against Mookie Betts to start the game before coaxing a popper for the first out of the game. Then he followed with a walk of Jemile Weeks, bringing David Ortiz to the plate. After getting ahead of Boston’s vaunted DH, Cobb tossed a sinker to the bottom inside corner of the zone, coaxing a weak grounder for an inning ending 6-5-3 double play.

While he never seemed to get a feel for his curve, Cobb began to settle in. Though he had to work around a second inning fielding error by second baseman Nick Franklin, Wil Myers got Cobb out of trouble with a run saving diving grab in the gap.

Boston got on the board in the fourth inning after culling together a pair of hits that grazed the gloves of Rays defenders. First, Yoenis Cespedes bounced a liner down the first base line that deflected just off the top of James Loney’s glove. With a slide and a flip, Loney tried to wrangle the hit in foul territory, but he couldn’t quite get a handle on the ball. His effort did save an extra base hit. Daniel Nava was next, powering a sinker toward the Green Monster. Matt Joyce was able to get in the vicinity of the ball, but it glanced off the top of his glove as he crashed into the Monstah, scoring Cespedes from first.

If there was a running theme for Cobb, whenever he got in to a jam the Rays infielders were able to turn a double play. In fact, they ended the night by turning four double plays against the BoSox — two off the bat of Ortiz. Ian Malinowski (of DRaysBay) touched on one of the more odd double plays of the night,

The bottom of the third ended in bizarre fashion. With a man on first, Mookie Betts grounded to shortstop for what should have been a 6-4-3 double play. Franklin air-mailed his throw over Loney’s head. The throw did not go into the dugout, but bounced off the rail. Betts, after running down the line, gave the slightest flinch toward second, saw that he couldn’t advance, and walked back to first. Meanwhile, Ryan Hanigan had hustled down to back up the throw, and he threw back to Loney at first, who touched the unsuspecting Betts to complete the 6-4-3-2-3 double play. Or maybe that’s a 6-4 fielder’s choice, with the runner out at first on the throw. I’m really not sure.

With a four-run lead, Joe Maddon went to Brad Boxberger in the eighth. Boxy, unfortunately, wasn’t able to make it the inning cleanly — giving up a run on a double, a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly, and a walk of Ortiz. With two outs and a runner on first, Maddon called upon Grant Balfour to clean up the mess. Balfour didn’t disappoint, catching Cespedes looking at a 1-2 fastball at the bottom of the zone to end the inning.

Joel Peralta came in a worked a clean ninth inning, the coup de grâce being a 1-2 quick pitch to catch Garin Cecchini looking to end the game. Rays win, 6-2.

The New What Next

The Rays will go for the series win Wednesday night with Jake Odorizzi on the mound. He’ll be opposed by Anthony Ranaudo (3-3, 5.29 ERA), the 24-year-old RHP took the spot of the recently departed John Lackey. Ranaudo features a mid 90′s fastball which he’s able to execute down in the zone, a good curveball, and a change that he can throw against both righties and lefties. Tampa Bay tagged him for three runs in a losing venture against the Red Sox August 29. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.

Rays 9/24/14 Starting Lineup

Zobrist DH
Kiermaier CF
Longoria 3B
Myers RF
Franklin 2B
Forsythe SS
Guyer LF
Hanigan C
Rodriguez 1B
Odorizzi RHP

Noteworthiness

• Your tweet of the day:

#Rays Escobar was not available for comment: Maddon said the awkward move + resulting knee injury definitely a result of new collision rule

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) September 24, 2014