Nick Franklin follows through as he hits a two-run home run during the second inning. (Photo courtesy of Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
As this disappointing season winds to a close, it certainly is an odd feeling to be watching the Rays play irrelevant baseball. Hell, even in their last season of irrelevant baseball (2012), Tampa Bay was playing for something up until the very end. Still, if you subscribe to the idea that a fair number of those on the roster are making their case for 2015, these final games are pretty interesting. And while the infield of the future looked all but settled a few days back, Nick Franklin entered the picture and is making a pretty good case for himself. More on that in a minute.
With an emphasis on pitching to contact, Chris Archer struck out three, walked two and allowed only two hits through six plus innings — blanking the White Sox in the process. But Archer spiraled out of control in the seventh after he allowed a pair of free passes to Conor Gillaspie and Avisail Garcia to start the inning. Archer’s night ended after Dayan Viciedo advanced Gillaspie to third on a deeply bit fly ball out. With runners on the corners, Joel Peralta came on in relief and allowed Tampa Bay to escape the jam unscathed.
Peralta, Jeff Beliveau and Grant Balfour handled the eighth inning, with each pitcher facing only one batter to great effect — they were able to notch another zero on the board. The ninth was Jake McGee’s, and did he ever make things interesting.
McGee quickly offered a leadoff walk to Jose Abreu, then allowed him to move to second on defensive indifference. With a runner in scoring position and no outs, Marcus Semien plated Chicago’s only run of the night on an RBI single to center. After another free pass, this time to Avisail Garcia, McGee locked it down and retired the next three batters in a row.
Offensively, the Rays offense did just enough against Hector Noesi. Nick Franklin put Tampa Bay on the board on a second inning blast to right, after a James Loney hit a double to lead off the inning. While the towering homer seemed destined to be a fly ball out, the ball ended up making contact with one of the home run catwalks, and landing just fair. While the umpire crew reviewed the home run upon Robin Ventura’s request, the ruling was upheld.
Since joining the Rays, Franklin has gone 5-16 (.313 BA) with a homer, double, two runs, and three runs batted in. He’s also been involved in a pair of double plays. While four games is an incredibly small sample size, the Rays still have seven games left in the season. Franklin is hungry for an opportunity at the major league level, and he’s going to make the battle for the utility man spot on the bench very interesting. The onus is now on Sean Rodriguez to prove his value to the team if he’s going to find a spot on the 2015 roster.
The Rays plated their third run in the fifth after Yunel Escobar led off the inning with a single to left. Ryan Hanigan allowed with a walk, and Ben Zobrist plated the insurance run on an RBI single to right.
The New What Next
The 3-1 victory put the Rays at 75-80 on the season. They are out of mulligans at this point; the Rays can’t lose another game if they are going to finish the season with a plus .500 record. Nate Karns will make his second start with the Rays against John Danks. The Rays only faced Danks (9-11, 4.88 ERA), once this season in the above mentioned game. Tampa Bay was able to knock the RHP out of the game after 5-2/3 innings, after Danks yielded four runs on seven hits and four walks. Danks hasn’t gotten a win in his last eight starts, though three of his last four starts were hard luck losses of two runs or fewer. While he was predicted to be a potential strikeout surger by Fangraphs, his K% is down slightly over his previous year and his BB% has doubled, screaming command issues. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.
Marc Topkin writes, “The biggest question on the infield. First the Rays have to decide if they bring back Ben Zobrist, who has a reasonable $7.5 million option. (They will.) Then they have to decide if they would be better off trading him. (They likely won’t.) And then they have to decide whether to make him the everyday second baseman, or the everyday leftfielder, or the guy who plays every day at a variety of positions. If Zobrist — who turns 34 in May — isn’t at second, Nick Franklin probably has the best chance to be, maybe in a platoon with Logan Forsythe. Sean Rodriguez’s salary, which will exceed $2 million, might surpass his value as a part-timer,” lending credence to what I said above.
Jose Molina walks in to speak with pitcher Jeremy Hellickson as manager Joe Maddon makes his way to take Hellickson off the mound after he allowed four runs during the fifth inning. (Photo courtesy of Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
I’m not certain if the headline to ESPN’s piece on the Rays 4-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox is funny, ironic, or a combination of the two. It reads, “White Sox eliminate Rays from playoff contention,” and while the four runs put up by Chicago nailed the coffin shut, the Rays sealed their own fate a long time ago. But fine, I’ll take the bait and argue that if we’re looking at Tampa Bay’s elimination from the postseason on the micro level, then it was the lackluster performance by Jeremy Hellickson that sealed the teams fate, not the White Sox. After all, he’s the one who delivered the very hittable pitches.
In 12 starts this season, Hellickson’s only pitched past the fifth inning four times. And while it’s not uncommon for him to run into the big inning, he’s given up three or more runs in four of the above mentioned starts.
The four starts Jeremy Hellickson gave up three or more runs.
In short, it’s been the same story throughout the season: Hellickson throws well — albeit inefficiently — for a few innings, then he either loses his command around the fourth or fifth inning, or (as was the case of last night) the hitters make adjustments and he can’t adjust in kind. Whatever the case — and as a result — more times than not, he gets pulled in favor of the ‘pen.
Hellickson’s first inning vs. his fifth. (Charts courtesy of Brooks Baseball)
True, the Rays did themselves no favors by going 1-5 wRISP, while also making three egregious running gaffes. I’ll concede, they should have tacked on more runs. However, by virtue of the fact that the White Sox did nothing offensively in the front and final four innings of play, this loss rests squarely on Helly’s shoulders.
I’m calling it now, if Hellickson doesn’t get traded ahead of the 2015 season — and honestly, with a 0.4 WAR I don’t imagine he’s accrued much trade value this season — he will get pulled from the starting rotation and end up in the bullpen, ala Wade Davis before him.
The New What Next
The Tampa Bay Rays still have an opportunity to end the season with a plus .500 record, though they can only lose one of their upcoming eight games. Chris Archer will get the start tonight against Hector Noesi. Noesi (8-10, 4.77 ERA) is a right handed fastball/curveball/slider/changeup pitcher that has been hurt by the Rays in previous years. Tampa Bay has tagged him with an 0-2 record and a 4.67 ERA – extending back to 2011. He did put up 1-1/3 scoreless innings in relief of John Danks earlier this season, in what would go down as a 4-0 Rays victory. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.
Rays 9/20/14 Starting Lineup
Zobrist LF
DeJesus DH
Longoria 3B
Loney 1B
Franklin 2B
Joyce RF
Escobar SS
Kiermaier CF
Hanigan C
Archer RHP
Noteworthiness
Since getting good, the Rays were eliminated with 11 games left to play in 2009, and two in 2012. They have eight left as of today.
The Rays are without Sean Rodriguez (bereavement list) and Brad Boxberger (paternity leave). Boxberger is due back Sunday.
For Hellickson, he is riding a streak of 12 consecutive home starts without a win — he’s now tied for second in team history, behind Scott Kazmir’s 14 in a row. Hellickson hasn’t had a home win since July 2013, and the Rays have lost his last eight starts. That’s the longest streak by a Rays pitcher since the Devil Rays era ended.
Longoria’s 46 RBI (in 57 games) since the All-Star break matches Adrian Gonzalez and Jośe Bautista for the most in the majors.
Evan Longoria hit a solo home run during the fourth inning of a game on September 17, 2014. (Photo courtesy of Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
Tampa Bay is set to start its final home series of the 2014 season, a three game set against the Chicago White Sox, starting Friday. The Rays’ meager three-game winning streak was snapped in the 3-2 loss against the Yankees, Wednesday. And while they won’t play the role of spoilers against Chicago, the Rays still need to win at least eight games to end the season with a plus .500 record.
At 1-3 with a -10 run differential, one thing is crystal clear: Tampa Bay hasn’t fared well against the ChiSox this season. However, the White Sox haven’t really been barn burners over the last month or so. Since August 12 they’ve posted a 13-20 record while dropping 10 of 12 on the road and three of four overall.
For the White Sox, the return of Paul Konerko from the DL is expected sometime this weekend. Konerko — who is retiring at the end of the season — is the franchise’s leader with 4,008 total bases, and ranks second in games played, home runs and runs batted in. He’s appeared in 74 games in this, his 18th season, and hasn’t played since September 2 because of the injury. The other narrative surrounding the White Sox is Jose Abreu’s push toward Rookie of the Year honors.
With 35 home runs under his belt, Abreu is tied for a White Sox rookie record. Even so, he’s been mired in a homer slump over the last 23 games, having hit only two.
Chicago was swept in three games in its latest visit to Tampa Bay in July 2013.
Rays and Whie Sox series starters (over the last 30 days).Rays and White Sox offensive numbers (at home, away, and over the last 30 days).Rays and White Sox (by the numbers).
Jose Quintana: Quintana (8-10, 3.30) allowed one run and three hits in seven-plus innings, while striking out a career-high 13 in his last start. The LHP is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA, 23 strikeouts and four walks over 20 innings in his last three starts. However, he is 0-1 with a 5.87 ERA in two lifetime starts against Tampa Bay (both in 2012). Key matchups: Yunel Escobar (2-6, RBI).
Hector Noesi: Noesi (8-10, 4.77 ERA) is a right handed fastball/curveball/slider/changeup pitcher that has been hurt by the Rays in previous years. Tampa Bay has tagged him with an 0-2 record and a 4.67 ERA — extending back to 2011. He did put up 1-1/3 scoreless innings in relief of John Danks earlier this season, in what would go down as a 4-0 Rays victory. Key matchups: David DeJesus (4-5, 2B), Yunel Escobar (1-3), James Loney (1-1), Evan Longoria (3-7, 2B, 2 BB), Wil Myers (1-2), Ben Zobrist (1-4, 2 BB).
John Danks: The Rays only faced Danks (9-11, 4.88 ERA), once this season in the above mentioned game. Tampa Bay was able to knock the RHP out of the game after 5-2/3 innings, after Danks yielded four runs on seven hits and four walks. Danks hasn’t gotten a win in his last eight starts, though three of his last four starts were hard luck losses of two runs or fewer. While he was predicted to be a potential strikeout surger by Fangraphs, his K% is down slightly over his previous year and his BB% has doubled, screaming command issues. Key matchups: David DeJesus (9-25, 3 3B, 5 RBI, 2 BB), Yunel Escobar (6-12, RBI), Nick Franklin (1-3), Ryan Hanigan (2-3, 2 BB, RBI), James Loney (3-12, HR, 3 RBI), Sean Rodriguez (6-14, 2B, 2 3B, 4 RBI, BB).
Noteworthiness
The Rays have held the lead in 12 consecutive games but are only 7-5 during that span. In four of those games, Tampa Bay blew leads of 4-0, 4-0, 4-0 and 3-0.
The Sox have lost 40 games after holding a lead, second most in the majors to the Rangers (43).
The White Sox hold a 72-55 lead against the Rays, and they’re 34-30 at the Trop.
Evan Longoria celebrates with teammate Wil Myers after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning. (Photo courtesy of Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
There really isn’t much to recap today — besides, I’m in the midst of writing the Rays/ChiSox series preview. Brandon McCarthy pitched to his ERA and bested Alex Cobb and the Rays. Hey, at least Tampa Bay took the series, while also walking away with an 11-8 record against the Yankees this season. Another bright side: we don’t have to hear Girardi ruminate about the Rays “lackluster pitching staff” until Spring Training 2015. Below are a few odds and ends, and I’ll have the series preview up and ready to go by this evening.
Hey Marty Foster, I think it’s time for you to have your eyesight checked. Chris Young was initially ruled safe at first, but after Joe Maddon challenged the call, it was overturned.
You’re eyes aren’t deceiving you, that was Wil Myers who robbed Brett Gardner of an extra base hit, not Kevin Kiermaier.
The Rays not only gifted Derek Jeter with a customized kayak, they also handed the captain — and his classy organization — a 6-1 loss. (Photo courtesy of Schmitty/X-Rays Spex)
If Monday night’s three hour and 28 minute 1-0 walk-off victory was odd, Tuesday night’s contest must have been drafted by David Lynch. On a night when the Rays organization celebrated the career of Derek Jeter, Tampa Bay handed the Yankees a 6-1 loss, complete with a bench clearing almost brawl, and a pair of big hits by Nick Franklin who made his debut with the Rays. Jake Odorizzi was spotty, yet he held the Yankees to one run in six innings of work, while Franklin went 2-4 with a double, a stolen base that almost wasn’t, a run and an RBI. The game had everything anyone could ever want: the first time in Rays history two runs were scored on a sac-fly, three Yankee ejections, and a customized kayak.
The game started typically enough, with an eight pitch top half by Odorizzi, and a two-out RISP jam in the bottom — bringing Nick Franklin to the plate in his first at-bat as a Ray. However Franklin grounded to first to end the inning.
Franklin hits it hard but he’s out at 1B, so nothing for #Rays or #Yankees in 1st inning
Things got interesting with two outs in the second. Chris Young, who’s been a thorn in the Rays side of late, doubled to left. Ichiro Suzuki followed, plating Young on a single to right.
Double by the unstoppable Chris Young, then a single by Ichiro has #Yankees up 1-0 on #Rays — Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) September 16, 2014
While the Yankees went on to mount major scoring threats against Odorizzi in the third and fifth innings, Jake made some big pitches to get out of those jams unscathed. While he wasn’t perfect and he missed the zone with a lot of his pitches, and while he ran some high counts in the second, third, and fifth innings, Odorizzi was good enough to hold the Yankees to one run over six innings — good for a quality start. Odorizzi’s line and breakout: 6 IP/5 H/1 ER/1 BB/3 K 101 pitches (65 strikes, 64% K%); fastball (65 thrown, 45 for strikes, 9 whiffs), slider (2 thrown, 1 strike), curveball (5 thrown, 2 strikes), cutter (13 thrown, 6 strikes, 6 whiffs), splitter (16 thrown, 11 strikes, 1 whiff). In the end, Odorizzi got better as the game progressed — ultimately posting his 12th start with one run or fewer.
Jake Odorizzi strike zone plot by pitch type. (Courtesy of Brooks Baseball)
The game got weirder and wilder from the fifth inning on. After Michael Pineda plowed through the Rays batting order a few times, Kevin Kiermaier reached first safely on throwing error by second baseman Brendan Ryan. Pineda followed by giving Hanigan a rare free pass, moving Kiermaier to second. Ben Zobrist finally put the Rays on the board when he reached on a fielding error by Pineda.
Then with one out in the sixth, Nick Franklin notched his first hit as a Ray — an opposite field double to get into scoring position. Matt Joyce was next, reaching on another Pineda walk; a ball that skipped away from catcher Francisco Cervelli. Seeing an opportunity to move up, Franklin hustled to third and slid in just ahead of the tag. While he was initially called out by the third base umpire, the play was challenged by Joe Maddon, and the call was overturned.
Given prior notice that the Rays like to execute the suicide squeeze, with runners on the corners and only one out, Franklin was keenly aware of what would come next. Yunel Excobar laid down an ugly — yet effective — 0-1 bunt. As Cervelli attempted to flag down the ball that Escobar popped up in front and to the right of the plate, Franklin charged down the line, sliding well before the Yankees catcher could get back to the plate.
Up 2-1 in the seventh, the Rays opened the floodgates to the tune of five runs. Ben Zobrist got the ball rolling with a one out walk. David DeJesus put together a productive at-bat and moved the Rays utility-man to third on a single to right. Evan Longoria continued to be productive in the second half, plating his 88th RBI on a single to left, which allowed DeJesus to move up a base. Not to be left out of the fun, James Loney loaded the bases on a single to center which brought BenZo Jr. (Franklin) to the plate. Franklin would not disappoint. With a sharply his single to left, Franklin drove in his first RBI and gave the Rays a two run advantage. His RBI single also set up another weird play.
Wil Myers was called into the game to pinch hit against David Phelps. Myers hit a sac-ball to deep center, and though Jacoby Ellsbury made an excellent diving grab, both Longoria and Loney tagged up (from second and third, respectively) to pad the Rays’ lead. Joe Girardi was fuming, and as Marc Topkin wrote, he was,
Adamant that Loney left second early and making three rounds of appeals to the umpires to revisit or review their call, convinced they weren’t in position to see. The umps did huddle, and stuck with their call; the tag-up play is not subject to instant replay review.
Still quite upset after the game, Girardi had this to say:
They said he tagged up. He didn’t tag up. I mean, he did, but he left early, and I don’t know how you can watch both, so that’s a play that I’ll ask Major League Baseball why it’s not reviewable, because it’s hard to watch both. But (the umpire) he said he clearly saw it. I don’t know how he can clearly see both. It’s almost impossible for him.
Whatever the case, it was the first two-RBI sac fly in Rays history (the first in the majors since 2012), and the fourth time a Rays runner scored from second on a sac fly. Tampa Bay ended the inning with a commanding five run lead.
All hell broke loose in the bottom of the eighth, when David Phelps, in retaliation for a Derek Jeter HBP, threw way inside to Kiermaier. Both benches emptied, and the hot headed Sean Rodriguez was in the middle of it all.
Though no punches were thrown, the extracurricular activity on the field — plus accusations by Yankees manager Joe Girardi that the Rays didn’t know how to pitch inside, and the Rays adamantly denying any intent — tarnished what had been a positive night.
“It did for me,” Rays manager Joe Maddon. “I was upset. I did not want anything to detract from the evening. I thought our ceremony before the game was outstanding, I thought the gift was great, we played well, we have a chance to win the game, the last thing you want to do is detract from the evening. And from my perspective in the dugout, I thought it did put a little bit of a nick into it.”
The Rays hit four batters, including Jeter on the left elbow pad, during a three-game series last week in New York then Jeter again Tuesday on the left hand.
“I don’t know what they expect,” Girardi said. “They hit five of our guys in four games, we’re going to be (ticked). … We’re not pincushions. … I’m tired of my guys getting hit, and where they’re getting hit.”
But Maddon said there was nothing to it, certainly not intent.
“I understand their frustration and why they were upset, I get it,” he said. “But it’s part of the game. Truthfully, truly, it was not intentional.”
Girardi was ejected after getting irate after Geltz hit Jeter and the umpires issues warnings. Geltz was surprised by Girardi’s reaction: “He should know that’s not intentional. It’s an 0-2 count. I’m trying to get him out. I’m not trying to hit him. That’s Derek Jeter. I’m not trying to hit Jeter.”
Phelps and bench coach Tony Pena were tossed after the pitch to Kiermaier, which sparked the scrum, although Rays reserve Sean Rodriguez seemed to be the only one really worked up.
“Joe Girardi has a conveniently short memory,” writes Topkin.
He went on, “In the aftermath of Tuesday’s benches-and-bullpen clearing standoff, the Yankees manager, upset and frustrated as his team’s slim playoff hopes are all but extinguished, accused the Rays of not knowing how to pitch inside properly and suggesting they learn.”
Girardi pointed to how the Rays hit five of his batters during the last five games between the two teams.
However, he conveniently didn’t acknowledge that in the first 12 games the teams played this season, Yankees pitchers hit eight Rays batters (while Rays pitchers hit only two Yankees). And for the season series — which concludes tonight — Yankees pitchers have hit more batters than the Rays, 8-7.
The Yankees tried to put together a rally in the ninth, but Kirby Yates dampened the fire. Rays win, 6-1.
The New What Next
The Rays will go for their fourth consecutive win and a sweep tonight with Alex Cobb on the mound. Cobb will be opposed by Brandon McCarthy. The Yankees have taken losses in four of McCarthy’s (9-14, 3.98 ERA) last six starts, including a 5-0 loss to the Rays back on August 15. Ironically or not, Alex Cobb was on the hill for the Rays in that game, and he was spectacular over 7-1/3 innings. To be fair, the Rays are 6-6 in Cobb’s last 12 starts even though he’s been outstanding. If this is a comparison of Wednesday’s starters, the biggest difference is the number of runs McCarthy and Cobb have given up. Cobb has held opponents to two runs or fewer in 12 consecutive games — for a total of 15 runs — while McCarthy has given up 13 runs in half as many starts. Unfortunately for the Rays, that’s more of an implication of the Yankees inept offense than it is to McCarthy’s pitching. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.
Rays 9/17/14 Starting Lineup
Zobrist SS
DeJesus DH
Longoria 3B
Loney 1B
Myers RF
Franklin 2B
Joyce LF
Hanigan C
Kiermaier CF
Cobb RHP
Noteworthiness
Tampa Bay needs seven more wins to find them with a plus .500 record for the seventh consecutive season.
Cobb tonight having gone 68-1/3,innings without allowing a home run; the most by a Rays starter, and the second longest in team history behind McGee’s 76.
Hey idiots, urm…Yankees, why in God’s name would the Rays intentionally hit Derek Jeter ON THE DAY THEY CELEBRATED HIS CAREER AT THE TROP? Man, Girardi is dumb. Then again, so are Phelps and SeanRod.
Nick Franklin was not only productive at the plate, but also in the field. The Rays newest fielder was involved in two double plays. I cannot wait to see how he progresses with Tampa Bay.
