Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Drop Fourth Straight, 3-2

The first pitch of the game, a ball to Craig Gentry. Gentry inevitably struck out looking. (Photo courtesy of Kyle Chason)
The first pitch of the game, a ball to Craig Gentry. Gentry inevitably struck out looking. (Photo courtesy of Kyle Chason)

The Tampa Bay Rays dropped the second game of the series against the A’s by a score of 3-2 Wednesday night. Erik Bedard walked away with his first loss since April 24th, after putting together a 5.1 IP/1 H/3 R/1 ER/3 BB/6 K outing. In fact, the Rays pitchers gave up only one hit all night, a fourth inning solo shot off the bat of Brandon Moss, yet the offense couldn’t push across (at least) two more runs to give the Rays the lead and/or win. If ever there was one, this is a glaring example of pitchers deserving a better fate. I live blogged the game over at our Tumblr site and you can read a blow-by-blow account of the contest there. Otherwise, a few random thoughts and game peripherals are below.

Game Peripherals

  • At 1-13 Evan Longoria, Brandon Guyer, Sean Rodriguez, and Logan Forsythe had the antithesis of a productive last night. There’s a wanton desire to place the blame on Yunel Escobar (ground into an eighth inning double play) and Wil Myers (struck out with two on in the ninth) for the game. But, the pair accounted for a large part of the offense, going 4-9 with a run. Longo still appears to be swatting at flys, and though Forsythe got lucky with a ninth inning hit, there is absolutely no reason to put him in the game — much less as DH.
  • Bedard deserved a better fate than what his line suggested. Blame the 31-pitch, two-run, two-error second inning for his early exit. He easily could have gone six solid weren’t it for that inning. To that end:
  1. Cespedes never should have reached base in the second, yet Yuni’s throwing error put him on base.
  2. With the bases loaded, SeanRod failed to turn a tailor made, inning ending, double play. His throw to Yuni was wide, plating a pair of runs.
  • Bedard’s 50-IP homerless streak, extending back to 9/16/13, ended with a two-out solo shot off the bat of Brandon Moss.
  • That glove-side fastball/outside curve ball combo by Bedard is a thing of beauty. The run on his fastball — moving from the outside corner, in on the hands — is ridiculous.
  • Wil Myers played first base after James Loney was lifted in the bottom of the eighth inning, his second appearance at first base this season.
  • Per Kyle Hopkins of DRaysBay, “David DeJesus had his third plate appearance against left-handed pitching this season, reducing his rate of plate appearances with the platoon advantage this season to 97.7%.”

The New What Next

The Rays take on the Athletics this afternoon looking to avoid a sweep. Alex Cobb, just off of the disabled list, will be opposed by Sonny Gray, setting up a pitching duel between the two. It won’t be easy. At 5-1 with a 2.07 ERA, Gray has thrown nine quality starts this season. Meanwhile, Oakland has lost only twice when their tough righty has taken the mound. The game will not be televised. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.

Rays 5/22/14 Starting Lineup

DeJesus DH
Longoria 3B
Joyce LF
Myers RF
Loney 1b
Jennings CF
Figueroa 2B
Escobar SS
Molina C
Cobb RHP

Noteworthiness

  • The Rays optioned Kiermaier back to Durham after game; they had to make room on roster for Alex Cobb.
  • Per Elias Sports, last night’s game (at 3 hours, 53 minutes) was the longest in major league history in which a team was held to one hit or less.
  • In the last 18 seasons, only twice has a team allowed three runs or more on one hit or less, and lost.
  • Per Roger Mooney of the Trib, Zobrist should be ready to return from the DL when the team reaches Boston next week.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: The “Nobody Knows….” Edition

The scene from The Porch in the eighth inning of the May 20, 2014 game at Tropicana Field.
The scene from The Porch in the eighth inning of the May 20, 2014 game at Tropicana Field.

An air of frustration has permeated the Rays Republic. Evan Longoria is pressing at the plate, Wil Myers looks clueless in the box, and the fans — those who choose to attend games — have more in common with the population of New York, as exemplified in Ghost Busters II. (Editor’s note: if you didn’t “get” the Ghost Busters II reference, I recommend watching Ivan Reitman’s masterpiece) Last night’s contest wasn’t fun on the field or in the stands. Tampa Bay was shutout for the second time in three games last night, and they’ve now won only five of their last 15 games. The Rays have scored just 46 runs in those games, an average of (roughly) three runs per.

The story is clichéd and trite by now; a lefty who they hadn’t previously faced shut down the Rays lineup. Though he lasted only five innings — akin to his previous two starts — Pomeranz allowed just five base runners, with the bulk (three) coming in the third inning. An aside, thanks to the Rays, Pomeranz has lowered his ERA from 1.14 to 0.94. I digress.

Down 3-0, Tampa Bay put together a major bases loaded threat that inning, juicing the bags with one out, on two singles and a walk. With the bases (as BA likes to say) juiced, Desmond Jennings came to the plate. Yet Pomeranz did what he had all night: spotted his fastball well. Jennings saw seven pitches in his at-bat, only to ground into an inning ending double play. Granted that play was reviewed when it appeared as though he beat the throw to first, which would have put the Rays on the board. But the play was ruled inconclusive, and the initial call stood. Tampa Bay challenged once again in the eighth inning, putting men on the corners with one out. Jennings came to the plate again and, as luck would have it, grounded into another double play.

All of the A’s runs came in the second inning. Jake Odorizzi imploded with one on and two-outs, allowing three runs to score on a pair of singles, and an RBI double by Coco Crisp. To be fair, Odorizzi was not terrible, yet two factors weighed heavily on his outing: a seeming inability to put hitters away in an efficient manner, and giving a free pass to the A’s hitters. All but one of his five walks came when there were two strikes on the hitter, while the opposing hitters touched the Rays’ righty for 31 foul balls. On the subject of Odorizzi, Eric Hahmann of DRaysBay wrote an assessment of his outing that I firmly agree with,

“What really cut his night short was the 39 pitch fourth inning. He didn’t allow a run, but it was a perfect microcosm of his season. He started off the inning by walking Derek Norris in a 14 pitch at bat and followed that up by using 10 pitches to strike out Nick Punto. The results weren’t terrible, but he was terribly inefficient in getting there.”

The relievers were the highlight of the night. Cesar Ramos, Juan Carlos Oviedo, Brad Boxberger, and Josh Lueke combined for 4-1/3 scoreless innings, while striking out six. Oviedo continued to prove his worth in his 1-1/3 innings of work, striking out two and coaxing a big inning ending ground ball with runners in scoring position — lowering his ERA to 1.98 in the process. Oviedo has looked sharp since relinquishing three earned runs against the Red Sox back on April 29th, and he’s proving to be valuable piece in the ‘pen — especially considering he hadn’t pitched since 2011.

The New What Next

Erik Bedard will attempt to continue his streak of solid pitching when he toes the rubber, opposite of Tommy Milone, Wednesday night. The Rays have a love affair with Milone. The 27 year-old LHP has gone 1-2 with a 7.13 ERA in his last three starts against Tampa Bay. Milone features some fairly standard stuff, including a very hittable mid-70′s changeup which he throws primarily to righties. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.

Rays 5/21/14 Starting Lineup

Myers RF
Longoria 3B
Loney 1B
Guyer LF
Rodriguez 2B
Escobar SS
Jennings CF
Forsythe DH
Hanigan C
Bedard LHP

Noteworthiness

  • At 0-4 on the night, it would have been a stretch to call Logan Forsythe an apt choice for DH. Yet, there he sat last night, hitting in the six hole. Meanwhile, Kevin Kiermaier, who started the game on the bench, got on base with a pinch hit single in the eighth inning. Forsythe had nothing to show for the 21 pitches he saw, while Kiermaier saw all of three pitches before reaching safely. You do the math.
  • The Rays made the official announcement that Alex Cobb would be activated for the start Thursday. A big boost for sure, though the team needs to start hitting for any additional changes to matter.
  • The Rays have scored in only one of their last 28 offensive innings, 14 runs total in the last seven games.
  • Bedard starts tonight not having allowed a homer in 46-1/3 consecutive innings, extending back to 9/16/13.

Rays 5/20/14 Starting Lineup, Etc.

Tonight's DH for the Oakland A's, MC Hammer.
Tonight’s DH for the Oakland A’s: MC Hammer.

Rays 5/20/14 Starting Lineup

Guyer LF
Jennings CF
Longoria 3B
Myers RF
Rodriguez 2B
Forsythe DH
Loney 1B
Escobar SS
Molina C
Odorizzi RHP

Noteworthiness

  • It would seem the Rays are set to keep Kevin Kiermaier through Wednesday’s game, then option him or Logan Forsythe to Triple-A Durham — or in the case of Brandon guyer, DFA  — in order to make room on the roster for a reactivated Alex Cobb. Forsythe still has options, Guyer does not.
  • A relieved Ryan Hanigan said he participated in baseball activities today, and felt fine. He went on to say he will be ready if needed tonight. Meanwhile, Desmond Jennings has been reactivated from the bereavement list.
  • Don’t forget to read about tonight’s pitching matchup, and so much more, in our series preview.

The New What Next: Enter The A’s — A Series Preview of Sorts

David Price watches Albert Pujols runs the bases after hitting a one-run homer. (Photo courtesy of AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
David Price watches Albert Pujols runs the bases after hitting a one-run homer. (Photo courtesy of AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)

The Tampa Bay Rays return home to face a very hot Oakland Athletics, on the heels of a disappointing 3-4 West Coast jaunt. Had the Rays gone 4-3, the tenor may be different. However they didn’t. At this point, their only real glimmers of hope are the possibilities that the pitching will stabilize with the return of Alex Cobb, and — at five games back  — no one has put together a massive run in the AL East. It’s a very different story of the 28-16 Oakland Athletics. The A’s are 9-1 over a their last 10 games, entering the Trop on a three-game winning streak. Furthermore, at 16-6 on the road, Oakland has been pretty damn dominant in other team’s facilities.

It’s not all doom and gloom for the Rays. The much improved Jake Odorizzi and Erik Bedard will take the hill Tuesday and Wednesday (respectively), while Chris Archer* — who put together a much better outing in his last start — will get the start Thursday. The starters will be tasked at holding the wolves at bay, because it’s not going to be easy against the A’s starters…especially Drew Pomeranz and Sonny Gray.

The series opener promises to be a pitchers duel. Odorizzi has limited opponents to six hits with 18 strikeouts over 11 scoreless innings in his last two starts, while Pomeranz allowed a measly five hits over 10 scoreless innings, surrendering three hits while striking out a career-high eight batters in last Tuesday’s 11-0 home win over the White Sox.

Rays and A's series starters.
Rays and A’s series starters. Note: The Rays are expected to start Alex Cobb Thursday. Chris Archer was initially listed as the starter.
Rays and A's offensive production at home, away, and overall.
Rays and A’s offensive production at home, away, and overall.
Rays and A's, by the numbers.
Rays and A’s, by the numbers.

Drew Pomeranz: The one time Rockies pitcher has been stingy since joining the A’s rotation, and there really hasn’t been an indication of anything otherwise — especially of late. On Pomeranz, Baseball Prospect Report finds,

“He was good. He had a really good fastball, really alive 91-93, lots of 91s. His curveball looks exactly the same way coming out of his hand and then drops on you. He likes to come back with high fastballs after the curveball, again with the same release point. You have to be ready for his curveball because he will throw it any time in the count. He throws an ordinary change-up but rarely shows it to left-handers or right-handers. He can be worn down quickly if worked. His stuff started slipping in about the fourth inning of this look. I’d grade his fastball command a B- and his fastball movement a B- and say that his curveball is really his ticket. His velocity is 78-82, the rotation is tight, a grade-A.”

The question is, will the Rays be able to force mistakes by working good at-bats? Pomeranz has had some command issues in the past, and it would be nice to see the Rays play off those concerns.

Tommy Milone: Suffice it to say, the Rays love Tommy Milone. The 27 year-old LHP has gone 1-2 with a 7.13 ERA in his last three starts against Tampa Bay. Milone features some fairly standard stuff, including a very hittable mid-70’s changeup which he throws primarily to righties.

Tommy Milone pitch type chart vs. righties. (Courtesy of Fangraphs)
Tommy Milone pitch type chart vs. righties. (Courtesy of Fangraphs)

Key matchups: Yunel Escobar (3-10, 2B, HR, 3 RBI), Matt Joyce (2-5, 2 RBI), Evan Longoria (1-3, 2B), Sean Rodriguez (3-6, 3 RBI, BB).

Sonny Gray: Sonny Gray has been flat out great this year — his record and numbers (above) speak to that. Hell, he’s even been great in games where the A’s have lost. In fact, Gray has thrown no less than a quality start in each of his previous nine starts, and averaging just under seven innings per start overall. It’s safe to assume Thursday’s game will not be a walk in the park, especially when you consider that only three Rays have put up good numbers against Gray in the past: Matt Joyce (1-2, BB), James Loney (2-3), and Evan Longoria (1-3).

Noteworthiness

  • Against the Rays, Oakland is 89-55 overall, and 39-34 at the Trop.
  • Evan Longoria is hitting .347 at Tropicana Field, where the Rays have gone 1-7 since winning seven of their first 12. The star third baseman, though, has batted just .207 in his last 16 games against the A’s.
  • The Rays are expected to announce Tuesday that Alex Cobb will return from the DL and start Thursday afternoon against the A’s. The move means LHP Cesar Ramos is back in the bullpen as the long man, while the Rays optioned Brandon Gomes to Durham to make room on the roster.
  • Roger Mooney of the Tribune wrote, “Kiermaier, who has impressed with his defense during his two stints with the Rays, had two hits over the weekend in Anaheim, including his first big-league homer. Kiermaier could remain with the team when Cobb returns, though that likely would mean the Rays would waive OF Brandon Guyer and risk losing him to another team or use the option on UTL Logan Forsythe.”
  • Brandon Moss, Josh Reddick, and Josh Donaldson have been on a tear. Moss is hitting .389 with five home runs and 18 RBI over his last 14 games, while Reddick has three homers and 11 RBI in his last six games, and Donaldson has three homers and 11 RBI in his last eight.
  • The A’s have a majors-most five wins when trailing after seven innings.

*The Rays are expected to start Alex Cobb Thursday. Chris Archer was initially listed as the starter.

Rays Ryan Hanigan Possibly to DL with Hamstring Strain (Repost)

May 10, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays catcher Ryan Hanigan (24) on deck to bat against the Cleveland Indians at Tropicana Field. (Photo courtesy of Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)
Tampa Bay Rays catcher Ryan Hanigan (24) on deck to bat against the Cleveland Indians at Tropicana Field. (Photo courtesy of Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)

Per Matt Fisher of Fan Sided,

The Tampa Bay Rays are currently exhibiting why some teams prefer to go with three catchers on their 25-man Major League roster.

Ryan Hanigan left between the top and bottom of the 8th inning of Friday’s game against the Angels with a right hamstring ‘issue’ as MLB.com’s Bill Chastain writes. The team is currently waiting to see how Hanigan feels over the next couple of days before making any decision about his status.

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times says that the team is calling it more of a cramping in the right hamstring, while Hanigan is hopeful that that’s what it is, but at worst, it could just be a mild strain. His expectation is to not miss more than a couple of games and be okay. He also reports that after Jose Molina, catching duties would fall to Sean Rodriguez and Wil Myers in the event of an emergency.