…And kids, that’s the series
Rays vs. Yanks, 7/3/12
It’s true, the Rays have, and have had, a lot of players on the DL this season. You certainly wouldn’t wish injury upon any player. However, the tightness in Hideki Matsui’s hamstring might have actually been one of the best things to happen to the Rays in last night’s game. Why? With Matsui pulled from the game, Ben Zobrist ended up in right, Will Rhymes ended up at second, and Jeff Keppinger ended up at third. Without Matsui in right-field, the defense is stabilized, effectively putting the players involved where they should have been from the get go.
Consider this: Had Zobrist started the game in right field, Matsui’s misplayed Mark Teixeira pop-fly in the first never would have happened, and a run is saved.
Hypothetically speaking of course, Jeter wouldn’t have tagged up on the Teixeira pop, scoring the first run. Yes, he inevitably scores on the A-Rod single. And sure, back-to-back singles by A-Rod and Cano would find men on first and second with one out. But, another scoring opportunity is averted when Swisher grounds into the double play. Matt Moore gets out of the inning by relenting only one run.
In any case, it was ugly, but the Rays won. It was particularly nice to see them catch a break for once. The Rays haven’t had many breaks go their way this season. Things felt hopeless earlier in the game with Zobrist missing a two-run homer by inches and Keppinger getting doubled up on a ball Luke Scott smoked to first.
In the end, watching BJ Upton and Carlos Pena hit a pair of one run dingers certainly didn’t suck. Neither did Brooks Conrad’s hard hit RBI double to right in the seventh, driving in Sean Rodriguez for the tying run. Teixeira misplaying a sharply hit Elliot Johnson grounder seemed like Kismet. Teixeira’s error allowed Johnson to drive in the go ahead run, and allowing him to reach third.
James Shields (7-5, 4.04 ERA) will battle Ivan Nova (9-2, 4.03 ERA) in the second game of a three game set tonight. Don’t let the 4.03 ERA deceive you, Nova has been very good on the road and against the Rays. Nova is 12-0 with a 3.17 ERA in his last 16 road outings. Nova’s gone 6-0 with a 3.44 ERA in eight road starts this year. The Yankees have won all six starts by Nova against the Rays, with the right-hander going 4-0 with a 2.82 ERA. That includes a 2-0 mark and 1.80 ERA in two this year. Rays hitters have posted a combined .169 BA/.234 OBP/.339 SLG/.573 OPS line against Nova in 118 at bats. Yeesh.
Tampa Bay made the dominoes fall into place last night, and Shields & Co will need to do the same tonight. Shields is going to have to suppress the Yankees hitters and the hitters are going to have to eek out as much production possible against a pitcher that tends to not relent anything to the Rays. This should be another fun one.
July 3, 2012 Starting Lineup
Jennings LF
Pena 1B
Upton CF
Keppinger 3B
Zobrist RF
Scott DH
Molina C
Rodriguez 2B
Johnson SS
Shields RHP
Dear God… Rays vs. the Evil Empire 7/2/12
Dear God,
Don’t think we’re not hip to your plan. We saw what you did last week by injuring both CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte, and we’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you. You and I both know that the Rays do fairly well against Sabathia. However, he does make a good portion of the other teams that he faces look crappy. You, in your infinite wisdom, chose to injure two players which gives everyone, Tampa Bay included, a competitive edge…something that helps the Rays immensely. What a guy! Am I right?! Then, you chose (you, not Girardi) to put Freddy Garcia (2-2, 6.39 ERA) on the mound tonight, to go up against Matt Moore (4-5, 4.19 ERA). Thanks bud!
So, Freddy Garcia…Hmm. Garcia has won three consecutive starts against Tampa Bay, posting a 1.32 ERA in the last two matchups, both of which were on the road. And true, he will be facing a team that’s batted .210 and been outscored 39-17 while losing six of seven. However, he was 0-2 with a 12.51 ERA over the first month of the season and didn’t make it out of the second inning in the final two of his four starts. Following those four starts, Garcia was moved to the pen where he did well, posting a 1.56 ERA in 10 appearances.
The Rays are going to need to be aggressive early on, rattling Garcia into a regression of sorts. With a higher than average BABIP of .450 against righties, BJ Upton, Elliot Johnson, Ben Zobrist, and Desmond Jennings have an opportunity to do some damage against Garcia. That’s assuming the EJ and Zo are hitting from the right side. Then again, his BABIP overall is still above average at just under.350. Nevertheless, getting on base alone isn’t going to cut it. With a 1:3 BB/K ratio, working the count will be an absolute necessity. And with a 2:3 GB/FB ratio, there will be an opportunity to get the ball in the air…assuming the Rays batters (I’m looking at you Pena, Matsui, Upton, and Scott) can force Garcia to pitch up in the zone.
Rays 7/2/12 Starting Lineup
Jennings LF
Pena 1B
Upton CF
Matsui RF
Zobrist 2B
Scott DH
Lobaton C
Rhymes 3B
Johnson SS
Moore LHP
Congratulations to Our All-Stars
Congratulations are in order to Fernando Rodney and David Price
Starter David Price (11-4, 2.92 ERA) and reliever Fernando Rodney (2-1, 22 SV, 1.04 ERA) will be representing the Rays in Kansas City for this years MLB All-Star Game. It’s the third consecutive season that the Rays have had two pitchers on the AL All-Star staff.
Price will make his third consecutive All-Star appearance, joining Evan Longoria as the only other Ray with this honor. Price, CC Sabathia, and Justin Verlander are the only other pitchers to make the AL squad over the past three seasons. Rodney becomes the 12th different Rays player to make the All-Star Team since 2008. At 35, Rodney is also the oldest first-time All-Star in Rays history. Only four active players have made their first All-Star team at an older age:
Rays vs Le Tigre 7/1/12 AKA You’ve Gotta Stay Positive
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-z5_JVng_w]
It’s tough, I know. Watching the Rays lose games to teams that, on paper, they should be beating is hard. Watching them get out-played at their own game, is heart breaking. And seeing the pitchers get BABIP’d to death, while the big boppers on the team can’t reciprocate in high leverage situations, is screaming-at-the-TV inducing. I’d imagine that every Rays fan is feeling about the same right now. “On a serious note, I’m feeling pretty good! It’s been hard to watch but we’re about make a run here soon. #comebackkids,” tweeted Matt Joyce this morning. If anything, that reminded me of something: we’ve got to stay positive.
We sometimes forget that baseball is a game, and that games are inherently fun. It took a Charles P. Pierce piece, on Grantland, to remind me of that in the first place. I find myself re-reading his article, The Most Fun Team In Baseball time and again in situations like this.
In the end, try to forget that the Rays posted an overall .222 BA/.301 OBP/.339 SLG/.640 OPS line in June. Try to forget that they finished below .500 in June, which was the first time they’ve done so since last July, and the sixth time they’ve done so since the start of the 2008 season. It’s a new month. The Rays now sit in fourth place in the AL East behind the Sox, O’s, and Yankees, yet they are still in a respectable position to move forward from here.
Matt Joyce and Sam Fuld will be back sooner than later. As should Evan Longoria. The defense seems to be cleaning up the muck they’ve mired themselves in all season, and both Joyce and Fuld stand to upgrade that defense even further. They’ll also offer the Rays more stability in the batting order. Keep in mind too, that unlike last season where his production dropped off prior to the All-Star Break, Joyce’s production has consistently trended upward in 2012. The opposing pitchers are going to be in some serious doo-doo when Joyce gets reactivated because pitching around him won’t be an option…especially with Jeff Keppinger, Ben Zobrist, Desmond Jennings and Elliot Johnson in the lineup. I’d imagine that more consistent at bats from Carlos Pena, BJ Upton, and Luke Scott are in order as well.
If the Rays can pull out a W today, they can walk into their upcoming series against an injured Yankees with momentum. And, what better pitcher to turn things around against than Drew Smyly (2-3, 4.48 ERA), who has given up at least four runs in six of his last seven starts. We have seen what the below .500 Tigers are capable of this series. However, a solid start for Alex Cobb (3-4, 4.73) is in order. Sure, Cobber didn’t have the most stellar of starts against the Royals, but he did fair well against the Tigers in his lone start last season against them, allowing a run and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. I still contend that his start against the Royals taught us two things about Cobb: He’s mentally tough, and with the exception of his miserable third inning, he’s able to work out of jams.
Rays 7/1/12 Starting Lineup
Jnnings CF
Rodriguez 2B
Upton DH
Keppinger 1B
Zobrist RF
Conrad 3B
Matsui LF
Molina C
Johnson SS
Cobb RHP