With just over a week to go until the Rays take on the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field, Joe Maddon and company made their way to Ft. Myers for the first of two match-ups, in the last week of the Grapefruit League season, against the Boston Red Sox. The Rays absolutely pummeled the defending world champs by a score of 9-2, though the game was not without drama.
Matt Moore got the start on the mound, and looked as though he was building on his previous two starts. Moore sailed through the first two innings, needing only 21 pitches to shut down the Sox A-Squad. But Moore got touched up in the third inning, ultimately relinquishing his only run of the game. Though he never gave up a hit, his command was spotty at best. The Rays southpaw walked four and threw 38 pitches before he got through the inning. He came back in the fourth and got the first two outs before he got hit by a line drive comebacker (by way of a deflection off his mitt) on the left side of his jaw. The Associated Press put things into perspective,
Moore got his glove up just in time to deflect a line shot by Boston’s Xander Bogaerts, recovering to throw out Bogaerts for the final out of the inning. Moore lifted his jersey up to his lip, which was bleeding.
But that also ended Moore’s outing as he was driven from the field, sitting up in a cart.
The Rays said Moore received a couple of stitches, but had no concussion symptoms. He will continue to be monitored.
Moore’s injury comes just four days after Reds closer Aroldis Chapman was hit in the face by a liner and had surgery to repair a broken bone above his eye.
Per Marc Topkin, Maddon said his sense is that Moore will be okay to start season but obviously depends on medical staff. Moore reiterated those thoughts, saying he doesn’t see any reason he wouldn’t be ready to start the season. The Rays lefty has a swollen and bloody lower lip and some pain on right side. He’ll undergo X-Rays Monday on his jaw and the roots of his teeth. Moore tweeted after the game,
He went on to say,
It happened really fast. It’s not like I tracked it the whole way in and I saw it hit my mouth. It was like boom-boom. Boom, there’s the ball, get it. Probably very fortunate this happened on a Sunday, the Lord’s day and maybe not another day. I definitely feel fortunate to just have it hit my mouth and not anywhere potentially more dangerous.
Moore was followed by Brandon Gomes — who was excellent in his two innings of work, inducing weak contact while striking out two — and Juan Carlos Oviedo; both of whom held a no-hitter one out into the seventh inning. For Oviedo, it was his first appearance of the spring, his first appearance as Oviedo (formerly Leo Nunez), and his first appearance in a big league jersey since September of 2011. Oviedo gave up a run on three hits and a walk, and was surprised by his velocity which reached the 90’s, noting he didn’t know if he’d gotten out of the 80’s. He also noted that he wasn’t sure how much longer he’d need to be ready.
Offensively, the Rays mashed nine runs on 13 hits (including five doubles and a homer) and three walks, going 5-for-14 wRISP, with four two-out RBI.
The offensive heroes of the day: Matt Joyce (2-for-4, R, 3 RBI, HR, .250 BA on the spring), David DeJesus (2-for-5, 2B, R, two RBI, .438 BA on the spring), and Desmond Jennings (2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, .389 BA on the spring). We’ll see if they can extend their hot hitting into the season.
I love blogged the meeting of the two AL East rivals. You can read a blow-by-blow account of the game at our Tumblr page.
The New What Next
The Rays will travel to Fort Myers Monday, to take on the Twins one last time in the spring. The Rays won the Knutson Cup last week, and are now seeking Spring Training dominance against Gardy’s boys. Chris Archer is slated to get the start for Tampa Bay.
Rays 3/24/14 Starting Lineup
Joyce RF
DeJesus LF
Zobrist 2B
Loney 1B
Betemit DH
Jennings CF
Forsythe 3B
Molina C
Escobar SS
Archer RHP
Noteworthiness
- Marc Topkin writes, the “new batting order (is) more reflective of what Maddon said will be similar to (the) regular season — with Longoria of course.”
- Also per Topkin, word in the Rays clubhouse is that Moore is okay, though he won’t cleared until noon when he gets X-Rays on his jaw. Alex Cobb talked to him, and said “he’s fine.” Cobb said he texted Moore “Welcome to the club” after seeing, on Twitter, he was hit. Moore has no more jaw pain and has been eating with no problem — both are encouraging signs.
- Hak-Ju Lee will miss three-to-four weeks with a left calf strain, which is unrelated to his left knee injury/surgery from 2013.