If the takes don’t take you; hyphenated low-lights follow.
– Jake Odorizzi allowed two runs on four hits while needing 30 pitches to get out of the first inning. Yet he bounced back to keep his team in the thick of things, ultimately posting a 5 IP/5 H/2 ER/2 BB/5 K line on 83 pitches (53 strikes). Despite allowing runs in six of his last 13 appearances, including two in Wednesday’s game, Rays manager Kevin Cash went with Brandon Gomes in the sixth inning. Jake Odorizzi told the media that he was “not too happy” about being pulled after five innings, but would “leave it at that.”
– The Rays went 7-for-11 from the second to fourth innings, and had five men in scoring position, yet they couldn’t push across a run. Tampa Bay went 3-14 wRISP despite excellent scoring opportunities in the second, third, fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth innings.
In the words of Marc Topkin:
They loaded the bases with one out in the second, but Rene Rivera struck out and Odorizzi grounded into a fielder’s choice. They got the first two on in the third, thanks to a replay reversal giving Brandon Guyer a hit on a ball that dropped on the rightfield line, but Guyer, inexplicably, got picked off second and they did nothing further. Then Joey Butler singled and Tim Beckham doubled to start the fourth, but Jake Elmore, Rivera and Odorizzi couldn’t get the run home.
– Three errors proved costly, especially a gaffe by James Loney in the sixth that directly contributed to a run.
– Logan Forsythe should have broke for home while David DeJesus was caught in a ninth inning rundown. Forsythe walked and DeJesus singled put runners on the corners with no outs. But James Loney grounded to the right side, and was out. DeJesus got caught in a rundown, and got the Phillies to make three throws, yet Forsythe decided to not try to score, holding at third. Jake Elmore hit a slow roller to end the inning.
– The end came on a walk off single by Odubel Herrera off Brad Boxberger, but a game changing play proceeded the hit. The rally off Boxberger started with a bloop single to left by Domonic Brown. He went to second on a sacrifice-bunt by Carlos Ruiz. Boxberger clearly had a play at second, yet he chose for the play at first. The lapse in judgement proved costly – after Boxberger forced a comebacker out of Cody Asche, Odubel Herrera drove in the game winning run on a single to left-center, capping an 11-pitch at-bat.
Clearly frustrated by the outcome and the overall performance, Cash called the game a “gut check,” saying,
I don’t know what else to say. That was ugly. Not executing. Did a lot of things poorly. The Phillies got it done. Give them credit. They played well. Capitalized on their opportunities. We did not. That basically sums up the ballgame.
He continued,
That was pretty rough to sit there and go through. We just had opportunity after opportunity. Don’t capitalize. I don’t need to point out each at-bat, but it was pretty obvious what took place.
Cash also spoke about the sloppy play in the field,
Kicked the ball around a little on defense. Threw it around. … We have to make our own breaks. They were presented to us. It wasn’t like anything was working against us. We just didn’t execute and get it done. …Kind of a little bit of a gut check for all of us Myself included. If 24 hours off helps evaluate that, then so be it. But we need to kind of flip a switch here now.
Evan Longoria summed things up well:
Longoria’s assessment of recent play by #Rays: “We’re playing like an A-ball team.”
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) July 23, 2015
Noteworthiness
– In the third year of the competitive balance process, the Tampa Bay Rays have been awarded a second round Competitive Balance draft pick.
You may be asking how the process works. Via MLB.com:
Twelve teams were eligible to win a pick in Round A this year: the D-backs, Rockies, Reds, Marlins, Padres, Rays, Brewers, Indians, A’s, Pirates, Royals and Cardinals. The six clubs that did not win a selection in Round A (the Padres, Indians, Twins, Brewers, Orioles and Rays), along with the three clubs who received revenue-sharing funds this year (the Orioles, Twins and Mariners) were eligible for a Round B pick. The Cardinals, Royals and Mariners were the three teams that were eligible but did not receive a pick.
In 2015, picks in Competitive Balance Round A added an average of $1,566,617 to each team’s pool. The Competitive Balance Round B picks augmented each club’s pool by an average $839,940.
The Competitive Balance Round picks are the only Draft selections permitted to be traded, subject to some restrictions. Each lottery pick can be traded only once and cash can’t be involved in the transaction. The choices can be dealt only during the regular season, up until 5 p.m. ET on the first day of the Draft.