The Tampa Bay Rays squandered an early four-run lead Friday night, but rallied to beat Toronto in a wild ball game, 10–8. The game was so wild, in fact, that I’d be doing a huge disservice to everyone by trying to recap it in its entirety. Instead, today’s recap will be made entirely of artifacts — WPA graphs, tweets, video, etc — from the game.
Look at that crazy rollercoaster of a game! (Source: FanGraphs)
It took Andriese 9 pitches to get the first two outs, and 20+ to get the third. Ouch! #Rays
— X-Rays Spex (@XRaysSpex) April 7, 2017
Home sweet home pic.twitter.com/3yj6ob8iXt
— Kate Feldman (@kateefeldman) April 7, 2017
Grounder to Weeks at 1B ends the T1 #BlueJays 2, #Rays coming to bat. 31 pitches for Andriese
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 7, 2017
Long and loud blast to LF by #Rays Longoria gets #Rays 2 runs
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) April 7, 2017
The people have spoken.
This one was #LonGONE! pic.twitter.com/5R3hMHstSf
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 8, 2017
(If you spy, with your very little eye, a purple Dinosaur Jr. shirt in section 143, that’s me, your humble blogger)
Brad Miller doubles in 2 more, #Rays now lead #BlueJays 4-2
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) April 7, 2017
Daniel Robertson got his first big league hit in the first inning.
Save that ball!
Congrats @D_Robertson28 on your first big league hit! pic.twitter.com/cRyupKg8Vp
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 7, 2017
Reaction to Daniel Robertson’s first big-league hit from mom @Juliefrobertson pic.twitter.com/7TrQKKSCNV
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) April 7, 2017
5-2 #Rays after Bourjous grounds to short.
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 7, 2017
Souza flies out to CF and this 40-pitch inning is over. #Ray 5-2
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 7, 2017
a tidy second inning for #Rays Andriese. 3 up, 3 down
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
#Rays Weeks follows a walk to Longoria with a catwalk-hitting double to LF
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
Norris with a sac fly and #Rays lead 6-2
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
#Rays Andriese has settled down. Another 1-2-3 inning, getting Donaldson, Bautista, Morales
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
Tulowitzki lines a homer to RF seat and #Rays lead is now 6-3
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
Nice hustle by #Rays Beckham to get ball knocked down by Miller for a not-so-standard 4-6-3 put out. Pending review by umps, of course
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
The 4-6-3 out at first… Unusual but effective! pic.twitter.com/27bRomnrbf
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 8, 2017
2 on, 2 out for #BlueJays in T4. Diaz warming in ‘pen. Andriese at 74 pitches.
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
T5 not off to a great start for #Rays. Double, WP and then Souza drops line drive in RF. Here comes Jumbo. Andriese finished after 4-plus
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
#Rays Andriese was having enough problems, and then Souza just totally botched a fly ball. Diaz takes over
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) April 8, 2017
Smoak doubles past Souza and #Rays lead is down to 6-5
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
#BlueJays have ’em loaded against #Rays Pruitt, who walked Travis and Donaldson and now faces Bautista
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
#Rays Pruitt gets Bautista swinging for 2nd out. Here comes Cedeno to face the switch-hitting Morales
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
Morales just missed a two-run double past 3B, draws walk instead and forces in tying run. #Ray 6, #BlueJays 6. Tulo up
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
Tulo walks. #BlueJays 7, #Rays 6. That’s back-to-back bases-loaded walks issued by Cedeno
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
Hickey is cheered as he goes to the mound to talk to Cedeno, who falls behind Smoak 2-0 #Rays
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
Line drive to Beck ends the inning. #Rays walked four that inning
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
Start the rally, Beck!#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/eaGxJfQJv2
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 8, 2017
Dickerson to hit for Robinson. Here comes old friend and former #Rays J.P. Howell on for the #BlueJays
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
#Rays Dickerson wins that lefty-on-lefty matchup, doubles over Bautista’s head in RF. 2 RISP for Bourgos
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
Bases loaded. No one out. Let’s go!#RaysUp
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 8, 2017
It was @SouzaJr‘s HUGE two-run double that gave the Rays the lead.
Pitching change for Toronto. pic.twitter.com/8ZXscMWBiv
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 8, 2017
BATTLING.
Rays back on top 8-7, still no outs!#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/KrFmZUm6Pc
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 8, 2017
Another walk. Imagine that? #Rays have bases loaded, still no one out, and #BlueJays going to ‘pen for joe smith
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
Longoria fans and LoMo to hit for Weeks. #Rays have em loaded but there is 1 out
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
LoMo bloops a single to LF and #Rays add another run
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
Donaldson leads off T8 with a solo home run to CF off Farquhar. #Rays lead down to 9-8
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
Colomé will replace Farquhar with two outs in the eighth.
Rays lead, 9-8.
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 8, 2017
One pitch from Colomé ends the Jays eighth. pic.twitter.com/0kakZWnUiu
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 8, 2017
Norris with RBI single and #Rays give Colome some breathing room with a 10-8 lead
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
Hit. Steal. Score. Repeat. pic.twitter.com/PvAqID9Q9s
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 8, 2017
We go to the 9th. never thought I’d say that so soon. #Rays lead #BlueJays 10-8
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
#Rays win 10-8. Cedeno gets the win. Howell the loss. 3rd save for Colome
— Roger Mooney (@RogerMooney50) April 8, 2017
The only time waiting in line is acceptable.#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/Bn0qMcIp9D
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 8, 2017
Tonight’s game was the first in Rays history with two bench players recording multiple hits.
Morrison: 2-for-2, RBI
Dickerson: 2-for-2, 2B— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 8, 2017
And there you have it, your artifact filled recap of Friday night’s come from behind win against the Jays — the first of the season for the Rays.
The New What Next
Chris Archer (1-0, 2.57) will make his second start of the season on Saturday, opposite of right-hander Aaron Sanchez.
Archer posted a strong Opening Day performance on Sunday, holding the Yankees to two runs in seven innings to earn his first win of the season. Archer struck out five and walked one. Last season he went 1-1 with a 3.09 ERA in four starts against Toronto.
Sanchez opens as the fifth starter following a slightly delayed start to the spring due to a finger injury. Sanchez was the AL ERA leader last season, and possesses electric stuff — although his strikeout-to-walk ratio and tendency, and a problem with homers to left-handed hitters are his main weaknesses — and could repeat or even improve upon last season’s performance. Key matchups: Kevin Kiermaier (3-7, 2B), Jesus Sucre (2-3, 2B)
You can read more about the four-game series in our Rays/Jays series preview, and I’ll post the starting lineup upon availability.
Rays 4/8/17 Starting Lineup
Dickerson DH
Kiermaier CF
Longoria 3B
Miller 2B
Souza RF
Morrison 1B
Norris C
Smith LF
Beckham SS
Archer RHP
Noteworthiness
— 538 blog has the Red Sox with a 57% chance of making the playoffs one week into the season. *Cough…remembers when 538 had Hillary at a 60% chance of winning the election on November 8th.*
The #RedSox have a 57% chance of making the playoffs. https://t.co/Ur04kD7Lhm pic.twitter.com/ALeV1SRhPR
— FiveThirtyEight (@FiveThirtyEight) April 7, 2017