Chris Archer took the mound for the Tampa Bay Rays Sunday afternoon, in what amounted to a sloppy error filled game against the Philadelphia Phillies — sans any base runners until the fifth inning and no scoring until the eighth. Suffice it to say, it wasn’t pretty. Despite everything, there were a few bright spots.
Archer, the presumed number two starter, rung up one batter in two innings of work, relinquishing an earned run on three hits and a walk.
Bill Chastain (MLB.com) interviewed the Rays righty following his outing, with Archer saying,
Honestly, I gave up a run, but I’m happy overall. For outing No. 1, I threw too many pitches (37 total, 27 strikes), but I’m not going to beat myself up over a few extra pitches when there were so many executed. Even if they were balls. Quality pitches down in the zone.
Archer also mentioned that he was “really happy with (his) progress” on several fronts, including the use of the change-up and his quicker delivery to plate. The righty threw his number three pitch about 10 times and got several whiffs, noting its downward movement — similar to his slider.
I was happy with every single one of them, Archer told Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times). It was hard to decipher which one it was, which for me is huge.
While Alex Cobb and Nathan Karns were more efficient in their previous starts, and Archer’s 37 pitches seemed to be a bit much, his 73% K/BB — including quality pitches down in the zone — speaks for itself.
Kevin Jepsen and Brad Boxberger both threw scoreless innings, with the latter striking out Ben Revere (swinging) on three pitches. Recent acquisition Jose Dominguez was also impressive in his inning of work. Dominguez struck out two batters (swinging) on six total pitches, while coaxing a grounder out of Grady Sizemore.
Yet there were more than a few unsavory moments from Sunday afternoon’s game. For example, the Phillies stymied the Rays until the fifth, holding on to a combined perfect game almost halfway through regulation. Adding insult to injury, the Rays’ regulars — Kevin Kiermaier, David DeJesus, and Logan Forsythe — went a combined 0-8. Furthermore, the typically reliable Jeff Beliveau allowed three runs to cross the plate on three hits, a walk and an error, in only two-thirds of an inning. And as if all of this isn’t enough, Tampa Bay erred three times throughout the course of the game, and they could not push across a run of their own until the eighth. That they came within a run of Philadelphia seems like a minor miracle.
Ouch. Water under the bridge — it’s only Spring Training.
The New What Next
Nathan Karns will make his second start of the spring Monday against the Yankees, in Tampa. Also scheduled to see action are righties Ernesto Frieri, Brandon Gomes, and Kirby Yates, and lefties Jordan Norberto and CJ Riefenhauser. I’ll post the starting lineup when it becomes available.
Rays 3/9/15 Starting Lineup
Franklin SS
Jennings LF
Loney 1B
Longoria 3B
Souza RF
Kiermaier DH
Casilla 2B
Wilson C
Mahtook CF
Karns P
Noteworthiness
- Topkin wrote about the Rays latest bout with the injury bug,
OF Brandon Guyer said his mild oblique/lat strain “felt better” and he still didn’t consider it serious, but he also is still receiving treatment and unsure when he will get back on the field. DH/OF John Jaso said his right shin, bruised and swollen after being hit by a pitch Saturday from A.J. Burnett, felt better, but he was scratched from today’s lineup, replaced by Kevin Kiermaier. Jaso said he hoped to return Tuesday, figuring with the Rays playing two games he had a good chance to make his eagerly awaited outfield debut. “It’s my time to shine,” he said. “I love split squad games now.” INF Nick Franklin said he went through a full workout Sunday with no issues from the mild hip strain that forced him from Saturday’s game. He is scheduled to leadoff and play shortstop Monday.
- The Rays utilized the shift several times Sunday and Cash said they will be “very aggressive shifting, with reason behind it obviously.”
- Topkin shed more light, with the slightest hint of doom and gloom, in his piece on the Drew Smyly injury situation, Monday, “Having No. 3 starter Drew Smyly sidelined indefinitely, with his availability to start the season in question due to shoulder tendinitis, is bad enough news for the Rays.” He continued,
In the best case, the Rays were looking at some sort of compromised solution, picking between Alex Colome or Nathan Karns — who between them have 11 big-league starts and four wins — or maybe newcomer Burch Smith (seven big-league starts, one win) to take the fifth until Matt Moore makes a “Juneish” return from elbow surgery that may drag into July.
And now, with opening day four weeks from today, it is looking worse.
Colome is expected to finally arrive in camp today, having been stuck more than two weeks in the Dominican Republic due to visa delays presumably related to his past PEDs suspension. He is supposedly on schedule in workouts but certainly not up to game speed.
And Smyly won’t even throw a ball for at least a couple of days, maybe more, waiting for his shoulder to feel better before he starts again working toward game form. He mentioned tightness, “lots of knots” and inflammation but insists it’s “nothing serious.” That’s probably better listed as still to be determined.