Following a disappointing 4-2 loss last night, Tampa Bay will try to bounce back and take the series from Texas in the last game of this three game set. The Rays, arguably, have the upper hand today with Roy Oswalt (4-2, 5.85 ERA) on the mound in place of Matt Harrison. A couple pieces of ephemera before the starting lineup and Noteworthiness.
- As much as I don’t want to give Carlos Pena credit, especially after the abomination he’s put together this season, he deserves some credit in his caught looking strikeout to end the game. As my buddy Nicky put it, “Put two (hot) dawgs end to end and that is how far outside that pitch was last night.” I’d reckon that that pitch was more like three hotdogs, end-to-end, off of the plate. See the Pitch F/X below:
- But with even the above taken into consideration, it bears mentioning that with next strikeout Pena will tie the team record he set in 2008 of 166. His 165 are the third most in majors. Ouch.
- You’ve got to hand it to Chris Archer. The kid absolutely dealt last night, posting a 7.0 IP/4 H/2 ER/2 BB/11 K line, though he was sadly left with a no-decision to show for his outing. Archer is the second pitcher in the last 25 years to have 25 strikeouts in his first three career major league starts. Strasburg was the other, in 2010. Archer is the first in the AL, since Leiter accomplished the same feat in 1987 with the Yankees.
Rays 9/9/12 Starting Lineup
Upton CF
Keppinger 3B
Zobrist SS
Longoria DH
Francisco LF
Joyce RF
Roberts 2B
Pena 1B
Molina C
Shields RHP
Noteworthiness: The Rays have posted a .379 BA/.424 OBP/.379 SLG/.804 OPS line against Oswalt in 29 total at-bats. Key Match-ups: Jeff Keppinger (6-15, RBI), Evan Longoria (1-3, BB), Carlos Pena (1-2, BB), BJ Upton (1-3, BB). Desmond Jennings is again out of the lineup due to back tightness, finding Ben Francisco in left field and hitting fifth. With Longoria as DH, Keppinger is back at third and Pena is in at first. Let’s Go Rays!