I don’t feel comfortable in making broad proclamations; after all, we were wrong on a few different occasions when it looked as though the Rays might slip out of their funk. However, I will say it seems like the Rays may be turning a corner. Over the last few days, the offense has shown a push unseen since the beginning of May — FINALLY complimenting the stabilized pitching staff. Also encouraging, though they’ve fallen behind twice in the last four games, the hitters have been able to bail out the pitching staff and come back for the win. A moderate gain if ever there was one, the Rays have gone 4-6 in their last 10 games. Compare that to their previous 1-9, 10-game span. I’d call that progress.
Tag Archives: Baltimore Orioles
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Drop Game and Series to Orioles, 3-1
Let me preface this saying, I never understood the hype behind Ubaldo Jimenez. Since his 19-8, 2.88 ERA 2010 season, his ERA has hovered around five for all but one season. But he sure made the Rays look foolish tonight, throwing 5-1/3 innings, surrendering only one run and walking only 2, before being chased from the game by a Wil Myers single and David DeJesus single that pushed Myers to third. However, as been the case with the Rays for the most part this season, the big hit was elusive and the inning ended quickly after Jimenez was removed.
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Drop Second Straight, 4-3
In an ideal world, a team composed of major league hitters would support their starting pitcher, especially when victories are at a premium. Those hitters would be able to give him a healthy cushion, and because of it a pair of solo shots wouldn’t feel like an insurmountable void to overcome. That is, in an ideal world pitching and hitting would be in synch with one another. That wasn’t the case Wednesday night when the Rays dropped their second straight game, and the series, to the Baltimore Orioles by a score of 4-3.
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Fall to the O’s, 5-3
Once again the Rays overworked bullpen was forced to eat innings after Chris Archer failed to pitch past the fifth inning (for the third straight start) in his start Tuesday night. The typically dependable Joel Peralta faltered as the Orioles scored twice in the eighth inning following a 19-minute power delay, beating the Rays 5-3 in the first game of a three-game set.
The New What Next: Enter the O’s — A Series Preview of Sorts
The Tampa Bay Rays will resume play against the Baltimore Orioles Tuesday after returning home from a successful 10-game road trip. The trip didn’t start well, but my how things changed. The Rays left Chicago (en route to Boston) winning only one game out of four, yet they return to the friendly confines of the Trop having taken two-of-three from both the Red Sox and Yankees. So the Rays are miraculously fixed, right? Not by a long shot, BUT things are looking up.