As this disappointing season winds to a close, it certainly is an odd feeling to be watching the Rays play irrelevant baseball. Hell, even in their last season of irrelevant baseball (2012), Tampa Bay was playing for something up until the very end. Still, if you subscribe to the idea that a fair number of those on the roster are making their case for 2015, these final games are pretty interesting. And while the infield of the future looked all but settled a few days back, Nick Franklin entered the picture and is making a pretty good case for himself.
Tag Archives: Chicago White Sox
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Hellickson, Rays Fall 4-3
I’m not certain if the headline to ESPN’s piece on the Rays 4-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox is funny, ironic, or a combination of the two. It reads, “White Sox eliminate Rays from playoff contention,” and while the four runs put up by Chicago nailed the coffin shut, the Rays sealed their own fate a long time ago. But fine, I’ll take the bait and argue that if we’re looking at Tampa Bay’s elimination from the postseason on the micro level, then it was the lackluster performance by Jeremy Hellickson that sealed the teams fate, not the White Sox. After all, he’s the one who delivered the very hittable pitches.
The New What Next: Rays vs. White Sox — the Final Home Stand
Tampa Bay is set to start its final home series of the 2014 season, a three game set against the Chicago White Sox, starting Friday. The Rays’ meager three-game winning streak was snapped in the 3-2 loss against the Yankees, Wednesday. And while they won’t play the role of spoilers against Chicago, the Rays still need to win at least eight games to end the season with a plus .500 record.
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Drop Game Third Game of the Series to the White Sox, 9-2
It’s up to debate whether the Rays would/could have eked out a 2-0 win against the White Sox Sunday — that is, assuming the five run, four error sixth inning, and the four run seventh never happened. For one thing, David Price sailed, efficiently, through the front five innings. And though the offense failed to tack on more than two runs — that is, when they had opportunities to do so in three other innings — they seemed in line for another one of their patented one or two run victories (see: the games on April 8, April 11, and April 12). Overall, they went 1-5 wRISP, stranding six men on the bags. Instead, they were embarrassed by the soft tossing, 29 year-old rookie (and the rest of the south-siders for that matter), falling 9-2.
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Oof, Rays Fall to ChiSox in Not So Grand Fashion
If I was asked to put together a list of the Rays ugliest losses this season, a list which would include the week’s previous frustrating extra innings losses, Friday night’s loss in Chicago would easily take the cake. The Rays had every opportunity to come out victorious — an early 4-1 lead, they reached base 21 times (10 hits, 11 walks), and the pitchers that kept Tampa Bay in the thick of things until the ninth inning — yet they couldn’t finish the job. The Rays walked away from US Cellular Field last night with a 9-6 loss, as opposed to a 6-4 win. I’m still stunned.