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.
Tag Archives: Chris Archer
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Let’s Play Two! (Updated)
“It’s like someone made pitcher voodoo dolls. It’s unreal how bad it is.”
– James Bowman
The New What Next: From One “Sox” Team to the Other
The Tampa Bay Rays will go from facing one “Sox” ball club to the other Tuesday, when they head to Boston for a three-game series at Fenway. A very disjointed Rays will battle the reigning World Series champs, in the battle for last. That is, at 12-14 and 11-15 (respectively), both teams sit at the bottom of the AL East, behind the Blue Jays.
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.
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Crush Yankees, 16-1
Just a day removed from the Rays’ come from behind victory against the Bronx Bombers Friday, Tampa Bay absolutely destroyed the Yankees Saturday night, handing Derek Jeter and company a crushing 16-1 loss — a score worthy of a football game. The Rays will walk into the series finale Sunday, having scored 29 runs in three-games — more than they scored in the previous 11 games combined. The 16 runs matched the club’s most since April 4, 2011 in Boston, and are the second most at home in franchise history (17 vs Baltimore, Sep 5, 2007). Wil Myers (3-4, 4 R, 4 RBI) and Ryan Hanigan (3-4, 2 R, 6 RBI) each homered twice, while Evan Longoria smacked career homer number 164. Longo now owns the franchise record for home runs. Archer was credited the win (2-1) while Ivan Nova, who gave up eight earned runs, was charged with the loss. Nova left the game in the fifth inning with what was reported as a partial tear of ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He’ll be placed on the DL Sunday.