When things are rolling well, it becomes an expectation that they will continue to do so. Case in point, the Rays starting pitching over the last month and a half. Boy, does the hangover feel extra crappy when things don’t go your way. Case in point, Jeremy Hellickson’s 4.1 IP/7 H/4 ER/2 BB/3 K outing last night. The Rays fell flat on their faces, losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks by a score of 7-0 in front of 25,000+ fans.
Tag Archives: Evan Longoria
The New What Next: Enter the Diamondbacks
Back to interleague play. The second place Diamondbacks will come into the Trop Tuesday for a two game set against the Rays. Arizona took two out of three from Tampa Bay the last time the two teams met in 2010, though the Rays lead the series, 8-4 overall and 4-2 at the Trop. The Diamondbacks have stumbled to a 4-6 record following the All-Star break, while dropping two-and-a-half games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. The Rays, on the other hand, are coming off a franchise best 8-2 post All-Star Break road trip, winning 22 of their last 26.
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: From Last to First
Think back to the middle of June. The Rays were a part of an ultra-competitive AL East which found the Red Sox, Orioles, and Yankees in first, second, and third. Sitting in last place, most knew that Tampa Bay would eventually move up in the standings. Fast forward to last night, the Rays were finally able to claim sole possession of first place following a 10-6 win over CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees.
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Hernandez So-So, Farnsworth Not Good, and the Rays Lose 6-2
I’d hardly call Tuesday night’s 6-2 loss to the Red Sox a crushing blow, however there is a certain amount of suckiness attached when you consider that the Rays could have pulled into first place for only the second time this season. Let’s not get down on ourselves though, the Rays have had a great run, and one loss — only their third in 21 games mind you — shouldn’t be viewed as a foreboding indicator of doom and gloom. Losses are going to happen, and the true test will come tonight when David Price takes the hill, opposite of Felix Doubront. While I’d be hesitant to call this a crushing blow, I’d be foolish to overlook the glaring antecedents that factored into the Rays loss: A mediocre start by Roberto Hernandez, a horrible two-thirds of an inning by Kyle Farnsworth, cracks in the defense, and an anemic offense.
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Matt Moore, Rays Shutout Red Sox 3-0
Sure, the outcome of last night’s 3-0 shutout of the Red Sox is great. Better yet, the Rays now sit a half game out of first place and that’s a beautiful thing. But I’d argue the narrative coming out of Fenway has more to do with how the Rays defeated a team notorious for walk-offs. Matt Moore tossed a shutout for the first complete game of his major league career, surgically slicing and dicing the Sox while allowing total of three batters to reach base. Simply put, Moore was insanely good.