Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Myers, Rays Finish Off Giants in Extra Innings

The Rays were able to take the second game of a three-game set against the Giants by a score of 2-1 in dramatic walk-off fashion, in front of an impressive crowd of 31,969 fans at the Trop, Saturday night. Wil Myers drove in the game winning RBI with the bases loaded in the the bottom of the tenth, his first career walk-off. And though I wish the Rays could have tagged The Freak for more than a run, it was pretty damn cool to see a classic pitching duel between two former Cy Young Award winners.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Archer, Rays Lose 4-1

Most assumed that last night’s highly anticipated pitching match-up between Chris Archer and Madison Bumgarner would be a good one. At the end of the day though, only one pitcher would end his outing as the victor, while the other would walk away with a tally mark in the loss column. It just so happened that Bumgarner ultimately bested Archer and walked away knowing that he shut down one of the best teams in baseball.

The New What Next: The Rays vs Giants, A Series Preview of Sorts

The Tampa Bay Rays are back at it Friday following their 7-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Out of sight, out of mind. They’ll welcome the San Francisco Giants into the Trop for the first time since 2004 — only the second time in the Rays 15 year history. It’s a homecoming of sorts: The Giants were slated to call The Trop home 21 years ago this month. I still have my St. Pete Giants shirt somewhere, but that’s neither here or now.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Ouch!

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.