Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Drop the Second Consecutive Game to the Red Sox

In short, Fernando Rodney looked horrible, directly contributing to the loss. Rodney walked the bases loaded in the ninth, subsequently giving up the go-ahead three-run double to Will Middlebrooks, handing Boston a one run lead they’d never relinquish. He could not find the zone to save his life, throwing 35 pitches in 2/3 of an inning, only 16 pitches going for strikes.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Price Headed to the DL

The Rays will take on the Boston Red Sox Thursday night, in the rubber match the current three-game set. There really wasn’t much to like about the previous game. Tampa Bay gave up nine runs over the course of two innings, while the bats — though alive — couldn’t score more than two runs off Jon Lester — who was more lucky than dominant.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Beat the Sox 5-4

The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox Tuesday night by a score of 5-3, taking the first game of a three game set from their AL East rivals. The Rays have now won six consecutive games, while Matt Moore has become Major League Baseball’s only 7-0 pitcher on the back of a 6.0 IP/3 H/3 R/3 ER/2 BB/8 K/1 HR outing where he threw 100 pitches (62 for strikes). Fernando Rodney got his seventh save in his first 1-2-3 outing of the season.

Rays 5/14/13 Starting Lineup, Etc

Rays skipper Joe Maddon was back at it Tuesday, brining a Latin band into the clubhouse, and hanging nine bunches of three plantains by the players lockers (specifically by Fernando Rodney and Joel Peralta’s lockers). As you may recall, plantains were the Dominican mascot of the 2013 World Baseball Classic; something Rodney brought to the Rays in May after a rough month in April.

The New What Next: Enter the Red Sox

Come Tuesday, the 19-18 Tampa Bay Rays will welcome the 22-16 Boston Red Sox into the Trop, for the first game of a three game set against their AL East rivals. The surging Rays look to make up some ground in the East against a struggling Red Sox team, who have gone 2-8 over their last 10 games. If Tampa Bay can take the series, they’ll waltz into Baltimore at least three games over .500 and tied with the Red Sox for third place in the East. This promises to be a big series.