It would a massive understatement to say that the Tampa Bay Rays westward trip has been disappointing. First they were swept by the Rangers in three games, then, after piling on the runs in Monday’s series opener with the Astros, Tampa Bay dropped the next two games in walkoff fashion. The team closed out their stint in Houston with a big one-hit shutout of the Astros to split the series. That’s all in the past now, as the Rays prepare for the third (and final) leg of this western excursion in Oakland, where they’ll take on the Athletics in a three-game weekend series.
Tag Archives: Rays vs A’s Series Preview
The New What Next: Tampa Bay Rays Set to Start Important Series in Oakland
The Tampa Bay Rays will follow their disappointing series loss against the Los Angeles Angels with a pivotal 10-game road trip. First stop: Oakland on Monday for a three-game excursion that could help decide whether or not they remain in the American League wild-card race. The Rays start Monday five games behind Toronto for the American League’s second wild card spot.
The New What Next: Enter The A’s — A Series Preview of Sorts
The Tampa Bay Rays return home to face a very hot Oakland Athletics, on the heels of a disappointing 3-4 West Coast jaunt. Had the Rays gone 4-3, the tenor may be different. However they didn’t. At this point, their only real glimmers of hope are the possibilities that the pitching will stabilize with the return of Alex Cobb, and — at five games back — no one has put together a massive run in the AL East. It’s a very different story of the 28-16 Oakland Athletics. The A’s are 9-1 over a their last 10 games, entering the Trop on a three-game winning streak. Furthermore, at 16-6 on the road, Oakland has been pretty damn dominant in other team’s facilities.
The New What Next: Rays vs A’s – The Battle of the Bays
The good news: Tampa Bay has won nine of its last 15 with the pitching staff relinquishing only 2.6 runs, on average, per game. The bad: They’ve dropped four out of their last five, averaging only 2.6 runs per game in that stretch. Thursday’s game followed a familiar pattern; the pitchers put together a good enough start, yet the offense couldn’t muster anything. Rather, they were able to get eight runners on — but moving them over or driving them in? Not so much. You’ve got to love streakiness — one moment you’re feeling the highest of highs, and the next you feel like you’ve gotten punched in the stomach.