The Rays took the second game of a three game set against the Blue Jays Tuesday, on a very stormy night in St. Petersburg. With the sound of thunder echoing inside a 2/3 empty Tropicana Field, the Rays — led by Matt Moore — lowered a 5-1 boom of their own on the hottest team in baseball, scoring runs in the second, fourth, and seventh innings, while stifling a Blue Jays team who could get runners on, but couldn’t get them over and home.
Tag Archives: Roberto Hernandez
The New What Next: Rays Return to the Trop to Face the Blue Jays
It would be safe to say that Chris Archer needed a win Sunday. His last few starts — sandwiched between an excellent start against the Orioles on the seventh — left a lot to be desired. Archer seemed to be a bit over amped, and hadn’t been nearly as efficient as most knew he could, and should, have been. Archer quelled the fears of many a Rays fan Sunday, putting together an excellent 6 IP/6 H/1 R/1 ER/1 BB/4 K outing, leading the charge in a 3-1 victory against the Yankees. The Rays will use the accrued momentum when they return to the Trop Monday to take on the charging Toronto Blue Jays.
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Lose 6-3, Sputtering Offense Quiet
To put it bluntly, the swarming offense, that Joe Maddon’s so candidly spoken about, had more in common with a swarm of sugar ants Friday night, than it did with a swarm of yellow jackets. The Rays dropped an easily winnable game to the Yankees by a score of 6-2, and again find themselves two-and-a-haf games behind the third place Yankees going into Saturday afternoon’s game at Yankee Stadium.
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Thump Yankees, 8-3
On the subject of Thursday night’s 8-3 win, a friend of mine summed up a general affect well, “The sound of a moaning, groaning, and grumbling Yankee Stadium is music to my ears.” In short, the Rays needed a win at Yankee Stadium, and a win they got in spades. Matt Moore collected himself and put together a well needed quality start, while the offense came alive for the second day straight, with Evan Longoria and Yunel Escobar mashing a handful of homers. Tampa Bay will enter Friday night’s match-up just one-and-a-half games behind the third place Yankees, ready to pounce on David Phelps.
The New What Next: Rays vs Yankees – Snooze Fest 2013 Series Preview
Facing a team on the slide (Editors note: similar to the slide pictured above. That is to say, it’s not been pretty) can act as a catalyst for another, especially when the presumptive wins come at the hands of the Yankees. Both New York and Tampa Bay have run into an impenetrable brick walls of late. The Yankees have won four of their last ten games, while the Rays have won only two.