A couple of questions lingered prior to the first pitch Friday night; would the Rays be able to bounce back from another disappointing loss, and could Chris Archer put together a decent outing — that is, decent enough to keep the Rays in the game. The resounding answers to both, yes and yes. Tampa Bay took the second game of the series against the Angels by a score of 3-0, thanks to an improved outing by Chris Archer, and key hits in the fifth, seventh, and eighth innings…and the ‘pen wasn’t half bad either.
Tag Archives: Tampa Bay Rays
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: The “Hey, At Least Bedard Was Good,” Edition
A rare sixth inning error by James Loney, and a blown save by the tandem of Grant Balfour and Brad Boxberger, sunk the Rays’ battleship Thursday night. Tampa Bay fell to the Angels by a score of 6-5 in the tough, Mike Trout inducing, walk-off loss. Look at the bright side: at least the Rays sixth starter was good.
The Case For Wilson Betemit
One thing became glaringly obvious following the transition from Spring Training to the regular season: the Rays are strapped for left handed bench depth. On a few different occasions this season, Tampa Bay has faced less than favorable matchups in key situations late in a game, yet they haven’t been able to do anything to change it. Tampa Bay might have a solution in veteran switch-hitter Wilson Betemit.
Rays 5/15/14 Starting Lineup, More On Zobrist, Etc
Jennings CF
Forsythe DH
Longoria 3B
Myers RF
Rodriguez 2B
Loney 1B
Escobar 2B
Guyer LF
Hanigan C
Bedard LHP
The New What Next: Rays vs. Halos — A Series Preview of Sorts
I wouldn’t say the Rays are out of the weeds just yet — after all, they’re still down a couple of pitchers and Ben Zobrist is out for the time being, while he mends from a bone dislocation in his left thumb. Yet, I can’t help but feel a sense of cautious optimism. Generally speaking, the pitching staff seems it may have turned a corner, and over the last week or so the team has started to play like the vintage Rays — their wins Saturday, Tuesday, and Wednesday speak to that. Tampa Bay still hasn’t shown it can win more than a few games here and there, so the next step for the Rays is to string together wins with consistency. They’ll attempt the to do just that in Anaheim, where they’ll face the Los Angeles Angels (or as Neil deGrasse Tyson called them, The The Angels Angels) in a four-game weekend series.