The Rays will brush off their shoulders after a disappointing series loss to the AL East leading Boston Red Sox. Let’s be clear about something before we move forward: Boston’s series win wasn’t predicated on some dominant force that shellacked Tampa Bay — after all, the Rays outscored the Sox 17-15. On the contrary, the Rays were their own worst enemy, going 6-for-31 wRISP in the three game series. In short, the Sox won because the BABIP luck dragons were nipping at the Rays heels.
Tag Archives: Tampa Bay
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Hernandez, Rays Roll to 8-3 Victory Over the Sox
Despite tossing 117 pitches, Joe Maddon elected send Hernandez back onto the mound in the eighth inning. What followed was a thing of beauty. After getting ahead of Dustin Pedroia, Robo plunked the Chris Elliot lookalike on a 1-2 pitch, feigning a reaction as the ball connected with Pedroia.
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Clobber the O’s 8-0, Take the Series
On a day aptly titled the Goddamn Deluge, the Tampa Bay Rays jumped all over the Baltimore Orioles in a four hit shutout shellacking, demoralizing their AL East foes by a score of 8-0. Tampa Bay has been able to leapfrog Baltimore in the standings, now claiming sole ownership of third place by a half game. Just two-and-a-half games behind the AL East leading Boston Red Sox, the Rays will look to sweep their second consecutive series against the Orioles Sunday afternoon.
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Archer Goes Seven Strong in Rays Win Over the Orioles
This game was about Chris Archer. No one else, well maybe Desmond Jennings, but we’ll get to that. Archer, after getting touched for five runs in four innings against the Indians, came out swinging. After hitting Nate McClouth to start the game, Archer settled down and induced two ground balls, from the next two batters, the second being an inning ending double play. He cruised through the first two and two/thirds innings before hitting a rough patch, the only one he would hit all night, walking Chris Dickerson, then walking Nate McClouth followed by a line drive to center field by Manny Machado, scoring Dickerson for Batlimore’s only run. After that, he coasted through the next four innings, allowing only one more hit on a misplay by Jennings in center.
Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Lose to the Tigers 5-2, Enter the Orioles
Tampa Bay dropped the rubber match of the Tigers series Thursday by a score of 5-2, in gem of well pitched game by Max Scherzer. The same culprits that killed the Rays throughout the course of the series — Victor Martinez, Prince Fielder, and Miguel Cabrera — were responsible for Detroit’s five runs, while the Rays offense couldn’t muster enough umph in a game where a win was obtainable — at least when former Ray Joaquin Benoit took the mound in relief.