Looking Backward While Moving Forward: I know I’ll Be Glad When This Road Trip Is Over

Tampa Bay starts the day one game ahead of the Cleveland Indians and the Baltimore Orioles in the Wildcard race, following another sloppily played game against the Seattle Mariners, Saturday night. The game had the all the hallmarks of a team that’s struggling to keep it together: Poor fielding, questionable pitching, and a non-existent offense. Going into yesterday’s game, Rays skipper, Joe Maddon, was quoted as saying,

“This has been our worst baseball all year.”

The New What Next: Rays vs Mariners, A Series Preview

Another day, another disappointing performance on both sides of the plate. Tampa Bay continues its 10-game road trip Friday, making the trek north to Seattle to take on the Mariners in a three-game set, following a 6-2 loss against the Angels in the series finale. The late night loss hurt, but the opportunity to bounce back against Seattle is promising. The Mariners are another sub .500 team, and a series win would give Tampa Bay an opportunity to come home on a wave of momentum. Then again, the Angels also are rocking a sub .500 record as well, so…

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: Rays Drop Fifth in Six Games, September Call-ups Part One

It was a long night — the first of ten. I woke up this morning with a sickening feeling in my gut — and to be honest, I’m not certain if it had more to do with the booze I steadily consumed for six or so hours yesterday, or the Rays 4-3 loss to the A’s. Perhaps it was the unholy combination of both. Whatever the case, both happened, and both left me feeling empty. Adding insult to injury, Tampa Bay fell three-and-a-half games behind Boston in the AL East, and a half game behind Oakland for the first wild card slot. Bright side: The Rays have two more games against the A’s today and tomorrow.

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.

Rays 8/27/12 Starting Lineup

Rays 8/27/12 Starting Lineup: Jennings LF Upton CF Zobrist SS Longoria DH Keppinger 1B Roberts 2B Fuld RF Molina C Johnson 3B Price LHP Noteworthiness:</em Maddon has put together an interesting lineup, with Evan Longoria at DH and hitting fourth, no Matt Joyce, Carlos Pena or Luke Scott. In their place are Sam Fuld in …