The baseball gods giveth, and they taketh away. On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Rays put up 19 runs against the Minnesota Twins — becoming the first team to score 19 runs in a Spring Training game. Yet on Thursday, the Boston Red Sox became the second team to score that many runs, defeating the Rays 19-2 in Ft. Myers.
Some takeaways from the ball game:
— Jose De León had a tough first spring outing. The right-hander was pulled in the first inning after allowing a single off the left-field wall to Dustin Pedroia, then allowing back-to-back walks to Brock Holt and Mookie Betts; consequently loading the bases. After fanning Hanley Ramirez, Mitch Moreland hit a sacrice-fly before Chris Young blooped a full count single to left-center, scoring a pair of runs. De León, citing a lapse in fastball command, threw 16-29 pitches for strikes.
And though he couldn’t throw his 92-94 mph fastball for strikes, the 24 year-old right-hander shrugged it off as just a bad day at the office.
I just couldn’t locate my fastball, said De Leon. That’s the key to a pitcher, locating your fastball. I just couldn’t do it today. The changeup was good, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t have that fastball command. … I just have to keep working on it. I know the sun will come out again tomorrow.
(Audio Courtesy of Rays Radio)
Rays skipper Kevin Cash called it a combination of him being amped up for his first appearance, and the need for a slight mechanical adjustment to his delivery.
It looked like everything sped up a bit, Cash said. He came out and … he was frustrated but he wasn’t rattled to the point where he didn’t have a feel or a sense of what was going on. … He’ll be fine.
(Audio Courtesy of Rays Radio)
— Nick Franklin, playing his first game in centerfield since 2016, when he did so once with the Durham Bulls, misplayed a Brock Holt fly ball in the second inning, just before Ramirez hit a three-run homer off Chase Whitley to make it an eight-run game. Franklin also had trouble with multiple fly balls in center, illustrating just how easy Kevin Kiermaier makes it look…and how important an apt replacement for Kiermaier is, should The Outlaw incur another injury or need a day off.
Franklin was accountable following the game.
That was my first day out in center, but that was no excuse. There’s always room to improve. … I know I’m a lot better than that.
(Audio Courtesy of Rays Radio)
— Having a 100 mph fastball does not always equate dominance, just ask Ryne Stanek, who gave up five runs in the fourth inning.
The New What Next
The Rays will host the Tigers on Friday afternoon at Charlotte Sports Park, in Port Charlotte. Ryan Yarbrough will start for Tampa Bay. Left-hander Matt Boyd will toe the rubber for the Tigers. Also slated to take the mound for the Rays are Xavier Cedeno, Alex Colome, Jose Alvarado, Shawn Tolleson, David Carpenter, and Chih-Wei Hu.
Rays *Addended* 3/3/17 Starting Lineup
Dickerson DH
Souza Jr. RF
Longoria 3B
Miller 2B
Weeks 1B
Beckham LF
Smith CF
Maile C
Adames SS
Yarbrough LHP