The short synopsis: Rays get shut out (again) 5-0, Davis gets pulled in the fifth after 106 pitches, Nova gets his twelfth win in a row, the Red Sox also lost, and at least the Rays held their ground because of the Red Sox loss. At least there are three more games left in this series, starting with game one of today’s double-header at 1:00.
It would be easy to say that the Umpires did a crappy job last night, and that holds some truth. However, make no doubt about it,Wade Davis pitched a crappy game. After pitching 4.2 innings and giving up five runs on eight hit,s while walking five and striking out two, Davis was pulled in favor of the bullpen who did a good job limiting the the damage to only one more run (charged to Davis) after he was pulled from the game. If the strikezone plot illustrates anything, it’s that Davis didn’t have his stuff. Ivan Nova, on the other hand, did.
Nova went 7.2 innings while giving up no runs on six hits and three walks. Nova only struck out three, but I’ll be damned if his curveball wasn’t a Rays destroyer. The Rays again had runners in scoring position that they weren’t able to capitalize on, including a no out, bases loaded situation in the seventh in which Upton grounded in to a double play to end the inning. Nova was able to effectively coax the Rays into ground outs and pop outs all night. It was a frustrating game to watch to say the least. To think that our boys could be one game back thanks to a Red Sox loss, instead of two. Sigh….
The Rays will throw James Shields on the mound today, in game one of the double-header, against Hector Noesi who will reportedly only throw 50-60 pitches. Jeremy Hellickson will get the nightcap start against 19 game winner CC Sabathia tonight. Game ones starting lineup is below, and tonight’s lineup will come later. As always, Go Rays!
Jennings LF
Upton CF
Longoria 3B
Joyce RF
Damon DH
Kotchman 1B
Lobaton C
E. Johnson (Zobrist should be in the lineup tonight) 2B
Brignac SS
Shields P