Hey Rays fans!!  The Rays bats looked a bit livelier last night!  Good news on the horizon maybe????    The Rays banged out 9 hits in last night’s Tiger whoopin’, 6 of those hits were for extra bases!   That was great to see.  A lot of hustle around the base path, turning singles into doubles, swiping bags and even a bunt attempt put the pressure on the Tigers and they retreated to the safety of the den.

Carl Crawford led off the hit parade with his 5^th triple in his last week or so.  Jason Bartlett added another triple.  Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria belted solo blasts.  Akinori Iwamura and Cliff Floyd laced doubles.  The aggressors on the base path included BJ Upton, Eric Hinske and CC, and let me tell you, these guys had such good jumps it wasn’t even close!  Great to see these guys put the pressure on the defense.  It was clear they were in the head of the battery.  Keep it going! 

The pitching wasn’t as great but it was sufficient to hold the hard hitting Tigers to just 2 runs and preserve the victory.  Scott Kazmir struggled with his control mightily!  I really can’t remember the last time he pitched so poorly…that being said he get s break from me.  He has been our staff ace and through several years the only SP this team could count on.  He is having an off year (by his own comparison) but he’s a smart guy and I believe he’ll have it all figured out just in time for our PLAYOFF RUN!      

The bullpen faired well except for a couple of minor bumps.  Troy Percival somehow seems to keep getting it done.  He earned his 24^th save last night.  Overall this was the line of the pitching staff: 9 innings, 4 hits, 2 ER, 9 BB and 11 K’s.  They only negative in that line is the 9 BB – but 6 were by Kaz, that shows how much he struggled. 

This was a GREAT TEAM effort!  It seems like not making a deal by the deadline rejuvenated the Rays.  It showed them the confidence the RFO has in the players they have.  They certainly looked like a different team from that team of the past month.  It will be interesting to see if they come out with that same intensity tonight.   

See you at The Trop! 

Matt Garza dominated the Blue Jay hitters to earn his first CG shutout!  He allowed only 5 hits, 1 BB and earned 5 K’s in his 9 innings of work.  I cannot say enough about Garza’s performance. He was professional, poised and looked mature far beyond his years out there.  Garza had all his pitches working and his location was spot on.  Have to give a shout out to Dioner Navarro who called this game and did a great job!

All Garza needed was a solo blast by Eric Hinske in the 3^rd off Halladay.  The offense was not outstanding tonight BUT I will give that out to Halladay’s pitching tonight.  He was no slouch on the mound!  

 There was a specific period of the game offensively that really stood out to me as an improvement on the recent struggles of the offense.  In the 8^th inning with 2 out BJ Upton worked Halladay for a full count walk. Carl Crawford then followed with a great at bat and lined a single down the left field line.  Evan Longoria followed him with another great at bat and blistered a triple to the gap scoring Upton and Crawford and giving Garza some breathing room.  These at bats were significant in my mind from 3 guys who have been struggling and need to turn it around to anchor this offense.

Longo was also flashing some serious leather between the lines.  On one hit the ball actually bounced high off the bag he grabbed it and fired a strike to first to get Rios who can motor.  If this guy does not win the ROY there is something wrong with the entire process.  One of the most impressive things about Longo in my opinion is that he never seems rattled.  He carries himself in a very calm and professional manner regardless of what has gone on.  His struggles as of late at the dish have not affected his defensive play at all.  Great on you Longo! 

Congratulations Matt!   Great game Rays!  Let’s take the series victory today!

And this why….

• The depth of their bench. They are solid and experienced. Hitters like Eric Hinske, Willy Aybar and Cliff Floyd have the experience. Gabe Gross and Shawn Riggans have shown a propensity for getting the big hit when we need it. Riggans has amazingly maintained a healthy bat only playing once a week or less – he’s been outstanding this season. The entire bench does not hit for average but when they do is take pitchers deep into counts and get a pitch they can do something with.
• The depth of their pitching staff. From the starters to the bullpen they have proven if one is struggling the others will have their back. If one goes down another from AAA is there to step right in without a hint of inability.
• The defense has been above average. The Rays do commit errors occasionally but they move past the error onto the next play.
• They play as a complete TEAM. Every night there is a new hero for this team. Who would have thought Andy Sonnanstine would lead our SP staff with 9 wins? Who would have thought we’d have as many walk off wins as we’ve had this season? Who really thought Troy Percival was going to come in here and close the door like he has?
• They are hungry! They have hit a few bumps in the road but have picked themselves up the next night. They want this – it’s in their eyes!

The next test comes at The Trop with division nemesis Boston red Sox. This will be a 3 game series that could see one team or the other fall far below the top in the AL East standings. Or we could just see another brawl! Here are your pitching Matchups:

June 30 – James Shields (5-5, 3.76) vs. Justin Masterson (4-1, 3.43) TV – ION Radio – 1250 WHNZ, 680 WGES (sp)
July 1 – Matt Garza (6-4, 3.76) vs. Tim Wakefield (5-5, 3.88) TV – FSN Radio – 1250 WHNZ, 680 WGES (sp)
July 2 – Scott Kazmir (7-3, 2.88) vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-1, 3.21) TV – ION Radio – 1250 WHNZ, 680 WGES (sp)

The Tampa Bay Rays are true contenders in the AL East. This series will end with the Rays still atop the AL East and a series victory 2-1.

Go Rays!!

The Tampa Bay Rays let the Pittsburgh Pirates off the hook Saturday night.  The Rays generated 10 hits and 4 walks but managed to leave 12 on base.  Anytime you see numbers like this you know the ending cannot be a good one, this was no different.  Jason Hammel gave up a 13^th inning HR to Jason Bay for a walk off win.  Bay had gone 0 for 5 with 3 K’s up to this point.  It’s a mystery having had a guy figured out all game long how you serve up a HR pitch at this point in the game.  SP Edwin Jackson pitched well enough to win the game.  He went 6.2 innings giving up only 6 hits, 3 ER, 2 BB and 3 K’s.

Johnny Gomes had tied the game at 3 with a pinch hit HR in the 8^th.  The game remained knotted at 3 until the 13^th.   Eric Hinske, Carlos Pena and Jason Bartlett led the offensive charge all hitting 2B’s. 

The unfortunate fact of this game is that the Rays failed to get hits when they needed them.  Leaving multiple runners on base (12) and giving up a lot of strike outs (10) has been a trend for this team.  I thought that they had finally stepped beyond that point in their development with the offense they have shown on this road trip.   But, maybe that is wishful thinking on my part.  They had an opportunity to end the night sitting alone atop the AL East as the Red Legs lost.  The Rays must gain consistency in these areas to be able to continue to compete in the long term.  Don’t get me wrong, I know they are going to lose games.  If this were an isolated incident I would be ok with that.  It wasn’t, it has been a season long trend. 

Today’s matchup pits Andy Sonnanstine (8-3, 4.85) toeing the rubber against Tom Gorzelanny (6-6, 6.43).  Gorzelanny has proven to be a model of inconsistency.  He has accumulated 55 walks to only 41 K’s.  If the Rays hitters are patient at the plate they WILL get on base one way or another. 

This afternoon the Rays have the opportunity to end this road trip 5-1.  That would be a great boost to their confidence heading back home to The Trop for a match up against the Red Sox.  I’ll be watching to see how they improve or adjustments they make to score those runs when they have the opportunity. 

The Tampa Bay Rays rode the long ball to victory in the opening game of the 3 game series.  Evan Longoria led the charge having a GREAT night at the dish going 4 for 5 with a HR, a 2B, 3 RBI and 3 runs scored.  He was followed in the home run parade by Eric Hinske who blasted a 3 run shot and Carl Crawford who hit a solo bomb.  The Rays did a nice job at the plate banging out 15 hits with only 6 K’s. 

Scott Kazmir had a less than average outing for him in his 7^th victory.  He allowed 3 ER on 4 hits, 2 BB and a HR while compiling 4 K’s in just 5 innings pitched.  Kaz pitched well but he lacked the ability to get the final strike by the Buc hitters.  He went deep into far too many counts elevating his pitch count to 103 in just 5 innings. JP Howell followed Kaz and struggled with his control a bit.  Howell allowed 1 hit, 1 ER and 2 BB in just 1 inning pitched.  Grant Balfour and Trever Miller finished the game and quieted any hopes of a Bucs comeback.     

The return of Carlos Pena saw him go 0 for 3 with 1 BB.  Joe Maddon had him batting 6^th in the lineup behind Longoria which is a great call.  Pena wasn’t leaving too many runners in scoring position before his stint on the DL so good to see Maddon take some pressure off him in his return. By the way – the #4 hole was filled by Hinske who went 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored.  

The Rays have been taking advantage of mistakes made by opposing pitchers both in the series with the Florida Marlins and in the first game of this 3 game set.  If the Rays are willing to continue to be patient at the plate and force opposing pitchers to go deep they will sweep the Bucs.  This road trip should breed a ton of confidence in the Rays as they will return to The Trop with a winning road trip without having their full compliment of players but for 1 game (Iwamura will being to serve his suspension tonight). 

It’s a great time to be a Tampa Bay Rays fan!

WOW, the Tampa Bay Rays destroyed the Florida Marlins 15-3 Wednesday evening.  It was an amazing display offensive prowess!  The Rays banged out 15 hits including 2 HR by Carl Crawford, a HR by Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist, 2Bs by Eric Hinske, Akinori Iwamura and Longoria.  The Rays also showed their patience at the dish by collecting 9 walks.    

James Shields pitched a strong 7 innings only giving up 1 run on 4 hits and collecting 5 strike outs.  This brings his overall record to 5-5, 3.76.  He was followed by Jason Hammel and Gary Glover who, combined, gave up 5 hits and 2 runs in 2 innings (they were trying out their best Percival imitation).

It was nice to see the Rays run away with a victory!  They showed a bit more plate discipline that they have been lately.  This plate disciple allowed them to get the pitches to hit.  And they hit them!  The Rays now move 15 games above .500 at 46-31.  What an amazing season!

Today the Rays go for the series sweep in Florida.  This will be a huge accomplishment for the Rays as they haven’t been a great road team.  A sweep of the Marlins, a very good NL team, may build the Rays “on the road” confidence.  I know I’ll be glued to my TV!

Oh what a GREAT time to be a fan of the Tampa Bay Rays!  Carl Crawford’s 7^th inning grand slam was a large part of a 7 run, 7^th inning for the Rays!  The Trop was electric!  Every Ray fan in the place was caught up in the emotion of this inning and this sweep.  My hands hurt driving home after all the high fives that were passed from person to person, old and young alike.  It was amazing! 

Starting pitchers James Shields and Sean Gallagher did not figure in the decisions.  Sweet Lou (who’s probably a bitter Lou after his return to The Trop) brought their bullpen ace, Carlos Marmol, in to try to preserve their lead in the 7^th.  It didn’t work – Marmol imploded.  He walked Willy Aybar and Cliff Floyd then proceeded to hit Gabe Gross loading the bases.  Akinori Iwamura stepped up to the plate with bases loaded and no outs.  On a 2-2 pitch Marmol HIT HIM sending home a run.  Still with no outs and bases loaded Carl Crawford stepped to the plate.  We were all praying for a drive to the outfield to at least tie the game.  No one could have predicted what was to come. LHP pitcher Scott Eyre was brought in to face CC – and BAM!  It was all over from there!  CC planted a fastball in the right field seats.  The fans almost blew the lid off The Trop!  BJ Upton followed that with a triple and Eric Hinske doubled him in.  Hinske then swiped 3^rd and was knocked in by Evan Longoria to complete the scoring.

This win, actually this series sweep, was about a complete team effort.  The bullpen was flawless, the starting pitching was amazing and the offense came through in a big way.  The Rays showed this week what a complete team they are.  They will go through their individual slumps, bad pitching moments and defensive blunders but in the end there is a new hero every night for this team.  This team plays hard together all the time.  I have to say that the feeling in The Trop last night was not a feeling of despair even when down 3-1 in the 7^th inning….it was a positive feeling; we knew the Rays could come back.  In years past that game would have been over. 

With this victory the Rays move to with 1 1/5 games of the idle Red Sox.  This weekend we face a weak and battered Houston team who was just swept by Baltimore.  Get to The Trop and support your Rays!  They are playing hard for you every day!   

If you are not a Rays fan yet, you may want to jump on the bandwagon fast – it’s filling up quickly!

The Tampa Bay Rays have done what most baseball aficionados didn’t think they were capable of – they have taken the first 2 games of a 3 game series from the Cubs.  They have not only taken the series but they beat the ace of Sweet Lou’s staff — Carlos Zambrano.  Andy Sonnanstine pitched with great control. He hit the corners with efficiency and the umpires actually called them!  His line wasn’t that impressive, 5 innings, 7 hits, 3 ER, 2 BB and 3 K, but he made the pitches and got the key outs when he needed to.  He had a bases loaded, no out jam in the 5^th and allowed only 1 Cub to cross the plate. 

The bullpen was fantastic once again.  JP Howell was outstanding once again. He made some unbelievable pitches in his 2 innings of relief work allowing only 1 hit.  Dan Wheeler pitched another 1-2-3 8^th.  Then there’s the enigma that is Troy Percival.  He came to close the door in the 9^th with a 5-3 lead.  Immediately he gives up a solo blast to Geovanny Soto.  Fasten your seatbelts kids!  He then allows a BB to Mark DeRosa…..  No outs recorded yet.  I reach for my antacid…..  Finally an out but DeRosa advances to 2^nd.  And another out…  Now up steps the hitter I fear most at this point…..Fukudome.  The tying run is on 2^nd base, there are 2 outs and Perci hasn’t hit the spot where Navi’s setting up his glove very often so far.  I reach for another antacid.  STRIKE 3 LOOKING – GAME OVER, RAYS WIN, RAYS WIN.  I know, not the World Series but it sure felt like it.  The pitching in this series has been fantastic!

The offense was less than exciting but it was very effective.   The Rays put together a big 3^rd inning scoring 4 runs on 5 hits.  Nice to see them string a few hits together and not rely on the “big bat”.  Eric Hinske has been impressive at the dish thus far this season.  His average may be a less than desirable at about .251.  At this average this would mean he gets 2 hit in every 4 at bats – typical game consists of about 4 at-bats.  The impressive thing is he almost always gets that 1 hit in a crucial time for the team, this hit garnered an RBI.  He also added a BB and a stolen base to his night.

Tonight the Rays sent James Shields (4-5) vs Gallagher (3-3) looking for the sweep.  It’s a great time to be a Tampa Bay Rays fan!

Scott Kazmir was amped the first inning on the mound!  He had some issues finding the strike zone and only lasted 4 2/3 innings leaving with a 1-1 tie.  His line wasn’t Kazmir-ish allowing 3 walks and scattering 3 hits with 1 ER and striking out 7.  The bullpen did an excellent job until the 9^th.  Troy Percival went into the 9^th with a 3-1 lead gave up a run, allowed 2 hits, walked 1 and finished the game with the tying run standing 90 feet away. 

The offense did hit well against Ryan Dempster knocking him out in the 5^th inning.  Cliff Floyd and Evan Longoria hit solo bombs with Eric Hinske driving in the final run.  The problem the Rays suffered was a lack of timely hitting once again.  We had multiple opportunities to score once again and failed to get the hit leaving 12 on base.

A win is a win and this was a quality win against a quality opponent.  Tonight has Andy Sonnanstine (7-3) going against Carlos Zambrano (8-2). 

See you at The Trop!

The Rays returned home to victory Friday night with a 7-3 win over in state rivals the Florida Marlins.  Andy Sonnanstine had a shaky first inning allowing 2 runs then settled in to scatter 6 hits over 5 1/3 innings to earn his 7^th victory of this season.  Andy completed his line by racking up 5 strike outs and 0 walks.  The bullpen did an outstanding job supporting Andy’s start by pitching a combined 3 2/3 innings giving up only 1 hit and adding 4 more Ks to the night’s pitching line.  Troy Percival was activated from the DL prior to the start of the game and pitched a 1-2-3 9^th.

Eric Hinske jump started the offense with a 2 run double in the bottom of the first and the offense never looked back from there.  The RBI producing 2B machine included Gabe Gross and Akinori Iwamura.  Jason Bartlett had a nice night at the dish also going 3 for 3 with 2 runs scored, RBI and 2 stolen bases.  Along with Bartlett’s stolen base, Cliff Floyd swiped 2^nd and ended up on 3^rd on the throwing error by catcher Matt Treaner. 

The key to this victory was multi layered.  First the pitching staff allowed 0 walks.  The Fish hit the ball well as evidenced by the 3 2B and 1 3B they bagged off Sonnanstine.  Not allowing free passes prevented scoring opportunities.  Nice job pitching staff! 

Second, the Rays were aggressive on the base paths.  Several of those stolen bases led to Rays runs on the next pitch or 2.  They have the speed, and even those that don’t have the speed can properly pick the time.  This places this team in a great situation to win!

Third, great defense once again.  A few outstanding plays and the routine plays were made to look routine.  Keep it up guys!

See you at The Trop!