That Tampa Bay Rays literally walked by the Florida marlins 6-4 to won the opening game of the series.  I have to say – this was as ugly a win as I’ve ever seen!  There was mistake after mistake, on ALL sides of the ball.  Defensively, on the books, it states we only made 1 error (Crawford) and Dioner Navarro had 1 passed ball.  Watching that game was a whole different story.  Navi should have had at least one of the 2 wild pitches charged to Andy Sonnanstine, 2 pop ups fell in the infield and BJ Upton bounced a ball around allowing a run to score.  

The saving grace for this game was the ability of the bull pen to keep this game within reach.  JP Howell followed Sonnanstine and Dan Wheeler pitched the 8^th.  Troy Percival came in to “close’ the 9^th and what an antacid moment that was!  He started strong by striking out Luis Gonzalez but then lost the strike zone entirely.  He walked the bases loaded in the 9^th inning and Maddon left him in the game!  He then got the ground ball he needed but it took an ESPN highlight reel play for Evan Longoria to make the play to get an out at second base. Run scores bumping the score to 6-4.  Perci walks the next hitter, Cantu, to load the bases once again.  Perci records the last out – game over, Rays win, barely.

The offense performed just as poorly.  At one point we had bases loaded with 0 out and could not plate a run.  Navarro led off an inning with a double and we could not even advance him.  We scored our runs by making the pitcher go deep into a count – Joe Nelson walked across the tying and go-ahead runs.  Longoria then smacked a 2 run double in the 9^th.   

We had no business winning that game but we did, we’ll take it.  Wins come in all shapes and sizes, and a win is a win.  We need to improve our offensive production drastically to be able to keep up with the red legs.  Let’s hope tonight starts that turn around!

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!

Starting pitcher Matt Garza was on the top of his game on Wednesday as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Texas Rangers 5-3.  Garza improved his record to 4-1 on the season after tossing eight strong innings.  He only allowed four hits and two runs while striking out 10 Rangers batters.

Things got a little shaky in the ninth inning for the Rays however as Troy Percival gave up a hit and one run while recording two outs before leaving the game with some sort of foot/leg injury.  Dan Wheeler then came in to record the final out and pick up his first save of the season.

The fifth inning was the big inning for the Rays at the plate as the scored four runs.  Akinori Iwamura, Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria, and Cliff Floyd all had rbi in the fifth inning. B.J. Upton also had one rbi in the game which came in the first inning.  Upton had a stolen base to go along with his rbi as well.

The Rays are now a half game up on the Boston Red Sox for first place pending the Red Sox game tonight.  Rays Blog

The Tampa Bay Rays got lucky and scored three runs in eighth inning as they beat the Oakland Athletics by the score of 3-2.  The Rays scored all three runs on an hit by Dioner Navarro that Emil Brown miss played and let get behind him in the outfield and all three runners on base scored.  Without that miss play, I don’t think the Rays would have won this game to be honest.

Scott Kazmir improved to 3-1 on the season as he tossed seven innings and only gave up four hits and one run.  Kazmir says he is still getting back to his usual self as he recovers from his arm injury suffered in spring training.  It looks like Kazmir is all set after another good performance.

Dan Wheeler pitched a scoreless eighth inning before Troy Percival came in and recorded his 13th save of the season in the ninth inning.  Wheeler and Percival are both throwing the ball really well in the eighth and ninth innings.

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The Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics played thirteen innings on Monday night and it was the Rays who came out on top with a 7-6 victory.  Evan Longoria hit a two run home run in the top of the 13th inning to provide the game winning runs for the Rays.

Longoria finished the game with the rbi as he also had a rbi double in the sixth inning.  Eric Hinske had a two run home run in the fifth inning to finish with two rbi.  Akinori Iwamura and Cliff Floyd both had a rbi in the game as well.

Jason Hammel pitched three innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win.  Hammel is now 3-2 on the season.  It was the first time in the last 11 games that Hammel got to see action in a game and he responded very well.  Troy Percival recorded his 12th save of the season as he gave up one run before recording all three outs in the 13th inning.

Starting pitcher James Shields pitched 7 2/3 innings as he gave up eight hits and five runs.  Shields ended up getting a no decision in the game.

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The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the New York Yankees once again and sent them into last place in the division.  The Rays beat the Yankees by the score of 5-2 on Thursday as they won the series 3-1.

Scott Kazmir pitched six innings and allowed three hits and no runs as he picked up his second win of the season.  Kazmir is now 2-1 on the season as he continues to come back from his arm injury.

Gary Glover was the pitcher that allowed both Yankees runs.  He pitched 2/3 innings and gave up three hits and two runs.  Both runs came on singles in the seventh inning.  Troy Percival worked the ninth inning to get his tenth save of the season.

Akinori Iwamura got the Rays scoring started in the first inning as he took Ian Kennedy deep for a solo home run.  Carl Crawford then had a sac fly in the third innning to put the Rays up 2-0.  In the fourth inning Shawn Riggans hot a two run home run.    And then in the fifth inning, B.J. Upton had a sac fly that put the Rays up 5-0.

Good four game series for the Rays as they took three games from the Yankees.  It will be fun to see if they can carry the momentum into their next series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

You can now be a game recap writer right here at Rays Homeplate!  We are looking for a Rays fan that would like to write game recaps on the site. If you are interested, please click the contact us link at the top of the page and email us.  Rays Blog

Troy Percival gave up a home run to Hideki Matsui in the bottom of the ninth inning to blow the save, but the Rays were still able to come away with a win over the Yankees by the score of 2-1.  Gabe Gross singled in Jonny Gomes for the winning in the bottom of the eleventh inning.

The Rays first run of the game came in the fourth inning when Eric Hinske had a rbi single.

J.P. Howell improved to 3-0 on the season as he pitched in extra innings.  Edwin Jackson the starting pitcher for the Rays tossed seven innings of five hit baseball to take the no decision in the game.  Dan Wheeler pitched a scoreless inning of relief as well.

It was nice to see th Rays come back after Percival blew the game.  That is how you pick up your teammates!  Rays Blog

Carl Crawford hit a sac fly in the 13th inning to give the Tampa Bay Rays a one run lead in the game but hey were not done because Dioner Navarro hit a grandslam to put the Rays up five runs.  After blowing the lead in the ninth inning, the Rays came back to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-3.

Navarro led the Rays with the four rbi from the grandslam.  Gabe Gross had two rbi while Carlos Pena and Crawford both had one rbi in the game.

Starting pitcher Edwin Jackson pitched eight great inning as he only gave up six hits and no runs.  He was in line to pick up the win until Troy Percival blew the save by allowing three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.  J.P. Howell ended up picking up the win for the Rays.

Great win for the Rays after they blew the game and then came back.  That is what good teams will do!  Rays Blog

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Toronto Blue Jays by the score of 5-4 on Tuesday night.  It was a really good win for the Rays who picked up a win against a divsional opponent on the road.

Akinori Iwamura led the Rays at the plate with two RBI.  Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton, and Eric Hinske all had one RBI each in the game.  Hinske’s RBI came off of a solo home run in the sixth inning.

Andy Sonnanstine pitched six innings to pick up his fifth win of the season.  Sonnanstine is now 5-1 on the season as he has been throwing the ball very good so far this season.  Troy Percival pitched the ninth inning to pick up his seventh save of the season.

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