The Tampa Bay Rays lost Game 2 of this 3 game series the Boston Red Sox 5-1 vaulting them ½ games over the Rays and into first place in the AL East. More importantly may be the 8th inning of the game when the feisty Rays showed the gumption that has tempered their rise from the cellar of the AL East. BJ Upton was ejected and Joe Maddon was throwing profanity from the pitching mound into the Red Sox dugout at centerfielder Coco Crisp.
Upton was tossed for arguing a third strike call with umpire Paul Emmel. Upton was 0 for 4 with 3 strike outs. I think BJ should stop arguing calls and start swinging the wood that seems to sit atop his shoulders all too frequently. Joe Maddon even commented that the team is striking out far too often as the team has been fanned 19 times in the first 2 games of this 3 game series. Swing the bats boys!
Maddon took exception to a slide by Coco Crisp into 2nd that was obviously meant to hurt the defensive player, who in this case turned out to be Aki. Crisp claims that earlier in the game Jason Bartlett had placed his knee in a position to hurt Crisp on his steal of 2nd. Crisp went into 2nd base spikes up as if he were breaking up a double play right into Aki’s knee. Maddon threw a few profane remarks at Crisp from the pitching mound during a pitching change.
Speaking of throwing, the remarks thrown by Maddon were the best pitches of the night. Edwin Jackson struggled mightily allowing 6 H, 4 runs and 3 BB in 5 innings. It seems to this fan as though the mystique of Fenway is getting the better of the Rays young pitchers. Both Garza in game 1 and Jackson in game 2 seemed to be very uncomfortable standing on that mound.
On the offensive side, Eric Hinske had a productive game. He was 2 for 4 with a 2B, the only RBI of the game and a SB. Evan Longoria also had a nice day at the plate going 2 for 3 with a 2B, BB and the only Ray run scored.
My home run of the game goes to: Eric Hinske for being the only Ray to actually knock in a run (LOB – 7). Keep it up!
My strike out of the game goes to: Edwin Jackson for allowing the pressure to affect him so badly. Shake it off and move on!
Tonight is the last game of this series and the Rays then move on to face the red hot Texas Rangers. This fan’s hope is the feistiness we saw last night carries over. These Rays need to be more aggressive at the plate and on the base path when
