Rays versus Red Sox series starts tonight
The Tampa Bay Rays are starting a home 6 game series and face none other than the Boston Red Sox tonight. The Rays really do have an opportunity to remove the Red Sox from the wildcard race with a three game sweep of the Red Sox, but this series is starting on a Friday, and we all know Tampa’s success on Friday nights, they have won once in the past 8 Fridays. Tonight though, we will see Tampa’s best pitcher David Price going up against the Red Sox’s best pitcher, Jon Lester.
Price, (15-5 2.97) will be looking for his elusive 16th win of the season after receiving 2 no decisions in his last two outings. Lester (13-8 3.26) is coming off a 2 inning 9 earned runs loss after getting shelled by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Tampa is going to need the pitching to be strong throughout the series, this is not the usual running team from Boston that Rays fans have been accustomed to seeing in the past. Injuries have really taken a toll on Boston this season, and they rely more on their bats than ever. That won’t be an easy chore though. Boston is second in MLB with 169 home runs, 2nd overall in RBI’s with 625 and 4th overall in hits with 1197. They also enter the Trop with a team .269 BA.
Boston really has overcome adversity this season, as much as I hate to admit. They looked like they were down for the count early on in the season, and yet despite all the injuries they have endured, they are only 5.5 games back in the wildcard race. Tampa will face the Sox 6 times in the next 12 games and really does control it’s own destiny. Tampa holds an 8-4 advantage over the Red Sox so far this season, however Boston is 3-3 at the Trop.
It’s time to put the shelling the Rays received on Wednesday behind them, we have a real chance here to put some serious distance between Boston and Tampa with the start of this series. We really don’t want these guys hanging around much longer. We can’t allow these guys to pick up any sort of momentum. Let’s watch Terry Francona speed eating his bubble gum tonight in a defeat for the Red Sox.
Tampa Bay Rays to sign Brad Hawpe
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It is being reported by Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com that the Tampa Bay Rays have signed RF Brad Hawpe. Hawpe was released by the Colorado Rockies and he cleared waivers. The Rays were rumored to have put a waiver claim in on Detroit Tiger OF?DH Johnny Damon and were linked to possibly being interested in OF Manny Rameriez. I never thought Rameriez was actually in the mix because the team would have had to pick up over 4 million of his remaining salary for the last 35 games of the regular season. Rameriez expressed a desire a few days ago that whichever team he went to, he wanted them to pick up another season which the Rays would not be able to afford.
Hawpe brings a left handed bat to the lineup, but he has a history of hitting right handed pitching very well. He has also spent time at 1st base but primarily plays right field. Hawpe has only appeared in 88 games so far this season, collecting 7 home runs, 37 RBI’s in 300 AB’s. While he is batting just .255 in limited action this year, he is a career .280 hitter.
Davis returns, shines during Rays over Angels
P Wade Davis returned off the 15 day DL and gave a strong performance as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Los Angeles Angels. Davis pitched into the 6th inning, surrendering 6 hits and 2 earned runs. Tampa took the lead in the top of the second inning and never looked back, beating the Angels 10-3.
Tampa pounded Angels starter Ervin Santana who had come into last nights game with a three game win streak, he was hit hard and often, yielding 8 hits and 6 earned runs in 5.1 innings. Rays 3B Evan Longoria led the hitting attack with his 4th multi hit game in his last 10 games. Longo hit his 19th homer of the season in the third inning and added a double later in the game for good measure.
This afternoon, the Rays will wrap up their West coast trips with a matinee against the Angels. The Rays get another pitcher back off the DL, Jeff Niemann (10-3 3.12) going up against Dan Haren (1-4 4.39) for the Angels. The Rays like Niemann pitching on the road, they have won 9 of his 10 starts on the road this year. Haren makes his first start against the Rays since 2007, and B.J. Upton loves squaring off against Haren, he’s 7-15 lifetime against him.
Boston Red Sox block Tampa Bay Rays
In what just adds fuel to the fire between the Tampa Bay Rays-Boston Red Sox rivalry, the Red Sox executed a waiver claim for Detroit Tigers OF Johnny Damon. Damon played for Boston from 2002-2005 and left amidst a very ugly situation and signed on with the New York Yankees.
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Damon told reporters yesterday that he didn’t know if he would report to the Boston club, he has 48 hours to show up. Damon has a partial no trade clause in his contract and said he was going to have to think long and hard about whether or not he wanted to finish the season with the Red Sox. After last night’s Tigers game, Damon said he was leaning towards staying in Detroit. He had told reporters yesterday that he wanted to return to the Tigers next season as well.
Damon is not the player he once was. In 415 AB’s this season, Damon has 7 home runs and 41 RBI’s with a .272 BA with his left handed bat.
A similar move by the Red Sox might be executed if the Dodgers put Manny Ramirez on waivers as expected later this week. The Rays have been searching for another bat for the run to the playoffs.
Rays welcome an old friend
The Tampa Bay Rays said hello to an old friend last night, Scott Kazmir. Kazmir has struggled mightily since being traded away from the Rays to the Angels. Tampa jumped on Kazmir early and posted 4 runs in the first two innings, it could have been worse for the lefthander.
In a great sign for the Rays, James Shields picked up his second consecutive win in his last two outings. In his last two starts, Shields has pitched 13 innings, surrendered 12 hits, 3 earned runs and logged 16 strikeouts. The Rays are going to need Shields to turn his season around as we head down the stretch to the playoffs. Shields might not have a stellar record but has been able to post a 3/73:1 K-BB ratio this season, nothing to sneeze at.
The Rays bats were largely silent with Tampa only recording 6 hits and once again, failed to drive in several runs, batting only 2-13 w/RISP.
Tonight is the second game of the three game series and the Rays welcome back Wade Davis (9-9 4.45) from the 15 day DL list with a shoulder strain. The Angels are sending Ervin Santana (13-8 3.93) to the mound tonight.
These next two games will the the Rays final games on the West coast this season, and it’s about time. These first pitches coming at 10:30pm are killers.
