The anatomy of a Tampa Bay Rays inning
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price recorded his 15th win last night, a team record. However it was a struggle for Price. He was often ahead in the count but was unable to finish off batters. Price did have 9 strikeouts, 5 after the first two innings, but he also had 4 walks and made 115 pitches in five complete innings.
To see what was happening to Price last night, you only need to look as far as the bottom of the second inning. The Tigers first batter was 2B, Carlos Guillen. Price jumped out to a quick 0-2 count, but was unable to find the corner of the plate and wound up walking Guillen. The second batter was newly acquired SS Jhonny Peralta, who lives off Rays pitching. Peralta hits a little pop up behind first base in foul territory. It should have been an easy out, but as both Matt Joyce and Ben Zobrist tried to make a play on the ball, neither player called the ball and it dropped harmlessly to the ground. Peraltra eventually walks.
Now the Tigers have runners on first and second no outs. In reality, neither runner should be on base. The Tigers next batter, Brandon Inge is Price’s first strikeout. Then Jeff Frazier strikes out and it appears Price will get out of the inning with no damage. Next up, C Gerald Laird who entered the game batting .185. Price hangs a pitch and Laird rips a double to left center field and just like that, it’s 1-0 Tigers. Price then manages to strike out leadoff man, Austin Jackson.
Price manages to strike out the side but it takes him nearly 30 pitches to do so. The first two batters of the inning should never have reached base. Price looks brilliant at times, but appears to lose his focus at other times. He needs to be pitching smarter, not harder. He needs to manage those 115 pitches and get into the 7th inning not just through the 5th.
Tampa Bay Rays versus Twins, game two
The Tampa Bay Rays will take on the Minnesota Twins for the second game of their four game series tonight. The good guys send Jeff Niemann (9-3 3.08) up against the Twins’ pitcher, Brian Duensing (4-1 1.83). Don’t let that record fool you, Duensing is a relief pitcher who is making a start for the Twins rotational pitcher Nick Blackburn.Both pitchers are coming off a win in their last start.
Early interviews with Rays manager Joe Maddon report that we might get to see Ben Zobrist tonight but I don’t expect to see 1B, Carlos Pena with a left hander pitching tonight.
Minnesota will likely be without superstar catcher, Joe Mauer again tonight, along with 1B, Justin Morneau but the Rays will have to once again face former teammate, Delmon Young who is rolling on a 12 game hitting streak. No matter, the Rays will be taking this game tonight, and looking for some more additional help from the Blue Jays and move solely into first place in the AL East.
Injury bug bites Tampa Bay Rays
Somebody get an ambulance over to Tropicana Field, the injury bug has bitten the Tampa Bay Rays. Oh, it started simple enough. CF B.J. Upton rolls this ankle in the outfield and misses a few days. Then, super utility man Ben Zobrist misses some games with back problems. He has missed both games against the Yankees and I don’t expect to see him on Sunday.
Then in what can only be called, the stupidest non sports related injury for the Rays in some time, RP Grant Balfour is now expected to miss 4-6 weeks. He has a strained rib injury. How did this happen you ask? Balfour was wrestling in the outfield with pitching coach Jim Hickey. Say what? This now makes a bit more sense of why the Rays acquired RP Chad Qualls, in what was a curious move at the time. Well, it’s still curious as Qualls brings a nice big fat ERA of 8.29 and an opponent batting average of .370 with him from Arizona. The Rays front office has made some unconventional moves in the past which have panned out, so you get a pass……………for now. But the first time he puts a fastball right down the heart of the plate, serving up a three run home run, the civility towards the move disappears.
So, if that wasn’t enough for you, Rays 1B, Carlos Pena left last nights game in the 7th inning which what is being called a foot injury. He is currently listed day to day. This comes just as Carlos was starting to get his groove back at the plate. Over the past 7 games, Pena hit at a .292 clip, had 3 home runs, 8 RBI’s and scored 4 runs. With the lack of the Rays acquiring another bat for the lineup at the trade deadline, the Rays cannot afford to field a lineup without Pena for an extended period of time.
Speaking of another bat, the attempted comeback by Rays OF Rocco Baldelli continues. Rocco, playing with the Rays A affiliate, the Port Charlotte Stone Crabs went 1-4 last night against Dunedin.
Rays fans, the future is now. And in case you missed pitching phenom Jeremy Hellickson in the Futures All-Star game a few weeks ago, you will get a chance to see him with the Rays this week. Since the Rays are in the middle of a schedule that forces them to play twenty games in twenty days, the club has decided to recall Jeremy to make a start against the Minnesota Twins on Monday squaring off against Carlos Pavano. Hellickson brings with him a 12-3 record and the International leagues best ERA at 2.43. He has recorded 123 K’s in just 117.2 IP giving up just 5 homers and walking 35. It’s not expected that Hellickson will remain with the club, but he should give Rays fans a taste of the future on Monday night.
Since Hellickson is making the trip from Durham, something else he might bring with him, Dan Johnson. If Penas’ foot injury does indeed become an issue, the Rays might want to give him a look. Johnson is batting .303 with a International league leading 30 home runs and 95 RBI’s. Speaking of Durham, the Rays AAA club is simply ripping the International league apart. They are currently riding a 10 game win streak and has the leagues best overall record at 67-40 15 games ahead of second place Charlotte.
Rays sweep Tigers, next up……Yankees
The Tampa Bay Rays handed the Detroit Tigers another road loss this afternoon, defeating them 4-2 and completing a 4 game sweep. David Pricerecorded the win, his 14th, the first pitcher in the American League to reach that mark. Price is now within striking distance of the all time single season win record for a Rays pitcher. A mark set in 1998 by Rolando Arrojo of 15 wins.
Tampa is now on pace for 101 wins this season and are 4 games ahead of where they were 100 games into the season in 2008.
One good sign for the Rays is that 1B Carlos Pena’s bat is coming alive and it’s not just home runs he’s hitting. He dd manage to crush one to right field today but it was a solo shot. Pena ended the day going 3-4 and driving in 4 runs.
The loss of B.J. Upton and Ben Zobrist to injury were apparent early on as Gabe “Welcome Back” Kapler was inserted into the center field slot. With Tiger’s 2B Will Rhymes facing David Price in the third inning, Kapler was playing so shallow I think he believed he was supposed to be covering second. Rhymes hit a ball over Kapler’s head which rolled to the wall for his first triple of the season. I certainly hope that Zobrist will be ready to go against the Yankees this weekend.
Make sure to come back tomorrow as I’ve interviewed Edward Valentine of the Yankees blog, Pinstripe Alley and we will be bouncing a few questions off one another about the charged weekend series between the Yankees and Rays.
Rays roll, 24 games over .500
The Tampa Bay Rays took advantage of Detroit Tigers spot starter, Eddie Bonine early on Wednesday night. Bonine on lasted 3.1 innings and gave up 8 hits and 5 earned runs. Jeff Niemann rebounded off his rain delayed last start in Cleveland and recorded his 9th win of the season. Grant Balfour pitched the 7th and Joaquin Benoit the 8th. Rafael Soriano came on in the 9th to record his 28th save of the season.Tampa won 7-4 and now have moved to 24 games above .500.
I think you’d be hard pressed to find a better set up man and closer than Benoit and Soriano right now in baseball.
Tampa Bay posted 14 hits on Wednesday night, and everyone who started collected a hit. No one had a better night at the plate than 3B Evan Longoria who was 3-4 scored twice and drove in two. Those two RBI’s coming off a homerun in the bottom of the 8th which basically sealed the game for the Rays. The blast ends a 0-19 skid Longoria had been in.
The Rays lost super utility man Ben Zobrist, who left the game before the start of the 4th inning. Zobrist is listed as day to day with some stiffness in his back. Zobrist had been playing center field, replacing the injured BJ Upton who is nursing a sprained ankle.Upton might not return to the lineup until after this weekend’s series with the New York Yankees.
Thursday’s game is a rare 12:10pm start time and features David Price (13-5 2.90) squaring off against Rick Porcello (4-8 5.55)
