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.
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.
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 rebound versus O’s
Though Tampa has only 3 wins out of 18 Friday’s this season, they stayed true to form tonight as they have a stellar record on the following Saturday’s after a loss. Rays P Andy Sonnanstine was a serviceable starter, allowing 3 earned runs in 5 innings and picked up the win.
The hero of the night had to be, C Kelly Shoppach without a doubt. Coming into the game batting less than .200, Shoppach turned the game around in the 4th inning with a grand slam home run and then followed that up with a solo shot in the 8th. Shoppach drove in 5 runs, scored twice and raised his batting average over the .200 lin. Shoppach had only hit one home run in 38 games this season.
One player who should be given MVP consideration for the Rays after this season is the little noticed RP Joaquin Benoit. Benoit has been lights out all season long. He currently has a ERA of 1.27 and a WHIP of 0.61. Benoit came in for the 8th inning, he threw 13 pitches, 9 were strikes, he struck out 2 and recorded his 18th hold of the year. In 42.2 innings pitched this season, he has only allowed 6 earned runs while striking out 58 and only walking 7. Benoit has been money for the Rays this season.
In Sunday’s game, the Rays fans will get another look at rookie phenom Jeremy Hellickson. Hellickson (2-0 1.29) was lights out against Detroit last week using less than 90 pitches in 7 innings to record his second career win.
Baltimore will be starting Jake Arrieta (4-3 5.29) who was roughed up in his last outing against Cleveland giving up 5 earned runs in 6 innings. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox both collected wins last evening so the standings in the AL East won’t change.
Tampa Bay Rays poised to be swept by Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday
It has just been announced that Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jeff Niemann will not start on Sunday and the Rays will be starting Andy Sonnanstine in his place. Dale Thayer, who was recalled from AAA Durham and posted an ERA of 27.00 this afternoon will be sent back tonight, replaced by Sonnanstine.
A start tomorrow by Andy Sorrystine will be the formula for a complete sweep by the red hot hitting Toronto Blue Jays. All this work to climb back into first place and it just drifts away. Meanwhile, the Red Sox continue to lose major player after major player and are still in the hunt. Insanity.
Rays win, despite terrible performance
The Tampa Bay Rays recorded their 54th win of the season and won their 3rd series in a row despite failing badly at the plate Sunday. SP Jeff Niemann departed after 5 innings with a back sprain, something which is going to bear some watching, but once again, Tampa was horrible with runners in scoring position.
On Sunday, Tampa left 15 men on base, as was 4-13 w/RISP. This is not the way a championship team is born. They won 3 of 4 against a very weak Cleveland Indians team and swept a wounded Boston Red Sox squad, they went 6-1 at the home stand which is what they needed to do. I can’t ever remember being so upset about a 6-1 homestand, but major problems are lying ahead for the Rays if they can’t start scoring these runners on base. Bases loaded with no outs and no runs? The key hits seem to be coming helter-skelter for the Rays recently but consistency needs to be the key in the second half if this team is going to move forward and drive into the playoffs.
During the All-Star break, I’ll be issuing my mid season report on the Rays and a very interesting article about a new stadium and what that would mean to the Tampa area.
