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August 31, 2007 |
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Teams |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| Tampa Bay | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 1 | |
| NY Yankees | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| W: A. Sonnanstine (4-9) L: P. Hughes (2-3) Home Runs: C. Pena 2 (33), G. Norton (3) |
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What an absolutely fantastic game to watch tonight. The Rays hit. They pitched. They fielded (well… most of the time). In all, they played a great game and absolutely embarassed a pennant-contending ballclub. For those who are counting, that’s 4 in a row and 7-out-of-8. WIthout a doubt, this is the best baseball the Rays have played all year.
That’s also the first winning month the team has had since June of last year, going 15-14 here in August. Think this wasn’t a big win for the club?
| No no-hitter!!Minnesota Twins righty Scott Baker was perfect through 8 innings tonight against the Kansas City Royals, before a leadoff walk in the 9th. Then with 1 out, Mike Sweeney delivered a single to break up the bid. He would’ve been the first Twin to throw a no-hitter since Eric Milton in 1999. |
The offense was keyed by Carlos Pena, who was on base all 5 times - 2 home runs and 3 walks - while the pitching was anchored by the surprisingly sharp Andy Sonnanstine.
Let’s start with Pena. The offense ran through him tonight. As I mentioned, he got on base all 5 times he hit. He is truly maturing as an offensive player and has become capable of carrying this team through stretches. With no realistic options at first base any time soon in the organization, every effort to resign this player who wants to be here need to be made. 3 years… 4 years… whatever it takes. Carlos Pena has a chance to be a solid, Tino Martinez-like contributor (Yankees Tino, not Rays Tino) for years to come.
My favorite player Greg Norton got into the act tonight, too! His homer in the 9th was nice, but I was more impressed with his single to left in the 5th inning. It was a tremendous piece of hitting, and he should be commended for his solid 2-hit, 2-RBI night. Nice work, Greg.
In fact, only Brendan Harris didn’t enter the hit parade, but after his 4-walk performance yesterday, he gets a pass. Everyone else hit at least once. Akinori Iwamura scored 3 more runs (that’s 65 in 97 games). C.C. had 2 more hits (that’s an amazing 50 for the month of August), and Delmon Young delivered with another 2-RBI night.
The only real negatives to the night were the absolutely boneheaded throw by B.J. Upton in the 4th inning (that thankfully didn’t hurt the Rays), and the bunt that Dioner Navarro laid down in the 5th. What the heck was he thinking?
On the other side, Andy Sonnanstine was truly brilliant this evening, allowing only 2 hits in 8 innings of work without walking a single batter. He was establishing the strike zone early into counts, getting well ahead of the Yankee hitters. Even better, he kept them off-balance and was able to make them miss his fastball. When he is able to establish all of his pitches for strikes like he did tonight, he can be a very dangerous pitcher. Keeping the ball down (and thus inducing ground balls) are the key for him, and he did that tonight. When he’s been hurt in the past, he’s left the ball up in the strike zone. He definitely didn’t do that tonight.
I am really curious to see where Andy Sonnanstine fits into the future of this organization. You can never have enough pitching, that’s for sure, but he doesn’t get nearly the press that guys like Jeff Niemann, Mitch Talbot, David Price, or Wade Davis get. Is he in the mix for next year? What about 2009? With more performances like tonight - and like he’s put out there the past few times out - his name certainly enters into the equation.
To close it out, our new favorite bullpener Grant Balfour slammed the door shut on this rout. The silence from the Yankee fans was deafening.
I got the “pleasure” of watching this game tonight on MLB.tv, so I got the Yankees feed of the game. It’s funny to hear how these announcers act like the Rays are second-class citizens compared to the Yankees. I’m sure they don’t do it intentionally - it’s easy enough to forget who we are - but I bring it up because its going to be interesing seeing the way that these announcers’ attitudes change in the next couple of years.
Guess what American League: We can pitch now. Look out.
Joe Maddon’s contract looks like it will be picked up. (Source)
Sternberg was asked if Maddon had any reason to sweat.
“I don’t think so, no,” he said. “Given where we are on the scale, it’s not a day-to-day thing with us. We feel pretty good about the way things are headed, and most importantly the way the players have responded. You can see the enthusiasm they’ve still got, even given their place in the standings, and that speaks volumes to Joe and the staff and the players themselves.”
Good. The team is really responding lately and you have to at least give some credit to the manager. It helps that he actually has a bullpen to manage now.
Elsewhere tonight, the Baltimore Orioles proved that all they needed was for the Rays to leave town, as they beat the Red Sox 9-8, meaning the Sox were unable to gain any ground on the Yankees and remain 5 games up in the division.
August 31st, 2007 at 10:22 pm
What a great win from a greatly improved ballclub. I can’t say it enough.
August 31st, 2007 at 10:33 pm
wonderful stuff. Following the worst month by far comes the best month for the Rays. Way to close out the month, now lets close out the season in the same manner!
August 31st, 2007 at 11:01 pm
I watched Grant Balfour pitch while I was on holidays in Tennessee. He was pitching for Huntsville and they couldn’t even touch him. I came home and did some research on him and realized that he was never drafted and has fought his way back from Tommy John surgery. It was a good story and decided to follow his progress to see if he could make his way back to the majors. I was so happy for him when he got called up to the Brewers but he was put into a couple of tough situations right off the hop and he struggled. I’m glad to see that his has found a good home with the Rays and the team is really starting too gel. I wish Grant and the Rays the best. Hopefully they can lock him up for next year and I will continue to follow the team.
August 31st, 2007 at 11:09 pm
A tremendous game. Enough can’t be said for the sly bull pen fix. I am still, however, hoping for a managerial upgrade.
August 31st, 2007 at 11:35 pm
("Celebration" by Kool And The Gang is playing in the back round…)
(Joel dances disco style…tonight…maybe even disco DUCK style…)
It’s a winning month! It’s a winning month by winning game 1 against the Yanks AFTER sweeping Baltimore!
(Dick Vitale Voice) It’s awesome baby!
(Sugar rush combined with good night at work.)
(Fade.)
August 31st, 2007 at 11:42 pm
Joe Maddon should be and will be resigned. The team is playing hard and smart. We are clearly moving in the right direction.
September 1st, 2007 at 8:45 am
I think Sonny fits in long-term as an excellent middle relief guy. I could still see him in the rotation next year, but, by 2009, you are going to have to give Davis and McGee the ball with Price knocking on the door. I think Talbot is a bullpen guy, at best, for the Devil Rays in the future.
Someone was asking yesterday about Niemann to the bullpen, and I have always thought that was a possibility. Keith Law mentioned in a chat a few weeks back that Niemann would be a dominate closer, and that it would probably keep him healthier. I think there is certainly a chance this takes place in the future.
September 1st, 2007 at 11:52 am
I think the thing that scares you about Sonny in the bullpen is the sheer number of home runs he allows. You can pitch around a single or a double. It’s pretty hard to pitch around a home run.
September 1st, 2007 at 11:53 am
One time in a couple of years that the team is clicking. Lets not forget that this is as good as a Joe Maddon team has ever played. AND IT IS 15-14.
No I will stand by my belief that Maddon should be cut and we need someone new.
He has been terrible for in game decisions and player management and the team is not good on a fundamentals level, all of those fall at the feet of the coaches.