Alright, the time for excuses and the time for nonsense is over. Now it’s time for the Rays to simply start winning ballgames. I don’t want to hear about all of the players on the DL. I don’t want to hear about how so-and-so “threw pretty well but just made a few bad pitches.” Good teams have players get injured. Good pitchers don’t let bad pitches hurt them. Right now, the Rays are not playing like a good team, and it’s time to get back to basics and start winning baseball games.
What are the basics? Making the routine plays in the field – that includes turning sure double-play balls and making sure to hit your cut-off man on outfield throws. Eliminate the mental errors. Be patient at the plate; don’t give in to hitter’s pitches. Don’t make extra outs on the basepaths. Make sure if you bat with runners on base that your at bat ends with some kind of positive result. You know – all the things that good teams do that make them good.
This is also a key moment in the career of Andy Sonnanstine. He’s gone from “lock to be in the starting rotation” to “on the verge of demotion” in the matter of 3 weeks, and rightfully so. He has not been very good in those three weeks, and it’s now time for him to show that all of that confidence is NOT ill-placed. If he decides to serve up batting practice again, Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye will eat him alive. If he paints the corners, throws a waste pitch now and again, and avoids the middle of the plate like the plague, maybe he’s got a chance to turn in a good outing.
What to watch for: A total team effort. We need offense, defense, pitching, and baserunning tonight. We need some signs of life. We need anything that proves that this is still a big league ballclub.
Scouting Report on today’s starters from MLB.com:
Andy Sonnanstine – Sonnanstine is coming off a rocky outing on April 14 in which he was charged with nine hits and seven runs over 3 1/3 innings. The Rays went on to lose to the Yankees, 8-7. A usually reliable pitcher, Sonnanstine will look to bounce back after equaling career highs for runs (seven) and home runs (three) allowed in a game.
Mark Buehrle - Buehrle pitched OK in his previous start, allowing two runs and nine hits over seven innings against Oakland, but he was beaten by rookie lefty Greg Smith. Buehrle?s dense ERA comes mostly from a blowup against the Indians in his first start. He is 6-1 with a 4.13 ERA in his career against Tampa, including 5-1 at Tropicana Field. The loss came in 2002.
Check out the Rays’ career numbers against Mark Buehrle.
View the game preview from Baseball Reference.
| TAMPA BAY RAYS |
CHICAGO WHITE SOX |
| 2B – Akinori Iwamura | RF – Nic Swisher |
| LF – Carl Crawford | SS – Orlando Cabrera |
| CF - B.J. Upton | DH – Jim Thome |
| DH – Carlos Pena | 1B – Paul Konerko |
| 3B – Evan Longoria | 3B – Joe Crede |
| RF – Jonny Gomes | LF – Carlos Quentin |
| 1B – Eric Hinske | CF – Alexei Ramirez |
| C – Shawn Riggans | 2B – Juan Uribe |
| SS – Jason Bartlett | C – Toby Hall |
Be sure to join us in the chat room for some good Rays talk during the game!!!
Tags: White Sox
April 19th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Lucked out on Jonny getting out of that pickle leads to 3 runs!! But why the hell are our guys getting picked off? Carl got caught in the first and Gomes shoulda been in the 2nd.
April 19th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Sonny is cruisin’!!!
April 19th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
ANOTHER terrible baserunning error by B.J. in the 7th.
April 19th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Sonny was out of his skull today, complete game 3-hit shutout!! THEEEEEEEE RAYS WIN!!!
April 19th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
What a masterpiece… absolutely amazing. Tonight’s recap will be a joy to write.
April 19th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Sonny was brilliant, a full game, truly a good performance
April 19th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Excellent game by Sonny. Exactly what the doctor ordered… and gives the bullpen a much needed rest too.
And I know BJ made another baserunning gaffe (over-aggressive rounding third), but the dude went 3-4 at the plate and roped an RBI double in the seventh. I just want to make sure people remember the positives too. He’s been on an absolute tear at the plate!!!