RAYS 4, Astros 3: Cardiac Kids Strike Again
By Scott Caruso | June 21st, 2008 | Posted in Game Recap
How many more surprises does this team have up its sleeve? Hopefully enough to play some baseball in October.
Mr. Clutch: Gabe Gross is quickly earning that nickname, as he used a nice it of hitting to deliver the game-winning double in the bottom of the 9th inning. This marks something like the 427th walk-off win for the Rays this season, who now find themselves 13-8 in 1-run games this season.
Gross may only be hitting .243 on the season, but he always seems to be in the middle of something good for the Rays, and after Papa Joe dropped the ball by not starting him on Friday night, he absolutely made the right call when he pinch-hit for Jason Bartlett with Gross in the 9th inning. Even if Gabe had grounded into a double play, it would’ve been the right call.
It Wasn’t Pretty, But… Is there are a pitcher better at looking bad despite just allowing 2 runs than Edwin Jackson? Never once did I feel like I was watching someone who was ripping through the Astros lineup, but before you knew it we were in the 7th inning and the Rays were up 2-1. The wheels fell off for Ednodecison in that 7th, but he again gave the Rays a chance to win the game, which is the most you can ever ask out of a bottom-of-the-rotation starter.
Are We Watching the End of Jonny Gomes? As Justin Ruggiano continues to impress with both the bat and the glove, Jonny Gomes continues to fall off. Could we be coming close to seeing the beginning of the end of the Jonny Gomes era in Tampa Bay? A roster move will need to be made when Carlos Pena is ready to come off of the disabled list, and – in my estimation – Gomer is the most logical person to drop. His only utility now is as a power bat against left-handed pitching, but he can’t even hit that anymore. Though I love Jonny Gomes and what he brings to the field on a daily basis, I also love seeing the best possible team out on the field. Right now, I don’t think Jonny is among the 25 that gives the Rays the best shot at winning ballgames.
Plus, let’s be honest, this team is carrying way too many outfielders. You could reasonably make the argument that another outfielder (Ruggiano?) or one of the extraneous pitchers (Jason Hammel?) should be dropped in favor of a true utility infielder (Ben Zobrist?). Unless, of course, the Rays plan on using B.J. Upton as a second baseman or shortstop in an emergency.
Sipping the Merlot again? Intentionally walking the bases loaded with Edwin Jackson on the mound is never a good idea. I’m not entirely sure what Papa Joe was thinking there, but he’s kind of lucky it didn’t come back to hurt the team even more than it did. In the end, J.P. Howell did what J.P. Howell does and got out of the jam.
Scoreboard Watching: Admit it, you’re doing it already. Today: St. Louis 9, Boston 3 — Cincinnati 6, NY Yankees 0. As of this writing, the Rays are just 1/2 game behind Boston for the AL East lead and 3 1/2 up on Oakland for the Wild Card. The A’s are still in action as I write this.
Tags: Astros
