The Rays have already won this 4-game series. Today it’s time to step on the neck and go for the sweep in this matinee game.
What to watch for: If the good Matt Garza shows up today, it could be another long one for the Royals, who’ve been outscored 23-4 during this series already
Scouting Report on today’s starters from MLB.com:
Matt Garza - The right-hander followed up his first career complete game on June 26 with another stellar outing on Tuesday night. Garza tossed seven innings and allowed Boston one unearned run off five hits. The 24-year-old has the best stuff on the Rays staff and, if he can keep his emotions in check, is a force on the mound. With wins in his last two starts, Garza seems well on his way to solidifying that status, and will look to continue to dominate vs. Kansas City. He tossed 65 of his 102 pitches for strikes on Tuesday night, and fanned a trio of Red Sox batters.
Gil Meche - Meche admittedly wasn’t very good on Wednesday night at Baltimore. He made a bad pitch to Aubrey Huff (two-run homer) in the first inning and it didn’t get any better. Even the 1-2-3 sixth inning, his last, featured three rockets that were caught. The loss ended a personal three-game streak for Meche, all three wins coming against National League teams. Tampa Bay hasn’t treated him kindly; he’s 1-4 with a 5.65 ERA in eight games and that was before the Rays became such a hot team.
Check out the Rays’ career numbers against Gil Meche.
View the game preview from Baseball Reference.
| TAMPA BAY RAYS |
KANSAS CITY ROYALS |
| LINEUP 1 | LINEUP 1 |
| LINEUP 2 | LINEUP 2 |
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| LINEUP 6 | LINEUP 6 |
| LINEUP 7 | LINEUP 7 |
| LINEUP 8 | LINEUP 8 |
| LINEUP 9 | LINEUP 9 |
Be sure to join us in the chat room for some good Rays talk during the game!!!
Tags: Royals
July 7th, 2008 at 11:04 am
With the Indians trading away Sabathia to the Brewers, I think it’s time we set our sights on Tim Hudson. Send over a proposal to the Braves of Davis, Jennings, and Mason, and see if they would accept. Throw in a guy like Houser if it doesn’t get them excited. I have read that the Rockies have an absurd request for Price in exchange for Holliday, and would also like Davis for Brian Fuentes. Friedman better not fall for that crap. The only way you give up Davis is for another great starting pitcher, like Hudson, and you just don’t give up Price for anybody. I’m not sold on either Fuentes or Holliday just yet, although Fuentes would probably be fine. But I’m definitely not going to give up a great SP prospect for a non-dominant reliever. If I’m the Rays, I put my focus on the following players: Hudson, Nady, and John Rauch. I already said the package for Hudson: Davis, Jennings, and Mason. For Nady, maybe this would work: Ruggiano, Talbot, and low-level pitching prospect. To acquire Rauch: Thayer, Guzman, and Jesse Darcy (Low-level pitching prospect).
What do you guys think?
July 7th, 2008 at 11:15 am
More proof that crack does not smoke itself
July 7th, 2008 at 11:21 am
The Nationals own Rauch through 2010. 1.6m this year, 1.6 next year, 2.9 club option for 2010. Cordero is done - why would the Nationals want to give up a solid reliever who is so cheap?
Davis, Jennings, and Mason for Hudson is a deal is even more nonsensical. Hudson is due another 6 million this year, 13 million in 2009, and there is a mutual option of 14 million in his contract for 2010. Hudson is not worth 33 million from now until 2010.
Those kind of deals might work in your PS3 sim league, but they make less than zero sense for the 2008 Rays.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
C-PAIN!!!!!
July 7th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
I agree with everything you say except this:
“why would the Nationals want to give up a solid reliever who is so cheap?”
I think teams in the Nationals’ position should get as good a return as possible on relief pitchers, and that return is highest ordinarily for those labeled closers. Rebuilding teams cannot worry about bullpens; it is the last thing on their agendas, the most volatile, thus least predictable from one season to the next and yet, paradoxically, also the easiest to fix once needed.
The Nationals are practically bereft of talent at the major league level, and somewhat iffy at AAA. If they can acquire one or two decent near major league ready prospects for Rauch, they should jump at the chance, and given his low cost and team control through 2010 they might be able to get more than he ordinarily would be worth.
I don’t think Thayer, Guzman and Darcy would get him as Thayer appears to be a career minor leaguer and despite some improvement in counting stats this year, Guzman has made no progress in his skills and has little value to anyone. Darcy may be worth something but he is deep in the minors. Washington should be able to get a better package than that, not an elite prospect like Davis, Hellickson or Jennings (although he is losing status as he continues to get hurt), but perhaps someone in the Niemann range plus another prospect.
July 8th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Stan, I’m not sure why you think Hudson isn’t worth that kind of money when all he has done is been outstanding in both leagues. The guy is a rock, and has done nothing to prove otherwise. Heck, with what most great pitchers are making anymore, $33 million might look cheap. Not to mention that the Braves would get our 2nd best pitching prospect in Davis, possibly our best OF prospect, and another good pitching prospect who is nearly ready for the majors and better served to be in the NL. That deal might actually need another prospect, but it’s definitely a good starting point.
Bob, you might be right that we would need to up the ante to get Rauch, but not too much. Maybe instead of Thayer, Salas could be the guy to get it done. He has thrown in the majors and shown success, so he might get the deal done.