Game #126: Wait, what’s the best team in the AL again?
By Scott Caruso | August 20th, 2008 | Posted in Game Thread
There are many who will still argue that the Angels (or even the Red Sox) are more talented than the Rays, but there’s no arguing that the team with the best record in the league right now is our little engine that could from Tropicana Field. And that’s just fine with me.
Tonight, they try to sweep the California Angels from Los Angeles (Anaheim) of the Pacific Time Zone (again!), and to do it they send the amazingly impressive Matt Garza to the hill. He’s been a phenomenal pitcher at home, and with the way he’s thrown recently, you’ve gotta like this matchup tonight.
What to watch for: Killer instinct. The Rays are one win away from firmly implanting doubt into the Angels’ mind that they can beat the Rays. All season long, the Rays have been out-Angeling the Angels – great defense, good pitching, and timely hitting.
Scouting Report on today’s starters from MLB.com:
Matt Garza – Garza will be making his 24th start of the season after earning his 10th win on Friday night with an overpowering performance against the Rangers that saw him spin a two-hit shutout. Garza retired 17 of the first 18 hitters he faced, allowing just one walk, before Ian Kinsler got the first hit of the game on a controversial decision by the official scorer. Garza has a mid-90s fastball that sinks, a curveball, a slider and a changeup. He is 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA in one career start against the Angels, but he is 6-2 with a 2.47 ERA in 11 career starts at Tropicana Field.
Jered Weaver – Weaver didn’t have his best stuff, nor the best command on Friday against the Indians, but he still was able to limit the Tribe to just two runs over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision. A high pitch count accounted for Weaver’s early exit, as the second run he was responsible for scored off rookie sensation Jose Arredondo. Weaver gave up just five hits, but four were doubles. Weaver was impressive in his only outing against the Rays this season, limiting the American League East leaders to just one run in eight innings to pick up the win. Lifetime, Weaver is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in two starts against Tampa Bay.
Check out the Rays’ career numbers against Jered Weaver.
View the game preview from Baseball Reference.
| TAMPA BAY RAYS |
L.A. ANGELS OF ANAHEIM |
| LINEUP 1 | LINEUP 1 |
| LINEUP 2 | LINEUP 2 |
| LINEUP 3 | LINEUP 3 |
| LINEUP 4 | LINEUP 4 |
| LINEUP 5 | LINEUP 5 |
| 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: Angels
August 21st, 2008 at 8:44 am
A 5 – 1 record against the Angels at home is pretty damn good! I’ll take it.
August 21st, 2008 at 8:59 am
So much for the Rug-Man he has been a disappointment. I would have put in Rocco but that is hind-site. I also would have bunted in the 9th, hind-site also. In the best of two worlds BOS would have lost and they did. Magic # 32
August 21st, 2008 at 10:34 am
I have thought all along that the clamor to replace Gomes with Ruggiano has been short-sighted given their similar stats in the minors, but how can 24 games and 44 ABs be considered enough to label Ruggiano a disappointment? I just don’t get how anyone can dismiss a player after that sort of major league trial.
So far this year we have had demands that the following people be either released, traded for nothing or demoted: Pena, Iwamura, Bartlett, Aybar, Upton, Floyd, Hinske, Gross, Jackson, Sonnanstine, Wheeler, Miller, Percival, Gomes, Zobrist, Garza & Hammel. Now that Navarro seems to be in a batting slump, I imagine the screams for his head will begin soon as well.
It is not necessarily the same person or people who call for each player’s removal, but the reasoning is the same. He failed today or has been slumping for the last week or month or two months so he stinks. Last year the same demands came about Navarro, Howell & Jackson and the year before it was Upton who needed to go.
August 21st, 2008 at 11:35 am
You can only afford to give a so so minor league player who has had several chances, so far, that kind of a chance in the middle part of the season. This is play off time with a questionable player when you have better options on the bench. No one can say that was not a disappointment at that moment that literaly lost the game and that is my thought.
August 21st, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Ruggs was not a problem decision….he has hit well enough and fielded well enough to call it a fair decision. The one run needed when Navy came to bat should have driven a bunt decision…move the runner to second and out of DP danger.
August 21st, 2008 at 12:17 pm
You’re correct on the bunt. I was screaming BUNT at the game and I can’t “totaly” disagree with Maddons decision because we did’nt have our RBI men coming up but I would have bunted anyway.