Sunday, July 6th, 2008
(Box Score)
It may be cliche, but it really is pitching and defense that wins you a bulk of games over the long-haul. Don’t get me wrong; lots of offense is nice, and the Rays were able to hit their way out of a few pitching problems in recent years, but this season they’ve been pitching themselves into far more wins than the offense was ever able to. And it’s that pitching that makes the Rays a legitimate contender to win in the AL East.
Now that we’re more than half-way through the season, isn’t it safe to say that the Rays have the most well-rounded pitching staff in the American League East? Top-to-bottom, is there a better 5-man rotation and bullpen around? I think not, and the rest of the league is quickly beginning to learn that.
Shuttin’ Them Down: Last night marked the 8th time this year that the Rays have shut-out the opposing team. That already matches the franchise record set back in 2000, and is miles ahead of last year’s total of just 2.
Last night’s was a three-headed attack, with Andy Sonnanstine setting the Royals up and J.P. Howell and Grant Balfour knocking them down. Sonny was doing what he does best last night - working ahead in the count and forcing the Royals to take some ugly swings. You could see that they were trying to jump on him early in the count, but Sonny was keeping them off-balance and forcing them to hit mostly weak pop-ups and ground balls. Vintage Sonny. Plus, it earns him his 10th win of the year, which puts him on pace to win 19 games. Is 20 out of the realm of possibility? Absolutely not.
J.P. Howell was his typical brilliant self, striking out 3 and working around an 8th-inning walk. I’ve got to admit: I was DEAD wrong on turning him into a reliever. I was always a staunch supporter of giving him Edwin Jackson’s spot in the rotation, but all he’s done is go on to be the unsung hero of the relief corps (although he is quick becoming the SUNG hero of the group). I know the Tampa Bay hype machine is trying to get him onto the AL All-Star team because he’s the best in the league at his unique “swingman” role in the bullpen, but I just don’t see Terry Francona taking a middle reliever with absolutely zero name recognition. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see him there at the Mid-Summer Popularity Contest, but I just don’t see it happening.
And as wrong as I was about J.P. Howell in the bullpen, I’d also like to take credit for Grant Balfour being everything I thought he could be in the ‘pen. I wanted him out there from the beginning this season, but the Rays made the decision to send him to Durham for a while. Who knows if he’d be dominating the way he’s doing had he not spent a couple of months blowing them away down in Triple-A? All I know is that he has been bringing it every single time out and has given the Rays an extremely capable arm in Troy Percival’s absense. His ERA’s down to 1.02 now and he’s got 27 strikeouts in 17 innings. FILTHY.
Zobrist swings some lumber: It took a little bit of time, but Ben Zobrist has evolved into a very good offensive player. He takes some pretty good hacks up there - and he’s got some deceptive pop in there, too. He’s got a very solid eye at the plate, and really only seems to go out of the strike zone when he’s got 2 strikes. He may not be as defensively studly as Jason Bartlett is, but kudos to the Rays for sticking with him even after his struggles during his first two attempts in the big leagues. He’s finally starting to pay some dividends.
Jonny Gomes Batting Average Watch: He’s now down to an even .200 after flying out as a pinch-hitter last night. How long do the Rays stick with a guy whose only job is to hit who can’t actually do that? His OPS right now is at .714 and doesn’t show any signs of life. I want Justin Ruggiano back.
The enigma that is Carlos Pena: I just can’t figure this guy out. On Friday, it looked like he was locked in and was finding his stroke again. On Saturday, he was back to flailing away and making the opposing pitcher look like Bob Gibson. Another 0-for-3, 2-strikeout performance from El Gato. It’s kind of amazing that the Rays have been as good as they’ve been in spite of Pena’s lack of production.
Dioner Navarro should punch his ticket to New York: It would be a TRAVESTY if Dioner Navarro was not a member of the AL All-Star team. As you would’ve seen if you watched last night’s game, he’s the only catcher to rank in the Top 5 in batting average AND caught-stealing percentage, placing second in both categories among backstops. His .805 OPS at the defensive-heavy position is incredibly valuable, and he always seems to get those hits in the middle of rallies that keep them going. Name me a better choice to fill the backup role.
4 Games Up and Feelin’ Fine: Yesterday was one of those rare times where you had to root for the Yankees if you’re a Rays fan. They are now so far back (9 games) that the damage they do the Red Sox by beating them is far more important than any pride we get out of watching them lose. I’ve always hated the Red Sox more, anyways. Thanks to the win by the Bombers, the Rays now hold a 4-game advantage over the Red Sox (and, even more importantly, a 6-game edge in the loss column). That means that if the Rays win all 4 of the “extra” games they have that the Red Sox don’t, that lead could balloon to 6 games.
What’s the goal for the next 7 days until the All-Star Break? Gain a 1/2 game by winning on Monday when the Red Sox aren’t playing and go even with them the rest of the way. The Rays do have a chance to gain some serious ground, though, with 2 more with Kansas City, 2 against the Yankees, and 4 at Cleveland. That’s 8 winnable games right there to close out the pre-All Star schedule while the Sox are playing at home against the Twins and Orioles.
And, in case you were wondering, the Rays and Red Sox don’t play again until September, by which point the race could already be decided. I wouldn’t count on it, though.
Tags: Royals
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