Not sure if this is actually good news or not based on how he’s thrown this year, but Al Reyes is set to rejoin the team today. (MLB.com)
He will be taking the spot vacated when Reid Brignac was sent back to the minors just prior to the break, leaving the Rays’ bench short-handed again.
Troy Percival’s next on the returns list. Who goes away? Gary Glover? Jason Hammel?
You think I’m kidding? I’m not going to post again until the Rays play like a big league team. They don’t even need to win. They just need to play well.
6 road games to close out the first half of the season. 2 in the Bronx. The Rays can essentially bury the Yankees in this two-game set, as there’s no way in h-e-double hockey sticks that this Yankees team is coming back from 10 1/2 down to make the playoffs. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. Scotty Kazmir looks to get this road trip off on the right foot against Andy Pettitte. Is there anyone you’d rather have on the mound?
Moreover, isn’t it amazing how we’re in mid-July and the Rays are playing in a series that’s must win… FOR THE YANKEES? It’s a thing of beauty and something I’m still not totally used to yet.
What to watch for: Jonny Gomes is 8-for-19 lifetime with 7 RsBI against Andy Pettitte. If ever he was going to break out, tonight would be the night.
Scouting Report on today’s starters from MLB.com:
Scott Kazmir - The Rays ace had a career May, but has struggled in his last few appearances. Kazmir admitted his slider and changeup weren’t up to par in a five-inning appearance June 27 at Pittsburgh, and he didn’t fare much better vs. the Red Sox on Wednesday night. Kazmir threw 107 pitches in five innings and gave up a season-high seven hits. The reigning American League strikeout king matched his season-low by fanning three Sox batters and will look to reestablish his dominance vs. the Yankees. Kazmir won a May 15 contest in New York, delivering six shutout innings en route to a 5-1 Rays win, and will face the Yankees for the second time this season.
Andy Pettitte - The Yankees’ sharpest pitcher since early June, Pettitte was off his game in the opener of a four-game set with the Red Sox on Thursday, allowing five earned runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings to take his first loss since May 17. The loss prompted a closed-door meeting led by manager Joe Girardi.
Check out the Rays’ career numbers against Andy Pettitte.
View the game preview from Baseball Reference.
| TAMPA BAY RAYS |
NEW YORK YANKEES |
| 2B - Akinori Iwamura | CF - Melky Cabrera |
| LF - Carl Crawford | SS - Derek Jeter |
| CF - B.J. Upton | RF - Bobby Abreu |
| 1B - Carlos Pena | 3B - Alex Rodriguez |
| 3B - Evan Longoria | DH - Jorge Posada |
| C - Dioner Navarro | 1B - Wilson Betemit |
| DH - Willy Aybar | 2B - Robinson Cano |
| RF - Jonny Gomes | C - Jose Molina |
| SS - Ben Zobrist | LF - Brett Gardner |
Be sure to join us in the chat room for some good Rays talk during the game!!!
Got to see my first minor-league action of the year thanks to Andy from VALPAK (who gave me comp box-seat tix) and I came away very impressed with the Bulls in their 5-1 victory over the inept R-Braves. Mainly due to their amazing progress this year and the fact that this is Joe’s other site, I have started to pay more attention to the Rays (of course, growing up a Cubs fan you tend to root for the underdog). Also had me a former cub sighting as I got to meet Gary Gaetti (1st base coach? of the Bulls) who signed both my kids baseballs. Back to the game…
I was accompanied by my buddy Rich, my son James and my daughter Ani (her very 1st baseball game). 32 year-old Jeremy Cummings was sharp. His location was great and the ball was really moving and pounding hard at the catcher’s mitt (we sat right along both dugouts - depending on where the brutal sun was not shining in earnest as this northern boy is having a difficult time adjusting to this blasted heat). His only mistake was a ball up to the light-hitting he of the .228 and 1 HR - Mark Jurich - RF (5BB 22K) which he promptly deposited near the bank sign in right center-field. Cummings also showed great pickoff moves as he nailed 2 Braves runners at 1st. His final line was 7IP 6H 1R 2BB 6K. 30 year-old RF Jon Weber was the Bulls star of the day with 2 2B knocking in 4. 3B Joel Guzman and 2B Reid Brignac also went 2 for 4. Guzman seems to have some promise as he is batting .283 with 15HR (needs to work on his BB/K ratio - 10/69 - to merit a call-up to the parent club). SS Ben Zobrist claimed the goat of the day as he went 0 for 4 with three whiffs. All and all I was very impressed with this Durham team. However, as a relative newcomer to the minor league action this year, are the Bulls really this good or are the R-Braves really this bad?
In closing, I must say that I was extremely disappointed in the way the R-Braves Stadium is run. I realize they are moving out at the conclusion of the season, however, the diamond-vision screen is essentially burnt out (looks like one of those old monochrome PC monitors from the 80’s), I have seen better kept bathrooms in the bowels of West Virginia off RTE 70, the prices were extremely high for a AAA team ($6 for a beer? $4 for a soda?) and the activities are run with all the intelligence of a dope-fiend in the throws of a 12-hour drug binge. Allow me to explain the latter. They had a ‘kids run the bases’ thing scheduled for right after the game. Um, I mean right after the game and right after watching 55 year-old beer-bellied softball guys try to hit 30mph floaters out of the park for a 1/2 hour. What? Why in the heck would they think 100 kids and their parents would want to bake in the 95degree sun waiting to see this? But wait, there’s more! You bring your child or children to the gate near 1st base and let them run on the field where they let them exit at the gate near 3rd base while every parent (including me) has multiple panic attacks wondering where their children have gone. Absolutely bone-headed. I was in sheer panic trying to locate my 5 and 4 year old kids among a sea of frantic parents and wandering youth. Word to the wise, don’t let your kids run the bases in Richmond!
The grand prize winner will also get the chance to pick a spot to which two of the Home Run Derby players must compete to try to hit a ball. If the first player hits the ball to the called spot, the promotion ends. If either player succeeds, the fan receives a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid vehicle and a 2009 season-ticket package for any team.
Shields Gets Shelled Early, Rays Lose 6 – 1
It was night and day even though it was technically it was night and night. James Shields got shelled early on (maybe he was channeling Casey Fossum) in the first for 4 runs. We fast forward to the 5th and the Angels tacked on 2 more. The only RBI for a Ray came from the Gabe Gross homer in the top of the 8th. The postive: Jason Bartlett showed some great defense in the bottom of the 8th and Shields did go 8 innings and Wednesday’s game becomes the rubber game in the series. The Red Sox fell to the Orioles so the Rays missed a chance to pick up a half game.
Around the Division:
Boston loses to Baltimore 10 – 6
Toronto wins 3 – 1
NY Yankees win in Oakland, 3 – 1
13 IS lucky for the Rays! Is it some kind of bizzaro good sign for the Rays with Friday the 13th just around the corner? How about 18 hits (and scoring 13 runs…with how many runners are stranded on base…that is worth shouting about!) The good guys still managed to win that one even WITH 17 left on base.
The road trip could be worse…we lost 3 straight at Fenway, we took the series but didn’t sweep at Texas (we’ll take two of those to go, please!) and won the first against the Angels! Right now our road tripping record is, if I can count right, 3 - 4! And somehow, we’re still a game back from the Red Sox! Part two is tonight with Shields taking the mound. I’m still in a state of shock…when was the last time the Rays scored 13 runs?
The Rays crushed the Rangers on Friday night by a final of 12-4. The win moved the Rays within a 0.5 game of Boston in the AL East and gave the Rays a three game lead in the Wild Card (pending the outcome of Oakland’s game). Scott Kazmir was dominant again, allowing only two earned runs over eight innings.. Kazmir’s now sports a 6-1 record with a blistering 1.40 ERA. Sure, Kaz did miss a month of the season due to injury, but he has to be moving himself closer to being a lock for the All-Star game. If he can close out June with an 9-1 record and sub-2.00 ERA it is possible he could make a run at being the starter. It is unlikely due to the amount of time that he has missed, but, hey, I’m an optimist. Pull for a few rough starts by Cliff Lee if you care about that sort of thing.
It was nice to see B.J. Upton deposit a ball over the outfield fence again. Upton has maintained his great approach at the plate, and it is only a matter of time before we see a huge power surge from Bossman. I would not be shocked if he ended the month of June with 9+ home runs.
Dioner Navarro was 2-26 over the last 7 games before recording to hits in his final two ABs.
Carl Crawford’s average has dipped down to .268.
Scott Kazmir allowed his first home run of the season to Ian Kinsler with 2 outs in the 8th inning.
MLB announced the suspension for yesterday’s brawl in Beantown.
7 games
Coco Crisp, Red Sox
6 games
James Shields, Rays
5 games
Jonny Gomes, Rays
Edwin Jackson, Rays
Jon Lester, Red Sox
4 games
Carl Crawford, Rays
3 games
Akinori Iwamura, Rays
Sean Casey, Red Sox
Imperialism over at RaysBB has a draft info thread posted with up-to-date info on each prospect that Rays selected. There is a ton information within the post, and I would encourage anyone to check it out for more info on the future Rays farmhands.
The Rays selected Jeremy Beckham, the brother of #1 overall pick Tim, in the 17th Round of the draft on Tuesday. The two brothers should get a chance to flip a few double plays at Princeton later this summer.
Keith Law gets us started:
Dan (Bridgewater, NJ): Do you think that any teams drafted a player that we’ll see this year or next year?
SportsNation Keith Law: Yes, many relievers, like Cashner, Perry, Fields, Schlereth, Weatherford (what a pick at 103 - even with the medicals, who cares? run him right to the big leagues), several of those guys will show up this year. And I wouldn’t count out a Posey, Smoak, or Matusz tearing through the low minors and showing up in late 2009.
Carol (Largo, FL): Hey Keith–I read the Rays were thrilled that Kyle Lobstein LHP was still on the board at 47. Can you tell me a little about him? Thank you
SportsNation Keith Law: Originally projected as a mid-first rounder. 87-90 mph (early in the spring), projectable body, great athlete, willing to pitch with his fastball, shows a good curve, some feel for a change. Velo slipped as the spring went on, and I know some area scouts (not all) felt he kind of mailed in a few games towards the end of the spring. I think getting him at 47, if he’ll sign, is tremendous.
David (Clearwater, FL): Does David Price get called up this year?
SportsNation Keith Law: I think so.
Take it over Jim Callis:
Athony from sarasota asks: Why Beckham over Posey?
Jim Callis: Buster Posey just went yard to make bring Florida State within one run of Wichita State . . . That pick just came down to the Rays’ personal preference. The easier choice would have been Posey, because he’ll be ready quicker and fill a more obvious need, but Tampa Bay thought Beckham had more upside.
Kevin Goldstein wraps it up.
Alan (St. Pete): KG, I’ve never really gotten an answer to this question; maybe it’s a stupid question, but what the hey … At Vandy, David Price was reportedly sitting low 90s and touching 95. I’ve seen him pitch a few times now (in spring training, in extended spring and once at Vero), and the guns have him hitting 93-94 consistently and touching 98. What might account for the boost in velocity?
Kevin Goldstein: I had him 92-94 and touching 96. He might have just gotten better and that’s a good thing, because there are tons of guys who honestly never throw as hard as they did in high school.
Will (New Orleans): hewitt has the highest “upside” in the draft, yet Beckham is a 5 tool talent who’s gonna get 3 times more money. If you put those two guys through a bunch of athletic - not “baseball” oriented - drills, who comes out on top? I guess what I’m asking is, who wins a Decathlon?
Kevin Goldstein: Hewitt by a mile. Over anyone in this draft I’d take Hewitt in a Decathalon.
The Rays are scrappy if anything. What did we learn? One: Coco Crisp is quicker and dodging then Shields is at hitting. Two: Johnny Gnomes loves a good fight and sticking up for teammates. Three: Carl Crawford does not like Coco Crisp. Four: Our Rays might have a 0 - 6 record at Fenway but everyone is Boston knows when the Rays are in town.The downside: The forthcoming suspensions could not have come at a worse time with Percival and now Pena on the DL.
For the future: Who will Boston try to throw at first, Gnomes or Crawford? If you were an oddsmaker, who Would you favor?
Question to all: If you had to pick a theme song for the Rays, what song would you pick?
