Rays of Light

[Grapefruit League] RAYS 12, Astros 2

The headline: Niemann grounds the Astros

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Houston	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1		2	8	2
Tampa Bay	0	0	10	1	0	0	0	1	X		12	9	0

Solid showing: Jeff Niemann was impressive again for the Rays, hurling 3 innings of 2-hit, 5-strikeout ball while walking just 1 batter. He has now allowed just 1 run in 5 innings of work this Spring. Interesting to note: he said after the game he’s willing to take a rotation or a bullpen spot. Could this be the opening that the team’s management needs to slide him into the mix in the pen? Or maybe he’s already been told that the bullpen is his more likely destination? We’ll have to wait and see…

Versatility: Of all the good things on the field today, the things that jumped out at me were Reid Brignac playing second base again, Ben Zobrist playing first, and Adam Kennedy getting some time over at third. Each of these is important in its own right; if Jason Bartlett is still with the Rays in 2010, Brignac’s best shot of making the team is either as a utility infielder or as the starting second baseman. In fact, his best shot of seeing any time in 2009 is if he can play multiple positions.

Zobrist and Kennedy, meanwhile, are important for an entirely different reason. Kennedy will need to show Joe Maddon that he remains versatile and can do more than just play second base, while Zobrist can improve his stock even further by adding yet another position to his repertoire. At this point, the only thing we don’t know he can do for sure is play catcher. Guys like that – as long as they are able to hit a little and play each one of the positions at least adequately – are extremely valuable.

Not doing any favors: Derek Rodriguez did not help his cause by allowing a pair of walks in the 9th inning of a 12-1 ballgame. You just can’t be doing that to yourself.

What color was that Shouse? Wow, what a really lame pun. Brian Shouse made his first appearance of the spring and made it through an uneventful inning of work.

0-for-the-Spring: Gabe Kapler still remains in search of his first hit of the spring, but he did throw out a runner at third base.

Brignac’s home run was nice… but I bet the coaching staff is more focused on how he struck out in both of his other at bats.

I love spring box scores: Jason Bartlett is now hitting .636 on the spring.

You know it’s Spring Training when… Darin Erstad is batting third for your team. Remember when the Rays were rumored to be talking to him last off-season and the entire Rays blogosphere was ready to jump off of a cliff? I can’t believe this guy still has a job.

Tags: Astros
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Astros 3, RAYS 2: Bats go quiet as the Rays hit the road

(Box Score)

The Rays’ bats went ice-cold over the weekend, and today’s 3-2 loss to the Astros was simply the Zenith of that frigid play. The team somehow managed to turn 6 hits and 6 walks into just 2 runs scored, and the Astros used a timely bomb by the Carlos Lee to take this series and snap the Rays’ 9-series winning streak at home.

Kid KO’d: Scott Kazmir was pretty good again today, but his stuff definitely began to show signs of wear as this game went on. To hang a 2-2 slider like he did to Lee is an absolute killer, and – as we all know – it was the difference in the game. Still, it’s hard to be to hard on Kaz because he wasn’t awful and he’s been so darn good lately. He’s still putting up All-Star-esque numbers.

Pen Pals: I love me some Grant Balfour. Not to toot my own horn (because I would NEVER do something like that), but I was one of the people who was saying way back in Spring Training that he should be on this team. He’s doing nothing but look like a stellar big league reliever at this point. And Dan Wheeler escaped some trouble with a little help from Trever Miller.

“B” Team: Let’s be honest; this definitely wasn’t the “A” lineup out there for the Rays today. Willy Aybar batting third? That tells you all you need to know. Aybar’s been a decent backup player, but he’s by no means a #3 quality hitter. The team will have a much different dynamic to it once Carlos Pena is back.

Wrong Move: The Rays optioned Justin Ruggiano back to Durham after the game today, and I feel like this is absolutely the wrong move right now. Though I agree that Ben Zobrist needs to come back, as is widely expected to be the corresponding move, but the way Ruggiano has played – especially in comparison to Jonny Gomes – should afford him the right to stay on the roster as a reserve outfielder. He’s clearly a superior defender to Gomes (and can play center field), plus he’s hitting better than the Wookie. I know it doesn’t cost the team anything to simply option Ruggiano, whereas DFAing Gomes would, in effect, be putting him out there for anyone to simply take, but this season is virtually half-over now and the Rays are in the thick of the pennant race. The roster moves that are made should be those that give the manager the team that gives him the best chance of winning. Right now, Justin Ruggiano gives this team a better chance to win than Jonny Gomes does. It’s a shame that the Rays brass doesn’t also see it that way.

Wheels: Did you know that Jason Bartlett’s got 16 stolen bases? He’s doing his best to keep pace with B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford atop the team lead. Not bad for a guy who never gets on base.

Standings Check: AL East: 1 1/2 behind the Red Sox; Wild Card: 3 up on Oakland

Tags: Astros
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Game #75: Another Series Win?

Who better to have on the hill as the Rays try to win their 10th consecutive home series that Kid K? Scotty Kazmir has been absolutely brilliant this season, and could be on the way to exceeding his career-high win total despite missing the first month of the season. Talk about earning that extension.

Today could be big for another reason, as the Rays can move into first place in the AL East if they pick up a win and the Red Sox lose to Cincinnati again. I still can’t get over the fact that it’s now 75 games into the season and we’re still talking about that!

What to watch for: Brandon Backe has been allowing home runs like they are going out of style, and with the kind of firepower the Rays can throw out there, we could be looking at the classic formula for a big-time rout. After all the close games lately, I’d like to see a nice 11-2 win.

Scouting Report on today’s starters from MLB.com:
Scott Kazmir - The Rays’ ace did not factor into the decision on Tuesday night for the first time this year. Kazmir was his typical dominating self, fanning seven Cubs and not allowing Chicago a hit until the fifth inning. Unfortunately, his season-high four walks drove the pitch count up quickly, and he was yanked after loading the bases with two outs in the fifth inning. It was the shortest appearance for Kazmir since May 4, his first start off the disabled list (left elbow strain). The Texas native will be facing the Astros for the first time in his career.

Brandon Backe – Backe had one of his better outings of the year in his last start against the Orioles, but took a no-decision when the bullpen blew the lead late in the game. Backe yielded three runs over 5 2/3 innings, including a two-run homer to Aubrey Huff. The right-hander will face his former team, the Rays, for the first time since he was traded from Tampa Bay to Houston in December 2003.

Check out the Rays’ career numbers against Brandon Backe.

View the game preview from Baseball Reference.

Be sure to join us in the chat room for some good Rays talk during the game!!!

Tags: Astros
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RAYS 4, Astros 3: Cardiac Kids Strike Again

(Box Score)

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
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Game #74: Turn Back the Clock Night

It’s Turn Back the Clock Night at the Trop, and the Rays are hoping that Edwin Jackson turns back the clock to April when he was working his way through opposing lineups and picking up wins. On the other side, Wandy Rodriguez has been deceptively good this year. Look for Jonny Gomes to get the start in this one.
What to watch for: Who shows up? Dr. Jeckwin or Mr. Jyde? That’s the key to the game, as it always in when Edwin Jackson’s on the hill.

Scouting Report on today’s starters from MLB.com:
Edwin Jackson – The Rays right-hander is appealing his suspension, and it is likely he will not receive his appeal date before Saturday’s start. Jackson is coming off Sunday’s loss to the Marlins, in which the flamethrower was haunted by the long ball. A pair of three-run home runs ended up being Jackson’s demise, as he was yanked after allowing six earned runs in five innings. He is at his best when he is mixing in offspeed pitches, and is often overreliant on his fast stuff. Saturday’s start is expected to be Jackson’s last appearance until June 28 in Pittsburgh, as the Rays have hinted at having the right-hander drop his appeal after facing the Astros, to avoid a shift in the rotation.

Wandy Rodriguez – Staked to a 3-0 first-inning lead against the Yankees in his last start, Rodriguez gave up five runs in the next two innings — including walking in one run — and left the game after five, trailing 5-3. It was the most earned runs Rodriguez had allowed in a game this year. The left-hander will be looking to put his control problems behind him and bounce back at Tampa Bay against a Rays team he hasn’t faced before.

Check out the Rays’ career numbers against Wandy Rodriguez.

View the game preview from Baseball Reference.

Be sure to join us in the chat room for some good Rays talk during the game!!!

Tags: Astros
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Game #73: Keep the foot on the throttle

Hi, guys! I missed you! Don’t think I haven’t been watching the games, because I absolutely have – and I am continually impressed by what I see from this team.

Who would’ve thought that we’d be this far into the season and Matt Garza would have the same number of wins and significantly better totals in pretty much every other category as Roy Oswalt? Well, that’s where we’re at right now as the ‘Stros come to the Trop for a three-game tilt starting this weekend.

What to watch for: The Astros are a significantly worse team than the Cubs AND they are riding an 8-game losing streak coming into the series. It could be very easy for the Rays to let up a little bit and get surprised by the Astros here. It’s up to Matt Garza to keep their bats silent and the Rays’ offense to keep Oswalt from getting into any kind of rhythm.

Scouting Report on today’s starters from MLB.com:
Matt Garza – Garza will be making his 13th start of the season and his first career start against the Astros. Saturday night at Tropicana Field, the 24-year-old right-hander earned his fifth win of the season after holding a tough-hitting Marlins squad to one run on three hits and one walk while striking out three in seven innings. Garza has a mid-90s fastball that sinks, a curve, a slider and a changeup.

Roy Oswalt – After turning his best start of the season on June 10, Oswalt took a step backwards against the Yankees in his last start, allowing seven earned runs on nine hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. Oswalt wasn’t helped by some of plate umpire Marty Foster’s calls, but he still threw too many hittable pitches and too often failed to put away hitters when he had the chance. Oswalt, 9-6 in 22 career Interleague starts, has never faced the Rays.

Check out the Rays’ career numbers against Roy Oswalt.

View the game preview from Baseball Reference.

Be sure to join us in the chat room for some good Rays talk during the game!!!

Tags: Astros
Posted in Game Thread | 4 Comments »