Rays of Light

Game #137: Back on track

Just one loss. That’s all last night was. But it was enough for some people to begin whispering that “the Rays can’t handle September.” It caused Rudy Guiliani to say that the Yankees were still alive. Both false, of course, but still the overreactions of a quote-hungry media.

Let’s shut those people up tonight with a win on national television.

What to watch for: Carl Pavano’s arm could fall off at any moment.

Scouting Report on today’s starters from MLB.com:
Edwin Jackson - Jackson picked up his career-high 11th win of the season Thursday night against the Blue Jays when he allowed just one run in seven innings. Jackson threw 70 of 106 pitches for strikes and scattered six hits with two strikeouts for his sixth win in seven games. The young flamethrower is at his best when he is locating his 97 mph fastball, which sets up an array of other pitches, particularly his slider.

Carl Pavano -Pavano delivered six impressive innings Friday night to pick up his second win of the season in as many attempts, and his first at Yankee Stadium since 2005. He quieted the Blue Jays’ bats, holding them to one run and just three hits. He recorded one walk and one strikeout. The strikeout came against the final batter he faced before exiting after 72 pitches. Pavano said he had to work throughout the game to keep the ball low, but he retired 18 of the 22 batters he faced, including 12 straight hitters. He has not faced Tampa Bay this season.

Check out the Rays’ career numbers against Carl Pavano.

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: Yankees
Posted in Game Thread | 21 Comments »

Game #136: The anti-climactic Yankees series

The Yankees are dead and buried. It’s just a plain fact. This series is important for one reason and one reason only - reducing the Rays’ magic number. Even if the Yankees sweep the series, they STILL don’t have a chance of catching the Rays. It’s just a fact.

What to watch for: The crowd. Let’s see it, Rays fans. Don’t let the Yankee fans take over the park.

Scouting Report on today’s starters from MLB.com:
Matt Garza -The 24-year-old Fresno State product has arguably the best stuff on the Rays staff, boasting a mid-90s fastball that sinks, a curveball, a slider and a changeup. He is coming off Wednesday night’s win over Toronto in which the right-hander scattered six hits over seven 2/3 shutout innings. Garza tossed 69 of 115 pitches for strikes, and two of his three walks came to his final batters. Garza is 1-1 in two starts vs. the Yankees, with a 3.29 ERA.
Mike Mussina - Mussina kept up his consistency with seven solid innings against the Red Sox on Thursday, but came away with his second straight no-decision. He held Boston to two runs to keep the Yankees in the game, scattering five hits with two walks. With six strikeouts, Mussina moved past Frank Tanana for sole possession of 20th place on the all-time list with 2,778 career strikeouts. He has thrown at least six innings in nine of his last 10 starts. Mussina is 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two outings against Tampa Bay this season.

Check out the Rays’ career numbers against Mike Mussina.

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: Yankees
Posted in Game Thread | Comments Off

Yankees 2, RAYS 1: No, the sky is NOT falling

(Box Score)

I don’t want anyone to start freaking out over this little 3-game losing streak that the Rays are on right now. It’s not the end of the world by any stretch of the imagination. Does it stink to lose 2 games to the Yankees after all of the positive media attention we’ve gotten of late? Absolutely. At the end of the day, though, the Rays still maintain a 2-game lead on Boston and a 6 1/2-game lead on New York, and that’s really all that matters.

Clearly, the Rays’ offense is to blame for the lackluster showing in The Bronx. 1 run in two games? Pathetic. No hits with runners in scoring position? Ghastly. It’s actually quite shocking that a first place team can run as hot and cold as the Rays have, but that just speaks volumes to how well the pitching has perfomed to keep the Rays playing at such a high level. I keep thinking that the offense is eventually going to “click” and we’re reel off 5 straight 10-2 wins, but it just hasn’t happened yet. It looked like it was starting to happen in the Kansas City series before the wheels fell off of that. This team is like the ultimate tease. Every time you think they are ready to jump up into another gear, they ease back a little bit and remind us that it’s still just a bunch of 20-somethings still figuring out how to play this game. And that’s okay. It’s who they are. We just need to remember that sometimes.

Again, the world is NOT coming to an end after these two losses. The Rays could easily win the next 4 games in Cleveland and re-open a big-time lead in the division based on how Boston plays. At the very least, 4 straight wins ensures that the team heads into the All-Star Break with momentum and a lead of at least 2 games. There’s not a person among us who wouldn’t have signed up for a 2-game lead at the All-Star Break before this season started. Heck, there’s not a person among who wouldn’t have signed up for being 2 games OUT at the All-Star Break. Isn’t that really what makes this run so amazing? It took even us - the most hardcore, passionate, and optimistic fans of all - by huge surprise.

I really think the Rays can make some noise in Cleveland to close out the first half. That’s a beaten, dejected team down there, just ripe for the picking. I like our chances.

Tags: Yankees
Posted in Game Recap | 7 Comments »

Game #90: Quick turn-around time

The Rays get right back at it, trying to salvage a split of this 2-game series in a matinee at the big ballyard in The Bronx. Though its comforting to know that even a loss here wouldn’t be a killer for the Rays, it could be damaging to the team’s psyche to go up into New York and throw up a big egg after playing so well for such a long period of time. You never want those “Are we really for real?” thoughts to creep in.

On the bright side, Sir Sidney Ponson is pitching for the Yankees, and he stinks.

What to watch for: It’s always Edwin Jackson when he’s on the mound. Good Edwin equals a win and bad Edwin equals a loss. It’s pretty simple, actually.

Scouting Report on today’s starters from MLB.com:

Edwin Jackson - Jackson pitched masterfully on Friday, holding the Royals to two runs on four hits in eight innings. The 24-year-old right-hander faced the minimum through six innings en route to his fifth win of the season. If Jackson is locating his 97-mph fastball, his other pitches can work well, particularly his slider. Jackson is 2-2 with a 4.42 ERA in 10 career appearances against the Yankees and is 2-1 with a 3.44 ERA in five career appearances at Yankee Stadium.

Sir Sidney Ponson - Ponson struggled against his former Texas club Wednesday night, giving up seven runs and nine hits through five-plus innings. The seven runs matched his season high in runs allowed, and Ponson surrendered two home runs in the sixth inning before exiting the game. The right-hander recorded just one strikeout and gave up two separate leads before a New York rally gave him a no-decision. Ponson said he felt good physically through all his pitches, but the mechanics weren’t there.

Check out the Rays’ career numbers against Sir Sidney Ponson.

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: Yankees
Posted in Game Thread | 10 Comments »

Yankees 5, RAYS 0: Rotten to the core

(Box Score)

Hats off to Andy Pettitte last night. He was good. Damn good. It was actually a clinic on how to pitch the Rays - and, frankly, how to pitch against every team. He threw strike 1 a ton (and threw 80 of 114 pitches for strikes), but the biggest part of his game was working the ball inside, especially on the right-handed hitters. The Rays couldn’t do anything when they were tied up, and it led to a long night in the Bronx.

The lone bright spot on the offensive side was B.J. Upton, who delivered a pair of hits including his 20th double of the season. Other than that, the Rays did a whole lot of nothing.

Scotty Kazmir, on the other hand, was decent but not great. Some early trouble led to a sky-high pitch-count that evicted him from the game after 5, but his 64-33 strike-ball ratio is actually quite good for him. He sat down 9 Yankees via the strikeout, and nearly escaped the 2-run 3rd inning without allowing a run. Many people are saying that he’s doesn’t deserve a spot on the All-Star Team because he hasn’t been pitching like an All-Star lately; I couldn’t disagree more. Who better to showcase the young, upstart Rays than their young, upstart pitcher who can strike batters out at will. Ask the 9 guys he struck out if they think he should be an All-Star. I bet you’d hear a resounding yes.

Gary Glover still stinks.

Why is Grant Balfour pitching in the 6th inning of a game we’re losing? I thought he was the de-facto closer. If Maddon was trying to be progressive and use Balfour to get through the toughest part of the Yankee order while keeping the deficit at 2 runs, kudos to him. That’s the kind of managing you just don’t see and - frankly - I’m glad to see it.

Tags: Yankees
Posted in Game Recap | 4 Comments »

Game #89: Start spreadin’ the news

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.

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

Tags: Yankees
Posted in General | Comments Off

Game #4: Avoiding a Hangover

After last night’s rout, the Rays look to make it two in a row against the New York Yankees in today’s afternoon title. Andy Pettitte goes for the Yankees after being pushed back due to some back troubles, while Edwin Jackson looks to get his 2008 season off on the right foot against an awfully tough Yankee lineup.

Shawn Riggans will get the start at catcher with Dioner Navarro now on the disabled list. We’ve also heard throughout the week that both Jonny Gomes and Elliot Johnson will get starts today, so the lineup could have a bit of a different look today.

What to watch for: It will be much more difficult for the Rays to make Andy Pettitte work than it was to do so against Ian Kennedy, but they have to try. Pettitte will likely be on a pitch-count thanks to his injuries, so if the Rays can make him throw a lot of pitches early, they could get back into that exposed Yankee bullpen.

On the other side, it will be IMPERATIVE for Edwin Jackson to throw strikes today. The Yankees do not go out of the strike zone until they are down in the count, so Edwin needs to keep pumping strike one all day long. Now, he can’t just lay it over the middle of the plate since there are 9 players who can hit the ball out of the yard, but he needs to work from ahead in the count and force the Yankees into defensive counts. If he doesn’t do that, it could be a long day and J.P. Howell might be called on to try and clean up the mess.

Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford have very good career numbers against Pettitte. The Rays could be able to jump in front early if the two of them can get something started in the first inning. On the other side, Gomes is just 2-for-12 lifetime and B.J. Upton is 1-for-6.

Scouting Report on todays starters from MLB.com:
Edwin Jackson - Jackson got off to a terrible start in 2007, when he went 1-9 with a 7.23 ERA in 17 games (16 starts) in the first half of the season. His results were much improved in the second half, when he went 4-6 with a 4.48 ERA in 15 starts, including a four-hit shutout of the Rangers on Aug. 11. Yet he continues to be an enigma, the pitcher with the big fastball who gets mixed results. Jackson has pitched well at Yankee Stadium, posting a 1-1 mark with a 4.38 ERA in four appearances (two starts).

Andy Pettitte - OHaving been pushed back from the No. 2 spot by back spasms, Pettitte is expected to open his campaign against the Rays. The lefty is looking to reprise the role of stopper that helped the Yankees record 21 wins in his 34 starts.

Check out the Rays’ career numbers against Pettitte.

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: Yankees
Posted in Game Thread | 2 Comments »

Game #3: First real test

The Rays - and, more specifically, Al Reyes - had an extra day to simmer on the disappointing loss to the Orioles on Wednesday night. Now, the team heads into the Bronx for an early test against perhaps the top team in the division. This should be a good litmus test for where we really are at this early point in the season. It’s a four game series, so of course taking 3-out-of-4 would be the ideal situation. On the road against such a talented team, though, you’ll take a split.

I absolutely love these Rays-Yankees matchups. They are so much fun. The fans come out en masse, the chat room blows up, and all of the Raysverse bleeds Tampa blue. This year promises to be no different, as the Yankees throw a number of young arms at us while we counter with our “Big Three” and the most exciting young lineup in the game. The first battle in the 19-game war is underway.

Rumor is that the weather may not cooperate so we’ll have to keep an eye on that as the afternoon progresses.

Can Andy Sonnanstine stay ahead of the Yankee hitters and force them off-balance? The Yankees are so ultra-talented when hitting from behind in the count that the only way to beat them is to make sure to stay ahead and keep them guessing. If Sonny can do that, the Rays will have a chance.

What to watch for: Ian Kennedy is making just the 4th start of his career for the Yankees. He’s considered one of their pitching stars of the future, so there’s likely to be a little bit of extra pressure on him. Let’s see if the Rays can’t be patient and try to force him into making mistakes. Don’t extend the strike zone and don’t let him get comfortable on the mound.

Sonnanstine, meanwhile, had a bit of success against the Yankees last year. Let’s see if he can’t build on that and put together a quality start. If he can go 6 innings and allow just 2 or 3 runs, I’ll be happy.

Scouting Report on todays starters from MLB.com:
Andy Sonnanstine - The right-hander got off to a rocky start in 2007 after getting the call from Triple-A Durham. He picked up the win in his first Major League decision June 10 at Florida then he lost his next eight decisions. However, Sonnanstine learned quickly and adjusted accordingly by going more with his fastball to set up the vast array of pitches he throws from all different angles. He is 1-1 with a 3.14 ERA against the Yankees in 2007.

Ian Kennedy - The 23-year-old Kennedy makes just his fourth big league start as the Yankees play the second game of a four-game series with the Rays. A late callup last season, Kennedy made his big league debut on Sept. 1 against Tampa Bay and recorded the win in a 9-6 New York victory, pitching seven innings of three-run, five-hit ball. He recorded 13 of his final 14 batters faced, allowing just a solo home run to B.J. Upton in the sixth inning.

Check out the Rays’ career numbers against Kennedy.

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: Yankees
Posted in Game Thread | 5 Comments »