Position Players: Adrian Beltre, 16m Jason Castro, 490K Brian Dozier, 490K Yunel Escobar, 5m Alex Gordon, 9m J.J. Hardy, 7m DD Jennings, 500K Jose Lobaton, 490K James Loney, 2m Joe Mauer, 23m Will Myers, 490K Jose Tabata, 1m Shane Victorino, 13m Ben Zobrist, 5m
Total: 80.98 m
Starters: Chris Archer, 490K Madison Bumgarner, 900K A.J. Burnett, 8m Alex Cobb, 500K Yu Darvish, 9m
Total: 18.2m
Relievers: Joel Peralta, 3m Mariano Rivera, 10m David Robertson, 3m Fernando Rodney: 500K Alex Torres, 500K James Wright, 500K
Total: 17.5m Reserves: Tim Beckham, 500K Chris Gimenez, 500K Sean Rodriguez, 500K
Total: 1.5m
Grand total: 118.18m
Starting rotation: A.J. Burnett, Madison Bumgarner, Alex Cobb, Yu Darvish.
WSH vs. TB Game 1: WSH 2, TB 3 F/10 WP: Mariano Rivera (1-0) LP: Machi (0-1) S: N/A HR: Shane Victorino (1), Adrian Beltre (1)
In a season opening thriller, the Rays started off the season right with a walk-off homerun in extra innings. Going into the bottom of the 7th it had been all Iwakuma and the Nats. The Washington Nationals had a 2-0 lead and Iwakuma was making the Rays hitters look silly. All the momentum was with the Nationals. That is, until Shane Victorino belted a 412 ft home run to left center to cut the lead in half to sway the momentum and spark life in the Rays. Fast-forward to the bottom of the 9th and the Rays are still down one, Iwakuma still on the mound. Then, a miracle happened. With one man on second, DD Jennings hit an RBI double to right to tie the game and send it into extra innings, leaving it to Mariano Rivera to finish things out. At the top of the 10th, the Nats hit a home run only to have it negated when officials determined that the Nationals batted out of order. This crushing rookie mistake was indeed costly. As luck would have it, Adrian Beltre took the first pitch of the inning and belted it out of the stadium for his first walk-off homerun this season. He was swarmed by his teammates at home plate as they celebrated their first victory. When asked his thoughts about his performance and Adrian Beltre's solo shot, Mariano Rivera replied, "It's always great to come back from a deficit and win in extras. It really shows the resilience in a team. As for Adrian [Beltre], he had been practicing his swing in the offseason, and it really showed. I'm just glad that I was able to hang on long enough for it to happen." The Rays will surely try to utilize this momentum as they face off the Nats again tomorrow in what will surely be an action packed game.
WSH vs. TB Game 2: WSH 1, TB 7 WP: Madison Bumgarner (1-0) LP: Gio Gonzalez (0-1) S: N/A HR: Joe Mauer (1), Shane Victorino (2)
The Rays completed the sweep against the Nats in a blowout game, 7-1. If I said that the Nats started out fighting, I would be wrong. The devastating loss that the Nats suffered last night seemed to get to them as they got absolutely demolished on both sides of the game today. Gio Gonzalez, in his first start of the season, gave up five runs in three innings before he was pulled in the 5th. However, that did not stop the bleeding. The Rays scored two more runs after Gonzalez got pulled and Madison's only earned run was a solo shot in the 5th courtesy of Bryce Harper. Madison also pitched the whole game, giving his bullpen the rest that they'll need to play the Cardinals tomorrow. Although it's still early, the Rays' hot start gives fans hope of a successful season.
The Rays start the season 3-0 as the knock off the Cards in another exciting extra-innings finish. The Rays, who were 1-2 at this point last year, have really proven that this team can compete. The Cards took an early 1-0 lead with a solo shot from Encarnacion. This lead held until the 6th, when Victorino hit and RBI single to bring home Jennings. Both teams had two run 7th innings (A 2-run HR for the Cards and two RBI doubles from the Rays), and after stellar relieving on both teams the game went in extra innings. Both teams had won the extra-inning games that they have played this season going into this game, so something had to budge. After a costly error puts Joe Mauer on base and Jennnings gets hit with a ball, and an Adrian Beltre single brings home Mauer and the Rays leave the top of the 10th with a one run lead. However, the Cards had an answer of their own, as John Jay hit an RBI double to keep the game alive. On to the 11th inning, and the Rays are on their 4th reliever and 3rd PH. A Loney single followed by Wil Myer's RBI double put the Rays ahead again going into the bottom of the 11th. However, the Cards could not rally anymore and ended up with the L, stranding the tying run on first. Although the offense played well, this was the Rays first game all year in which they did not homer. Wil Myers, whose only hit that day won them the game, was asked how it felt, "It felt amazing to help give our clubhouse another win, but it wasn't just me. James [Loney] and Ben [Zobrist] both had three-hit games and an RBI. Our relievers held strong when it mattered the most. It's a team effort here, and everybody in our clubhouse knows that." The Rays will face off against the Cards tomorrow to finish off the series, in which Darvish will be getting his first appearance. As long as the Rays continue to play as well as they have, they have the potential to shut up their critics and have a record-breaking season.
TB vs. STL Game 2: TB 7, STL 1 WP: Yu Darvish (1-0) LP: Ivan Nova (0-1) S: N/A HR: James Loney(1), Desmond Jennings(1), Wil Myers(1)
The Rays get their second consecutive sweep in a beatdown of the Cards, 7-1. We suspected that the Rays would be a good all-around team, and we were right. Yu Darvish posted eight strikeouts and 1 ER in a fantastic full-game appearance. And if Darvish needed any help from the offense, he certainly would not have a problem getting it. The Rays had three homeruns that night, which brings their total homeruns on the season to seven and the number of people who have homered to five. Loney, Zobrist, Jennings, and Myers totaled six hits and 7 RBIs. The Rays also accumulated nine hits and seven walks. The Rays took an early lead off of a Wil Myers 2-run shot and never looked back. A two-run 5th and a 3-run 9th allowed the Rays to run away with it. Right now, the Rays seem like a hot all-around team with only one flaw: fielding. Since the beginning of the season, the Rays have allowed four errors, three of which have come off of Beltre. The Rays should work on improving that, but not forget their impressive 4-0 start.
TB vs. OAK, Game 1: TB 2, OAK 3 WP: Harvey (2-0) LP: AJ Burnett, (1-1) S: N/A HR: Yunel Escobar (1)
All good things must come to an end. Yes, in a heart-breaking loss, the Rays impressive winning streak to the season has been snapped in a 3-2 loss to the league-best A's off of a 9th inning game-winning error committed by Gold Glove shortstop JJ Hardy. Coming into this game, the A's and Ray's were tied for first in the AL (or for that matter, the league) and faced off in a crucial series that would decide who would take the throne. The Rays started out with a 1-0 lead off of Mauer's RBI single, but the A's answered in the 1st with and RBI single of their own. A sac fly in the 6th puts the A's up 2-1, but in the 7th the Rays respond with a solo shot via Yunel Escobar. Fast forward to the bottom of the 9th, man on 3rd, two outs, and a routine ground ball hit to shortstop JJ Hardy was bobbled, allowing the game winning run to cross the plate, delivering the Rays their first loss. Burnett pitched a great game, but was outshined by Harvey's incredible 15 strikeouts. If the Ray's error issue wasn't evident then, it is now. In five games they have committed six errors. When asked about his error after the game, Hardy responded, "I feel terrible that I cost us the game. The guys have worked so hard, and I hate that I was the one who took us out of it. But I don't want to linger on my mistake; I have to move on so that I can continue to help this team instead of feel bad for myself. Hopefully I'll have a chance to redeem myself tomorrow for our last game." Although this is a crushing lost, not all hope is lost. The Rays are still a team to be feared and are looking for revenge against the 1st place A's as they close out the series tomorrow.
Tb vs. OAK, Game 2: TB 1, OAK 6 WP: Bumgarner (1-1) LP: Colon SV: N/A HR: Victorino (3)
As far as games go, this one was ugly. The Rays, looking to bounce back from yesterday's loss, were totally shut down offensively and defensively by the A's. Colon held the entire Ray's roster to merely five hits and one run, while the A's scored six on nine hits. Shane Victorino's 3rd blast put the Ray's up 1-0 in the 3rd, but six unanswered runs by the A's sealed the sweep and the loss for the Rays. The Rays are now tied for second in the AL and look shrug off this series as they play the Rangers at home.
TEX vs. TB, Game 1: TEX 4, TB 0 WP: Travis Wood LP: Alex Cobb (0-1) SV: N/A HR: N/A
The Rays have dropped three in a row, and things are not looking good. The Rangers scored two runs in the first inning off of an RBI single and then added on two in the fifth. The Rays were held to six hits and had one error, an issue that the Rays have struggled with. Cobb did not play poorly, but without any support from his offense he got the loss, his first of the season. Alex Cobb, who had eight strikeouts in the five innings he played, was asked what his team needed to do to get out of their losing streak, "As far as pitching goes, we need to stop walking so many people. We have more than twenty walks in just seven games. Our errors are hurting us, too, but those are mistakes that we can fix, and I expect us to." Obviously, there are signs of concerns among this club. The Rays have 3 runs in their last three games combined, and the offensive struggles are showing. When the Rays have scored at least three runs in a game this season, they have been undefeated. It seems like the offense is the main thing that the Rays need to fix if they want to end this slide. However, the offense is not the only problem. Over the last three games the Rays have allowed 13 runs, a team ERA of 4.33. If the Rays don't shape up soon, they may as well kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.
TEX vs. TB, Game 2: TEX 4, TB 14 WP: Yu Darvish (2-0) LP: Alexi Ogando SV: N/A HR: Adrian Beltre (2), Joe Mauer (2)
The Rays found the spark that they needed in a blowout 14-4 win against the Rangers. In the bottom of the first, Mauer put the Rays up 2-0 with his second homer of the year. The score stayed 2-0 until the 5th, when Cruz homered to center to make it 2-1 and RBIs from Meyers and Zobrist make it 4-1. A 2 run double from Jennings made it 6-1 in the 7th, but the Rays weren't done there. They had an explosive 8-run eight inning that proved that this team could still score. Two homers by the Rangers in the 9th made it 14-4, but the Rangers couldn't close the gap and the Rays earn a much needed victory. The Rays win ended their three game losing streak and put an end to a severe offensive drought. The only sign of concern was Mariano Rivera, who gave up three runs in one inning. In the six innings that he has pitched this season, Rivera has allowed eight hits and four runs, while totaling only six strikeouts. His 6.00 ERA and 1.33 WHIP are signs of concern for this aging closer. However, the more important thing is that the Rays showed a sign of life and a will to compete, which will help them as they take on the Tigers at home in their next series.
DET vs. TB, Game 1: DET 3, TB 4 WP: Mariano Rivera (2-0) LP: Greg Holland SV: N/A HR: Jennings (2), Victorino (4)
The Rays just don't seem to like boring games. In their fourth game decided in the 9th inning or later, the Rays get the win off of their second walk-off homerun of the year, courtesy of Shane Victorino. But let's back up a little and see how we got there. After a silent first two innings, Peralta's RBI double put the Tigers up 1-0. Carter's solo shot in the fourth extended the lead to two, and the Rays feared that they were going to have another "offensively challenged" game. However, the Rays got on the board in the sixth after Zobrist brought Myers in on a sac fly. Three consecutive singles by the Tigers scored a run in the eight and made it a 3-1 ballgame. A rare RBI single by JJ Hardy made it 3-2 going into the ninth, the Rays still trailing. After Rivera pitched a flawless inning with two strikeouts, the Rays had three outs to try to win. And Jennings was not shy in making that happen. He hit a 405 ft solo shot to left and tied the game up, 3-3. Escobar then grounded out, which brought up Shane Victorino, who had three homeruns on the year. Well, make that four. Victorino took the first pitch that he saw and waved bye bye to it as the ball sailed over the wall to seal the Rays' walkoff win. He was swarmed by teammates as he approached home plate and moved his team to second in the AL. When asked about his clutch homerun in the 9th, Victorino said, "It feels amazing. I hadn't homered since the Oakland series, and I felt like I was due. The feeling of hitting a walkoff [homerun] is almost indescribable. I'm really glad that I could help us get such an important win." The Rays win sends a signal out to the other teams, telling them that the Rays are a competitive team that knows how to win games. Hopefully the Rays can use some momentum from tonight as they take on the Tigers tomorrow to finish off the series.
DET vs. TB, Game 2: DET 3, TB 2 WP: Greg Holland LP: Mariano Rivera (2-1) SV: N/A HR: N/A
The Rays lost a close game 3-2 that came down to the final out. Coming into today's game, the Rays had played four games that came down to one run and had won three of them. Their last game against the Tigers was decided by one, so the Rays expected a close game. The Rays started off the game hot with a run in the first, but the Tigers quickly tied it with a solo shot in the second. It remained 1-1 until Escobar's sac fly in the 6th gave the Rays the lead. However, Peralta's homerun off of Robertson tied it up going into the ninth. With one out, Michael Bourn hit a solo shot to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead. The Rays had no response in the bottom of the ninth and gave the Tigers the win. This loss puts the Rays in third in the AL, the last playoff spot. They are one game out of second, and remain in third by one game as well. Yet again, the main trouble for the Rays is their very inconsistent offense that has had trouble scoring. The Rays can score fourteen runs in a game, or they can score three runs in three games combined. This was their third game without a homerun, and the lack of offense really hurt them as they lost a crucial game. When asked about his team's struggles on offense, Loney replied, "It's all about getting in a rhythm. We'll either have an amazing game, or be held to four hits. I think one of our problems is that we're swinging for the fences too much. Guys look at the scoreboard and think 'I'm gonna be the hero and hit a homerun,' when in reality a hit is all that we need to start a rally. If we can get our guys to try to get hits instead of homeruns every at bat, I think everyone will see a much more consistent and productive offense." Hopefully, the Rays take Loney's advice as they take on the league-best Red Sox in a key series that will have huge playoff implications.
TB vs. BOS, Game 2: TB 8, BOS 10 WP: Breslow LP: Jamey Wright (1-1) SV: N/A HR: Joe Mauer (3)
The Rays lost consecutive heart breakers against the Red Sox as they beat the Rays in the 9th off of a two run walkoff homerun. This was an offensive battle in which eighteen runs were scored. Both teams started out with two run homers in the first inning. The Red Sox then followed up their first inning performance with another homerun to extend the lead to one. A scoreless third and fourth takes us to the fifth, where a Loney RBI single ties the game. A two run double in the sixth put the Rays up 5-3, and a three run seventh made the score 8-3 going into the bottom of the seventh. And then, David Robertson came into the game. In his two innings appearance, he managed to give up five runs and the Rays lead. That takes us into the bottom of the 9th, an 8-8 ball game. That is, until Jamey Wright gave up a two run walkoff to complete the sweep of the Rays. The Rays showed their late game struggles again as the bullpen gave up an astounding seven runs in the last three innings. The Rays recent 2-6 run has landed them tied for third in the AL. What started out the year as an offensive struggle for the Rays has quickly turned to a pitching issue. Hopefully the Rays can get some wins soon, or else things will not look good.
TB vs. BOS, Game 1: TB 6, BOS 7 F/16 WP: Duffy LP: Archer (0-1) SV: N/A HR: Desmond Jennings (3) Will Myers (2 & 3), Alex Gordon (1)
The Rays lost a heart-breaker in the season's longest game yet, 7-6. The game lasted sixteen innings and seven hours, and annihilated both team's relievers. The Rays and Red Sox both had homers in the 2nd, and after two homers via Wil Myers, it was 5-1 Rays in the top of the 5th. A two run blast by Reyes in the bottom of the 5th cut the lead to two, and Alex Cobb left the game with a two-run lead. However, his bullpen and defense had other ideas. An error and single put Big Papi to the plate, and he did not waste his appearance. He belted a three-run shot to take the lead. Down to their last batter in the top of the 9th, the Rays pitch-hit for the offensively challenged JJ Hardy with Alex Gordon. One pitch later, the game was tied. Alex Gordon's first appearance of the series tied the game up and sent it into extra innings. Fast forward six relievers and hours of evenly matched pitching, and the Rays are in the bottom of the 16th. Their relievers are so tired they are forced to bring in Archer, the fifth starter, in his first appearance of the season. And with that performance, it may be his last. Big Papi came up to the plate and did what he does best: win clutch games. A solo shot ended the never-ending game and delivered the Rays a devastating loss. The worst part about this game was the the Red Sox didn't win it, the Rays lost it. They blew a 5-1 lead due to bullpen inconsistency yet again. This loss hurts the Rays playoff picture, and puts the Rangers and Tigers within contention of the coveted last spot. The Rays need to shape up and prove that they can win big games if they want to make the playoffs.
CLE vs. TB, Game 1: CLE 2, TB 3 WP: AJ Burnett (2-1) LP: Scherzer SV: Mariano Rivera (1) HR: James Loney (2)
The Rays end their three game slide with a 3-2 win against the Indians. The Rays started off this game how they do with many of their games, which is scoring in the first inning. Two RBI hits gave the Rays an early 2-0 lead. The Indians would answer in the third with and RBI single. A shutout fourth inning brought about the fifth, in which James Loney hit his second homer of the year to give the Rays a 3-1 lead. But Robinson Cano was determined to make this a close game and homered to cut the lead to one. The Rays left the sixth with a one run lead, and Rays fans were concerned leaving the game to their shaky bullpen. However, the bullpen proved everyone else wrong as Robertson, Torres, and Rivera combined for three scoreless innings to seal the win. Because of all of the Rays' crazy extra inning or blowout games, this was Mariano Rivera's first save opportunity of the year, which puts him at 100%. When asked about the bullpen's performance, he said, "We had a lot of skeptics saying that we couldn't hold our own, and I think we shut them up tonight. We shut them down and proved that we have lights-out ability." This game makes the Rays 7-6 and gives them the lead over the Rangers for the third spot in the AL. The Rays control their own destiny and can make the playoffs if they can get hot during the final stretch of the season.
CLE vs. TB, Game 2: CLE 2, TB 5 WP: Madison Bumgarner (2-1) LP: Jiminez SV: Mariano Rivera (2) HR: Yunel Escobar (2)
The Rays completed the sweep of the Indians with a 5-2 win. The Indians began the game with two consecutive doubles to take a 1-0 lead. Then the Rays started out how they always do, which is putting up runs in the first. Jiminzed walked in a run and Escobar hit a sac fly to take a 2-1 lead. Then, in the third, Escobar belted a three run home run, his second of the season. Bumgarner left the fifth with only one earned run. The only other run was off a wild pitch, and the runner reached on after a Zobrist error. The final score was 5-2 and the Rays pitching staff proved yet again that they can compete. This was the bullpen's second strong performance, as they gave up no earned runs. Bumgarner only gave up one run, too. The Rays need to keep winning if they want to keep up with the hot Rangers, but the strong pitching performances give Rays fans reassurance.
TB vs. OAK, Game 1: TB 2, OAK 3 WP: Hernandez LP: Alex Cobb (0-2) SV: N/A HR: N/A
The Rays lost to the A's 3-2 in a pitcher's duel. The Rays had only scored three runs against the A's coming into this game, so they knew that their offense had to rise to the challenge. The game started off quietly until the third, when the A's scored off of a sac fly to take the lead. The Rays would not answer until the fifth, when Loney's RBI single tied it at 1. The A's quickly regained the lead with two more runs in the fifth. The very next inning, Victorino's RBI double cut the lead in half, but the Rays still trailed. Unfortunately, the offense could not come through in the clutch and the Ray's lost, 3-2. Although a loss is a loss, the Rays did not play terribly. The Rays only allowed three runs, none of which were in the last four innings. The bullpen is getting stronger as the season goes on, and, although the Rays are still struggling with errors and offensive production, the Rays are still a very good team.
TB vs. OAK, Game 2: TB 3, OAK 2 WP: Chris Archer (1-1) LP: Gray SV: N/A HR: Joe Mauer (4), Wil Myers (4)
The Rays finally beat the A's 3-2 due to Chris Archer's outstanding performance. Now some of you may be wondering why Archer was in the game when Darvish was set to start. Sadly, Darvish was hit by a ball and will be out until the playoffs. However, if Chris Archer can keep up this kind of performance, you might be seeing a lot more of Archer. Archer's time to shine came in the second inning, when a ball hit off of Yu Darvish which took him out of the game. Prior to this game, Archer only had one appearance, and it did not go well. He came in in the bottom of the 16th against the Red Sox and, on his second batter, gave up the winning run to lose the game that the rest of the bullpen had worked so hard for. Archer was ready to redeem himself, and he definitely showed it. When he came in in the second inning, it was lights-out from the start. Archer didn't even allow a baserunner until the fifth inning. Going into the ninth inning, he had only allowed two hits and one walk, none of which scored any runs. Sadly, he did not have much support going into the ninth. Two solo home runs from Myers and Mauer respectively in the first put the Rays up 2-0, but after the first, the only other run came off of Loney's RBI single in the second. In the ninth, Archer gave up a homer to cut the lead to one and end his shutout, but he held on and gave the Rays a huge win, keeping their playoff hopes alive. He totaled five strikeouts, but was noted for his ability to make hitters ground out almost at will. When asked about how it felt to be thrown into the game and help the team win, he said," It felt great being able to redeem myself since the [Boston] game. I needed some way to make it up for [the team], and this was my chance. I didn't expect Yu [Darvish] to get hurt, so when I went in I didn't know what to expect. Thankfully I was able to help the team come out on top." The Rays are 9-7 and currently a half-game ahead of the Rangers for the third spot. The Rays pitching staff is showing their strength, and if the offense and fielding can step up their game, the Rays will be unstoppable.
DET vs. TB, Game 1: DET 1, TB 0 WP: Sanchez LP: AJ Burnett (2-2) SV: N/A HR: N/A
The Rays fell to the Tigers 1-0 from a pitiful effort by the offense despite an amazing effort by AJ Burnett. The Ray's were no-hit, the first no-hitter of the year. AJ Burnett, however, had a fantastic ten-strikeout game, and it's a shame that the offense played too horribly to reward him for it. To be fair, Sanchez obviously had an amazing game. Both of these pitchers deserved to win this game, but sadly, only one could. It was 0-0 going into the ninth, with shutdown pitching on both sides. Burnett had only allowed three hits and a walk, and Sanchez had allowed no hits and four walks. However, something had to give, and Burnett allowed a one-run home run via Infante to give the Tigers the one run that they needed to win the game. There are two main things to take out of this game for the Rays: the pitching is unstoppable, the hitting is horrible. Over the last three games, the Rays have scored a meager five runs. However, the Rays have only allowed ten runs over the last five games and are clearly the only reason that the Rays have been able to win games recently. If the offense doesn't step up, the Rays can wave the playoffs bye-bye.
DET vs. TB, Game 2: DET 1, TB 4 WP: Madison Bumgarner (3-1) LP: Coleman SV: Mariano Rivera (3) HR: Shane Victorino (5)
The Rays redeemed themselves after being no-hit and beat the Tigers, 4-1. The Tigers got off to an early lead with an RBI double to make it 1-0. However, due to the Ray's red hot starting pitching and relieving, that would be the Tigers' only run of the game, totaling two runs for the entire series. The Rays answered with Shane Victorino's three-run shot in the third, his fifth of the year. Victorino has been a cornerstone in this Ray's offense; without him, there would be no offense. He leads the team in home runs and comes up in the clutch. He scored 3/4 of the Ray's runs today, the only other run being a sac fly. Again, the real story is the amazing success that the Ray's pitching staff has had recently. No runs allowed after the first inning shows that Bumgarner and the relievers know how to shut down batters. This makes the Rays 10-8 as they host the Red Sox in the biggest and final game of their regular season.
BOS vs. TB, Game 1: BOS 2, TB 3 WP: Alex Cobb (1-2) LP: Duffy SV: Mariano Rivera (4) HR: James Loney (3), Joe Mauer (5), Wil Myers (5)
The Ray's get a HUGE win against the Red Sox, 3-2 in what was another great performance by the pitching staff. The Rays, yet again, scored in the first inning when James Loney took the first pitch of the game and belted it 429 feet. Myers' solo shot in the third made it 2-0, and Mauer's homer two hitters later made it 3-0. However, the only other hit of the game was a Victorino double in the second. This left it up to the pitching, who came through again. Alex Cobb and Jamey Wright both had one earned run, but shutout performances from Robertson, Torres, and Rivera helped secure the Ray's biggest win of the season. Coming into this season, the Rays were one of the most, if not the most, scrutinized pitching staffs. Critics told them that they did not have nearly enough talent to be able to stop the hard-hitting bats of the AL. But game after game, the Rays pitching staff has been proving those critics wrong. The Rays have allowed an incredible thirteen runs in their last seven games. The offense, however, showed signs of improvement. Although they only totaled four hits, three of them were home runs. While the Rays will need more than that from their offense if they make the playoffs (which comes down to the Rangers-Athletics game), the solid pitching may be enough to support the offense while it gets back on its feet.
Playoffs: TB vs. OAK, Game 1: WP: Gray LP: Darvish (2-1) SV: N/A HR: N/A
A disappointing one-and-done sealed the fate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays' offense looked pitiful yet again, and ultimately proved to be their downfall. The A's pitching dominated the Rays' incompetent offense and produced a shutout in their 3-0 win. The Rays only totaled two hits the entire game. In addition to the Rays' offense being sluggish again, the Rays' pitching did well again. Except for a three-run blast in the first inning, the Rays' shut out the A's for the rest of the game and only allowed three hits after the first. Rays fans are surely disappointed by the season's strong start but inability to get past the first round of the playoffs and are already looking forward to next year.
Position Players:
ReplyDeleteAdrian Beltre, 16m
Jason Castro, 490K
Brian Dozier, 490K
Yunel Escobar, 5m
Alex Gordon, 9m
J.J. Hardy, 7m
DD Jennings, 500K
Jose Lobaton, 490K
James Loney, 2m
Joe Mauer, 23m
Will Myers, 490K
Jose Tabata, 1m
Shane Victorino, 13m
Ben Zobrist, 5m
Total: 80.98 m
Starters:
Chris Archer, 490K
Madison Bumgarner, 900K
A.J. Burnett, 8m
Alex Cobb, 500K
Yu Darvish, 9m
Total: 18.2m
Relievers:
Joel Peralta, 3m
Mariano Rivera, 10m
David Robertson, 3m
Fernando Rodney: 500K
Alex Torres, 500K
James Wright, 500K
Total: 17.5m
Reserves:
Tim Beckham, 500K
Chris Gimenez, 500K
Sean Rodriguez, 500K
Total: 1.5m
Grand total: 118.18m
Starting rotation: A.J. Burnett, Madison Bumgarner, Alex Cobb, Yu Darvish.
Closer: Mariano Rivera.
WSH vs. TB Game 1:
ReplyDeleteWSH 2, TB 3 F/10
WP: Mariano Rivera (1-0)
LP: Machi (0-1)
S: N/A
HR: Shane Victorino (1), Adrian Beltre (1)
In a season opening thriller, the Rays started off the season right with a walk-off homerun in extra innings. Going into the bottom of the 7th it had been all Iwakuma and the Nats. The Washington Nationals had a 2-0 lead and Iwakuma was making the Rays hitters look silly. All the momentum was with the Nationals. That is, until Shane Victorino belted a 412 ft home run to left center to cut the lead in half to sway the momentum and spark life in the Rays. Fast-forward to the bottom of the 9th and the Rays are still down one, Iwakuma still on the mound. Then, a miracle happened. With one man on second, DD Jennings hit an RBI double to right to tie the game and send it into extra innings, leaving it to Mariano Rivera to finish things out. At the top of the 10th, the Nats hit a home run only to have it negated when officials determined that the Nationals batted out of order. This crushing rookie mistake was indeed costly. As luck would have it, Adrian Beltre took the first pitch of the inning and belted it out of the stadium for his first walk-off homerun this season. He was swarmed by his teammates at home plate as they celebrated their first victory. When asked his thoughts about his performance and Adrian Beltre's solo shot, Mariano Rivera replied, "It's always great to come back from a deficit and win in extras. It really shows the resilience in a team. As for Adrian [Beltre], he had been practicing his swing in the offseason, and it really showed. I'm just glad that I was able to hang on long enough for it to happen." The Rays will surely try to utilize this momentum as they face off the Nats again tomorrow in what will surely be an action packed game.
WSH vs. TB Game 2:
ReplyDeleteWSH 1, TB 7
WP: Madison Bumgarner (1-0)
LP: Gio Gonzalez (0-1)
S: N/A
HR: Joe Mauer (1), Shane Victorino (2)
The Rays completed the sweep against the Nats in a blowout game, 7-1. If I said that the Nats started out fighting, I would be wrong. The devastating loss that the Nats suffered last night seemed to get to them as they got absolutely demolished on both sides of the game today. Gio Gonzalez, in his first start of the season, gave up five runs in three innings before he was pulled in the 5th. However, that did not stop the bleeding. The Rays scored two more runs after Gonzalez got pulled and Madison's only earned run was a solo shot in the 5th courtesy of Bryce Harper. Madison also pitched the whole game, giving his bullpen the rest that they'll need to play the Cardinals tomorrow. Although it's still early, the Rays' hot start gives fans hope of a successful season.
TB vs. STL Game 1:
ReplyDeleteTB 4, STL 3 F/11
WP: Jamey Wright (1-0)
LP: Sergio Romo (0-1)
S: N/A
HR: N/A
The Rays start the season 3-0 as the knock off the Cards in another exciting extra-innings finish. The Rays, who were 1-2 at this point last year, have really proven that this team can compete. The Cards took an early 1-0 lead with a solo shot from Encarnacion. This lead held until the 6th, when Victorino hit and RBI single to bring home Jennings. Both teams had two run 7th innings (A 2-run HR for the Cards and two RBI doubles from the Rays), and after stellar relieving on both teams the game went in extra innings. Both teams had won the extra-inning games that they have played this season going into this game, so something had to budge. After a costly error puts Joe Mauer on base and Jennnings gets hit with a ball, and an Adrian Beltre single brings home Mauer and the Rays leave the top of the 10th with a one run lead. However, the Cards had an answer of their own, as John Jay hit an RBI double to keep the game alive. On to the 11th inning, and the Rays are on their 4th reliever and 3rd PH. A Loney single followed by Wil Myer's RBI double put the Rays ahead again going into the bottom of the 11th. However, the Cards could not rally anymore and ended up with the L, stranding the tying run on first. Although the offense played well, this was the Rays first game all year in which they did not homer. Wil Myers, whose only hit that day won them the game, was asked how it felt, "It felt amazing to help give our clubhouse another win, but it wasn't just me. James [Loney] and Ben [Zobrist] both had three-hit games and an RBI. Our relievers held strong when it mattered the most. It's a team effort here, and everybody in our clubhouse knows that." The Rays will face off against the Cards tomorrow to finish off the series, in which Darvish will be getting his first appearance. As long as the Rays continue to play as well as they have, they have the potential to shut up their critics and have a record-breaking season.
TB vs. STL Game 2:
ReplyDeleteTB 7, STL 1
WP: Yu Darvish (1-0)
LP: Ivan Nova (0-1)
S: N/A
HR: James Loney(1), Desmond Jennings(1), Wil Myers(1)
The Rays get their second consecutive sweep in a beatdown of the Cards, 7-1. We suspected that the Rays would be a good all-around team, and we were right. Yu Darvish posted eight strikeouts and 1 ER in a fantastic full-game appearance. And if Darvish needed any help from the offense, he certainly would not have a problem getting it. The Rays had three homeruns that night, which brings their total homeruns on the season to seven and the number of people who have homered to five. Loney, Zobrist, Jennings, and Myers totaled six hits and 7 RBIs. The Rays also accumulated nine hits and seven walks. The Rays took an early lead off of a Wil Myers 2-run shot and never looked back. A two-run 5th and a 3-run 9th allowed the Rays to run away with it. Right now, the Rays seem like a hot all-around team with only one flaw: fielding. Since the beginning of the season, the Rays have allowed four errors, three of which have come off of Beltre. The Rays should work on improving that, but not forget their impressive 4-0 start.
TB vs. OAK, Game 1:
ReplyDeleteTB 2, OAK 3
WP: Harvey (2-0)
LP: AJ Burnett, (1-1)
S: N/A
HR: Yunel Escobar (1)
All good things must come to an end. Yes, in a heart-breaking loss, the Rays impressive winning streak to the season has been snapped in a 3-2 loss to the league-best A's off of a 9th inning game-winning error committed by Gold Glove shortstop JJ Hardy. Coming into this game, the A's and Ray's were tied for first in the AL (or for that matter, the league) and faced off in a crucial series that would decide who would take the throne. The Rays started out with a 1-0 lead off of Mauer's RBI single, but the A's answered in the 1st with and RBI single of their own. A sac fly in the 6th puts the A's up 2-1, but in the 7th the Rays respond with a solo shot via Yunel Escobar. Fast forward to the bottom of the 9th, man on 3rd, two outs, and a routine ground ball hit to shortstop JJ Hardy was bobbled, allowing the game winning run to cross the plate, delivering the Rays their first loss. Burnett pitched a great game, but was outshined by Harvey's incredible 15 strikeouts. If the Ray's error issue wasn't evident then, it is now. In five games they have committed six errors. When asked about his error after the game, Hardy responded, "I feel terrible that I cost us the game. The guys have worked so hard, and I hate that I was the one who took us out of it. But I don't want to linger on my mistake; I have to move on so that I can continue to help this team instead of feel bad for myself. Hopefully I'll have a chance to redeem myself tomorrow for our last game." Although this is a crushing lost, not all hope is lost. The Rays are still a team to be feared and are looking for revenge against the 1st place A's as they close out the series tomorrow.
Tb vs. OAK, Game 2:
ReplyDeleteTB 1, OAK 6
WP: Bumgarner (1-1)
LP: Colon
SV: N/A
HR: Victorino (3)
As far as games go, this one was ugly. The Rays, looking to bounce back from yesterday's loss, were totally shut down offensively and defensively by the A's. Colon held the entire Ray's roster to merely five hits and one run, while the A's scored six on nine hits. Shane Victorino's 3rd blast put the Ray's up 1-0 in the 3rd, but six unanswered runs by the A's sealed the sweep and the loss for the Rays. The Rays are now tied for second in the AL and look shrug off this series as they play the Rangers at home.
TEX vs. TB, Game 1:
ReplyDeleteTEX 4, TB 0
WP: Travis Wood
LP: Alex Cobb (0-1)
SV: N/A
HR: N/A
The Rays have dropped three in a row, and things are not looking good. The Rangers scored two runs in the first inning off of an RBI single and then added on two in the fifth. The Rays were held to six hits and had one error, an issue that the Rays have struggled with. Cobb did not play poorly, but without any support from his offense he got the loss, his first of the season. Alex Cobb, who had eight strikeouts in the five innings he played, was asked what his team needed to do to get out of their losing streak, "As far as pitching goes, we need to stop walking so many people. We have more than twenty walks in just seven games. Our errors are hurting us, too, but those are mistakes that we can fix, and I expect us to." Obviously, there are signs of concerns among this club. The Rays have 3 runs in their last three games combined, and the offensive struggles are showing. When the Rays have scored at least three runs in a game this season, they have been undefeated. It seems like the offense is the main thing that the Rays need to fix if they want to end this slide. However, the offense is not the only problem. Over the last three games the Rays have allowed 13 runs, a team ERA of 4.33. If the Rays don't shape up soon, they may as well kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.
TEX vs. TB, Game 2:
ReplyDeleteTEX 4, TB 14
WP: Yu Darvish (2-0)
LP: Alexi Ogando
SV: N/A
HR: Adrian Beltre (2), Joe Mauer (2)
The Rays found the spark that they needed in a blowout 14-4 win against the Rangers. In the bottom of the first, Mauer put the Rays up 2-0 with his second homer of the year. The score stayed 2-0 until the 5th, when Cruz homered to center to make it 2-1 and RBIs from Meyers and Zobrist make it 4-1. A 2 run double from Jennings made it 6-1 in the 7th, but the Rays weren't done there. They had an explosive 8-run eight inning that proved that this team could still score. Two homers by the Rangers in the 9th made it 14-4, but the Rangers couldn't close the gap and the Rays earn a much needed victory. The Rays win ended their three game losing streak and put an end to a severe offensive drought. The only sign of concern was Mariano Rivera, who gave up three runs in one inning. In the six innings that he has pitched this season, Rivera has allowed eight hits and four runs, while totaling only six strikeouts. His 6.00 ERA and 1.33 WHIP are signs of concern for this aging closer. However, the more important thing is that the Rays showed a sign of life and a will to compete, which will help them as they take on the Tigers at home in their next series.
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DeleteDET vs. TB, Game 1:
ReplyDeleteDET 3, TB 4
WP: Mariano Rivera (2-0)
LP: Greg Holland
SV: N/A
HR: Jennings (2), Victorino (4)
The Rays just don't seem to like boring games. In their fourth game decided in the 9th inning or later, the Rays get the win off of their second walk-off homerun of the year, courtesy of Shane Victorino. But let's back up a little and see how we got there. After a silent first two innings, Peralta's RBI double put the Tigers up 1-0. Carter's solo shot in the fourth extended the lead to two, and the Rays feared that they were going to have another "offensively challenged" game. However, the Rays got on the board in the sixth after Zobrist brought Myers in on a sac fly. Three consecutive singles by the Tigers scored a run in the eight and made it a 3-1 ballgame. A rare RBI single by JJ Hardy made it 3-2 going into the ninth, the Rays still trailing. After Rivera pitched a flawless inning with two strikeouts, the Rays had three outs to try to win. And Jennings was not shy in making that happen. He hit a 405 ft solo shot to left and tied the game up, 3-3. Escobar then grounded out, which brought up Shane Victorino, who had three homeruns on the year. Well, make that four. Victorino took the first pitch that he saw and waved bye bye to it as the ball sailed over the wall to seal the Rays' walkoff win. He was swarmed by teammates as he approached home plate and moved his team to second in the AL. When asked about his clutch homerun in the 9th, Victorino said, "It feels amazing. I hadn't homered since the Oakland series, and I felt like I was due. The feeling of hitting a walkoff [homerun] is almost indescribable. I'm really glad that I could help us get such an important win." The Rays win sends a signal out to the other teams, telling them that the Rays are a competitive team that knows how to win games. Hopefully the Rays can use some momentum from tonight as they take on the Tigers tomorrow to finish off the series.
DET vs. TB, Game 2:
ReplyDeleteDET 3, TB 2
WP: Greg Holland
LP: Mariano Rivera (2-1)
SV: N/A
HR: N/A
The Rays lost a close game 3-2 that came down to the final out. Coming into today's game, the Rays had played four games that came down to one run and had won three of them. Their last game against the Tigers was decided by one, so the Rays expected a close game. The Rays started off the game hot with a run in the first, but the Tigers quickly tied it with a solo shot in the second. It remained 1-1 until Escobar's sac fly in the 6th gave the Rays the lead. However, Peralta's homerun off of Robertson tied it up going into the ninth. With one out, Michael Bourn hit a solo shot to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead. The Rays had no response in the bottom of the ninth and gave the Tigers the win. This loss puts the Rays in third in the AL, the last playoff spot. They are one game out of second, and remain in third by one game as well. Yet again, the main trouble for the Rays is their very inconsistent offense that has had trouble scoring. The Rays can score fourteen runs in a game, or they can score three runs in three games combined. This was their third game without a homerun, and the lack of offense really hurt them as they lost a crucial game. When asked about his team's struggles on offense, Loney replied, "It's all about getting in a rhythm. We'll either have an amazing game, or be held to four hits. I think one of our problems is that we're swinging for the fences too much. Guys look at the scoreboard and think 'I'm gonna be the hero and hit a homerun,' when in reality a hit is all that we need to start a rally. If we can get our guys to try to get hits instead of homeruns every at bat, I think everyone will see a much more consistent and productive offense." Hopefully, the Rays take Loney's advice as they take on the league-best Red Sox in a key series that will have huge playoff implications.
TB vs. BOS, Game 2:
ReplyDeleteTB 8, BOS 10
WP: Breslow
LP: Jamey Wright (1-1)
SV: N/A
HR: Joe Mauer (3)
The Rays lost consecutive heart breakers against the Red Sox as they beat the Rays in the 9th off of a two run walkoff homerun. This was an offensive battle in which eighteen runs were scored. Both teams started out with two run homers in the first inning. The Red Sox then followed up their first inning performance with another homerun to extend the lead to one. A scoreless third and fourth takes us to the fifth, where a Loney RBI single ties the game. A two run double in the sixth put the Rays up 5-3, and a three run seventh made the score 8-3 going into the bottom of the seventh. And then, David Robertson came into the game. In his two innings appearance, he managed to give up five runs and the Rays lead. That takes us into the bottom of the 9th, an 8-8 ball game. That is, until Jamey Wright gave up a two run walkoff to complete the sweep of the Rays. The Rays showed their late game struggles again as the bullpen gave up an astounding seven runs in the last three innings. The Rays recent 2-6 run has landed them tied for third in the AL. What started out the year as an offensive struggle for the Rays has quickly turned to a pitching issue. Hopefully the Rays can get some wins soon, or else things will not look good.
TB vs. BOS, Game 1:
ReplyDeleteTB 6, BOS 7 F/16
WP: Duffy
LP: Archer (0-1)
SV: N/A
HR: Desmond Jennings (3) Will Myers (2 & 3), Alex Gordon (1)
The Rays lost a heart-breaker in the season's longest game yet, 7-6. The game lasted sixteen innings and seven hours, and annihilated both team's relievers. The Rays and Red Sox both had homers in the 2nd, and after two homers via Wil Myers, it was 5-1 Rays in the top of the 5th. A two run blast by Reyes in the bottom of the 5th cut the lead to two, and Alex Cobb left the game with a two-run lead. However, his bullpen and defense had other ideas. An error and single put Big Papi to the plate, and he did not waste his appearance. He belted a three-run shot to take the lead. Down to their last batter in the top of the 9th, the Rays pitch-hit for the offensively challenged JJ Hardy with Alex Gordon. One pitch later, the game was tied. Alex Gordon's first appearance of the series tied the game up and sent it into extra innings. Fast forward six relievers and hours of evenly matched pitching, and the Rays are in the bottom of the 16th. Their relievers are so tired they are forced to bring in Archer, the fifth starter, in his first appearance of the season. And with that performance, it may be his last. Big Papi came up to the plate and did what he does best: win clutch games. A solo shot ended the never-ending game and delivered the Rays a devastating loss. The worst part about this game was the the Red Sox didn't win it, the Rays lost it. They blew a 5-1 lead due to bullpen inconsistency yet again. This loss hurts the Rays playoff picture, and puts the Rangers and Tigers within contention of the coveted last spot. The Rays need to shape up and prove that they can win big games if they want to make the playoffs.
CLE vs. TB, Game 1:
ReplyDeleteCLE 2, TB 3
WP: AJ Burnett (2-1)
LP: Scherzer
SV: Mariano Rivera (1)
HR: James Loney (2)
The Rays end their three game slide with a 3-2 win against the Indians. The Rays started off this game how they do with many of their games, which is scoring in the first inning. Two RBI hits gave the Rays an early 2-0 lead. The Indians would answer in the third with and RBI single. A shutout fourth inning brought about the fifth, in which James Loney hit his second homer of the year to give the Rays a 3-1 lead. But Robinson Cano was determined to make this a close game and homered to cut the lead to one. The Rays left the sixth with a one run lead, and Rays fans were concerned leaving the game to their shaky bullpen. However, the bullpen proved everyone else wrong as Robertson, Torres, and Rivera combined for three scoreless innings to seal the win. Because of all of the Rays' crazy extra inning or blowout games, this was Mariano Rivera's first save opportunity of the year, which puts him at 100%. When asked about the bullpen's performance, he said, "We had a lot of skeptics saying that we couldn't hold our own, and I think we shut them up tonight. We shut them down and proved that we have lights-out ability." This game makes the Rays 7-6 and gives them the lead over the Rangers for the third spot in the AL. The Rays control their own destiny and can make the playoffs if they can get hot during the final stretch of the season.
CLE vs. TB, Game 2:
ReplyDeleteCLE 2, TB 5
WP: Madison Bumgarner (2-1)
LP: Jiminez
SV: Mariano Rivera (2)
HR: Yunel Escobar (2)
The Rays completed the sweep of the Indians with a 5-2 win. The Indians began the game with two consecutive doubles to take a 1-0 lead. Then the Rays started out how they always do, which is putting up runs in the first. Jiminzed walked in a run and Escobar hit a sac fly to take a 2-1 lead. Then, in the third, Escobar belted a three run home run, his second of the season. Bumgarner left the fifth with only one earned run. The only other run was off a wild pitch, and the runner reached on after a Zobrist error. The final score was 5-2 and the Rays pitching staff proved yet again that they can compete. This was the bullpen's second strong performance, as they gave up no earned runs. Bumgarner only gave up one run, too. The Rays need to keep winning if they want to keep up with the hot Rangers, but the strong pitching performances give Rays fans reassurance.
TB vs. OAK, Game 1:
ReplyDeleteTB 2, OAK 3
WP: Hernandez
LP: Alex Cobb (0-2)
SV: N/A
HR: N/A
The Rays lost to the A's 3-2 in a pitcher's duel. The Rays had only scored three runs against the A's coming into this game, so they knew that their offense had to rise to the challenge. The game started off quietly until the third, when the A's scored off of a sac fly to take the lead. The Rays would not answer until the fifth, when Loney's RBI single tied it at 1. The A's quickly regained the lead with two more runs in the fifth. The very next inning, Victorino's RBI double cut the lead in half, but the Rays still trailed. Unfortunately, the offense could not come through in the clutch and the Ray's lost, 3-2. Although a loss is a loss, the Rays did not play terribly. The Rays only allowed three runs, none of which were in the last four innings. The bullpen is getting stronger as the season goes on, and, although the Rays are still struggling with errors and offensive production, the Rays are still a very good team.
TB vs. OAK, Game 2:
ReplyDeleteTB 3, OAK 2
WP: Chris Archer (1-1)
LP: Gray
SV: N/A
HR: Joe Mauer (4), Wil Myers (4)
The Rays finally beat the A's 3-2 due to Chris Archer's outstanding performance. Now some of you may be wondering why Archer was in the game when Darvish was set to start. Sadly, Darvish was hit by a ball and will be out until the playoffs. However, if Chris Archer can keep up this kind of performance, you might be seeing a lot more of Archer. Archer's time to shine came in the second inning, when a ball hit off of Yu Darvish which took him out of the game. Prior to this game, Archer only had one appearance, and it did not go well. He came in in the bottom of the 16th against the Red Sox and, on his second batter, gave up the winning run to lose the game that the rest of the bullpen had worked so hard for. Archer was ready to redeem himself, and he definitely showed it. When he came in in the second inning, it was lights-out from the start. Archer didn't even allow a baserunner until the fifth inning. Going into the ninth inning, he had only allowed two hits and one walk, none of which scored any runs. Sadly, he did not have much support going into the ninth. Two solo home runs from Myers and Mauer respectively in the first put the Rays up 2-0, but after the first, the only other run came off of Loney's RBI single in the second. In the ninth, Archer gave up a homer to cut the lead to one and end his shutout, but he held on and gave the Rays a huge win, keeping their playoff hopes alive. He totaled five strikeouts, but was noted for his ability to make hitters ground out almost at will. When asked about how it felt to be thrown into the game and help the team win, he said," It felt great being able to redeem myself since the [Boston] game. I needed some way to make it up for [the team], and this was my chance. I didn't expect Yu [Darvish] to get hurt, so when I went in I didn't know what to expect. Thankfully I was able to help the team come out on top." The Rays are 9-7 and currently a half-game ahead of the Rangers for the third spot. The Rays pitching staff is showing their strength, and if the offense and fielding can step up their game, the Rays will be unstoppable.
DET vs. TB, Game 1:
ReplyDeleteDET 1, TB 0
WP: Sanchez
LP: AJ Burnett (2-2)
SV: N/A
HR: N/A
The Rays fell to the Tigers 1-0 from a pitiful effort by the offense despite an amazing effort by AJ Burnett. The Ray's were no-hit, the first no-hitter of the year. AJ Burnett, however, had a fantastic ten-strikeout game, and it's a shame that the offense played too horribly to reward him for it. To be fair, Sanchez obviously had an amazing game. Both of these pitchers deserved to win this game, but sadly, only one could. It was 0-0 going into the ninth, with shutdown pitching on both sides. Burnett had only allowed three hits and a walk, and Sanchez had allowed no hits and four walks. However, something had to give, and Burnett allowed a one-run home run via Infante to give the Tigers the one run that they needed to win the game. There are two main things to take out of this game for the Rays: the pitching is unstoppable, the hitting is horrible. Over the last three games, the Rays have scored a meager five runs. However, the Rays have only allowed ten runs over the last five games and are clearly the only reason that the Rays have been able to win games recently. If the offense doesn't step up, the Rays can wave the playoffs bye-bye.
DET vs. TB, Game 2:
ReplyDeleteDET 1, TB 4
WP: Madison Bumgarner (3-1)
LP: Coleman
SV: Mariano Rivera (3)
HR: Shane Victorino (5)
The Rays redeemed themselves after being no-hit and beat the Tigers, 4-1. The Tigers got off to an early lead with an RBI double to make it 1-0. However, due to the Ray's red hot starting pitching and relieving, that would be the Tigers' only run of the game, totaling two runs for the entire series. The Rays answered with Shane Victorino's three-run shot in the third, his fifth of the year. Victorino has been a cornerstone in this Ray's offense; without him, there would be no offense. He leads the team in home runs and comes up in the clutch. He scored 3/4 of the Ray's runs today, the only other run being a sac fly. Again, the real story is the amazing success that the Ray's pitching staff has had recently. No runs allowed after the first inning shows that Bumgarner and the relievers know how to shut down batters. This makes the Rays 10-8 as they host the Red Sox in the biggest and final game of their regular season.
BOS vs. TB, Game 1:
ReplyDeleteBOS 2, TB 3
WP: Alex Cobb (1-2)
LP: Duffy
SV: Mariano Rivera (4)
HR: James Loney (3), Joe Mauer (5), Wil Myers (5)
The Ray's get a HUGE win against the Red Sox, 3-2 in what was another great performance by the pitching staff. The Rays, yet again, scored in the first inning when James Loney took the first pitch of the game and belted it 429 feet. Myers' solo shot in the third made it 2-0, and Mauer's homer two hitters later made it 3-0. However, the only other hit of the game was a Victorino double in the second. This left it up to the pitching, who came through again. Alex Cobb and Jamey Wright both had one earned run, but shutout performances from Robertson, Torres, and Rivera helped secure the Ray's biggest win of the season. Coming into this season, the Rays were one of the most, if not the most, scrutinized pitching staffs. Critics told them that they did not have nearly enough talent to be able to stop the hard-hitting bats of the AL. But game after game, the Rays pitching staff has been proving those critics wrong. The Rays have allowed an incredible thirteen runs in their last seven games. The offense, however, showed signs of improvement. Although they only totaled four hits, three of them were home runs. While the Rays will need more than that from their offense if they make the playoffs (which comes down to the Rangers-Athletics game), the solid pitching may be enough to support the offense while it gets back on its feet.
Playoffs:
ReplyDeleteTB vs. OAK, Game 1:
WP: Gray
LP: Darvish (2-1)
SV: N/A
HR: N/A
A disappointing one-and-done sealed the fate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays' offense looked pitiful yet again, and ultimately proved to be their downfall. The A's pitching dominated the Rays' incompetent offense and produced a shutout in their 3-0 win. The Rays only totaled two hits the entire game. In addition to the Rays' offense being sluggish again, the Rays' pitching did well again. Except for a three-run blast in the first inning, the Rays' shut out the A's for the rest of the game and only allowed three hits after the first. Rays fans are surely disappointed by the season's strong start but inability to get past the first round of the playoffs and are already looking forward to next year.