Jul 24
Devil Rays (off day)
The schedule makers must have seen this past weekend coming and mercifully gave the Rays and their dwindling fans base a much needed day off.
DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…
- BJ Upton and Robinson Cano were selected as AL co-players of the week. Upton hit .414 with 2 home runs and 8 RBI. [The Sports Network]
- The Devil Rays at their current pace would finish the season 54-108 and become just the 12th team in history to allow 1,000 runs. Since June 12, the Rays are 9-27 and have allowed 7.26 runs per game. [The New York Sun]
- Jay Witasick was placed on the 15-day DL and JP Howell was optioned back to Durham. Jason Hammel, who never even left the ballclub is back on the active roster and Juan Salas was promoted back to Tampa for the first time since being suspended for 50-games for steroid use. Hammel who was being sent back to Durham so that he could return to being a starter, will instead take Howell’s spot in the rotation and be a starter for the Rays. [tampabay.com]
- Casey Fossum will miss a couple of games to be with his family after the birth of their child on Tuesday. That sound you just heard was the moan from Orioles hitters. [tampabay.com]
- What happened to James Shields, indeed? We doubt it is a hidden injury. The Rays are going to be extra careful with guys like Scott Kazmir and Shields. An injured arm is usually easy to spot in a young pitcher. They will change their mechanics or they will be afraid to throw a certain pitch. More likely, Shields is just fighting through a “dead-arm” period. [armchairgm]
- A new low for the Devil Rays? How about a power ranking of #32. For those of you that haven’t had your coffee yet, there are only 30 teams in baseball. And frankly, we are in no position to argue. [Chicago Tribune]
Jul 24
Indianapolis 7, Durham 4. Mitch Talbot took the loss allowing 4 runs in 4 innings to drop to 7-8. Jeremy Owens was 3-4 with 3 doubles. Elliot Johnson and Ben Zobrist each hit solo home runs for the Bulls. Jorge Cantu did report to Durham and made his first start at first base going 0-4.
Mobile 7, Montgomery 3. Wade Davis struck out 7 in 6 innings and left with a 2-1 lead, but the bullpen allowed 6 runs in the 7th and 8th innings. Davis had allowed only 1 hit in the first 5 innings before being touched for his only run in the sixth. Tim Corcoran allowed 3 runs in the 7th inning in his first rehab appearance. Evan Longoria was 2-3 with a pair of RBI and Reid Brignac was 1-4 with an RBI.
Jupitor 4, Vero Beach 3. Doug Waechter dropped to 0-3 in three single-A rehab starts. On Monday he allowed 4 runs in 5 innings. He stuck out 1 and walked none. Sergio Pedroza had 2 of the Rays 5 hits including a solo home run in the 5th inning.
Kannapolis 10, Columbus 9. Woods Fines allowed 6 runs (5 earned) in 5 innings. He struck out 4 and walked 2. Desmond Jennings was 4-5 with 2 doubles to raise his average to .327. Matt Fields was 2-4 with 4 RBI including his 20th double and his 14th home run.
Burlington 6, Princeton 3.
NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM…
- Uh Oh. Jae Seo was named IL pitcher of the week for the second time in three weeks. He has allowed a total of 2 runs in his last 5 starts. [Durham Bulls]
- Joel Guzman keeps tantalizing people with his potential but has yet to show any consistency. He started the season very slow but did hit .327 for the month of June. However, since the all-star break he is only 5-35 and is at .249 on the season. [The News & Observer]
“He’s still a kid (22 years old),” said Bulls manager Charlie Montoyo. “He’s one of those guys that gets to Triple-A real quick. That’s what you have to remember when you see a kid like that struggle. Just be patient and he’s going to do it.
- Yesterday we mentioned that Jon Weber was a recent acquisition by the Rays and playing for the Durham Bulls. We failed to mention how and when he was acquired. Weber is a 29-year old journeyman minor league outfielder that was most recently in the Rangers system after beginning the season in the D-backs system. We originally thought Weber was signed as a free agent, but rather it appears as though his contract was purchased from the Rangers. [In Forum Sports]
