Up until first pitch, use the comments section to predict who you think will be the Sunburst Player of the Game. (be sure to use a valid email address while leaving the comment). The commenter that correctly predicts who we will name the Sunburst Player of the Game the most times prior to the all-star game, will win two tickets to a second-half game. Runners-up get their choice of a t-shirt. [Click HERE for rules]
Check Marc Topkin’s blog for the starting lineups.
Time to bring back the GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe.
click above image for boxscore
THE GOOD: King David. 5.2 innings, 1 runs, 11 Ks, only 2 walks. Yeah this kid might be good. And Joe Maddon let him throw 108 pitches. The fastball was more in line with where many think it should be. Most were 94-95. But he always leaves a little in the tank. 22 of his fastballs hit 96 or 97, 19 of those were on 2-strike counts. That is an amazing weapon. To be abble to consistently add an inch or two to a fastball with 2 strikes. In fact, pitch 108, his last, was 97, a swinging strike on Delmon Young…The Carlness. A month ago he was hitting .225. After 3 more hits yesterday he is now hitting .329 with a .385 OBP. He also added his second HR in 2 days…Grant Balfour. 2.2 innings is a long stint for The Mad Australian, but he looked good striking out 3. But his fastball is still only 93-94 where last year it averaged 95.6…Randy Choate was again responsible for out-27 and came through. Choate had never recorded a save in his big league career and now has 2 in 2 days…Joe Dillon. The trade gave the Rays a little value afterall. Dillon filled in at DH and homered.
THE BAD: Streak Ends. Entering the game, Carl Crawford had stolen 32 straight bases without being caught, but was picked off in the third inning ending the streak. Feels a bit rotten that it ends on a pickoff.
THE TELLING: Willy Aybar got another start at second with Ben Zobrist filling in at short. Gabe Kapler was once again in right field…The Rays remain 5.5 games behind the Yankees in 4th place, 4 games behind the Red Sox and Jays…Matt Garza will face his former team for the first time today.
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: David Price
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
Durham 10, Buffalo 2. Carlos Hernandez only needed 96 pitches (69 strikes) to work 8 innings, giving up 2 runs on 9 hits and no walks. He struck out 5. His one blemish was a 2-run home run…Ray Sadler was 3-4 and drove in 5 including a 3-run home run, his 6th…John Jaso was 0-2 with a walk and Justin Ruggiano was 1-4 driving in a run.
Carolina 9, Montgomery 3. Jason Cromer was pulled after allowing 6 runs dropped to 4-3 in his 8th double-A start…Eddie Morlan allowed 1 run on 3 hits and a walk in 1 inning of work…Desmond Jennings batted third and went 1-5 with an RBI and 2 Ks…Rhyne Hughes was 0-3 with 3 strikeouts.
Charlotte 8, Tampa 5. Jeremy Hall allowed 5 runs in 5 innings but improved to 5-3 on the year…Cody Cipriano was 2-4 and is hitting .327.
Rome 11, Bowling Green 2. Joe Cruz struck out 6 and walked none but picked up the loss having allowed 2 runs in 6 innings…Tim Beckham was 0-4 with a strikeout.
Notes from Down on the Farm…
Up until first pitch, use the comments section to predict who you think will be the Sunburst Player of the Game. (be sure to use a valid email address while leaving the comment). The commenter that correctly predicts who we will name the Sunburst Player of the Game the most times prior to the all-star game, will win two tickets to a second-half game. Runners-up get their choice of a t-shirt. [Click HERE for rules]
Check Marc Topkin’s blog for the starting lineups.
Time to bring back the GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe.
click above image for boxscore
THE GOOD: Longo Long Ball. Evan Longoria hadn’t homered in almost 3 weeks, but has now homered twice in 3 games. With 2 on in the bottom of the 6th and the score tied 1-1, Dirtbag went deep to straight away center…Typical Shields. 7 innings, 2 runs, 99 pitches, 68 strikes. When James Shields is right, that is what the Rays will get 75-80% of the time…Carl Crawford. CC was 2-4 and scored 3 runs, including his second home run which started the scoring…Bullpen by Matchup. We better get used to this. Dan Wheeler started the 9th, needing a 3-up, 3-down to avoid facing Joe Mauer. He couldn’t do it. So with 1 man on and 2 outs, Joe Maddon went with Randy Choate for out #27. And he came through with a strikeout.
THE BAD: The Rays are tied for last place in the AL East and are actually a game behind the O’s in the loss column and 5.5 behind the Yankees.
THE TELLING: Scott Kazmir threw off the bullpen mound yesterday for the first time, indicating that his leg is healed and now it is time to heal his mechanics…
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Evan Longoria.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
Buffalo 9, Durham 3. Wade Davis backed up his best start of the year with his worst. In 5.2 innings he allowed 6 runs on 10 hits and 2 walks, he only struck out 2…Matt Joyce accounted for all of the Bulls runs with a 3-run home run, his 5th…Matt Hall, a shortstop drafted in the tenth round last year, who started the year in single-A came on to pitch a scoreless 9th inning.
Carolina 8, Montgomery 3. Aneury Rodriguez dropped to 2-7 with a 6.35 ERA after getting roughed up for 7 runs in 3.1 innings…Desmond Jennings got back to his hitting was, with a 3-3 game including his 13th double and 6th home run. He also walked twice and is now hitting .370 with a .438 OBP.
Clearwater 4, Charlotte 0. The Stone Crabs were shutout by the Phillies ’06 first-round pick Kyle Drabek…David Newmann picked up the loss despite holding Clearwater to 1 run in 5 innings.
Rome 5, Bowling Green 4. Frank de los Santos made his 9th start and allowed 3 runs in 5 innings. He now has a 3.38 ERA on the year…Tim Beckham was 1-3 with a walk, but committed his 12th error in 41 games.
Notes from Down on the Farm…
Up until first pitch, use the comments section to predict who you think will be the Sunburst Player of the Game. (be sure to use a valid email address while leaving the comment). The commenter that correctly predicts who we will name the Sunburst Player of the Game the most times prior to the all-star game, will win two tickets to a second-half game. Runners-up get their choice of a t-shirt. [Click HERE for rules]
Check Marc Topkin’s blog for the starting lineups.
Two years ago on Rays Index we took the St. Pete Times to task for the most blatant example to date of biased behavior towards the Rays as a result of the partnership between the two organizations. As a result of Elijah Dukes’ most recent run-in with the law, the Times was pulled from the kiosks at The Trop.
St. Pete Times Reports The News, But They Don’t Want You To Read It [Rays Index]
One year ago on Rays Index we recognized Jonny Gomes’ walk-up music, and let’s just say that it wasn’t in line with the family-friendly atmosphere promoted by the Rays. No wonder Gomes wasn’t listed on the Rays’ official list of walk-up songs.
Jonny Gomes Is A Crazy B!tch [Rays Index]
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Willy Aybar with his 3rd home run. All have come in the past 9 games, and each one was a solo home run in a loss.
