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.
The Rays Confidence Graph will appear every Thursday and is a look at how much confidence Rays fans have in the Tampa Bay Rays. The graph is designed to give us a look at how our emotional bias as Rays fans fluctuates through time. The “confidence” in the team is an inexact measure of how fans feel about the team’s current strength as well as how much confidence fans have in the franchise for the next 3-4 years. Notes on this week’s agida-level can be found after the graph..
Notes on the RI Confidence Graph…
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: BJ Upton. We put Bossman here reluctantly. The 3 hits were a nice change, but he is still not hitting the ball with authority. A healthy Upton has the quickest wrists and amazing bat speed, neither of which we are seeing now…Jason Bartlett. Yes Upton was on base 3 times, but until he is healthy, would it kill Joe Maddon to have Bartlett’s hot bat at the top of the order? Three more hits. On base 4 times. And oh yeah, his 5th home run and 9th steal…Jeff Niemann. That was a decent workmanlike performance. The kind you hope a 5th starter can provide. He worked his way out of several tough jams and picked up his 3rd win…Carlos Pena. No home runs, but last night may have been his best night of the season yet. 2 hard hit doubles and 2 walks, scoring 3 times.
THE BAD: Troy Percival. Can we just rename this section “The Percy”? Any objections? We could give Percival a lifetime pass, kinda like the one he has to Piccadilly. By the way, can we assume that Percy is going to the DL sometime in the next week with a back “injury” to make room for Jason Isringhausen? In the meantime, we really want to punch Percy in the face. It would be ok. He is not pregnant in the face…Carl Crawford. CC had to be removed from the game after making a diving catch to end the 4th.
THE TELLING: The Rays played 23 games in April with one sacrifice bunt. They have 5 in the last 12 games including Dioner Navarro’s last night. Last year the Rays had the fewest sacrifices (23) in baseball. This year, Baltimore (3), the White Sox (2) and Boston (0) combined have fewer sac bunts than the Rays.
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jason Bartlett.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
Durham, Louisville. Wade Davis (right) gave up 3 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks in 5.2 innings. All 3 runs and 4 of the 8 baserunners came in the 4th inning. ..Jon Weber (2) and Chris Richard (7) each hit 2-run home runs for the Bulls…Reid Brignac was 1-4, Matt Joyce was 1-3 with a double and Justin Ruggiano was 0-4.
Montgomery 4, Mobile 1. Heath Rollins improved to 3-2 with only 1 run allowed in 6.1 innings. He struck out 2 and walked 1. He now has an ERA of 3.63…Eddie Morlan allowed 1 hit in a scoreless 9th for his 2nd save…Desmond Jennings was 1-3 with a pair of walks. He is now hitting .392 with a .439 OBP…Rhyne Hughes had 3 hits in 5 at bats with his 11th home run.
Charlotte vs Jupiter (ppd. rain).
Savannah, Bowling Green. Michael Jarman worked 8 strong innings, allowing only 2 runs. He retired the last 11 batters he faced. The lefty now has a 2.53 ERA in 5 starts…Tim Beckham was 0-4 with 2 Ks.
Notes from Down on the Farm…
