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…
