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[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Upton’s Mad Dash, The Mad Australian And Awakening Zorilla
BJ Upton, Ben Zobrist, Scott Kazmir July 9th. 2009, 7:00am
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: Ben Zobrist. Remember that mini-slump that Bruce Banner was in last week? Yeah, not so much anymore. Zorilla awoke with 3 hits and a walk, inlcuding a go-ahead 3-run home run in the 4th inning and the walk-off single in the 9th…Upton’s Mad Dash. Stealing home is the most exciting 2 seconds in baseball and Upton did it last night for the 3rd time in his career. This time he broke on a pickoff throw to first base…Pat Burrell. Did the walk-off home run 2 nights ago wake him up? 2 more hits last night, including a double suggest it might have…Deep Lineup. The Rays 6-9 batters went a combined 9-16 with 3 walks…Deep Patience. The offense had been struggling, but 6 walks on Tuesday and 8 walks last night suggests that they weren’t pressing. And as long as this team doesn’t expand the strike zone, they will be fine. There is just too much talent.
THE BAD: Scott Kazmir. There were some good signs last night. He worked into the 7th for just the 3rd time this season. He had a 7-pitch inning. He seemed to be throwing his slider with confidence. But he gave up 9 hits, including 2 home runs…Grant Balfour. He had been much better recently even if his velocity is not all the way back. But last night he allowed 1 inherited runner to score and then gave up 2 more of his own to allow the Jays to tie the game in the 7th.
THE TELLING: The Rays are now 17-13 against the AL East. The Red Sox are the only other team with a winning record (22-9) in the division…
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Ben Zobrist.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- BJ Upton’s steal of home was not spontaneous. It was planned. Upton and Tom Foley came up with the idea, something Joe Maddon knew nothing about. [St. Pete Times]
- We have a noon game today and it is David Price versus Roy Halladay and Joe Maddon would like to see Price take a step back and simplify things. [Tampa Tribune]
- Brian Shouse will throw a simulated game on Friday. [The Heater]
- Still think the Rays can’t hit lefties? Based on the number of lefties opposing managers keep sending out against the Rays, they still believe it. Well, let’s hope they don’t read Dock of the Rays. [Dock of the Rays]
- Rays All Day makes a case for the Rays pursuing Victor Martinez…We would never say no to Martinez, but we think the Rays fancy Jeff Clement. [Rays All Day]
- The Rays Party takes a look at Ben Zobrist’s hit chart from last night and sees maybe the next Chipper Jones. [The Rays Party]
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“Slump” …..you mean our “utility” player ….or our wanta be allstar who wants to be voted on by people who don’t know the difference!!
Thata Boy Ben…. you can be on my (All Star) team anytime!!!
Foley and Upton were discussing the steal from the first throw back to 1B, when Bj was halfway down the line. Bossman came back to the bag and he and Foley talked between each pitch. Rolen was nowhere near 3B and it was clear that BJ was going to try to steal… Amazing that the Jays dugout didn’t pick up on this. Gotta love the Bossman’s (albeit sometimes fleeting) awareness on the basepath.
“it was clear that BJ was going to try to steal” to who??
No one.. 15,ooo there, thousands watching TV, players or Maddon!
But YOU did???
yes, I was sitting on the 3rd baseline. I watched upton take a huge lead with Rolen nowhere near the bag. He got a good look at Tallit’s (sp?) move to first. Came back to the bag and he and foley started talking. I pointed this out to my friend next to me saying, “Looks like he’s gonna try to steal home.” After each pitch BJ’s lead got bigger and Rolen still paid no mind to him (tallit never even looked his way). So yeah, I did think it was pretty clear he was going to steal home.