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[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Old Kazmir, Not-So-Automatic Runs And A Platoon Behind The Plate
BJ Upton, Dioner Navarro, Gregg Zaun August 10th. 2009, 6:56am
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: Jason Bartlett. Little guy seems to like his new leadoff home. He was on base 3 more times on Sunday with 2 singles and a walk…Dioner Navarro. Navi provided all the offense with a 2-run home run.
THE BAD: Scott Kazmir. 28 pitches in the first inning, and it was all down hill from there. The Scott Kazmir we thought we had left behind, reared its ugly head on Sunday…Leaving Automatic Runs On Base. They did it again. Bases loaded with less than 2 outs should be at least 1 run every time. And yet the Rays seem to fail to score in that situation on a nightly basis. Yesterday it happened in the first when Pat Burrell lined into a double-play…Jeff Bennett. The shine came off that new acquisition quick. He was charged with 4 runs in 2.2 innings, but also gave up a 5th when he walked in a batter with the bases loaded, a run charged to Kazmir.
THE TELLING: According to CoolStandings.com the Rays now have a 32.4% shot at making the playoffs. The Red Sox are at 46.7%. BaseballProspectus says it is 13.3%, but if you remove the projected stats (using just real data), the number jumps to 44.6%, which is actually ahead of the Red Sox 39.0%.
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Dioner Navarro
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- BJ Upton batted 9th yesterday and to say he didn’t take it well would be an understatement: “It’s almost like a kick in the face.” [St. Pete Times]
- It sounds as though Gregg Zaun is going to get the bulk of the playing time against right-handed pitchers. [Tampa Tribune]
- Joe Maddon explains why it is too simplistic to say strikeouts are no worse than any other type of out and says that strikeouts in certain situations are “annoying” [Tampa Tribune]
- Joe Maddon wants his players to check their egos at the door. [St. Pete Times]
A couple things… it felt like Maddon gave up on the game when he left Bennett in so long. When it was 7-2, there might have been a chance for us, but when it got to 11-2, it was over. I understand leaving Bennett in after it was 11-2 because then there was no reason to put anyone else in, but Bennett was struggling way before the grand slam. Also, I really wish we could have capitalized more on the Red Sox’s losing streak. Now it really hurts that we lost Fri. night. But hopefully the Red Sox will keep this up and continue the downward spiral.
Hate to give him credit for anything…but he’s been a winner in Major league baseball in the past…
Burrell said in the paper this morning “any major league team can win on any given day, but it comes down to who WANTS it the most….”
The Rays right now are not showing any signs of wanting anything…
“going thru the motions”…is their attitude right now …will that change tonight, tomorrow or anytime will determine if they play in the playoffs..
We (fans) really can’t do much… but watch… and wonder why??
That’s exactly right. It’s going to have to come from within the team. Their heart has to want it more than the other team. Talent alone isn’t going to this team to the promised land. Heart and desire. Can they do it?