[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Getting Better On Getaway Day, Upton Staying True And The Appeal Of ‘Glee’
BJ Upton, Dioner Navarro, Jorge Cantu, Pat Burrell April 15th. 2010, 7:45am
The GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe. As usual, feel free to leave your GBTs in the comments…
click above image for boxscore
THE GOOD: Getaway Day. At one point last year on road getaway days (final game of a road series), the Rays were 5-17. Some wondered if the Rays were carousing a bit too much on the road and were having trouble getting up for the usually afternoon games (ok, mostly it was us that speculated). So what we loved about yesterday’s game were not just the 4 home runs and 9 runs scored, but that the Rays scored 8 runs and had 13 baserunners in the first 4 innings. We have a strong feeling that Joe Maddon had a little talking-to with the team about being ready to play on getaway day this year…3-Run Jacks. Home runs are fun. But 3-run jobs are special because it is not just the home run hitter. It shows the entire offense is contributing and getting on base. Yesterday it was Carlos Pena (who hit 3-run HRs on consecutive pitches Tue and Wed) and BJ Upton. Carl Crawford just missed his own 3-run home run when he got a little too much top spin on a ball that hit the fence…BJ Upton. Sure the 2 home runs were nice. But what we really loved was that the second home run was to the opposite field. Whenever somebody hits a home run in a game, it is not uncommon for that batter to get a little pull happy in subsequent at bats trying to hit another one. It’s natural. But BJ did a good job of staying determined to use the entire field, something that has been a point of emphasis with him this year.
THE BAD: Day Games. Don’t worry we got to watch the game. No, this is bad because it meant I had to watch “Glee” last night with Mrs. Professor. I don’t understand the appeal. Every time Sue and Will are in the same scene I want Sue to punch Will in the face so that he will cry. So, except for the punching part, it would be just like every other “Glee” scene that Will is in.
THE TELLING: Dioner Navarro and Pat Burrell each had a double. Surprisingly, that feat is not as rare as you might think. Last year, Fat and Bat had extra-base hits in the same game 5 times…The Rays only swept 2 road series last season (Yankees, Royals)…Jason Bartlett was given the day off…John Jaso is expected to start either Saturday or Monday.
WHERE THEY STAND: The Rays are 6-3, tied with the Blue Jays and a half-game ahead of the Yankees (5-3). The Red Sox are 1.5 back at 4-4. After 9 games in 2008 the Rays were 4-5.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- Rays Rev has 10 things they would like to see in the Rays-Red Sox series. [RaysRev.com]
- Jorge Cantu broke a meaningless record. [SI.com]
- Martin Fennelly says the 6-3 start is good, but that the Rays are only 1-2 in “real games.” [Tampa Tribune]
DOWN ON THE FARM…
- Check out “The Rundown” from Rays Prospects for boxscores and more detailed recaps. [Rays Prospects]
- DURHAM: Heath Phillips allowed just 1 run on 4 hits and a walk in 7.2 innings. The one run was a solo home run in the 8th inning. He struck out 4…Bulls hitters struck out 15 times…Justin Ruggiano went 2-5 with the go-ahead 2-run double in the 10th…Fernando Perez was 1-3, but left the game in the 6th with an apparent injury…Hank Blalock still hasn’t played since opening day.
- MONTGOMERY: Alex Torres struck out 8 and only allowed 1 hit in 5 shutout innings. He walked 2…Jose Lobaton went 3-4 with a double and Matt Fields hit his 2nd home run.
- CHARLOTTE: Matt Moore struck out 7 and walked 3 in 5 innings. He gave up 3 hits and 2 runs…Matt Sweeney was 1-3 with a walk and Jake Jefferies was 2-4 as the DH.
- BOWLING GREEN: Kyle Spraker was 3-4, all singles.
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I admit that like Fennelly I have discounted the Rays success because it’s against the Orioles. BUT if I recall correctly when the Rays stumbled last year it was often against weak teams. If you can actually manage to win all the games you are SUPPOSED to win you can afford to merely play level against the tough teams.
Also, am I the only one here who, at some point yesterday, started to feel badly for the Orioles?
I’ve got mixed feelings about the Orioles. Five of their losses are against the Rays. So, the question is: Are the Orioles that bad or are the Rays that much better? I’d like to think the Rays are that much better. But, dang, that Orioles bullpen is pretty bad.
Yes, you may be the only one who feels sorry for the O’s. I have a serious case of baseball schadenfreude. I love it when someone else has to suffer.
Even though 5 of the Rays’ 6 wins are against the O’s, it doesn’t mean they haven’t accomplished anything. Every win against the O’s and Jays provides protection against losses to the Yankees and Sox. The Rays have never finished above .500 against the Yanks in any season, but recently they have been closer. And they are actually 2 games above .500 against the Sox the last two years. If they can go close to .500 against the Yanks/Sox and pound the O’s (and Jays), it actually neutralizes much of the penalty of being in the same division.
So wins against the doormats provide some insurance against the heavyweights in the division. They did what they needed to do and now we’ll see how good they are in Boston and Chicago.
You watached “Glee” when “Mythbusters” was on? tsk, tsk … lol
the orioles remind me of the 07 rays. lots of talent but some big holes in the way they are playing. every team has to learn how to win as well.
This. If the O’s get a few relievers and Tilman develops like he should they will have a darn good team next year.
Fat and Bat made me giggle.
Funny, you had to watch Glee and I had to watch Garage Mahal. Then we got sucked into The Bourne Supremecy which we’ve seen a gazillion times.
Why isn’t Price is The Good? He was excellent yesterday and there’s not even one mention of his performance
Agreed… He and Garza are looking great to start the year.
Just a sign that there was a lot of “the good” to talk about. Which is nice!
I would agree. Nice game for Price. I was a little disappointed that he didn’t follow up the Yankee start with something a little more efficient yesterday, especially facing the woeful O’s lineup w/o Roberts, Pie and Wieters. His stat line was okay, but he’s still just a BIT inefficient. Seems like he wastes too many pitches trying to get batters to chase instead of just trusting his stuff. Or possibly he just doesn’t have great command on all these new offspeed pitches he’s developed (curve and changeup). I think he was at 95 pitches thru 5 IP. Hopefully he’ll tighten that up like Garza seems to have done this year and show the ability to consistently get into the 8th.
I know it’s nitpicking, but with this bullpen, we need as much as we can get from the starters to make it into the summer still in contention. He’s not Kazmir-inefficient, but needs to trust his stuff a little more, I think.
Getting Upton’s power back to 2007 (or 2008 Playoffs) levels is like adding a whole new player to the lineup. Not saying it is all there yet or (heaven forbid), he should be batting lead-off, but it is one of the mysteries that may be turning out in the Rays favor (just as the Burrell “mystery” seems to be going the other way).
Pat the Bat had a hit yesterday. He seems to be making slow progress.
Price, Garza, and Nieman look very good. Shields looks like Shields and Davis has some work to do. Davis and Shields against the Sox are hard games to win. Hope we at least get a split. BJ looks good and looks bad at the same time. Better signs early this year for sure on the Bossman.
Dude, you gotta get Mrs Prof to watch Parenthood with you…Tuesday’s on NBC, good show!
You know…more than Rays aga. bad teams…win big or series..
I’m more concerned about individual players…
Ok…Pena hit two home run in consecutive games to win or help win big time, but aga. the Orioles…Bj Upton hits two home runs in one game…great!
BUT..this is what I want to see these same players and others…
(besides Bart., Longo, CC and ZO) do aga. Yankees/Red Sox…
If Pena hits two home runs to win Two games this weekend or Upton hits 2 home runs in one game aga them…then I’m in!!
But show me the money..NOW…aga.. the BIG BOYS!!
The Rays didn’t have anything to do with #1, but I could argue that playing the Rays has something to do with the extreme lows on the statistical measures side.
I think the Orioles are a better team than we’ve seen. I also think the Rays carried the momentum over from Tropicana Field in the first series. The O’s played the Rays tough and by the time they got to Baltimore they were reeling (include Roberts injury in that). I’m not sure if the Rays are able to do as much agains the O’s if the first series was in Baltimore like it was last year.