Montgomery 6, Jacksonville 5. Neal Frontz blew the save on a 2-out game-tying double in the top of the 10th. But Desmond Jennings led off the bottom of the 9th with a single, and would later score on a 2-out single by Rashad Eldridge…Heath Rollins struck out 6 in 6 innings, giving up 3 runs (2 earned)…Jason Isringhausen made his final rehab appearance in double-A, giving up a run on 2 hits and a walk in 1 inning…Desmond Jennings was 2-5 with a 3-run home run, his 3rd…Rhyne Hughes was 0-3 with 2 walks.
Sarasota 8, Charlotte 7. Jesse Darcy allowed 5 runs (3 earned) in 5 innings…Emeel Salem had a pair of singles and 2 walks, scoring twice…Matt Fields was 2-4.
Bowling Green (off-day).
Notes from Down on the Farm…
In an interesting move, Desmond Jennings started in right field last night for the first time of his career. With Jennings off to a hot start in double-A and Upton firmly entrenched in center field for the foreseeable future, might the Rays be considering a spring training 2010 in which Jennings is competing with Matt Joyce for the right field job at the big league level?
Jeremy Hellickson has done a better job of avoiding home runs. [Montgomery Advertiser]
Rhyne Hughes was named the Southern League hitter of the week. [Rays Prospects]
Rays Prospects takes a look at the caught stealing rates for the Rays minor league catchers. You have to be pleased with the numbers from Nevin Ashley, Jake Jefferies and Mike McCormick. [Rays Prospects]
Matt Walker has returned from his 50-game suspension for testing positive for amphetamines.
Durham 4 Norfolk 1. Mitch Talbot picked up his second win, giving up just 1 run in 6.1 innings, striking out 5 and walking just 1…Reid Brignac had 2 singles in 4 at bats and Matt Joyce was 3-4 with a double and an RBI…Elliot Johnson was 3-4 with a double and a 2-run home run.
Jacksonville 3, Montgomery 1. The Biscuits were no-hit for 6.1 innings until Rhyne Hughes’ 6th home run…Jeremy Hellickson took the loss giving up 2 runs in 6 innings. Both runs scored on a 4th inning home run. He struck out 8 and walked 2…Desmond Jennings was 0-4.
Lexington 8, Bowling Green 1. Lefty Michael Jarman made his 3rd start and gave up 3 runs (1 earned) in 3 innings…Tim Beckham was 1-3 with a walk. He also committed his 3rd error…Jake Jefferies was 1-4 with his first home run of the season.
Notes from Down on the Farm…
Jason Isringhausen will make his final double-A appearance tomorrow. He is scheduled to make his debut with Durham on Thursday. [Montgomery Advertiser]
Norfolk 4, Durham 3. Carlos Hernandez struck out 4 in 5 innings, but gave up 3 runs on 8 hits and 3 walks…Matt Joyce was 2-4 with a double and drove in 3 runs…Reid Brignac had the night off.
Mobile 6, Montgomery 1. Ryan Morse gave up 2 runs in 4 innings and dropped to 0-3…Jason Isringhausen pitched 1 inning, and allowed only a walk…Desmond Jennings was 0-3 with a walk and is hitting .357.
Charlotte 2, Sarasota 1. David Newmann gave up 1 run and struck out 5 in 6 innings…The Stone Crabs managed only 4 hits.
Bowling Green 5, West Virginia 1. Frank de los Santos pitched 5 shutout innings, giving up 5 hits and a walk. He struck out 3…Tim Beckham was 2-4 with a double and is hitting .320…Jake Jefferies was also 2-4.
Durham 6, Gwinnett 2. Wade Davis retired 9 of the first 10 batters he faced and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks in 5 innings. He struck out 2… Chris Richard had a big night with a pair of home runs in his first two plate appearances, a 3-run shot in the first and a 2-run blast in the third…Reid Brignac was 1-5 and is hitting .264…Adam Kennedy was 1-2 with a pair of walks and now has a .391 OBP…Matt Joyce was given the night off.
Mobile 12, Montgomery 2. Heath Rollins dropped to 1-1 after giving up 6 runs (5 earned) in 4.2 innings…Chris Mason continues to struggle in relief, giving up 3 more runs in 1.1 innings. He has now allowed 8 runs in 9 innings…Desmond Jennings was 1-3 with his 2nd home run.
Charlotte 7, Sarasota 4. Jesse Darcy was touched for 4 runs (3 earned) in 5.1 innings…Six different Stone Crabs had at least 2 hits. Shawn O’Malley led the way with a 4-5 night including a double and a triple.
Bowling Green 11, West Virginia 4. Shane Dyer gave up 4 runs (2 earned) in 5 innings…Jake Jefferies was 1-5 with 2 RBI and Henry Wrigley hit a solo home run…Tim Beckham had the night off.
Notes from Down on the Farm…
Jason Isringhausen will make his next appearance for Montgomery tonight. [Biscuit Crumbs]
As 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: Off-Day. The Rays probably needed their first off-day of the season. Hell, we were ready to pull an artificial “rain out” ala “Bull Durham” and activate the sprinkler system at Da Trop…Playoffs?According to Baeball Prospectus the Rays still have a 48.9% chance of making the playoffs despite their slow start.
THE BAD: The Rays are still in last place.
THE TELLING: In 2002, the Tampa Bay Bucs won their division and beat a longtime nemesis to reach the Super Bowl. The following season, the Bucs opened the season by beating that same nemesis on the road. sound familiar? The ’03 Bucs finished 7-9.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
As mentioned earlier, Jason Isringhausen made his 2009 debut with double-A Montgomery. Whether they were intentional or a result of frustration, Izzy has not won the hearts of fans with many of his quotes since joining the Rays. After last night’s game, he chose the silent route preferring not to talk about his performance or his situation. [Montgomery Advertiser]
Marc Lancaster talked to Joe Maddon about how and when decisions are made for coaching moves during a game. [Tampa Tribune]
Tonight will be Joe Maddon’s 500th game as a Rays manager (although he spent 2 in California for his wife’s graduation). That will give him the longest tenure as a Rays manager, surpassing Larry Rothschild. [St. Pete Times]
Joe Smith writes about the importance of the Rays bench. [St. Pete Times]
Joe Henderson picks apart the Rays slow start. [Tampa Tribune]
Rays Revolutionary has a list of 10 things they would like to see from the Rays on their west coast trip…We would be ecstatic with just #3 and #9. [Rays Revolutionary]
Troy Percival is the 117th best Devil Ray of all time. [Bugs and Cranks]
The Rays Party checks in with some former Rays. [The Rays Party]
Rocco Baldelli suffered his first leg injury with the Red Sox and could be headed to the DL. [Providence Journal]
Rays of Light has their week 2 “AL East Roundtable.” [Rays of Light]
Gwinnett 5, Durham 2. Mitch Talbot got roughed up for 4 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks in 5 innings. He struck out 3…Matt Joyce was 2-3 with a walk. This was his first multi-hit game with the Bulls…John Jaso was 1-4 with an RBI triple.
Montgomery 5, Mobile 4. Jeremy Hellickson held Mobile scoreless in the first 4 innings, but got touched for a run in the fifth and one in the sixth before being pulled. After giving up a leadoff double, Hellboy retired the next 13 batters, striking out 7…Jason Isringhausen pitched 1 inning striking out 2. The only baserunner allowed was a walk…Eddie Morlan pitched a perfect 8th inning for the win. He struck out 1…Rhyne Hughes was 4-4 with a double, a home run and 2 RBI…Desmond Jennings was 3-3 with a triple and a home run. He is 8-9 with 2 triples and a home run in the last 2 games and is hitting .413 on the year.
Charlotte (off-day).
Kannapolis 3, Bowling Green 1 (gm 1). Michael Jarmin gave up 2 unearned runs in 5 innings. He struck out 2 and walked none…Jake Jefferies was 1-3 and drove in the only run…Tim Beckham was 1-3 with a K and his second error.
Kannapolis 2, Bowling Green 0 (gm 2).Neil Schenk struck out 3 and walked none, but allowed 2 runs in 4.2 innings…Tim Beckham had a single and a double in 3 at bats. He is hitting .326.
Notes from Down on the Farm…
Jason Cromer, the Bulls fifth starter, who has thrown 10 shutout innings in 2 starts, has been demoted to double-A. James Houser, a lefty on the 40-man roster, is ready to make his 2009 debut and will be assigned to triple-A. You can see updated rosters in the sidebar with the Cork-Board. [Montgomery Advertiser]
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: Carl Crawford. Crawford may have busted out of his slump with 3 hits, 2 runs scored and a stolen base…Jason Bartlett. Barty stays red hot with 3 more hits.
THE BAD: Scott Kazmir. It was 2008 all over again. 6 walks in 4 innings. Just one of those nights. The staff walked 10 batters total. Nothing in baseball is more frustrating that just giving the other team bases.
THE TELLING: Gabe Kapler started in right field.
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Carl Crawford. If anything it is because he needed a good game, and he finally had one.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
If it seems as though this talk about the Rays opening an academy in Brazil sounds familiar, it is because it is old news. It was first reported by MLB.com back in December. [Rays Index]
Evan Longoria received his Rookie of the Year award before last night’s game and Jason Isringhausen threw 27 pitches in his final extended spring training appearance. He will report to Montgomery tomorrow. [St. Pete Times]
Durham 5, Gwinnett 3. Adam Kennedy hit a no out 2-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the 13th. He was 3-5…Ray Sadler had tied the game earlier with a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 8th…Mitch Talbot made his second start and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks in 5 innings. He struck out 3…Dewon Day struck out 2 in 2.2 scoreless innings…Reid Brignac and Justin Ruggiano were both 0-5 with a strike out…Matt Joyce was 0-4 with 3 strike outs and a walk as the right fielder. That included a strike out in one at bat against one lefty reliever.
Chattanooga 10, Montgomery 2. Another rough outing for newcomer Aneury Rodriguez who gave up 4 runs on 4 hits and 6 walks in just 2.2 innings. He struck out 1…Desmond Jennings had a triple and 2 walks in 4 plate appearances. He also stole 3 bases, including home, yes, home…The rest of the lineup managed one hit.
St. Lucie 5, Charlotte 2. Alex Cobb allowed 2 unearned runs in 5.2 innings. He struck out 4 and walked 1…Matt Fields was 1-4 with a double.
Bowling Green 6, West Virginia 5. Big night for Matt Moore who struck out 6 in 5 shutout innings. He allowed only 1 hit, a leadoff double, and 2 walks…Jake Jefferies was 3-5 with a double and 3 RBI.
Notes from Down on the Farm…
Jason Isringhausen has accepted a minor league assignment after all. He will first join Montgomery this weekend and then at some point will pitch with Durham before a final decision is made. [St. Pete Times]
The Hardball Times gave each farm system a dollar value. The Rays are fifth at $180.82 million. [The Hardball Times]
Four weeks ago we addressed 10 questions hovering over the Rays in spring training. Let’s take a look at those questions and see if we are any closer to getting some answers…
What can we expect from BJ Upton this season? We are still in “wait-and-see” mode with BJ Upton as he never played in any spring games with the Rays. He has played in minor league games, but we are starting to wonder if he will indeed be ready to join the Rays for their home opener in a week. We have learned that apparently Upton will not alter his swing to protect his fragile shoulder that has been injured each of the past six seasons. MAGIC 8-BALL SAYS: JURY STILL OUT
Who is going to leadoff this season? Joe Maddon just confirmed what we suspected for a while. When BJ Upton returns from the DL, he will hit leadoff. MAGIC 8-BALL SAYS: BJ UPTON Read the rest of this entry »
On this date three years ago, a biology professor that was hiding from his students during office hours on opening day of the baseball season, started a blog. That Professor had little idea what he was doing as is clearly evident in his first-ever post, a post that included a Jonny Gomes home run.
But he started to find his stride later that day when he wrote about a journalist that predicted the Devil Rays to win the World Series…in 2006! That post got a lot of play on the interwebs, and there was no looking back from what was originally intended to be a practice run for a Bucs blog.
So, Happy Birthday to us!
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
Joe Smith is reporting that BJ Upton, Jason Isringhausen, Chad Bradford and Fernando Perez will all be placed on the DL Sunday, and will be eligible to come off on April 11. There is no indication that the Rays will place Bradford or Perez on the 60-day DL at this time. Doing so, would open a spot on the 40-man roster should it be needed. [The Heater]
Troy Renck of the Denver Post says the Rockies pursuit of a starting pitcher may be focusing on Jason Hammel. [Denver Post]
Joe Henderson says the Rays have the advantage when it comes to making a deal involving Jeff Niemann or Jason Hammel. Henderson predicts Andrew Friedman will target a right-handed power bat that will be able to enter the lineup in 2-3 years…That may happen, but we don’t see World B. Friedman specifically targeting that. When it comes to the future, the Rays know that that nobody can predict what they will need in 2-3 years (same way they approach the draft). So the Rays are more likely to accept the best package regardless of what positions the player(s) play. [Tampa Tribune]
A former American Idol contestant, Antonella Barba, will sing the national anthem at the Charlotte Stone Crabs first game ever. [Antonella Barba Picture]
Ken Davidoff predicts the Rays to be one team that will be worse this year. He also looked at every AL pitcher that has started a world series game since 2004 and pitched in the AL the following season. Almost every one had a worse season the next year. Uh oh. [Newsday]
Bill Chuck of the Boston Globe has a pretty cool list of 100 random facts about the Red Sox, Yankees and the defending AL Champs, Tampa Bay Rays. [Boston Globe]
Jon Heyman offers up a few reasons why the Rays won’t “fall down” this season. [SI.com]
Yahoo! Sports has released their initial power rankings and the Rays come in at…drum roll please…#1. Red Sox are #2 and the Yankees round out the top 3. [Yahoo! Sports]
View so different from top, Maddon forced to change prescription on Clark Kent knockoffs.
We participated in a two-part round table previewing the 2009 season for the Rays over at The Rays Party. [PART 1] [PART 2]
Big League Stew previews the AL East as “The division race to end all division races.”…Seriously, last year was sweet and maybe nothing will ever be better, but man, wouldn’t it be sweet to win the AL East this season considering how much money the Yankees spent? Will people finally take the Rays seriously? Is it even possible to shut up Red Sox Nation? We are as giddy as a school girl right now. [Big League Stew]
Her Rays previews the 2009 Rays with the delicate touch of a woman. [Her Rays]
Fire Brand of the American League offers a preview of the Rays from the point of view of a Red Sox fan. [Fire Brand of the American League]
Rays of Light gets some love at the Boston Globe website. [Rays of Light]
The Rays have three pitchers competing for 2 spots. One of those spots is long reliever. Joe Smith looks at how important that role is for the Rays. [St. Pete Times]
The Associated Press contrasts the different paths Evan Longoria and BJ Upton have taken to stardom. [Fox Sports]
And once again we end with some bonus video coverage as provided by Stacy Long of the Montgomery Advertiser. This time Wade Davis is the subject (Stacy, can we get you down to Port Charlotte a little earlier next year? Who do we have to pester with emails?). [Montgomery Advertiser]
