Tampa Bay Rays Fan Blog» GameSetMatch

Rays’ fall back to Earth was inevitable

GameSetMatch — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:16:20 +0000

Just nine days ago, the Tampa Bay Rays were 20 games over .500 and headed for a 118-win season, if only they could keep it up.

If you thought they could, though, you were dreaming.

No team has kept the pace they were on for an entire season. The major-league record for wins in the regular season is 116.

I mention this for a couple of reasons. It illustrates just how well the Rays navigated the first seven weeks, and it also shows this current patch of rough road is not really surprising.

One of the reasons “Moneyball” became popular to the point of cliché in baseball is that it showed that performance really is mathematically predictable. Little more than a week ago – on May 23 – the Rays were 32-12 after beating Houston 10-6. They’ve lost six of eight since then, including a supremely frustrating 3-2 setback Monday night at Toronto.

Click here to read the full article – By JOE HENDERSON of The Tampa Tribune

Garza extends mastery of Orioles, Crawford and Brignac homer to lead Rays to 5-1 win

GameSetMatch — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:56:34 +0000

Matt Garza allowed one run in eight innings for the Tampa Bay Rays in another sparkling performance against the Baltimore Orioles, and Carl Crawford went 4 for 4 with a homer in a 5-1 victory Monday night.

The game drew 9,129 fans, the smallest crowd in the 19-year history of Camden Yards.

Reid Brignac also homered for the Rays in their first road game of the season.

Felix Pie connected for the Orioles, who fell to 1-6 with their fourth straight loss. Baltimore has scored only three runs in its last three games.

Garza (2-0) gave up six hits, struck out five and walked three in beating the Orioles for the second time this season. The right-hander is 8-1 lifetime against Baltimore, including 5-0 with a 3.00 ERA in six career starts at Camden Yards.

Click here to read the full article – By DAVID GINSBURG of Associated Press

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Rookie trio brightens future for Rays

GameSetMatch — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:10:03 +0000

Because he was pitching against the Blue Jays that day, David Price needed to find someone else to complete his new pregame routine. Price, Tampa Bay’s rookie left-hander and recently appointed lineup card attendee, had to designate someone else to bring the card to the umpires before the day’s first pitch.

Price decided on Wade Davis, his quiet, sharp-eyed, square-jawed fellow rookie starter.

After Davis returned to the dugout, home-plate umpire Mike Estabrook walked to Rays manager Joe Maddon and whispered that he’d never seen anything like it.

“[Davis] didn’t say one word,” Maddon said, laughing in his office after the game.

Such is the deadpan reality of Davis. There are few aspects in baseball he doesn’t take seriously.

As the 24-year-old right-hander has emerged over the course of the past two weeks for Tampa Bay, the seriousness of his pitching ability has also rounded into focus. The fierceness of his breaking ball only matches the looks he gives when squinting over his glove on the mound.

Click here to read the full article – By Zach Schonbrun of MLB.com

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Rays’ rookie starters will finish out year

GameSetMatch — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:53:48 +0000

With an off-day on the horizon Monday, the Rays have not set their rotation past Sunday. But don’t expect a lot of change, particularly where the rookie pitchers are concerned.

Currently, the rotation includes rookies Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis and David Price, but Rays manager Joe Maddon doesn’t believe any of them will be shut down before the end of the season.

“We’re OK with all three right now,” Maddon said. “They’re all on the border, on the top side of the borderline, so we can, but we’re not overtly concerned right now.”

Davis has thrown a total of 168 1/3 innings, Niemann 165 2/3, and Price 144.

Click here to read the full article – By Bill Chastain of MLB.com

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Burrell frustrated by Rays’ recent woes

GameSetMatch — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:28:56 +0000

Pat Burrell allowed Monday that the he let the frustrations accrued during the past 11 games to finally boil over in the Rays’ second game of their doubleheader with the Red Sox on Sunday.

Burrell was sent to the plate to pinch-hit in the eighth inning and tried to check his swing with two strikes, but was called out by home-plate umpire Lance Barksdale. Burrell argued that he had checked his swing, which prompted Barksdale to quickly eject Burrell.

“I was dead wrong, I knew I was out, I swung,” Burrell said.

Burrell is mired in a 1-for-19 stretch during the road trip that has seen the Rays lose all seven games they have played to move their losing streak to 11 before defeating the Orioles, 8-4, on Monday night in Baltimore.

Click here to read the full article – By Bill Chastain of MLB.com

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Niemann’s come long way since debut

GameSetMatch — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:24:48 +0000

On one hand, Jeff Niemann’s first trip to Baltimore this season wasn’t a precursor for things to come, while on the other, it personified why the 6-foot-9, 280-pound right-hander is a leading candidate for American League Rookie of the Year.

Niemann had just won a Spring Training battle with Jason Hammell to be the fifth starter in the Rays’ rotation and he wanted to go out and make a strong impression in his first start to validate the Rays’ faith in him. Instead he got off to the worst of all possible starts. The first seven Orioles hitters reached base safely as Niemann surrendered five first-inning runs, including a grand slam to Melvin Mora.

Click here to read the full article – By Bill Chastain of MLB.com

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Tampa Bay Rays say they’re set to return to top of AL East next season

GameSetMatch — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:16:29 +0000

Of all the Rays accomplished last season, winning the American League East championship was the achievement they were most proud of because it signified they were the best — and thus better than the Yankees and Red Sox — over the rigors of a full season.

Sunday, when they were officially dethroned in being eliminated from the race by the Yankees, they spoke of rededicating themselves to prevail again.

“Our goal coming into this season was to defend our American League East crown,” executive VP Andrew Friedman said. “Obviously we fell short of that.

“With our recent skid I think the focus is going to be much more on how we’ve played the last two weeks as opposed to the body of work and the talent we have on hand.

Click here to read the full article – By Marc Topkin of tampabay.com

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GameSetMatch — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:06:03 +0000

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Only thing Crawford hasn’t stolen: Attention

GameSetMatch — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:20:58 +0000

Carl Crawford used to joke with reporters that where attention was concerned, he held a position under the radar and would remain there until one day he would just explode.

For years, Crawford labored in semi-obscurity for the Rays. While the franchise struggled, Crawford tirelessly carved out a name for himself. And while ESPN never seemed to show his daily highlights, including his speedy stealing on the bases, his peers recognized what unique talents the native of Houston brought to the game.

“Carl is definitely one of the most underrated players in the game,” Angels outfielder Torii Hunter said. “That’s probably because of the market he’s in, where he’s played. This guy has five tools. He’s a tremendous athlete. He can beat you in so many ways — with power, average, steals, his glove, his arm.

Click here to read the full article – By Bill Chastain of MLB.com

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Garza aiming for strong September

GameSetMatch — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:06:04 +0000

In Matt Garza’s previous start in Detroit on Friday, he had to deal with the swirling rumors of an impending trade involving teammate Scott Kazmir, who was dealt to Anaheim after the game. On Wednesday, he’ll have to pitch around another mental obstacle: the calendar.

Garza has struggled in his career pitching in September, and Wednesday’s start against Boston will be his first in the month in 2009. It’s not a welcoming prospect for a pitcher currently going through a season-long winless drought.

Garza is 4-7 with a 5.07 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP in 15 starts in September in his career, his worst numbers for any month. And with Garza on pace to log more innings that he has ever before, the potential of fatigue for the 25-year-old right-hander looms.

Click here to read the full article – By Zach Schonbrun of MLB.com

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