Tagged: Eric Hinske
The Rays and the Red Sox…one more time
The Rays and Red Sox have played a lot of games since 1998. The Red Sox have won most of them. There’s been some important ones (mostly for the Sox). There’s been some controversial ones. And there’s been some fighting ones.
But there has never been one as big as tonight’s game.
8.37 EST, Tropicana Field, St Petersburg. The Rays will start playing for a place in the World Series.
It is almost unbelieveable…
Tigers swept, now questions to answer
There are certainly easier ways to a sweep.
Not letting a (admittedly impressive) rookie one-hit you into the seventh inning for one. Not having your closer blow a save with his first pitch, and then give up the go-ahead run to the first batter in extra-innings for another. And not having your shortstop get hurt in trying to put together a second comeback after the first two have occurred.
But who wants the easy way, right?
2-0 down, and nothing to show apart from an Evan Longoria infield hit is where the Rays found themselves at the seventh-inning stretch yesterday…
Getting heated in Texas
So, no sweep of the Rangers, and I think that this game will have to go down as one of those days. I guess that as a team, things are going to go wrong over the course of the season, and its just as well to get them all out of the way in one game. Well, we did that yesterday, and still were within shouting distance right up until the final out.
Actually, it was shouting that seemed to be a major problem all over the field last night…
Don’t mess with us
Due to various things going on I got to watch exactly five innings of the Rays-Red Sox series. And, considering it resulted in a second Fenway-sweep of the year, thats not a bad things.
But one of the five innings was inning two of game three, perhaps the most significant of the series. I had seen, of course, the highlights of the controversy in game two. Now, maybe I’m biased, but Coco Crisp’s slide on Aki was completely unjustified. It was out of order.
Just in case you haven’t seen it, let me recap…
Net lag: Another series win
Just a quick note on games 2 and 3 of the Rangers series, as I was rather doing other things while I had the two games on, and while Tuesday’s loss was very disappointing, Wednesday’s was extrememly encouraging.
On Tuesday, Andy Sonnanstine made his second poor start in a row, giving up 7 runs…
Net lag: K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-Kazmir
Well, its Wednesday morning, which must mean that its about time to talk about Monday night’s game.
Which, I think it would be fair to say, I enjoyed a lot. And that is in no small part down to Mr Scott Kazmir. I said a week or so ago that, despite racking up three straight wins he still wasn’t at his best. Well, last night he was…
Baserunning: Learn with Eric
Solid win for the Rays last night, thanks largely to, of course, some very solid pitching indeed. Matt Garza continued his sparkling record against the Orioles, pitching 7 1/3 innings, allowing only four hits, no runs, and striking out four. He worked out of a couple of jams as well, and was generally pretty excellent. Trever Miller came on in relief in a vital situation in the eighth, and with the help of a controversial call, didn’t disappoint. With a runner on, Aubrey Huff was the first batter that Miller had to face. Huff, who should quite frankly be banned or something for the disgraceful way that he has assaulted Rays pitching…
Net lag: Lucky 13
Watching Monday night’s game yesterday, I was struck by just one single thought as the game neared its finish – “please, not another walk-off!” And, after falling to two consecutive walk-off defeats in St Louis, the bullpen was indeed back on form yesterday, denying Oakland 5 opportunities to wrap up the game with a single swing…
The plot thickens…
The fun in Rays-world continues! Three games at Camdem Yards, 2 wins, and suddenly its May 2 and the Rays are sitting in first place in the AL East (on percentage points) at 16-12. How ’bout that?!
I watched games one and two of the series, but missed the finale yesterday afternoon…
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Right, so that brings us up to date with the action, but not on the big decision that is coming the Rays’ way this weekend. Who should stay and who should go?
Here is the Rays’ pitching staff as is currently stands…
Disney Sweep!
Everything, every single thing that I have said about the Rays over the last couple of days is going to be repeated now about last night’s game that I have just finished watching. Because it was yet another battling performance against a pitcher who looked as though he had his good stuff early. It was another perfect example of stringing together good at-bats. And it was another case of a job well done by the bullpen…
Rays from across the Pond 