Please call me if you have anything you would like me to touch so it turns to gold. Things are going my way.
I wouldn't have believed even if I had Grays Sports Almanac from Marty McFly that Riley Nelson would lead a 96-yard game winning touchdown tonight against Utah State. Nor would I believe that Shoppach was going to hit two homeruns and the Rays would crush the Rangers 9-0 holding them to only two hits with a rookie starting pitcher.
Normally, I discount goodwill and intangibles when analyzing a balance sheet. I may need to change my philosophy. Riley Nelson has intangibles. He's anything but fragile physically or mentally. I think a lot of people now know that. With the Yankees game rained out the main sporting event of the night was the BYU game on a little channel you may have heard of called ESPN.
Don't let me wake up from this dream. Go Cougars! Go Rays!
#DoingMoreWithLess
Showing posts with label Rays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rays. Show all posts
Friday, September 30, 2011
We are who we are
We are who we are and it is what it is.
Does it really surprise anyone that the Rays fought all season and overcame the improbable to make the playoffs and they are throwing out there a starting pitcher in Game 1 of the ALDS with less than 10 innings of big league experience? Only the Rays. Discount baseball at its best.
Does it really surprise anyone that the Rays fought all season and overcame the improbable to make the playoffs and they are throwing out there a starting pitcher in Game 1 of the ALDS with less than 10 innings of big league experience? Only the Rays. Discount baseball at its best.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
September in microcosm
I don't believe what I just watched. I don't. It just couldn't have happened. I now understand what they mean when they say it isn't over till it's over. But, I mean, wow! I don't doubt that it happened. I only doubt the way it happened.
Walkoffs within minutes of each other. Boston must hate Dan Johnson. From nine games back and seven runs down. Crawford misplayed the ball that ended the season for Boston. Should have played the hop and thrown home. And they lost to the Orioles, the first team I ever loved and the first team I ever saw live. I don't believe it. Rain delay, balk, grand slam, extra innings, and walkoffs.
Seven runs down in the eighth. Nobody on and two outs in the ninth inning... IN BOTH GAMES. Things like this just don't happen.
It almost doesn't matter what happens in October. We just won the World Series. That was awesome!
I'll never forget this night as long as I live. I'm not being dramatic. That is the point. I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight. Unbelievable!!!
Walkoffs within minutes of each other. Boston must hate Dan Johnson. From nine games back and seven runs down. Crawford misplayed the ball that ended the season for Boston. Should have played the hop and thrown home. And they lost to the Orioles, the first team I ever loved and the first team I ever saw live. I don't believe it. Rain delay, balk, grand slam, extra innings, and walkoffs.
Seven runs down in the eighth. Nobody on and two outs in the ninth inning... IN BOTH GAMES. Things like this just don't happen.
It almost doesn't matter what happens in October. We just won the World Series. That was awesome!
I'll never forget this night as long as I live. I'm not being dramatic. That is the point. I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight. Unbelievable!!!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Move Over, Babe
So Babe Ruth called his shot on a home run but people hit home runs all the time. Try calling your shot on a triple play! Word out of Zobrist after the game is that the Rays met at the mound during a timeout with the bases loaded, down by a run, and nobody out. Zobrist says that Evan looked at him and told him if the ball was hit right to him he was going to go for the triple play and sure enough magic happens. Wow! I had never seen a triple play live before. I probably won't ever again.
Speaking of magic - the magic number is now 2 for Boston, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and St. Louis. I liked the roster for Atlanta before the season started and decided they would be my adopted team this year if the Rays fell out quickly. Now I'm cheering St. Louis as I relate with their comeback story.
I was jumping so high that I nearly fell over the rail from the first row of the second level last night when Joyce cleared the fence in the 7th. I'm hoping my voice gets back to normal today. I've heard a lot about this movie Moneyball that came out recently. I think I'm watching it play out in real life and it couldn't have been scripted any better.
Lets Go Rays!
Speaking of magic - the magic number is now 2 for Boston, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and St. Louis. I liked the roster for Atlanta before the season started and decided they would be my adopted team this year if the Rays fell out quickly. Now I'm cheering St. Louis as I relate with their comeback story.
I was jumping so high that I nearly fell over the rail from the first row of the second level last night when Joyce cleared the fence in the 7th. I'm hoping my voice gets back to normal today. I've heard a lot about this movie Moneyball that came out recently. I think I'm watching it play out in real life and it couldn't have been scripted any better.
Lets Go Rays!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Game #160
If you were like me you were starting to wear out the "previous" button on your remote last night between the Rays/Yankees game and the Orioles/Red Sox.
They says defense wins championships when they talk about basketball and football. At least the coaches do. But for the most part, even the coaches aren't convinced of that in baseball. But Joe Maddon isn't most coaches.
The defense-to-win correlation is grossly underrated in MLB. Pitching is another and the Red Sox and Yankees undervalue both. In the games I watched last night the two plays that stick out in my mind were both defensive hinges to their respective games. Desmond Jennings made an awesome catch on a Jeter would-be gapper. On the other channel the game changed on a two-out Jacoby drop at the fence that allowed three runs to score on the inside-the-park homerun.
Forget about pitching and defense. This year's Sox team just wants to outscore you. Digest this stat - in the month of September the Red Sox are 2-19 when they don't score at least 12 runs (they have scored 12 runs four times this month and won all four). Lets hope the O's give themselves a good chance tonight by holding Boston under 12. On second thought, who cares what Boston does? All we have to do now is win.
They says defense wins championships when they talk about basketball and football. At least the coaches do. But for the most part, even the coaches aren't convinced of that in baseball. But Joe Maddon isn't most coaches.
The defense-to-win correlation is grossly underrated in MLB. Pitching is another and the Red Sox and Yankees undervalue both. In the games I watched last night the two plays that stick out in my mind were both defensive hinges to their respective games. Desmond Jennings made an awesome catch on a Jeter would-be gapper. On the other channel the game changed on a two-out Jacoby drop at the fence that allowed three runs to score on the inside-the-park homerun.
Forget about pitching and defense. This year's Sox team just wants to outscore you. Digest this stat - in the month of September the Red Sox are 2-19 when they don't score at least 12 runs (they have scored 12 runs four times this month and won all four). Lets hope the O's give themselves a good chance tonight by holding Boston under 12. On second thought, who cares what Boston does? All we have to do now is win.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Hearing Footsteps
So football has the possibility for some violent collisions when receivers run across the field while looking back for the ball. They can't see the defender charging them at opposite, full speed but they can sometimes anticipate the impact if they hear the footsteps. The phrase "hear the footsteps" has become a catchphrase to imply fear. If a receiver drops a pass or slows down a route they often accuse him of hearing the footsteps.
Well, the Red Sox hear the footsteps of the Rays. David Ortiz said yesterday that it is time to panic in Boston. It wasn't unsolicited but it was an admission.
Those same Rays who give us so many walkoffs late in games just started the ninth inning of their season (if you break the season into nine 18-game stretches). We are catching up quickly and gaining confidence and momentum as we roll. This is our time. Be afraid, Boston. Be very afraid.
Well, the Red Sox hear the footsteps of the Rays. David Ortiz said yesterday that it is time to panic in Boston. It wasn't unsolicited but it was an admission.
Those same Rays who give us so many walkoffs late in games just started the ninth inning of their season (if you break the season into nine 18-game stretches). We are catching up quickly and gaining confidence and momentum as we roll. This is our time. Be afraid, Boston. Be very afraid.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Lesson learned: never turn off the Rays
Monday night the Rays had a nice come-from-behind and walkoff homerun. Tuesday I got to go to the game and the Rays basically won it in the first inning and James Shields pitched all nine innings without surrendering a run.
Last night the Rays had chances to tie the game multiple times and couldn't quite get there. I'll admit I lost hope after the Rays gave up three runs in the top of the ninth to go down 7-3. I switched channels to check on the US-Mexico soccer match and saw the ESPN ticker scroll across the screen that the Rays score was updated to 7-5 with one out. I switched back and it was already 7-6 with a pinch runner on first. Upton struck out and it looked like too little too late until Sam Fuld.
Sparkplug Sam shot a triple to right-centerfield. I guess you can't call it a walk off because he did no walking around the bases but it was the last play of the game. Johnson scored from first to tie the game and the relay throw skipped by third base as Fuld made his head-first slide. Ninety feet later he made another head-first slide to end the game as he scored on the overthrow error. Rays win again!!!!
Never give up on the Rays. They never give up.
Last night the Rays had chances to tie the game multiple times and couldn't quite get there. I'll admit I lost hope after the Rays gave up three runs in the top of the ninth to go down 7-3. I switched channels to check on the US-Mexico soccer match and saw the ESPN ticker scroll across the screen that the Rays score was updated to 7-5 with one out. I switched back and it was already 7-6 with a pinch runner on first. Upton struck out and it looked like too little too late until Sam Fuld.
Sparkplug Sam shot a triple to right-centerfield. I guess you can't call it a walk off because he did no walking around the bases but it was the last play of the game. Johnson scored from first to tie the game and the relay throw skipped by third base as Fuld made his head-first slide. Ninety feet later he made another head-first slide to end the game as he scored on the overthrow error. Rays win again!!!!
Never give up on the Rays. They never give up.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Rookies Rule
Welcome to the future. I like what I see.
The Rays had a day game today so I missed it but that is why they invented mlb.com so I am made aware that a couple of rookies took care of business today.
After going down a run in the top of the 10th, Desmond Jennings homered to tie it up again.
After going down a couple in the 11th, Robinson Chirinos tied it up with a single in the bottom of the inning.
After finally getting through the top of an inning unscathed, Chirinos ended the game with a walkoff in the 12th.
We can't afford to pay the hefty salaries of the established stars so we know the farm system has to continue to churn faster than most and the future looks bright.
Go Rays!
The Rays had a day game today so I missed it but that is why they invented mlb.com so I am made aware that a couple of rookies took care of business today.
After going down a run in the top of the 10th, Desmond Jennings homered to tie it up again.
After going down a couple in the 11th, Robinson Chirinos tied it up with a single in the bottom of the inning.
After finally getting through the top of an inning unscathed, Chirinos ended the game with a walkoff in the 12th.
We can't afford to pay the hefty salaries of the established stars so we know the farm system has to continue to churn faster than most and the future looks bright.
Go Rays!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
The Walmart of the MLB
So Julie and I went to the Rays game and were grateful to be there. There is always a bit more on the line when the Yankees come to town (Take that Boston!).
The Rays are kind of the Walmart of MLB. Julie kept reminding last night when I would complain about the talent differential that it is much more gratifying to earn the win than to buy the win.
Robinson Chirinos was called up yesterday to play in his first major league game (because another rookie catcher got hurt the night before in his first career start). He doubled in his first at bat. Derek Jeter walked over to him from shortstop and congratulated him on his first career hit. The Yanks have a guy with 3,000 hits and the Rays have a guy with one career hit.
Later in the game the Yanks were batting in the ninth inning of a tie game. The bases were loaded and there were two outs. Alex Torres had just been called up from the minors and due to how the game developed and the length of the game on Sunday he was pitching. You could tell he was a bit rattled after walking a guy so Chirinos went out to the mound to calm him down. It was then that I realized I was watching a catcher in his first major league game talking to a pitcher pitching in his first major league game and their job was to defeat an opponent full of established, hall of fame guys. It was a David versus Goliath. Hey rookies - welcome to the majors against the Yankees in a tie game on national television in the ninth inning with the bases loaded, two outs, and a full count (No, really. That's what it was.)
Julie is right. If we had won that game, imagine the satisfaction and accomplishment those kids would have felt playing in their first game in the major leagues. Goliath won last night but I'm still glad I'm not a Philistine.
Remember Sam Fuld? Remember when the Rays only won one of the first nine games to start the season and built themselves a huge hole. Then came the spark that was Sam Fuld. That flame burned out pretty quick and was replaced by Matt Joyce who was hot for a while. Kotchman has been the most consistent spark.
Play it again, Sam. We need another spark plug. I don't care who it is but somebody step up fast before this thing gets away from us.
The Rays are kind of the Walmart of MLB. Julie kept reminding last night when I would complain about the talent differential that it is much more gratifying to earn the win than to buy the win.
Robinson Chirinos was called up yesterday to play in his first major league game (because another rookie catcher got hurt the night before in his first career start). He doubled in his first at bat. Derek Jeter walked over to him from shortstop and congratulated him on his first career hit. The Yanks have a guy with 3,000 hits and the Rays have a guy with one career hit.
Later in the game the Yanks were batting in the ninth inning of a tie game. The bases were loaded and there were two outs. Alex Torres had just been called up from the minors and due to how the game developed and the length of the game on Sunday he was pitching. You could tell he was a bit rattled after walking a guy so Chirinos went out to the mound to calm him down. It was then that I realized I was watching a catcher in his first major league game talking to a pitcher pitching in his first major league game and their job was to defeat an opponent full of established, hall of fame guys. It was a David versus Goliath. Hey rookies - welcome to the majors against the Yankees in a tie game on national television in the ninth inning with the bases loaded, two outs, and a full count (No, really. That's what it was.)
Julie is right. If we had won that game, imagine the satisfaction and accomplishment those kids would have felt playing in their first game in the major leagues. Goliath won last night but I'm still glad I'm not a Philistine.
Remember Sam Fuld? Remember when the Rays only won one of the first nine games to start the season and built themselves a huge hole. Then came the spark that was Sam Fuld. That flame burned out pretty quick and was replaced by Matt Joyce who was hot for a while. Kotchman has been the most consistent spark.
Play it again, Sam. We need another spark plug. I don't care who it is but somebody step up fast before this thing gets away from us.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
I was there when...
Everyone is talking 3,000 hits because of Jeter. Congrats to Jeter. He won the game for NY today. It was a great back-and-forth game. It is a big deal for sure to get to 3,000. There had been as many guys tally 3,000 as there are outs recorded by a pitcher in a perfect game - 27. Now there are 28.
Reminds me of a story.
In high school I had one of the greatest job a high schooler can have. I sold dippin dots ice cream at Rays baseball games. Well, they were the Devil Rays then but same thing. I could get into the games (well, I had to be there) 30 minutes before gates opened to the public so I got to watch part of the Rays batting practice in a pretty empty stadium. Sometimes I would go down close and talk to the guys or get an autograph. Fred McGriff was nice and so was Wade Boggs. The one guy I couldn't stand and who was never nice was Jose Canseco (probably not a huge shock to most people).
So I worked the game when Boggs was at 2,999 hits. I worked out in the food court area with another person who didn't care as much and let me run into the nearest section to watch each time Wade came to bat. It was electric in there. I remember well standing there with another food vendor and predicting the home run. Sure enough. Home run. The crowd went wild. I don't think I really appreciated it at that age but it was pretty cool to watch live a guy get his 3,000th hit.
Now there are two guys who hit home runs for their 3,000th hit. I wasn't in Yankee Stadium today but I was there when Boggs jogged around the bases for his moment in history.
Reminds me of a story.
In high school I had one of the greatest job a high schooler can have. I sold dippin dots ice cream at Rays baseball games. Well, they were the Devil Rays then but same thing. I could get into the games (well, I had to be there) 30 minutes before gates opened to the public so I got to watch part of the Rays batting practice in a pretty empty stadium. Sometimes I would go down close and talk to the guys or get an autograph. Fred McGriff was nice and so was Wade Boggs. The one guy I couldn't stand and who was never nice was Jose Canseco (probably not a huge shock to most people).
So I worked the game when Boggs was at 2,999 hits. I worked out in the food court area with another person who didn't care as much and let me run into the nearest section to watch each time Wade came to bat. It was electric in there. I remember well standing there with another food vendor and predicting the home run. Sure enough. Home run. The crowd went wild. I don't think I really appreciated it at that age but it was pretty cool to watch live a guy get his 3,000th hit.
Now there are two guys who hit home runs for their 3,000th hit. I wasn't in Yankee Stadium today but I was there when Boggs jogged around the bases for his moment in history.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Walkoff
Walkoff - Baseball term used to describe the home team winning the game in its final at bat forcing the loosing team to ‘walkoff’ the field. Most prominently and dramatically used along with homeruns but can be used along with any event(homerun, double, single, walk, balk…) that concludes the game. (from urbandictionary.com)
A blog post is close to useless (so really I don't know why I'm trying) at describing the emotion of seeing a walkoff live. I've now been to six in the last two seasons.
Let me tell you about the most recent one.
They say a picture says a thousand words. Here is a good picture for you. The picture is a graph of the percentage chance of the Rays winning the game based upon historical data as the game progresses. The game usually starts somewhere near 50% but not necessarily because it is based upon pitching matchups and home field advantage and overall records and a number of things. So this graph shows what the odds were from the first pitch to the last and you can see the roller coaster we witnessed.
The game was similar to the game I blogged June 11th because it was a back and forth affair and each team had at least one lead during the game.
It was quick baseball to start as the pitchers each made quick work of the opposing lineups.
And then... Here's Johnny! Johnny Damon gives the Rays a lead with a homerun.
The fangraph guys jump our odds of winning over 70% which makes sense considering David Price has a perfect game through 4 innings and we are at home (even though we have a much better record on the road than at home this year). The perfect game gets broken up by an error:( but Price continues to cruise until we reach the 8th inning.
Upton gets nervous about the wall and turns a double into a triple for Stubbs. Renteria ties the game. Price still had enough stuff to get through the next two while keeping Renteria in check. This is when I was hoping Joe would pull Price but he doesn't. There are a lot of possible reasons - Price had dominated Votto so far in the game, Price hates to get pulled if he isn't in line for the win, Joe doesn't trust the bullpen. Either way 115 pitches is too many to leave a guy in against such a good hitter as Votto and Votto won that battle with a double. Renteria may not have scored from first but the double came after Price was so concentrated on Votto that he forgot about Renteria and let him steal second.
You could feel the energy seep out the doors or maybe through the roof of the dome. Fangraphs swings to favor the Reds at this point and the Rays are down 2-1.
The Never-Say-Die Rays are at it again in the bottom of the 8th. Leadoff strikeout by Upton followed by a single to Jaso (two days removed you wouldn't think I'd remember it so well). Ruggiano pinch runs but doesn't steal. Fuld comes to the plate but doesn't bunt. Fuld singles up the middle. At this point I was hoping for a double steal with two of our faster guys to give us a tying run on third with one out and go-ahead within a single of the plate. Nope.
You've heard the phrase about blessings in disguised. That might be applied to Brignac's fly to left because runners don't go on contact with few than two outs and there is no way we score both the tying and go-ahead runs on Damon's flair to leftcenter that gets deflected 20 yards or so away on a diving attempt to end the inning.
Johnny comes through again. Hope is restored and replaced with confidence all in one play as we flip the graph and the one-run deficit back to the Reds.
Farnsworth falls behind Bruce and the ball was crushed to dead centerfield. Tie game. Are you kidding me?
Close to 50/50 chance with no outs and a tie game in the top of the 9th but it didn't feel that way. It felt like all the momentum flooded the Cincinnati dugout and spread to the 5,000 or so Reds fans in attendance.
Back on our heals, we pitch well to get to the bottom half of the inning.
Evan had the same look on his face taking his warm-up swings as Johnny did taking his in the 4th before his homerun. I mentioned to my dad sitting next to me that I hadn't ever seen an Evan walkoff.
Walkoff! (this is the far right side of the graph where the odds of winning jump to 100%) It was sweet!
A blog post is close to useless (so really I don't know why I'm trying) at describing the emotion of seeing a walkoff live. I've now been to six in the last two seasons.
Let me tell you about the most recent one.
They say a picture says a thousand words. Here is a good picture for you. The picture is a graph of the percentage chance of the Rays winning the game based upon historical data as the game progresses. The game usually starts somewhere near 50% but not necessarily because it is based upon pitching matchups and home field advantage and overall records and a number of things. So this graph shows what the odds were from the first pitch to the last and you can see the roller coaster we witnessed.
The game was similar to the game I blogged June 11th because it was a back and forth affair and each team had at least one lead during the game.
It was quick baseball to start as the pitchers each made quick work of the opposing lineups.
And then... Here's Johnny! Johnny Damon gives the Rays a lead with a homerun.
The fangraph guys jump our odds of winning over 70% which makes sense considering David Price has a perfect game through 4 innings and we are at home (even though we have a much better record on the road than at home this year). The perfect game gets broken up by an error:( but Price continues to cruise until we reach the 8th inning.
Upton gets nervous about the wall and turns a double into a triple for Stubbs. Renteria ties the game. Price still had enough stuff to get through the next two while keeping Renteria in check. This is when I was hoping Joe would pull Price but he doesn't. There are a lot of possible reasons - Price had dominated Votto so far in the game, Price hates to get pulled if he isn't in line for the win, Joe doesn't trust the bullpen. Either way 115 pitches is too many to leave a guy in against such a good hitter as Votto and Votto won that battle with a double. Renteria may not have scored from first but the double came after Price was so concentrated on Votto that he forgot about Renteria and let him steal second.
You could feel the energy seep out the doors or maybe through the roof of the dome. Fangraphs swings to favor the Reds at this point and the Rays are down 2-1.
The Never-Say-Die Rays are at it again in the bottom of the 8th. Leadoff strikeout by Upton followed by a single to Jaso (two days removed you wouldn't think I'd remember it so well). Ruggiano pinch runs but doesn't steal. Fuld comes to the plate but doesn't bunt. Fuld singles up the middle. At this point I was hoping for a double steal with two of our faster guys to give us a tying run on third with one out and go-ahead within a single of the plate. Nope.
You've heard the phrase about blessings in disguised. That might be applied to Brignac's fly to left because runners don't go on contact with few than two outs and there is no way we score both the tying and go-ahead runs on Damon's flair to leftcenter that gets deflected 20 yards or so away on a diving attempt to end the inning.
Johnny comes through again. Hope is restored and replaced with confidence all in one play as we flip the graph and the one-run deficit back to the Reds.
Farnsworth falls behind Bruce and the ball was crushed to dead centerfield. Tie game. Are you kidding me?
Close to 50/50 chance with no outs and a tie game in the top of the 9th but it didn't feel that way. It felt like all the momentum flooded the Cincinnati dugout and spread to the 5,000 or so Reds fans in attendance.
Back on our heals, we pitch well to get to the bottom half of the inning.
Evan had the same look on his face taking his warm-up swings as Johnny did taking his in the 4th before his homerun. I mentioned to my dad sitting next to me that I hadn't ever seen an Evan walkoff.
Walkoff! (this is the far right side of the graph where the odds of winning jump to 100%) It was sweet!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
One Boston win too many
My friends tell me I shouldn't root for anything Boston since I'm from the Bay area. That brings up another point - my wife tells me the Bay area is in California.
Anyway, sports often comes down to who you dislike the least come playoff time. I decided to dislike Boston the least after the Lightning stopped.
The Boston team I wasn't cheering for last night was the team that probably deserved a no-hitter against the Rays last night. I'm not a big Youkilis fan so I'm glad it was his defense that prevented the no-hitter.
Price pitches tonight in the rubber game of the series. Go Rays!
Anyway, sports often comes down to who you dislike the least come playoff time. I decided to dislike Boston the least after the Lightning stopped.
The Boston team I wasn't cheering for last night was the team that probably deserved a no-hitter against the Rays last night. I'm not a big Youkilis fan so I'm glad it was his defense that prevented the no-hitter.
Price pitches tonight in the rubber game of the series. Go Rays!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Another June Baseball Game
I have a wonderful wife. Most who might tune in to see my sports thoughts are people would are already of the same opinion that she is wonderful. She taped the Rays game for me tonight and what a game it was (is).
I picked up the game in the top of the 4th with the Rays up 1-0. David Price was pitching against BYU-product Jeremy Guthrie.
I was hoping the one run would hold as I could use the stats of a complete game shutout on my fantasy team from my Cy Young runner-up from last season. When the Rays tacked on 2 more I felt very comfortable.
Then adversity strikes. I've never really liked or had reason to like Mark Reynolds. I think there might be some subconscious to that because his is a low-average, power hitter and I played the game by speed and design rather than power. Either way, Reynolds irked me again tonight knocking a home run in consecutive innings. The latter gave the O's a 4-3 lead.
Side note, until the Rays came to existence I was a big Orioles fan because even though I don't have the memory to support the fact, the Orioles were the first team I saw live when in my first three years of life growing up in Maryland. My mom could tell you more because I really don't remember. But the O's were my AL team growing up and the Cubs my NL team because of the distribution of Cubs games through WGN. Being an infield guy my favorite middle infield would be Ryne Sandberg and Cal Ripken even though I really liked Ozzie's backflips.
Back to tonight. Guthrie was probably done anyway after the top of the 6th. He was on the hook for the loss but after the bottom half of the inning he was actually in line for the win. Lady luck reversed course in the top of the 7th when the Rays managed to tie it up and again without making a pitch Price was relieved as being the pitcher of record and you knew either way he wouldn't come back bottom 7 with where his pitch count stood.
At this point the game is really getting good because each team has lost a lead already. It is like a playoff series - they say it isn't a series until each team has won a game.
Also, this is where the subject of the post comes from. All these games in the middle third of the season get lost in the longevity of a 162-game season but can become so important.
The Rays have sputtered the last month or so. They've fallen from first in the AL East to third. Dropping another last night left them 4 games out of first and a Boston win today meant they needed to equalize with a win to hold serve and keep pace at 4 games out. Now all is not lost if we drop to 5 games and the urgency is not lost if we win but the season can certainly turn on small hinges and these kind of games do a lot to team psyche. A team can spiral downhill fast and while a division can't be won before the All-Star break it can certainly be lost by that time.
Back to the game. The O's crush my hope with a run in 8th. Peralta had Reynolds up with runners second and third and one down. He had him 2-2 and I was just hoping he left nothing close to the zone. Reynolds had to know the plan was to get him to chase or give him first to set up the force with runner third and less than two outs but after fouling off a pitch out of the zone low and away Peralta hung a slider on him that must have surprised Reynolds as much as it did me because he froze for a called third strike rather than a third homer for the game. No surprises on the next batter and he pitched him cautious with an open base in a tie game. After going to a full count Peralta gave up a walk which isn't bad independent of the next at-bat. He went 3-0 before a gimmie strike and walking in the go-ahead run. A nice play by Brignac got us out of the inning but it felt like part of the hinge for our season might have been tonight and the door was swinging the wrong way.
Enter the ninth and hope is restored. The Rays really are a late-inning team. I've been at the Trop for two walk-offs already this year and multiple last year. So Zobrist gets us going again with an awesome head first slide for a triple on a ball that probably should have been caught but that's baseball. They give Joyce the walk because they want no piece of him even with Longoria behind him. No problem - right. Like missing a free throw, Evan pops out to the infield and momentum shifts back to the home crowd. One out from the end and guess who comes through in the clutch - Casey Kotchman. Casey played for my high school a few years after I graduated.
It is the bottom of the 10th right now and I don't know who is going to win but this has been a fascinating game and this is why I love baseball (I just wish they had bunt base hit with BJ in the top of the ninth with Joyce on third. He didn't get a pitch that it would have worked on but I would have loved the call and Upton could totally beat it out. I should do a blog post some time on the lost art of the bunt base hit.).
I picked up the game in the top of the 4th with the Rays up 1-0. David Price was pitching against BYU-product Jeremy Guthrie.
I was hoping the one run would hold as I could use the stats of a complete game shutout on my fantasy team from my Cy Young runner-up from last season. When the Rays tacked on 2 more I felt very comfortable.
Then adversity strikes. I've never really liked or had reason to like Mark Reynolds. I think there might be some subconscious to that because his is a low-average, power hitter and I played the game by speed and design rather than power. Either way, Reynolds irked me again tonight knocking a home run in consecutive innings. The latter gave the O's a 4-3 lead.
Side note, until the Rays came to existence I was a big Orioles fan because even though I don't have the memory to support the fact, the Orioles were the first team I saw live when in my first three years of life growing up in Maryland. My mom could tell you more because I really don't remember. But the O's were my AL team growing up and the Cubs my NL team because of the distribution of Cubs games through WGN. Being an infield guy my favorite middle infield would be Ryne Sandberg and Cal Ripken even though I really liked Ozzie's backflips.
Back to tonight. Guthrie was probably done anyway after the top of the 6th. He was on the hook for the loss but after the bottom half of the inning he was actually in line for the win. Lady luck reversed course in the top of the 7th when the Rays managed to tie it up and again without making a pitch Price was relieved as being the pitcher of record and you knew either way he wouldn't come back bottom 7 with where his pitch count stood.
At this point the game is really getting good because each team has lost a lead already. It is like a playoff series - they say it isn't a series until each team has won a game.
Also, this is where the subject of the post comes from. All these games in the middle third of the season get lost in the longevity of a 162-game season but can become so important.
The Rays have sputtered the last month or so. They've fallen from first in the AL East to third. Dropping another last night left them 4 games out of first and a Boston win today meant they needed to equalize with a win to hold serve and keep pace at 4 games out. Now all is not lost if we drop to 5 games and the urgency is not lost if we win but the season can certainly turn on small hinges and these kind of games do a lot to team psyche. A team can spiral downhill fast and while a division can't be won before the All-Star break it can certainly be lost by that time.
Back to the game. The O's crush my hope with a run in 8th. Peralta had Reynolds up with runners second and third and one down. He had him 2-2 and I was just hoping he left nothing close to the zone. Reynolds had to know the plan was to get him to chase or give him first to set up the force with runner third and less than two outs but after fouling off a pitch out of the zone low and away Peralta hung a slider on him that must have surprised Reynolds as much as it did me because he froze for a called third strike rather than a third homer for the game. No surprises on the next batter and he pitched him cautious with an open base in a tie game. After going to a full count Peralta gave up a walk which isn't bad independent of the next at-bat. He went 3-0 before a gimmie strike and walking in the go-ahead run. A nice play by Brignac got us out of the inning but it felt like part of the hinge for our season might have been tonight and the door was swinging the wrong way.
Enter the ninth and hope is restored. The Rays really are a late-inning team. I've been at the Trop for two walk-offs already this year and multiple last year. So Zobrist gets us going again with an awesome head first slide for a triple on a ball that probably should have been caught but that's baseball. They give Joyce the walk because they want no piece of him even with Longoria behind him. No problem - right. Like missing a free throw, Evan pops out to the infield and momentum shifts back to the home crowd. One out from the end and guess who comes through in the clutch - Casey Kotchman. Casey played for my high school a few years after I graduated.
It is the bottom of the 10th right now and I don't know who is going to win but this has been a fascinating game and this is why I love baseball (I just wish they had bunt base hit with BJ in the top of the ninth with Joyce on third. He didn't get a pitch that it would have worked on but I would have loved the call and Upton could totally beat it out. I should do a blog post some time on the lost art of the bunt base hit.).
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