Rays News & Notes for Saturday, May 6th

Oakland 3, RAYS 2

3 Up
SP Seth McClung: 6.1 IP, 8 H, 2 R (ER), 3 BB, 2 K
PH Greg Norton: 1-1, solo HR (2), RBI (2)
RF Russell Branyan: 1-3, solo HR (2), RBI (8)

3 Down
3B Aubrey Huff: 0-4, 3 LOB, E (1) on GW play
1B Travis Lee: 0-4, 2 K, 4 LOB
SS Julio Lugo: 0-4, K, 2 LOB

Extra, Extra, Read All About It

Useless DevilRays.com Article
Julian Tavarez is at it Again
Yet Another Rays Turnaround Story

Down on the Farm

AAA Durham-L, 2-8:
SS B.J. Upton: 1-4, 2B (7), 3 K
PH Elijah Dukes: Popped out in 9th
SP Chris Seddon (L, 3-2): 4.2 IP, 7 H, 8 R (ER), 4 BB (1/4 IBB), 6 K, HR

AA Montgomery-W, 7-5:
2B Elliot Johnson: 2-4, 3 RS, 3 run HR (7), 3 RBI (19,20,21), BB, 2 K

A+ Visalia-W, 9-1:
SS Reid Brignac: 2-5, RBI (25), 2 K
DH Josh Arhart: 2-3, 2 HRs (both solo, 3,4), 2 RBI (7,8), BB, K
SP James Houser (W, 1-3): 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R (ER), 2 BB, 2 K, HR, HB

A- Southwest Michigan-W, 6-5:
RF-LF J.T. Hall: 4-5, 2B (4), 2 RBI (10,11), GID

Oakland 3, RAYS 2:

-Wow, I can honestly say that in six seasons of watching Devil Rays baseball, not a lot of losses have surpasses yesterday's in terms of sheer frustration. How this team managed to leave the bases loaded with one out in the top of the ninth (thanks to Travis Lee and his amazing not hitting the ball action) to Aubrey Huff literally letting the game roll through his legs in the bottom of the ninth. No offense to Russell Branyan or Greg Norton, but when those two are your offense for the day, then you do not deserve to win, nor should you expect to. Branyan surprised me by being able to dial Mt. Davis on his homer to left-center, and Norton tied the game on a pinch hit home run, but you expect more from guys like Huff, Ty Wigginton, Jonny Gomes, Julio Lugo, and Carl Crawford when they are in the lineup, and we have not gotten it, which is why we have scored 17 runs in our past six games. That isn't even three a game, and that is pathetic. It isn't a coincidence that we have lost five of those six games. This team is not going to win with a shutdown pitching staff, and the fact that we were in all but one of the games going into the ninth inning last week is astounding.

The offense picked a bad time to take a nap. This was not the Cy Young Winner Barry Zito, this was regular Barry Zito. The Rays should have been able to muster more than a run off of him, and certainly more than, oh I don't know, 0 off of former Ray Joe Kennedy in the ninth. After we blew that bases loaded opportunity, we did not deserve to win the game, and sure enough, Aubrey Huff's inability to make a little league-like grounder cost this team the game. I am not usually one to get down on players, especially our own, so viciously, but this was a ridiculous loss that puts some of the others I have witnessed to shame. One can only hope that this subsides tomorrow as we look for our first ever series win in Oakland, but we should be going for a sweep.

3 Up
SP Seth McClung: 6.1 IP, 8 H, 2 R (ER), 3 BB, 2 K
PH Greg Norton: 1-1, solo HR (2), RBI (2)
RF Russell Branyan: 1-3, solo HR (2), RBI (8)

3 Down
3B Aubrey Huff: 0-4, 3 LOB, E (1) on GW play
1B Travis Lee: 0-4, 2 K, 4 LOB
SS Julio Lugo: 0-4, K, 2 LOB

Rays Reads

Nothing really interesting in the main website's notes column today, but I did run across this interesting tidbit on SLAM! Sports:

-Now, you won't see me shedding many tears over Miller departing, but I think he could have contributed to this team in some way this season. The way the bullpen has been pitching, he can't do much worse than some of our current staff. Miller had made five appearances for Durham this past season, racking up two wins and a save while pitching to a 3.86 ERA. He had a bit of trouble with the long ball, surrendering one every 3.5 innings, but struck out 11 in just seven innings pitched as compared to just two walks. If Miller could've kept that up, he'd have been worth a look in the bullpen. There is no doubt that he struggled in parts of three seasons with Toronto, as the article mentions, but again, he couldn't have done worse than some of our current baggage. In any case, here's wishing Miller the best of luck, he will need it with Bobby Valentine as his boss.
[Durham Stats-MiLB.com]
[Career Stats-The Baseball Cube]

Short Hops-The nutjob Julian Tavarez almost gets into another brawl...Knight Ridder Newspapers joins the pile in writing about the changes this team has undergone in the offseason.

Down on the Farm

AAA Durham-L, 2-8:
3B Brent Butler: 2-4, RS
SS B.J. Upton: 1-4, 2B (7), 3 K
CF Darnell McDonald: 1-4, RS, 2B (12), RBI (24), K, SB (8)
C Shawn Riggans: 1-3, RBI (11), SF
DH Kevin Cash: 1-3, 2B (3), BB, K, GIDP
PH Elijah Dukes: Popped out in 9th
SP Chris Seddon (L, 3-2): 4.2 IP, 7 H, 8 R (ER), 4 BB (1/4 IBB), 6 K, HR
RP Jon Switzer: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RP Scott Dunn: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Bulls Up Next-vs Indianapolis, 5:00 (Hammel)

AA Montgomery-W, 7-5:
2B Elliot Johnson: 2-4, 3 RS, 3 run HR (7), 3 RBI (19,20,21), BB, 2 K
SS Matt Maniscalco: 0-2, 2 RS, 2 BB, E (2), HBP
CF Jason Pridie: 2-4, K, SB (6)
1B Michael Coleman: 2-3, 2 RBI (14,15), BB, K
3B Gaby Martinez: 0-3, RBI (13), 2 K, SF
DH Charion Isenia: 1-4, 2 K
C Ryan Christianson: 1-2, RS, BB, K, PB (2), HBP
LF Francisco Leandro: 0-4, RS, GIDP
SP Chris Flinn: 6 IP, 11 H, 5 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 4 K, pickoff
RP Marcos Carvajal (W, 2-0): 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RP Brian Henderson (SV, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K  

Biscuits Up Next-at Huntsville, 7:05 (Sonnanstine)

A+ Visalia-W, 9-1:
CF Fernando Perez: 3-5, 3 RS, 2B (4), K
SS Reid Brignac: 2-5, RBI (25), 2 K
RF Shaun Cumberland: 1-3, RS, RBI (24), 2 BB, CS (2), PO
1B Chris Nowak: 2-5, RS, 2B (6), 4 RBI (15,16,17,18), K
LF Patrick Breen: 1-4, RBI (21)
DH Josh Arhart: 2-3, 2 HRs (both solo, 3,4), 2 RBI (7,8), BB, K
3B Patrick Cottrell: 3-4, 2 RS
SP James Houser (W, 1-3): 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R (ER), 2 BB, 2 K, HR, HB
RP Nick DeBarr (SV, 1): 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Oaks Up Next-vs Stockton, 4:35 (Mason)

A- Southwest Michigan-W, 6-5:
SS Neil Walton: 1-3, RS, 2 RBI (5,6), 2 BB, K
RF-LF J.T. Hall: 4-5, 2B (4), 2 RBI (10,11), GIDP
CF-RF Garrett Groce: 0-5, RBI, CS (6)
C Christian Lopez: 2-4, K
PR-CF John Matulia: 0-1, RS, K
LF Chris Cunningham: 1-2, solo HR (2), RBI (7), BB, K
SP Greg Reinhard: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R (ER), 3 BB (1/3 IBB), 3 K, 2 HR, WP, HB
RP Eddie De La Cruz (W, 1-2): 1+ IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K

M Rays Up Next-at Beloit, 3:00 (Kamrath)