Ya Hafta Have Faith

by TampaMet on Sep 4, 2008 11:29 AM EDT

Having fun yet?

It’s not time to panic: even after the two losses to the Bankmes the Rays still have the best record in baseball. But I will declare tonight’s game is officially the first MUST WIN game in Rays history.

Isn’t it ironic. On the pregame radio show it was mentioned what a great job Hinske and Aybar have been doing filling in. Rays beat writer Marc Tomkin, while agreeing, forewarned that Longoria and CC will be missed and that with extended play role players show why they are not starters (see Geoff Blum, circa 2004). Not to pile on but after last night’s game I have only one question: Hey Marc, what’s today’s Lotto numbers?

Is Andy Sonnanstine the official scorer? I ask this only because I can think of 4 or 5 plays last night that should have / could have been ruled as errors but went as hits (which led to earned runs) wrecking havoc on E-Jax’s et al ERA.

Maybe we should have signed Bonds. If for nothing else at least he could have shared some of that ‘arthritic cream’ he used to use with Tom Foley. Foley’s arthritis must be severely acute seeing that he can’t move his arms to wave guys in.

The only thing more amorphic than Runge’s strike zone Tuesday night is his fat ass. Boy, his father must be embarrassed.

Was Linda Blair in the house because it sure seemed like the devil returned to the Rays. Let’s be honest but after the past two nights tell me again: Which team is young and fast playing with great pitching and defense and which team looks old and plodding with a disastrous rotation?

I turned to Webster and looked up “Playing Not To Lose” and found videos of Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s games.

I must need Prozac. The Rays lose back to back games at the Trop for the first time since mid-April and drop just their first series since the all-star break and I’m glum and all dooms-dayish (not really). Things are so bad I need psychotropics, or maybe that little blue pill to get up.

Read it here first. The Rays will win tonight and finish the homestand 6-3. If you told me before the stand started with Toronto that the Rays would go 6-3, I’d have been happy.

Go Rays! Ya Hafta Have Faith.

This post was written by a member of the DRaysBay community and does not necessarily express the views or opinions of DRaysBay staff.

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Maybe we should have signed Bonds. If for nothing else at least he could have shared some of that ‘arthritic cream’ he used to use with Tom Foley. Foley’s arthritis must be severely acute seeing that he can’t move his arms to wave guys in.

Rec’d.

by R.J. Anderson on Sep 4, 2008 11:34 AM EDT reply actions

zing
zing
zing
zing
zing
zing

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.

by Sandy Kazmir on Sep 4, 2008 12:25 PM EDT reply actions

How is tonight considered a "must win"

We could lose the next 10 games and still probably be in the lead for the wild card

by rays1234 on Sep 4, 2008 3:35 PM EDT reply actions

Not sure about that

It’s mathematically likely you’d still lead for the WC at that point, but the Twins finish with the Jays tonight, then have a collapsing Detroit and KC at home, then 3 in Baltimore (8 wins are not out of the question – they’re 7 back of you), while the Rays hit the road to Toronto, Boston, and NY. After tonight the Yanks go to Seattle, then the Angels (who could clinch against them), then the Rays in NY. Hell, if the Yanks went 4-2 on the West Coast and you lost 10 straight (including 4 against them), NY would only be 2 games behind you. Then you’d be facing a 7 game homestand against Boston (now tied for the division at worst, and that’s assuming they were swept in Texas and by the Jays in 4 at home – how likely is that) and the Twins. The ChiSox (6 back) start a 10 game homestand against the Angels, Jays(4), and Detroit in the same period. Could they win 6 of those? Hell, even the Jays could be within 3.5 games in this scenario.

An enormous hypothetical of course. And you still finish with 8 games against Baltimore and Detroit. On the road.

I would agree that tonight isn’t a must win. But you want to avoid a snowball effect, so winning tonight is important. Don’t want the season’s first home 3 game losing sweep now, against the Yanks. The same team that last beat you 2 in a row in Tampa this season. Sorry, couldn’t resist.

And I completely agree with the post headline – hence why I haven’t given up on my guys yet despite the odds.

I remember that many here loved giving me grief last season about how tough the Rays were on the Yanks. Guess the shoe’s on the other foot – not that I’m taking that as consolation.

by nyyfaninlaaland on Sep 4, 2008 5:16 PM EDT reply actions

I remember that many here loved giving me grief last season about how tough the Rays were on the Yanks. Guess the shoe’s on the other foot – not that I’m taking that as consolation.

I was actually having this same conversation with a buddy of mine last night.

by rglass44 on Sep 4, 2008 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions

By the way, quit you're bitching ya'll!

Way too much grousing here about the play of some bench players that have pitched in at key moments to help the Rays immensely this season. Topkin’s comment was prescient, but also accurate in its perspective.

Aybar has done a great job in the last month picking up offensive slack with Longo out, and with Hinske you’re playing with house money – he’s delivered much more than could be expected.

by nyyfaninlaaland on Sep 4, 2008 8:36 PM EDT up reply actions