Dioner Navarro & Gabe Gross Lead Rays Rout; Ricky Nolasco Demoted

by Tommy Rancel on May 22, 2009 11:01 PM EDT Comment 54 comments

More photos » by J Pat Carter - AP

Tampa Bay Rays players Akinori Iwamura (1) and Dioner Navarro celebrate Navarro's two-run homer. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

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A day after the Rays defeated the Oakland A's in their final at-bat, today's game was over in the middle of the third inning. The Rays defeated the Marlins 15-2 to take game one of the "citrus series" also known as the annual meeting between the Rays and the Marlins nobody really cares about. The Rays jumped to a 2-0 lead off of Jason Barlett's 2-run double, his 10^th double of the season. From there the offense just exploded on Ricky Nolasco, who was optioned to the minor leagues after the game.

Dioner Navarro would hit a two run home run in the second inning to put the Rays up 4-0. After a singles by Andy "The DH" Sonnanstine and Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria would drive in his 47^th RBI on his 18^th double of the season. Carlos Pena would come up next and add to the beating by clubbing a three run homer, his 15^th of the year to put the Rays up 8-0. It would only get worst for the Marlins as David Davidson (who?) made his Marlins debut and promptly gave up five runs on four hits, four walks in his lone inning of work. Dioner Navarro had two hits in the inning and Gabe Gross laced a two RBI double off the lefty. It took Davidson 52 pitches to retire the Rays in the third inning. The silver lining? He struck out the side in the inning. The dark cloud? He was designated for assignment after the game. Whoops

The game was pretty much over at that point, but let's takes a look at some final lines: Gabe Gross: 3-5, HR (2), 4 RBI (11) with two hits off of left handed pitching. Why is this guy so average? Dioner Navarro: 4-6 HR (2), 3 RBI (10), pink-eye cured the slump. Overall, 15 runs on 17 hits with a hit and a run scored for each Ray starter including Andy Sonnanstine.

Speaking of Sonnanstine, it was a pretty easy night on the mound. When your team spots you 13 runs before you take the mound in the third inning you can kind of relax and do whatever you want on the mound. He attacked the Marlins hitters, throwing 70 of his 102 pitches for strikes. He featured his cutter 47% of the time and mixed in a slider (25%) and a change up(13%). This is how you throw in a game when you're up double digits:

via brooksbaseball.dustinkikuchi.com

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Comments

Holy moly..

Nolasco was thought to be a breakout candidate this year. What a fall for him. He has had a rough year.

Put Tampa Bay back on our road uniforms!!

by joedobr on May 22, 2009 11:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rays

leading the league in causing MLB unemployment for pitchers

by Transplanted on May 22, 2009 11:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Ross Gload can't pitch

but Mike Jacobs probably could :)

2009 Rays Baseball: God Damn It, Guys

by JMB on May 22, 2009 11:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Cody Ross already has

AC/DC + Tampa Bay Rays = Big Balls on a Budget

by Orlando Rays on May 23, 2009 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jacobs is a Royal

Do what you love to do and give it your very best. Whether it's business or baseball, or the theater, or any field. If you don't love what you're doing and you can't give it your best, get out of it. Life is too short. You'll be an old man before you know it.

-Al Lopez

by Sandy Kazmir on May 23, 2009 2:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't look now but the Rays are 4.5 games out and at .500

Leave me alone, I'm watching monsterjam.

by mrichardkent on May 22, 2009 11:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

and im loving it :)

price to be up, kaz to DL, percy to never pitch again

NFL- Vikings,Lions,Texans,Bills Adrian Peterson!
MLB-Rays,Marlins,Reds,Twins Evan Longoria
NBA-T-Wolves,Cavliiers,Warriors,Bobcats Lebron James!
NHL-Wild,Penguins Sidney Crosby!
NCAA-Gophers,Gators,Longh orns,ND Tim Tebow!
all in the order in which i root for 1st

by RaysOfHope on May 22, 2009 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

oh and thayer getting his chance

by RaysOfHope on May 22, 2009 11:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The only reason...

I kept watching this game was to cheer Andy on to the fine performance he wound up giving us.

Great job, guys!

by Zach Attack on May 22, 2009 11:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Very nice to see we only used two pitchers tonight...

Leave me alone, I'm watching monsterjam.

by mrichardkent on May 22, 2009 11:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

and we raped their bullpen

Leave me alone, I'm watching monsterjam.

by mrichardkent on May 22, 2009 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

and got nolasco sent down :(

the marlins fan in me crys, but im a rays fan 1st

by RaysOfHope on May 22, 2009 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

so niemann to pen or trade when kaz comes back?

by RaysOfHope on May 22, 2009 11:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Niemann was looking solid last time out. His control is uber-spotty, but compared to Kaz he’s pitching well right now.

by Zach Attack on May 22, 2009 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

but compared to Kaz he’s pitching well right now.

thats not too hard to do

by RaysOfHope on May 22, 2009 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Too early to tell. A lot can happen between now and the time Kazmir comes back.

First his quad has to heal 100%. Then he has to fix his mechanical flaws, and then he has to get back on a schedule.

www.draysbay.com

by Tommy Rancel on May 22, 2009 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

do you think Kaz will stay in EST or will he rehab in Durham?

by Dbullsfan on May 22, 2009 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Im sure when he starts his rehab it will be in Port Charlotte so the Rays can keep him close to home.

From there he’ll probably make the tour through Montgomery and Durham

www.draysbay.com

by Tommy Rancel on May 22, 2009 11:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

OMG Lebron is insane

Skip Bayless better STFU now about how Lebron isn’t clutch.

by Dbullsfan on May 22, 2009 11:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

no he will come up with some excuse to keep hating on LeBron

u know he will, he barely ever gives credit where credit is due.

by RaysOfHope on May 22, 2009 11:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Shit he's good.

He’s insane.

M.V.Z. Most Valuable Zorilla!

by SeanDubbs on May 22, 2009 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i have a feeling this series goes 7

best of luck to orlando, but im rooting for the cavs :)

by RaysOfHope on May 22, 2009 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You know if we win

Bayless will blow his load

2009 Rays Baseball: God Damn It, Guys

by JMB on May 22, 2009 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's hard to be dissapointed in a split @Cleveland.

Magic have home court advantage for the rest of the series.

by twenty5psi on May 22, 2009 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know

We can’t ask for much more than what they got. They played well…after halftime

2009 Rays Baseball: God Damn It, Guys

by JMB on May 22, 2009 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i wont watch if orlando wins because bayless will just go off

he probably wont show up if the cavs win the series

by RaysOfHope on May 22, 2009 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No, he'll wait until the Cavs win it all

Then he’ll take a “vacation”

2009 Rays Baseball: God Damn It, Guys

by JMB on May 22, 2009 11:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

probably

i want the cavs to win it all, but if they lose this series to orlando ill root for orlando to beat who ever comes out of the west, espically the lakers, i cant stand Kobe anymore.

by RaysOfHope on May 22, 2009 11:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The NBA will shit themselves if it's not Kobe vs Lebron.

M.V.Z. Most Valuable Zorilla!

by SeanDubbs on May 22, 2009 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If it's ORL-DEN

There will be massive executive suicides

2009 Rays Baseball: God Damn It, Guys

by JMB on May 22, 2009 11:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'll root for the Cavs if we lose

I just hate the Lakers so much more

2009 Rays Baseball: God Damn It, Guys

by JMB on May 22, 2009 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kobe has become a dirty player to me

always running his mouth to the officials, elbowing Artest, yapping at Battier. just shut up and play the game Kobe

by RaysOfHope on May 22, 2009 11:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kobe and i have the same taste in women.

M.V.Z. Most Valuable Zorilla!

by SeanDubbs on May 22, 2009 11:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why would you even listen to him. He's the real-life equivelent to a troll.

Seriously, if he actually believes anything he’s saying, he might as well be a card-carrying member of the KKK.

"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."

by kericr on May 23, 2009 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

speaing of Kazmir...

Look, I’m not as knowledgeable about GM’s and the moves they make as most people here probably are, so don’t jump on me if this is a dumb question.

But, is Friedman talking out of his ass when he says that Kazmir and Percival are actually injured? Is it a common practice for a team to put someone on the DL when he just isn’t playing up to standards? I know I heard somewhere that Kazmir has a contract stipulation saying that he can’t be demoted without consent. Is this the team’s response to having its hands tied by Kaz/Percy’s contracts?

Someone said that Kazmir had said that he wasn’t feeling any pain a few days ago. I heard Kalas’s interview with the GM in the second inning. Is our GM just blowing smoke, or are these explanations real?

by Zach Attack on May 22, 2009 11:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i believe that percy is hurt, not so much on kaz

by RaysOfHope on May 22, 2009 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kaz's injury is similar to the ones that Wang and Dice-K had

he isn’t hurt but needs some time to work on mechanics and heck maybe he can go see that pychiatrist that Garza saw.

by Dbullsfan on May 22, 2009 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yep i agree

its more mental and mechanical than physical

by RaysOfHope on May 22, 2009 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

how much is Wang making this year?

by RaysOfHope on May 22, 2009 11:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The type of injury makes sense

As Will Carroll would say it’s a “cascade” injury. While trying to protect one part of the body he injured another. We all know Kaz is a mechanical mess and it wouldnt surprise me if while trying to fix a flaw he picked up a bad habit that injured his leg.

I do know a doctor has to sign off on each injury and it has to be approved by the commish’s office before you can put a player on the DL. So if every one agrees there is an “injury” then we can’t say their isn’t.

www.draysbay.com

by Tommy Rancel on May 22, 2009 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Indeed, this is what happened with Rocco once; he pulled a hammy, then had to have Tommy John surgery after injuring his arm while rehabbing his leg.

"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."

by kericr on May 23, 2009 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Actually, was it his ACL? I don't remember.

"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."

by kericr on May 23, 2009 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know he got hurt playing wiffle ball

-Al Lopez

by Sandy Kazmir on May 23, 2009 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

OK I see. Yeah, he seems like he needs work on mechanics. Someone posted that graph where it showed his release point is way off from what it used to be.

But a strained quad?

by Zach Attack on May 22, 2009 11:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs