Rays Hang On To Defeat Orioles 5-4 In Opener
by Erik Hahmann on Aug 18, 2009 10:58 PM EDT
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PrintDavid Price wasn't at his best tonight, throwing 102 pitches in five innings. He worked out of a couple of jams on the night to only give up three runs despite allowing 10 baserunners. Price seemed to be too dependent on his fastball tonight, and the Orioles took notice. I don't have all of the numbers because BrooksBaseball wasn't working correctly for some reason, but Price did not mix in his offspeed stuff as much as he needed to. The Orioles have a good offense, so it was good to see Price not get totally lit up, but if the Rays are hopes of making the playoffs they're going to need him to pitch better than he did tonight.
- -The highlight of the game for me was the performance of B.J. Upton. I know it came against Baltimore pitching, but it was nice to see Upton have the type of game he did. I'm sure even he was surprised at the opposite field home run he hit in the 6th inning. Upton came up in the 8th inning a double short of the cycle, which prompted a "B.J. Up-Ton" chant from the crowd. The same fans who boo him and rip him every time he opens his mouth about anything. Hypocrisy is fun. Maybe B.J. can use this series as a springboard to a strong finish to the season.
- -Pat Burrell had a home run. How about that.
- -Watching Adam Jones and Nick Markakis play the outfield gives you a glimpse of how other teams must feel when Crawford and Upton are out there. The Rays hit more than a few balls that I thought were going to easily fall for doubles, but Jones and Markakis swooped in to take them away. It's a scary image for the next six or so years.
- -It was good to see J.P. Howell get back to doing J.P. Howell things. Matt Wieters is going to be a very good player one day, as you could see by his opposite field homer in the 8th inning, but having never seen J.P. Howell before he really had no chance.
- -I really really really never want to see Randy Choate face a right handed batter again. I know that Matt Wieters is a switch hitter so the situation was never going to be perfect, but right handed batters hit Choate very well. Righties carry a career .747OPS against Choate compared to a .660 for lefties.
- -After the game Reid Brignac was optioned back to AAA Durham to make room for the activation of Chad Bradford from the DL. Back to having eight relievers on the roster. Ugh.
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an option is an entire year
doesn’t matter how often he goes back and forth still counts as one option
Choate has seemed pretty shitting over the last couple weeks
He use to get the lefties out pretty regularly, not so much now.
his stats over the last couple months have been bad
he got off to a great start and has gotten lucky that other pitchers have stranded a bunch of his runners
correct--but old #70 has no problem trotting him out there
and as i mentioned earlier Scott has a 936 v LHP
That's why I loved how JP pitched to him in the 9th
Smart
I can't help that I make some things look easier than they really are.
by Sandy Kazmir on Aug 19, 2009 9:45 AM EDT up reply actions
It's that .303 BA against RHH that is the issue
He’s about .100pts lower against LHH
by Transplanted on Aug 18, 2009 11:17 PM EDT up reply actions
maybe it is just me
but wasting a roster spot on a guy who can only do 1 thing and even that 1 thing he fails 2 out of every 10 tries seems not very good. I’d rather have a guy who isn’t going to get destroyed by the opposite side even if he gives up an extra hit over 15 AB’s.
He's still handy to have around
We just need a non-LOOGY to replace Shouse, but remain a LHP
by Transplanted on Aug 18, 2009 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions
other than to say you have a loogy whats the point of having one around
Cormier is better against lefties than either Shouse or Choate so if you know there is a guy like Ortiz coming up and you don’t trust Wheeler or Howell than use Cormier. I for one would rather see Cormier/Wheeler/Howell up 7/8/9 no matter who is hitting. I don’t get why people feel the need to get cute by sending out a guy who isn’t as good because of the “match-up”
Because that's not Cormier's job
His job is to pitch multiple innings, not be a regular reliever usually
by Transplanted on Aug 18, 2009 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions
yet he has been one of our best relievers all season
so why not bring up Sonnanstine or Davis and let them throw multiple innings and use Cormier in the 7th inning. Unless roles are etched in stone
I agree
Also give the ability to use Balfour as more of an ace. Need a K? Trot out Aussie.
I can't help that I make some things look easier than they really are.
by Sandy Kazmir on Aug 19, 2009 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions
Which is retarded
Why use one of our better relievers in low leverage and our worse relievers in higher leverage just because of some predetermined preseason role?
Can David Ortiz please send Dioner Navarro some of his PED's? K? Thanks
ummm...
The best pitchers in the world fail 2 out of 10 times. The best hitters in the world fail 7 out of 10 times. I’m not sure I get your argument. If I can send a guy out and 80% of the time get the result I want, that’s pretty good. Baseball is out about playing the odds.
Not sure if I agree on the JP part
seemed to me that JP was a little rocky tonight, but regained in time to close out the game
JP is better against RHH than LHH for w/e reason
That’s why going into facing Wieters, you felt good about the matchup
by Transplanted on Aug 18, 2009 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Giving up one groundball single and then striking out the side is 'rocky'?
I want all our pitchers to be rocky.
Ya, i have never heard him booed either
Been to 20 or so games and mostly recently when he has been catching heat.
I think it is just the retarded tampa media who still don’t know a lick about baseball!
People are just upset this guy continues to suck at the plate
. He also continues to be the biggest tease in baseball every year. Every year he is suppose to break out and he doesn’t. He had a great postseason and thats really the best 20 games I have seen him put together in about 300 games. Very good timing though. He could be better, if not as good as the guy playing his position for the O’s and he never puts it all together. Something tells me his breakout year will come magically the year that his contract is up.
It means something
But it is also the year furthest in the past.
I don’t think anyone doubts BJs talent, and nobody should doubt his desire. However I don’t really see how we can sugar coat his swinging the bat performance over the past 2 years. It just simply hasn’t been good. His swing is just all screwed up.
Can David Ortiz please send Dioner Navarro some of his PED's? K? Thanks
he is about to turn 25 years
he clearly has already reached his potential and will never again be as good as he was in 2007. Lets ignore that a lot of really good baseball players were still in AAA when they were his age.
this is what I've been waiting for!
We picked up a half game in the wildcard race. It woulda been a full game if Toronto didn’t give Boston the win……but hey its a Rays victory so tonight is a good night!
"Doesn't Manny Ramirez look like the monster from Predator??" - Will Farrell as Harry Carey
by Gone Phishing on Aug 18, 2009 11:54 PM EDT up reply actions
only 3 out with 6 against both Boston and Texas
we are far from out, but we can’t have anymore fuck ups.
I was there tonight
and I may have been the only one in Tropicana that knew BJ needed a double for the cycle. But everyone loved it when JP got the 10th strikeout for free pizza…..
so lemme get this right now if we wait until Sep 1 to call up Brignac he won't be eligible for the post-season roster
but all our f’n pitchers will be.
would Izzy open up a slot too
I could see any of Perez, Aki, Davis, Hellickson, or Brignac being deserving of a spot (obviously not all of them but pick any of them and I wouldn’t complain over some current roster spot holders)
Both Izzy and Percival are on the 60-day DL, right?
2009 Rays Baseball: BATTING STANCE GUY MUST DIE
Be a TRUE Seminole: http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/071509aab.html
Everybody loves a good BJ
2009 Rays Baseball: BATTING STANCE GUY MUST DIE
Be a TRUE Seminole: http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/071509aab.html
WHEN SOMEONE ASKS YOU IF YOU'RE A GOD, YOU SAY YES
Into the Wall : Sarcasm for the Soccer Guy
by ReasonableDoubt on Aug 19, 2009 12:37 AM EDT up reply actions
I think Price was charged with only 2 runs.
I am ok with sending Brignac back to AAA so he can play regularly for the next few weeks, but don’t see the need of 2 loogys, neither of whom you want to face a righty. And with Bradford back, we really have 3 very limited pitchers as it is not smart to let him face lefties.
I think we are back to a 13 man pitching staff which seems excessive. That leaves a bench of a reserve catcher and 2 more players. I don’t even like a 12 man staff.
This Bradford move may trigger one of the loogs to be DFA'd
I’m guessing Choate is the guy. A roster spot is waiting for Aki, and possibly Perez, but maybe they’re trying to hang on till September
Chadford hasn't been very godo this year either
Can David Ortiz please send Dioner Navarro some of his PED's? K? Thanks
He's been on recovery road all year
Choate has never been very good.
Follow Me on Twitter @FreeZorilla
How many hits did Jones and Markakis take away tonight? 3? 4?
Get used to seeing games this well played between these teams.
I fucking wish the O’s weren’t in our division. I’d love to root for them.
So long, Sweet Lime!
I know their pitching is terrible
but their everyday team isn’t. I can’t believe they almost have the worst record in the AL.
Bring Your Z-Game!
Their starting 9 isn't very good
Not Royals/Nats esque, but definitely near the bottom of the AL.
Their pitching just throws them even closer to the bottom.
Can David Ortiz please send Dioner Navarro some of his PED's? K? Thanks
Not true at all.
Their bats were very solid before the Huff trade. BROB is one of the ebst 2B in the league. The OF is very, very good. Witers is above-average. The SS and 3B position are the real problem spots. The bench is pretty solid.
Markakis has looked shaky out there a lot this year.
I wonder how good he and Jones actually are out there. They haven’t rated that well this year (Jones has been awful). They both rated really well last year. Over their careers both have been about average, though. I tend to err to the larger sample size, but I’ve noticed a few times where I felt Markakis just looked really shaky out there.
Pretty massive swing in UZR for Jones in one year.
Very odd. Seems like this year there are fewer 10+ UZR/150 CFs. Maybe Beej and Gutz are skewing the scale. A lot of other CFs that I would consider real solid defenders, like Grandy, Sizemore, and Mike Cameron, are having down years. I’m no mathemagician, so I can’t say I’m terribly familiar with the guts of UZR. I do know that its a metric relative to the average player at the same position. Maybe there’s something to the overall quality of a few guys making everyone else look bad?
So long, Sweet Lime!
by PlayOnWords on Aug 19, 2009 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions
Definite possibility.
UZR also isn’t a forecasting system, so it does tend to have large variances from year to year. It may be partly that teams are doing their best to field very good defensive teams. It may be party due to the influx of young, athletic CF. Guys like Fowler, McCutchen, Rasmus, etc. came up this year. Nyjer Morgan and Rajai Davis are getting more burn than ever. Same with Brett Gardner. It may be a lot of luck too.
I was happy to see BJ have a good game
I just think his swing is really screwed up and cannot truly be fixed until the offseason. His best bet is going to be to scratch and claw for as much as he can. Play great defense, great around the bases etc. He can do it.
Can David Ortiz please send Dioner Navarro some of his PED's? K? Thanks
Burrell's backwards K with the bases loaded and 1 out was infuriating
He’s a vet and took 3 called strikes without taking a swing in a situation that just screams for contact.
I also could not believe my eyes with Choate in the 8th. Its time to take away some toys.
Follow Me on Twitter @FreeZorilla
This is what this team has failed at
Good fundamental baseball.
Can David Ortiz please send Dioner Navarro some of his PED's? K? Thanks
Burrell has to be the worst signing in team history
given the circumstances.
We have better options at DH sitting on the bench, but have to play Pat because of his contract.
He also might have kept us from aquiring Cliff Lee again because of his contract
Bring Your Z-Game!
Surely, you're joking?
You don’t remember the Hit Show? Juan Guzman? Wilson Alverez? If we didn’t get Pat we would have spent the money on 1 or 2 other players so we still would not have been able to afford Lee. This is a bad argument.
I can't help that I make some things look easier than they really are.
by Sandy Kazmir on Aug 19, 2009 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions
We weren't competing then.
I said given the circumstances.
So Wilson Alvarez kept us from winning 66 games instead of 63. Who cares?
Juan Guzman didn’t even play so at least the team didn’t get worse. This team is worse off for having to play Burrell. He can’t run or play D. All he can do is hit and he can’t even do that.
FreeZorilla is right, maybe b/c its only a 2 year deal it isn’t the “worst”, but if he plays out the rest of his contract like he has the beginning. I think that it is easily the FA signing that has hurt this team worse then any other.
Bring Your Z-Game!
Greg Vaughn?
The players he mentioned handicapped the team for years. Given the circumstances? We’re competing for the WC with him in the lineup. Given the circumstances it hasn’t been nearly as bad of a signing.
I can't remember Vaughns contract amount
but he was a better player then this years Burrell except for this last year which was just horrific
Bring Your Z-Game!
We also won't be paying Burrell for 5 years
I can't help that I make some things look easier than they really are.
by Sandy Kazmir on Aug 19, 2009 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions
My bad I was trying to forget that nightmare
So if we skip market inflation it’s basically a same per annual contract. His 2000 season was pretty good with a .375 wOBA, but 2001 he was down to .329, and 2002 it was around .280. 2002 is the first year FG has WAR values and he was worth -0.3. In 2003 he went to Colorado.
I can't help that I make some things look easier than they really are.
by Sandy Kazmir on Aug 19, 2009 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions
We weren't competing because of the ridiculously bad deals
Coming into that season the thought was that we would be a competitive team. Otherwise, why make all those signings. You’re arguing from a hind-sight perspective. You originally said that it was the worst FA signing in team history.
I can't help that I make some things look easier than they really are.
by Sandy Kazmir on Aug 19, 2009 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions
I was talking about Rays history not Drays history
but really ok those deals were terrible, but IMO this one ranks up in damage done if he doesn’t improve. Hopefully next year he gives us what we were expecting
Bring Your Z-Game!
I could see it
All we need him to be a 2 WAR player. That’s tough to do at DH. Check out this LINK
I can't help that I make some things look easier than they really are.
by Sandy Kazmir on Aug 19, 2009 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions
The only worse outcome, a fly ball not so bad....
If he whiffs, its one thing. To take 3 called strikes without even a foul is a poor PA. I don’t buy a theory that he didn’t swing b/c he was afraid of a GIDP.
Follow Me on Twitter @FreeZorilla
by FreeZorilla on Aug 19, 2009 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
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