Wade Davis Goes The Distance; Rays Win 7-2

by BWoodrum on Sep 9, 2011 11:02 PM EDT in Game Recaps

"I'm afraid I just blue myself." -- Tobias Funke

For the original version of this recap -- and for all news Bucs, Rays, and Florida-sports-related, head over to SBN Tampa Bay!

The Rays (79-64) needed a good game from Wade Davis tonight, and that's exactly what Davis gave them, twirling a complete game gem and beating the Boston Red Sox (85-59). The Rays, making a late season push for the AL Wild Card spot, need at least a series win against these Boston Red Sox, and Davis and John Jaso started the series right tonight.

Davis displayed uncommon command and control on the night, walking nary a Boston hitter and striking out eight. He allowed 6 hits to the New Englanders, but only a single extra-base hit -- a double by catcher Jerrod Saltalamacchia.

Offensively, left-handed catcher John Jaso led the Rays, clapping a crucial three-run homer in the second inning. Then, in the third, after Johnny Damon and Matt Joyce singled in runs, John Jaso crushed a liner at struggling pitcher John Lackey. The play went for an out, but Lackey went for shower afterwards with an apparent calf injury.

Then, in the bottom of the 6th, Jaso -- as hot as samurai sword in the kiln -- crushed another extra base hit, his 14th double of the season, to center field. Reid Brignac doubled to drive him in and then Evan Longoria ground-rule-doubled him home for the game's winning 7-2 score.

Now, just 5.5 games behind the Wild Card-leading Red Sox, the Rays send Rookie of the Year candidate Jeremy Hellickson to battle against top Red Sox prospect Kyle Weiland.

AL East Standings

	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
New York	87	55	.612	0	Lost 2
Boston	85	59	.590	3	Lost 3
Tampa Bay	79	64	.552	8.5	Won 2
Toronto	72	73	.496	16.5	Lost 1
Baltimore	58	85	.405	29.5	Won 3

(updated 9.9.2011 at 10:47 PM EDT)

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Great win, must win again tomorrow

and happy new call-ups day now that Durham is done. Hopefully we see Canzler, DDLR, and I’d like to see Ashley, Torres, and Moore get to hang out for a few weeks with the squad although I wouldn’t expect them to play much or at all. Although if the Rays get within a couple games that could change with Moore.

by Dbullsfan on Sep 9, 2011 11:43 PM EDT reply actions

would love it if Rays made this interesting

sweep gives Sux 3.5 game lead, with another 4 game series looming next weekend. Plus the Rays play Baltimore in-between while Sux play Toronto. If Rays are close next weekend, it would be great if Moore would be used as a bullpen ace.

by raysfaninminnesota on Sep 9, 2011 11:44 PM EDT reply actions

lets swedp and make things very interesting

by RaysOfHope on Sep 10, 2011 12:22 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

i think it might be Moore time

I mean not that we need the bullpen much these days but maybe for those Neimann starts since evil Jeff has come back lately. 08 Price em. Just don’t want any regrets if the Rays can’t come back and I want Moore up here. Of course, people will still complain about Jennings but what can you do.

Under construction

by joeybw on Sep 10, 2011 12:50 AM EDT reply actions

i just want to see more of futures game moore

99-100 fastball and the nasty slider slurve thingy

by Dbullsfan on Sep 10, 2011 1:01 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Is this the GDT?

Buy My Book That Has Nothing To Do With Baseball

by nomoredevil on Sep 10, 2011 1:05 AM EDT reply actions

Is the game over already?

"Let's get one thing straight that my crown ain't for testing-testing
Chop heads off like King Henry the 8th, guillotine to ya neck, bitch
I'm a king in this thing, don't be dumb, been in this shit since '94"

by 4QB on Sep 10, 2011 1:10 AM EDT up reply actions

yea i heard brignac had an xbh

In other news republicans and democrats agreed on something

by Dbullsfan on Sep 10, 2011 1:39 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Briggy has not been an anchor since h e came bacak

so fucking hard to type based on how drunk i ma

If you can't say something to someone's face then it's not worthy of being said behind their back.

by Sandy Kazmir on Sep 10, 2011 1:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Game 1 of the playoffs has the Rays 5.5 games back, let's close that down another game tomorrow,

great job, but we’ve got signifcant work in front of use so let’s continue to win every game left

If you can't say something to someone's face then it's not worthy of being said behind their back.

by Sandy Kazmir on Sep 10, 2011 1:40 AM EDT reply actions

IF (and this is a big if) we sweep this, we MIGHT have a slight perhaps shot at October.

Shivers

by benderbrodriguez on Sep 10, 2011 1:54 AM EDT reply actions

all the red sux injuries are starting to pile up

Beckett, Bucholz, Youkilis…if Hellickson takes care of business tomorrow, I can’t wait to see the Lester-Shields matchup Sunday.

by raysfaninminnesota on Sep 10, 2011 2:05 AM EDT reply actions

I, for one, am concerned about the games no one mentions

Yes, 7 against the Yanks and 6 against the Sox but Blue Jays and Orioles, don’t want to play teams like that, some pretty good talent and they are all fighting for jobs next season. Sox are banged up and the Yanks have actually been resting their guys pretty often lately.

Under construction

by joeybw on Sep 10, 2011 2:19 AM EDT reply actions

I hope Lackey

is not injured. I would not want us to win because of opponent injury. We could use 3 more quality starts from Mr Lacking.
P.S. I think he left the trop in a wheelchair. The ball that hit him was smoked,but he did make a nice play on it.I hope his injury does not hamper his ability to cover 1b on grounders.

by Landlord on Sep 10, 2011 6:33 AM EDT reply actions

Yeah, I love winning a division and making the playoffs and all the sort,

but injuries sully victories because they mean you didn’t beat their whole team.

Still, that’s why depth is a part — a big part — of the game. And it’s why the Rays never suffer much production-wise from injuries.

A DRaysBay and FanGraphs writer from Cubs Stats and Twitter @BradleyWoodrum

by BWoodrum on Sep 10, 2011 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions

He's tongue-in-cheek hoping we get to rock Lackey some more.

I hope all of their players get AIDS

If you can't say something to someone's face then it's not worthy of being said behind their back.

by Sandy Kazmir on Sep 10, 2011 10:11 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

I know somebody that has a vodoo doll

of that bald headed bastard that tried to take out our first baseman by kicking him in the tendon while running to first. The doll has a pin right in the hip. KARMA BABY

by Landlord on Sep 10, 2011 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah our depth is great this year!!!!

I do this for free

by SRQman on Sep 10, 2011 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions

We have plenty of depth at practically every position though!!!

@dobbertweets

by blackraven on Sep 10, 2011 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions

No mention of the cutter?

I hate to throw the word “plus” on a pitch that I have seen once, but it really looked great to me. Better than Price’s at least, which I have been impressed with.

by mr. maniac on Sep 10, 2011 7:17 AM EDT reply actions

I don't think Wade was looking to throw a plus pitch

I think he was making an adjustment to his game plan. He found a decent pitch between games and used the cutter to ambush them and beat them (another way).Baseball is a game of adjustments. Being predictable,unless you have plus pitches, will turn you into a loser.
Mr. Tom Rancel had some talk about pitching backwards early in the season, when he gave his analysis of Big Game (aka complete game) James. I think Mr. Rancil was spot on. We are now witnessing adjustments from the Rays pitching staff that will confuse hitters.

by Landlord on Sep 10, 2011 7:46 AM EDT up reply actions

Landlord, what is up with your recent hot streak of posting?

Most improved poster for sure.

by mr. maniac on Sep 10, 2011 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions

BadDancingRancil

Follow Me on Twitter @FreeZorilla

by FreeZorilla on Sep 10, 2011 8:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Whaen you first looked at the schedule and saw us playing the Sox and Yanks 14x in the last 20 games although one is a make up, you had

to curse the schedule makers. Now we should embrace them. What netter way to get back into the playoff picture then by head to head meetings?

follow me on twitter @sternfan10

by sternfan1 on Sep 10, 2011 9:04 AM EDT reply actions

yup it really was a blessing in disguise

It would’ve been almost impossible to make a comeback with head to head games. Red sox are starting to fall, I hope they fall real hard

by RaysOfHope on Sep 10, 2011 10:12 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

without head to head games

by RaysOfHope on Sep 10, 2011 10:13 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

pretty sure we saw Landlord at the game last night, rootin' on his boy Casey.

Great stretching last night, Kotch!

@ptSuttery

by Suttree on Sep 10, 2011 11:08 AM EDT reply actions

19000 and change at the game last night

10000 were there to get Kotch Tshirts. I got mine prestretched.

by Landlord on Sep 10, 2011 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Kotchman and Landlord

I do this for free

by SRQman on Sep 10, 2011 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Hahaha

http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/6950218/time-move-lackey

This has gone on long enough. Terry Francona has to yank John Lackey from the starting rotation.

Francona has a replacement on hand. His name is Alfredo Aceves, and while Francona understandably is reluctant to take Aceves out of a relief role in which he has served with distinction, it’s simply not fair to the rest of the team to keep running Lackey out there to have his head handed to him, every five days.

Lackey has achieved the impossible. He has made fans long for the days of Daisuke Matsuzaka. At least the Japanese right-hander mixed in an occasional good outing with all his maddening ones.

They still owe him 3 years and $45.75M and the fans/media are already set to eat that loss. God I love life as a Rays fan.

If you can't say something to someone's face then it's not worthy of being said behind their back.

by Sandy Kazmir on Sep 10, 2011 11:42 AM EDT reply actions

Hahahaha

For now, until Bedard and Beckett return, Francona should stitch a rotation out of Jon Lester, Andrew Miller, Kyle Weiland, Tim Wakefield and Aceves.

If you can't say something to someone's face then it's not worthy of being said behind their back.

by Sandy Kazmir on Sep 10, 2011 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions

Hahaha

This has gone beyond whether Lackey or Erik Bedard should be the team’s No. 3 starter in the postseason. Now it is a question of whether you can use him at all in October.

If you can't say something to someone's face then it's not worthy of being said behind their back.

by Sandy Kazmir on Sep 10, 2011 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions

hahahahahahahahaha

Let Lackey, who has made just one relief appearance in his career, go to the bullpen and become part of a mix-and-match cluster of relievers Francona can use to try to get the game to Bard and Papelbon. Yes, he would become the most expensive middle reliever in history, but the Sox have to cut their losses somehow.

If you can't say something to someone's face then it's not worthy of being said behind their back.

by Sandy Kazmir on Sep 10, 2011 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Ya brunt, Boston, just roll over and die you crippled old men.

If you can't say something to someone's face then it's not worthy of being said behind their back.

by Sandy Kazmir on Sep 10, 2011 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions

Who's hot, who's not, tell me who rock

10 game moving averages

If you can't say something to someone's face then it's not worthy of being said behind their back.

by Sandy Kazmir on Sep 10, 2011 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm thinking Tito pulls a Gene Mauch and panics

and starts Lester & Wake in 14 of the last 18 games

Buy My Book That Has Nothing To Do With Baseball

by nomoredevil on Sep 10, 2011 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Never the best feeling to see a guy for the first time

Anyone know anything about this Weiland guy? I mean we have quite the impressive kid going also but I really don’t know about this guy, I do know he is the first Red Sox ever to be ejected in his first game which is surprising.

Under construction

by joeybw on Sep 10, 2011 1:01 PM EDT reply actions