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Roberto Hernandez is doing something new

2013-05-23T15:00:12Z

After a disappointing series loss in Toronto, the Rays are coming home to host the Yankees, and Roberto Hernandez will get the start in game one tomorrow. I think that getting lost in his 5.24 ERA and the overall disappointing start to the season for Rays' pitching is the fact that Hernandez has been good. Like, not just "keeping a spot warm for Chris Archer, Alex Torres, or Jake Odorizzi good." More like "keeping Archer, Torres, and Odorizzi in Durham good." SIERA, my ERA estimator of choice, believes that out of starters to have pitched at least 40 innings, Roberto Hernandez has been the 21st best in the Major Leagues this year.

Hernandez is striking out 21.2% of the batters he faces and walking 6.6%, while having over 50% of the balls put in play against him be ground balls. Yes, his HR/FB is a freakishly high 25%, which means every batter has hit against him with the power of Adam Dunn or Michael Morse, but that's unlikely to continue. The same skills that enable a pitcher to strike out a fifth of the batters he faces also enable him to post a reasonable HR/FB rate over the long run.

Now, I've already talked about one of the ways Jim Hickey and the Rays staff have improved Roberto Hernandez—by throwing more of his excellent changeups—but there was something else new in his approach that I had missed until now. Against left-handed batters, Hernandez has been throwing a front-door sinker. This means that he aims his two-seam fastball at the batter's hip, and then lets it's excellent horizontal movement carry the pitch back over the plate or nearly so. He's gotten plenty of called strikes and plenty of whiffs with the pitch. It looks really effective, and I just assumed it's something he's always thrown. I was wrong.

Here, from the Baseball Prospectus and Brooks Baseball player cards, is the location distribution of Roberto Hernandez's sinkers to lefties over his entire career:

And here it is in 2013:

Yes, Hernandez is always going to pound the down and outside corner of the zone, because that's how one gets ground balls, but he used to be a one trick pony against lefties. Now he's coming inside with the pitch as well. Over his whole career, he's thrown a sinker on the inner third or off the plate inside only 19.5% of the time. In 2013, 38.3% of the time.

The change in approach has been borne out in the results. Over his career, Hernandez has only struck out 11.4% of the left-handed batters he's faced. In 2013, 20.2%. As I so often find myself doing, I can only tip my cap to Jim Hickey and whoever else works with the Rays pitching staff. They once again have taken a talented but flawed and predictable pitcher and have gotten him to play to his strengths while at the same time becoming less predictable.

A side note about perception. When I started writing this article, I was certain that the entire Rays staff was throwing front-door sinkers more often this year. That's not true at all. Alex Cobb and Jeremy Hellickson are actually throwing that pitch less often. All that had happened is I had become more aware of the pitch by watching Hernandez, and had started taking greater note of it whenever anyone threw one. Another reminder of why it's a good idea to check the data whenever you think you see a pattern.

The Rays Tank: Bullpen 2K13, and a rotation shuffle

2013-05-23T13:00:16Z

According to the superstitious faithful that frequent the Rays on Twitter, prior to yesterday's game, I was not allowed to watch Rays games, as they tend to lose recently whenever I do so.

The entire series in Baltimore?

I couldn't watch a single game, due to scheduling conflicts. What happened?

They swept the Orioles, at Camden Yards.

I watched Monday, in Toronto. What happened?

The Rays lost, 7-5, against the Blue Jays; despite a rally in the ninth.

Then, yesterday occurred. An afternoon game, against the Blue Jays, in Toronto.

Alas, due to work, I could not watch the game. What occurred?

Well, the Rays lost, due to the 2013 bullpen, in the 10th. 4-3.

AKA, I did not watch a single second of that game, and the Rays proceeded to lose.

I will happily begin watching games again tomorrow, without a nod or twitch to my superstition.

Cliff Notes version on this loss: Fernando Rodney entered the 9th with the Rays up 3-2 over the Blue Jays, and allowed Jose Bautista to shoot a homer into the left field bullpen. 3-3. Then, Joel Peralta relieved Rodney, and successfully getting outs, led to Cesar Ramos in the 10th. Ramos led to Kyle Farnsworth, who faced Bautista and allowed the Jays to win the series, with a 4-3 victory.

Rays bullpen, 2013. Reliable? Eh. Keeping you guessing? Yes.

Not-so-fun stat: The Rays have blown 28 leads this season, nine of them in the seventh inning or later. Four of those leads? Blown in the ninth inning.

Fun stat: With last night's double in the ninth, Evan Longoria has extended his hitting streak to 16 games, a career best.

For the full post game recap, check out Danny's here.

***

The Rays shuffled their rotation in preparation for the Yankees this weekend, with Alex Cobb now pitching Sunday and Jake Odorizzi facing the Marlins; and according to the Marlins website, Jose Fernandez, on Monday.

The off day today allows Cobb to pitch on regular rest, and Joe Maddon told Marc Topkin that he pulled Cobb on Tuesday against the Blue Jays at 107 pitches with thoughts that this may occur.

Maddon did not want to insult Odorizzi in any way, saying:

"Just based on experience,'' Maddon said. "Cobb has been pitching really well, and Jake is new. Why not give Cobber the tougher assignment pretty much. I don't want to say anything bad about Miami, but in general terms, division rivalry, Cobber's had more experience, the Yankees are on a pretty good roll, let's throw him there. ...

"It's not a slight to anybody. It's just probably the right thing to do, I think anybody would given the same set of choices or circumstances.''

The matchups for the series against the Yankees are the following:

Friday: Roberto Hernandez vs. David Phelps

Saturday: Matt Moore vs. Vidal Nuno

Sunday: Alex Cobb vs. CC Sabathia

Links:

- Rafael Soriano told reporters that his four-year-old son could have made a play better than Bryce Harper did in the Nationals loss to the Giants Tuesday night. Then, he took his comments back Wednesday.

- A fan was ejected in a minor league game for arguing balls and strikes...and that was the least bananas thing that occurred.

- Grantland compiled a list of "The 20 Types of Depressed Sports Fans." Considering the years of Devil Rays fandom under our belt, and how the Rays seem to continually mess with our emotions, I think we can all relate to all 20 at one time or another. Also, read the comments section, especially "The Mets Fan."

Down on the farm May 23: Torres struggles in return to Bulls

2013-05-23T11:00:08Z

Nothing really interesting happened yesterday. You can safely stop reading now, knowing you missed absolutely nothing.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (27-19)

Durham struggled to get the shutdown inning in their 4-3 loss to Norfolk. Vince Belnome gave them a 1-0 lead with an RBI double in the first inning, but Norfolk got to Alex Torres just as quickly. With two outs in the bottom half of the inning, Brandon Wood hit a bases clearing double to put the Tides on top. Torre was not sharp at all. Although he limited the damage to three runs, he lasted just four innings, allowing two hits and striking out four while walking three. Only 36 of his 70 pitches were strikes. The Bulls managed to fight back and tie the game in the fifth, but Will Inman struggled just as much as Torres. After walking a batter and then allowing a stolen base with two outs, Ryan Flaherty singled home what would prove to be the winning run. Belnome and Jason Bourgeois each reached base three times. Wil Myers did not play.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (22-23)

Montgomery was off.

Class-A Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (19-26)

Despite a solid effort from Roberto Gomez, Charlotte fell to Clearwater last night by a 3-2 score. Although he allowed all three Threshers runs and only struck out one, he lasted seven innings and didn't walk any batters. The top two hitters in the lineup, Kes Carter and Jake Hager, reached base five times, the Stone Crabs went just one for 12 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base. Both Stone Crabs runs scored on groundouts by Drew Vettleson. Josh Sale and Ryan Brett were both not in the lineup Wednesday.

Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods (27-16)

An inning and a half into game one of their doubleheader, the Hot Rods were suspended.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL BOX SCORES

Star of the day- The VSL team got back to scoring runs.

Goat of the day- Everyone playing on US-based affiliates

Today's games (probables courtesy of milb.com)

Durham @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 6:35 PM (MiLB.TV)
Jim Paduch* (1-3, 7.76) v. Brett Marshall (2-2, 4.60)

Montgomery v. Jackson 8:05 PM
Matt Buschmann (5-2, 2.96) v. Anthony Fernandez (1-0, 8.84)

Charlotte v. Clearwater 6:30 PM
Ryan Carpenter* (3-3, 3.33) v. Nick Hernandez (3-1, 3.64)

Bowling Green v. Great Lakes 8:05 PM DOUBLEHEADER
Dylan Floro* (3-0, 1.54) v. Ralston Cash* (2-3, 4.50)
TBA v. TBA

Game one will be resumed in the second inning, game two will be a seven inning game

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Yankees)
21-23 (3rd in IL North)
Offense: 169 R (14th) .689 OPS (13th)
Pitching: 3.84 ERA (7th) 1.36 WHIP (7th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Brett Marshall (6), RHP Mark Montgomery (11), OF Melky Mesa (18), 2B Corban Joseph (27), OF Thomas Neal (28)

Jackson Generals (Seattle)
19-24 (4th in SL North)
Offense: 189 R (5th) .693 OPS (5th)
Pitching: 3.28 ERA (2nd) 1.23 WHIP (4th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Taijuan Walker (2), SS Brad Miller (9), RHP Carson Smith (16), OF Leon Landry (17), 2B Jack Marder (20), C John Hicks (21), OF Francisco Martinez (22), OF Julio Morban (24), 3B Vinnie Catricala (26), RHP Chance Ruffin (27), LHP Anthony Fernandez (30)

Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia)
23-22 (4th in FSL North)
Offense: 233 R (2nd) .753 OPS (2nd)
Pitching: 3.98 ERA (8th) 1.48 WHIP (12th)
Top 30 Prospects: 3B Maikel Franco (5), RHP Kenny Giles (19), OF Kelly Dugan (22), OF Aaron Altherr (30)

Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles)
14-29 (8th in MWL East)
Offense: 164 R (15th) .646 OPS (15th)
Pitching: 4.52 ERA (15th) 1.45 WHIP (14th)
Top 30 Prospects: SS Corey Seager (3), SS Jesmuel Valentin (14), RHP Scott Griggs (18), RHP Zach Bird (19), OF James Baldwin (22), RHP Angel Sanchez (25), OF Jeremy Rathjen (29)

Rays drop Game 3, series to Toronto in Extra Innings.

2013-05-23T00:30:16Z

Today was also Jose Molina's return from a hamstring injury. He would play inspired baseball, but that's not the focus in this loss.

Jeremy Hellickson was struggling with command - and specifically the curve - right out the gate. It was a slow start to the first inning made especially painful by a generous strikezone.

Kelly Johnson was able to make a catch and gun down an advancing Bautista at second base, but there was damage in the first: one run scored.

Hellickson got himself into trouble in the bottom of the third, fielding a 3-2 pop-up to Munenori Kawasaki that had him clipping Roberts, who was charging from third. Hellboy stepped on Roberts's back left foot and both players came away limping. Molina checked on Hellickson, and the game proceeded. No one left the dugout, and Hellboy seemed unphased.

The offense had very little support for Hellickson. The Rays started scoring after some great hustle by Molina to get on base. Ryan Roberts brought him home on a slow roller to Macier Izturis that he failed to field on an attempted barehand. The ball went right under his fingers and Molina was able to "rumble" home, as Dave Willis said.

Zobrist hit the next pitch into right and plated a runner for a 2-1 lead, but that was the last of the Rays offense for much of this game. Rodriguez led off the fourth with a double and then got himself picked off promptly on a throw from the catcher J.P. Arenciebia. He would be the last base runner for the Rays over the next 15 plate appearances.

Jose Bautista leveled the score in the bottom of the fourth on a powerful shot to left field -- his tenth longball of the year, reading a change inside perfectly. He swung in front and muscled it sky high. To be fair, this was the last hit for the Jays until the ninth inning as well, but let's not distract from the coming frustration.

The Ninth

It was another weird night for the strikezone, loose but consistent for Buehrle and strangely stringent on Hellickson.

For a taste of the nonsense, here's the zone from the full game:

Once Buehrle was removed, the zone settled in and became far more reasonable, but that didn't detract from the missed opportunities before. Especially watching seasoned hitters like Longoria, Zobrist and Johnson who were hesitant to change their approach early in the game. Buehrle was landing calls outside the zone that were normally contested, and the Rays offense just seemed unsure.

Either the strikezone back to normal or he was just ready to swing, because Longoria was comfortable reaching to pop a double off the end of the bat with one out in the ninth. The pitch was inches off the plate and Longoria pushed it up the right field line. The Rays were battling against ace reliever Casey Janssen, and James Loney put up a great performance, fouling until he found a pitch to hit and smacking a hopper up the middle to score the runner.

Luke Scott got in on the action, taking a 3-2 pitch to the wall in centerfield, but it was caught by Rasmus. The Jays let Janssen pitch through the drama and Kelly Johnson eventually took strike three looking.

Fernando Rodney, less than 22 hrs removed from a 5-out save yesterday, got the call to face the heart of Tornot'a order: Bautista, Encarnacion, and Lind.

Bautista worked a full count, in spite of Fernando throwing easy, 99 MPH heat. Forced to come back inside to get the out, Bautista hit a moon shot into the left field bullpen.

Rodney sat down E5 but walked Lind and was pulled for Peralta with the game tied , 3-3. Arencebia was lost against Peralta's fastball going down on multiple swings for the second out, and Brett Lawrie got jammed for a popup to Loney in foul territory to end the inning.

Free Baseball

Molina continued his on-base ways by hitting through the hole on the left side, but Escobar responded with a double play, and Jennings grounded out to short.

Cesar Ramos took the mound and almost got Rasmus on a swinging bunt, but he made contact and the ball rolled out of Molina's reach. Bonifacio followed suit and started showing bunt. The Rays defense responded, Boni would swing. Step back, and Jays manager Gibbons would put the bunt back on. It was a frustrating chess match that ended in a sac-bunt, moving Rasmus to second.

With one out, Kawasaki was next. He worked a long at bat as well, ending in a bouncer slow toward second. Roberts, having moved to second when the Rays lifted the DH to put Longoria at third, charged and made the difficult throw to get the out at first.

A pinch hitting Mark DeRosa was the last man standing between Ramos and the 11^th, with Rasmus now on third. DeRosa took a walk easily on 5 pitches and Maddon made the move for a righty, bringing in Kyle Farnsworth to face Jose Bautista.

Bautista, who had made it on base in all four plate appearances previously, took an 0-2 fastball outside and made it a looper into right. Jays win.

Conclusion

Hellickson went eight innings with improving control throughout the night, pitching like a professional through and through. He rebounded well from a poort start and showed strong velocity through eight innings. Too bad the Rays offense had a bad day. Sorry you couldn't get the win, Hellboy.

2013 Draft Preview: Pitchers, Part 2

2013-05-22T15:00:10Z

Scott wrote the first part of out 2013 draft preview yesterday by identifying some high floor/low upside pitchers around the Rays' range of draft picks. Today, I'll look at some of the higher upside pitchers that the Rays could draft with their first couple of picks.

"High upside" can be difficult to determine. How can you call a high school pitcher who is six years away from the majors a potential impact starter? How about a prep pitcher who throws around 90 mph range currently? The answer is that it is difficult, but there are several signs to look for. Generally speaking, a high upside prospect is one that displays (or has the potential to display) plus tools, or most often in a pitcher's scenario, plus stuff (pitches). The main component to look for is a fastball. Most of these guys either already have a good fastball, or they have the body type or quick arm that indicates that they could have a good fastball in the future. A feel for a breaking ball is also important, while the change up is of lesser importance. It is a held belief that a change up is a pitch that can be learned. As I already mentioned when discussing the fastball, body type helps determine a pitcher's potential. A tall pitcher with a loose arm excites scouts. A powerful build is more important for pitchers further along in the physical development curve. If the player can combine a projectable frame with the potential for plus stuff, then they are deemed "high upside" prospects. There is a lot of subjectivity involved, but in this post, I will use the opinions of online sources such as Baseball America, ESPN, minorleagueball.com, and Bullpen Banter.

Out of all the pitchers in the 2013 draft, only four should assuredly be gone by the time the Rays pick: Mark Appel (RHP, Stanford), Jonathan Gray (RHP, Oklahoma), Kohl Stewart (RHP, St. Pius X HS), and Braden Shipley (RHP, Nevada).

After that, I believe every pitcher has a chance of slipping to the Rays. The bonus of possessing two first round picks, as is the case with the Rays, is the ability to nab a player who has slipped in the draft. In the Rays case, they could select someone with the talent of a top 10-20 prospect in the draft, but who fell to pick #21 for a variety of reasons. Since the Rays have a bonus pool just exceeding six million dollars, they could allocate their resources to signing the high profile player while budgeting the rest of the bonus pool by signing less expensive players in the other slots. This could make someone such as Trey Ball affordable to the Rays.

Here are some of the high upside type pitchers (from both college and high school) that the Rays may take with their first few picks.

Trey Ball, Indiana H.S. (LHP, 6'6, 180 lbs.)

Best Attribute: A left handed pitcher with a fastball that sits in the mid to low 90's with plenty of projection is the makings of a tantalizing prospect.

Analysis: Prior to the season, there were serious questions about whether Ball would be drafted as a pitcher or as a positional player. However, improved stuff this spring accompanied by positive results have designated his future to be on the mound for now. Ball, in addition to his 90-95 mph heater, also has a feel for his breaking ball, although he only began throwing it with frequency this year. His change up also shows promise and is very advanced for a prep pitcher. There is still a slim chance a team could selects him as a positional player, but with his mix of strong pitches and excellent athleticism, his future appears brighter on the mound.

Stock: Ball's stock has risen throughout the spring as his velocity has increased and featured more consistency. It is highly unlikely that he is on the board when the Rays first pick, and there is a chance he is selected in the top five picks.

Sean Manaea, Indiana State (LHP, 6'5, 235 lbs.)

Best Attribute: Teams that draft Manaea will hope that he reverts back to his dazzling form in last year's Cape Cod League.

Analysis: Breaking out in the Cape Cod League last summer, Sean Manaea blew hitters away with an explosive fastball that routinely hit 96 mph and a wipe-out slider. This led to 85 strikeouts in only 52 innings, and he profiled as a number two starter. However, Maeaea has not been the same this year, battling through injuries while experiencing a regression in stuff. His fastball is still an above average pitch, ranging from the high 80s to 94 mph. However, his slider is very inconsistent and his change-up is only average. His command is not strong either, which makes him look like a future average starter.

Stock: He needs to prove that he is healthy and show some of the form he displayed last summer if he wants to be among the top 5 picks. Otherwise, he could go anywhere in the first round, most likely to a team that still sees the promise in his arm.

Ryan Stanek, Arkansas (RHP, 6'4, 190 lbs.)

Best Attribute: Stanek has the pitches of a top of the rotation starter, and a team that can help him improve his pitch selection could unlock his potential.

Analysis: It seems that every draft has a college pitcher in the first half of the first round who features plus stuff but is unable to get the expected convincing results. This year, that pitcher is Stanek. For his college career, Stanek has averaged around seven strikeout per nine innings, and he is often unable to dominate college lineups. This is despite his plus stuff, including a fastball that ranges from 92-98 mph, a big breaking slider, a nice curveball, and a solid changeup. Depending upon what source you read, either his slider or his curveball is the superior off speed pitch. Keith Law has speculated that Stanek's issues stem from poor pitch selection, while others suggest factors such as command and his delivery. This inability to get results has caused some to peg him as a future reliever.

Stock: Considered a candidate to go first overall before the year, Stanek has left evaluators confused over his future role and value.

Jonathan Crawford, Florida (RHP, 6'1, 205 lbs.)

Best Attribute: Jonathan Crawford features an impressive fastball/slider combination.

Analysis: Continuing the trend of pitchers whose stock has slipped, Crawford broke out last year in the Florida Gator's rotation but has regressed a little this year statistically. Crawford's best pitch is his fastball, which sits in the mid-90s. He backs the fastball up with a plus slider that he struggles to command. There are two main factors that lead evaluators to believe that Crawford will be a reliever professionally. First of all, his change up lags far behind the other two pitches. His delivery is also poor, and he struggles to find his release point.

Stock: Jonathan Crawford's stock has fallen a little, but he should still get taken somewhere in the middle of the first round.

Hunter Harvey, North Carolina H.S. (RHP, 6'3, 175 lbs)

Best Attribute: Hunter Harvey has a nice combination of projectability, present stuff, and eagerness to enter pro ball.

Analysis: Like most prep pitchers, Harvey relies mostly on his fastball, and he throws a good one. Although it was reported that he hit 97-98 mph, he most often sits in the 90-94 range. He also throws a curveball that needs work but shows potential. Because of the (lack of) quality of his opponents, his change up is not needed and only thrown during his bullpen sessions. However, it is considered a good pitch that will only improve with more usage.

Stock: It will be interesting to see where Harvery goes. Strictly on a talent basis, he should be selected in the Rays' range. On the other hand, his lack of a college commitment due to his desire to turn pro immediately may tempt teams to take him earlier.

Phil Bickford, California H.S. (RHP, 6'4, 185 lbs.)

Best Attribute: Few prep pitchers can boast a fastball as lively as Bickford's.

Analysis: No pitcher listed so far fits the high upside and low floor description better than Bickford. His fastball is already labeled an easy plus pitch, sitting at 90-93 but reaching the upper 90s. With his projectability, he has the potential to reach triple digits if he fills out. It is Bickford's lack of quality secondary pitches that takes him out of the elite prospect range; he does not have much of a feel for his breaking ball and his change up is raw.

Stock: The increasing velocity has raised his stock, and he is now viewed as a solid bet for the first round. He should be around when the Rays make their first pick, and very well could be around for the Rays second pick (#29 overall).

Chris Anderson, Jacksonville (RHP, 6'4, 225 lbs.)

Best Attribute: With his big body and strong delivery, Anderson delivers two pitches that should grade out as plus.

Analysis: Unlike a few of the players already mentioned, Anderson started the season strong, firing a mid-90s fastball and using a plus slider. However, over-usage by Jacksonville has caused him to slip as of late. Still, it is easy to see Anderson as a middle of the rotation starter who eats innings. The high floor with the solid ceiling should make him a very desirable option somewhere in the first round.

Stock: It is hard to envision Anderson slipping out of the first round, though there is a solid chance he is available for the Rays' first pick.

Hunter Green, Kentucky H.S. (LHP, 6'4, 180 lbs.)

Best Attribute: With a long, lanky build, Green can add velocity to his fastball.

Analysis: After coming out throwing his fastball in the 80s, Hunter Green has slowly built up his velocity to the point where it is now in the low-90s. The pitch has good movement, and he complements it with a change up and slider that either feature average or plus potential depending on the report.

Stock: Green's stock has been rising, but he should be available for the Rays first two picks.

Matt Krook, California H.S. (LHP, 6'2)

Best Attribute: Like many left handed high school pitchers, much of Krook's value comes from his projectability.

Analysis: Baseball America said in their report, "Krook had as much helium as any high school prospect this spring—no surprise considering how much scouts love lefthanders with his size and stuff." At the same time, Krook has been wildly inconsistent with his velocity varying greatly start from start. At his best, he shows a low-90's fastball that touches 95 mph and a hard curveball.

Stock: Krook needs plenty of work, but if the Rays want to take on a project with one of their first two picks, Krook could be the guy.

At this point in the draft, many of the high upside pitchers either are all projection or have serious flaws. In the third part of the 2013 draft preview on the pitching side, I will take a quick look at some of the high-upside guys who may be around for the Rays third, fourth, and fifth picks.

The Rays Tank: Joe Maddon Discovers MLB's Super-Secret Expanded Replay

2013-05-22T13:00:10Z

Joe Maddon has become known throughout baseball as an innovator. His latest innovation: expanding instant replay in baseball. MLB does have instant replay to review home runs, but for years fans have wanted more replay. Thanks to Maddon, that is now possible.

On Sunday, Matt Joyce hit a flyball down the right field line that hit off of something before landing back onto the field. The question was going to be what and the possibilities were manifold. It could have hit off the foul pole and been a home run, it could have hit off the top of the wall right in front of the foul pole and been a double, or it could have hit off the wall just to the right of the foul pole and been a foul ball. The umpires ruled it a double after it happened, but Joe Maddon wanted a review. That's where the fun began.

Maddon wanted assurances from the umpires that the play could only be ruled a double even if it was not a home run because only home runs are reviewable, not doubles. Had the play been ruled a home run, Maddon argued, then it could have been ruled a foul ball, but since it was a double, Maddon believed that the only two possibilities were double or home run. The umpires rebuffed him and Maddon was ready to hold the game in protest before Joyce's hit was ruled a home run. On Tuesday, the story continued.

Joe Maddon said that he heard from Andrew Friedman that the umpires were in fact right and home run reviews can be used to review other parts of plays as well. In Maddon's opinion, though, that is a ridiculous rule and opens up "a Pandora's box."

Maddon talked about how Tigers manager Jim Leyland could have asked for a home run review on the play where Jason Donald was incorrectly ruled safe at first base to ruin Armando Galarraga's perfect game so the umpires could overturn the call. Or on Monday, Maddon could have asked for a home run review on Henry Blanco's flyball so he could review the play at second base where Sam Fuld's throw was in time but C.B. Bucknor ruled Blanco safe. Clearly, according to Maddon, baseball's instant replay goes beyond the commonly-known and extends into the nonsensical.

In essence, Maddon said, there already is expanded replay in place. "It already exists, you didn't even know it," he said. "Other things are reviewable. You didn't even know that because once you ask for the home run to be reviewed then everything else is reviewable."

Congratulations, everyone who wanted extended instant replay in baseball. You got it. What, this isn't what you had in mind? In any event, look for Maddon to at least try to exploit this bizarre quirk in the rules when it helps the Rays the most.

If there is one saving grace here, it's that the umpires don't have to grant the manager a review, meaning that had Leyland requested a replay on the Galarraga play, there's no chance that it would have actually happened. But if there is ever a flyball to the outfield that is even slightly close that ends with a blown call at one of the bases, expect Maddon to go out and ask for a replay, and at that point, who knows what will happen.

Here are your links for today:

-Joe Maddon reversed course of the Yunel Escobar gesture saying that Escobar "did nothing wrong" and that he wants him to "remain the way he is."

-Maddon also said that Matt Joyce should be fine following his early departure from Tuesday's game with a left hamstring injury. He wasn't going to start against the lefty Mark Buehrle anyway.

-Within that same piece, the "other" Roberto Hernandez, the closer who is the Rays' franchise leader in saves, will represent the Rays at the MLB Draft. Creative and moderately hilarious move by the Rays.

-Keith Law discussed the 2003 MLB Draft, offering a re-draft and talking about the biggest busts. Delmon Young was surprisingly ruled a bust and Law has the Rays selecting Matt Kemp first overall in the do-ever of that draft.

-Rany Jazayerli and Jonah Keri ranted about the Royals' top prospect ineptitude.

Down on the farm May 22: No Sale yet

2013-05-22T11:00:08Z

Charlotte still had little trouble winning their doubleheader and remaining hot.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (27-18) ***Featured game of the day***

After a rough start in which he walked four his last time out, Chris Archer rebounded in Durham's 3-2 win over Norfolk. The only blemish on his line came in the sixth inning on a solo home run by Brandon Wood that cut Durham's lead to 2-1 and ended Archer's no-hit bid. He would allow two more singles in the inning, but he got former Bull Russ Canzler to ground out with two runners on to end the inning. Archer finished with one run allowed on three hits and just one walk in six innings with six strikeouts. The Bulls scored first in the fifth inning. With the bases loaded and no outs, Wil Myers hit a sac fly to put them on the board, and Shelley Duncan followed that up with a run-scoring single. Jason Bourgeois and Vince Belnome each reached base three times with two hits and a walk.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (22-23)

Montgomery fell behind early and continued to cough up insurance runs in their 11-7 loss to Huntsville. A two out double in the first inning by Cameron Seitzer gave the Biscuits a 1-0 lead, but that would be the last time they were in front Tuesday. The Stars scored two in the bottom half of the inning against Victor Mateo and added another run in the second. They did not score in the third, but unfortunately for Montgomery, that would be the only inning they kept Huntsville off the board. Mateo would exit after the fifth inning with five runs, four earned, charged against him. Montgomery was able to make the game closer with six runs scored over the last four innings, but four runs allowed in the eighth inning, including a three run homer hit off Braulio Lara, wouldn't allow them to complete the comeback. Seitzer had three of Montgomery's nine hits, including two doubles.

Class-A Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (19-25)

Charlotte scored a pair of runs late to top Clearwater 4-2 in game one. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning when Hector Guevara delivered a two out, two run single to give the Stone Crabs a 2-0 lead. It was short lived though, as Clearwater scored twice in the sixth to tie it up. In the bottom half of the inning, three two out hits, including doubles by Guevara and Willie Argo, gave Charlotte the two final runs of the game. Guevara and Argo each drove in a pair of runs. Jesse Hahn dominated yet again, striking out four and walking none in four more scoreless innings.

After allowing a first inning run, Charlotte rebounded quickly in game two to win 3-1. Kes Carter came up with the big hit of the game in the second inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Carter cleared them with a triple, and the scoring would be done for the game. Despite only allowing one run, Jake Floethe struggled in his first start of the season. He only lasted 4.2 innings and walked four while only striking out three. Making his first appearance of 2012, Christopher Kirsch picked up the win with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.

Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods (27-16)

Bowling Green was off.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL BOX SCORES

Star of the day- Archer had one of his best efforts of the season Tuesday.

Goat of the day- Montgomery's pitching staff had a brutal day.

Today's games (probables courtesy of milb.com)

Durham @ Norfolk 6:35 PM (MiLB.TV)
Alex Torres (2-2, 2.39) v. Josh Stinton (2-1, 3.68)

Montgomery is off

Charlotte v. Clearwater 6:30 PM
Ryan Carpenter* (3-3, 3.33) v. Nick Hernandez* (3-1, 3.64)

Bowling Green v. Great Lakes 6:30 PM DOUBLEHEADER
Blake Snell (1-4, 3.16) v. Lindsey Caughel (0-3, 2.00)
TBA v. TBA

Both games will be seven innings

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Norfolk Tides (Baltimore)
30-15 (1st in IL South)
Offense: 239 R (3rd) .798 OPS (2nd)
Pitching: 3.89 ERA (8th) 1.35 WHIP (6th)
Top 30 Prospects: IF Jonathan Schoop (3), OF L.J. Hoes (6), RHP Steve Johnson (16), LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (21), LHP Michael Belfiore (24)

Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia)
22-22 (4th in FSL North)
Offense: 230 R (2nd) .755 OPS (2nd)
Pitching: 4.03 ERA (9th) 1.49 WHIP (12th)
Top 30 Prospects: 3B Maikel Franco (5), RHP Kenny Giles (19), OF Kelly Dugan (22), OF Aaron Altherr (30)

Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles)
14-29 (8th in MWL East)
Offense: 164 R (15th) .646 OPS (15th)
Pitching: 4.52 ERA (15th) 1.45 WHIP (15th)
Top 30 Prospects: SS Corey Seager (3), SS Jesmuel Valentin (14), RHP Scott Griggs (18), RHP Zach Bird (19), OF James Baldwin (22), RHP Angel Sanchez (25), OF Jeremy Rathjen (29)

Rays vs. Jays, game 2: Rodney, Lobaton frame their way out of a bind

2013-05-22T02:58:03Z

The beginning of the game was highlighted by excellent play from the Rays outfield both offensively and defensively. With two outs in the bottom of the first inning, Edwin Encarnacion hit a hard line drive that landed on the left field warning track and bounced against the wall. Kelly Johnson fielded it off the wall like he had been playing outfield his whole career and fired a (one hop) strike to second base to get EE3 at second. Then, in the next half inning, Johnson blasted his eighth home run of the season to straight center field. Evan Longoria had doubled and scored after two groundouts, so Johnson's homer brought the score to 2-0.

To start the next frame Adam Lind hit a fly ball hard to deep right center. Desmond Jennings ranged back, covering a ton of ground, and then made the catch look simple even though it was at an awkward angle over his shoulder. He even managed to avoid crashing into the wall. A lesser fielder would have made that play dramatic or not made it at all, but Jennings is far too smooth for that. Then, following Johnson's lead, Jennings hit his fifth homer on the first pitch of the next half inning. Singles from Matt Joyce, Evan Longoria, and Luke Scott (with a few fielder's choices in between) stretched the lead to 4-0.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Jays finally got on the board when Colby Rasmus guessed right on a frontdoor sinker that caught a bit too much of the plate. Rasmus's pulled shot was the definition of a no-doubter, and a reminder of why he was once such a well regarded up-and-coming center fielder.

The sixth inning was all about Yunel Escobar and the shift. The first two outs came on groundballs more or less up the middle that Escobar fielded routinely and converted into easy outs at first. Then Jose Bautista hit a grounder deep into the hole between shortstop and third. Escobar, who was shifted slightly to pull, ranged far back to his right but muffed the backhand grab, having the ball go off the edge of his glove and into left field. It would have been a tough throw even if he had made the grab cleanly but he'd have had a better chance playing straight up. After a walk from Encarnacion raised the leverage, Adam Lind hit a hard grounder straight back over the mound that looked sure to be a hit, but the shift giveth to the Blue Jays and the shift taketh away. Escobar was already positioned near second base, and he was able to knock the ball down and throw Lind out from his knees to end the inning.

If you just looked at the box score, you might have thought that Alex Cobb didn't pitch all that well. While he only allowed three hits and two walks, he also only struck out two batters. You'd be wrong. He threw his fastball 57% of the time and didn't get a ton of whiffs (two on the fastball, three on 29 changeups, none on 17 curves), but he had Toronto baffled. They were reaching for pitches all over the zone, making weak contact and mostly hitting ground balls. Of the 20 balls in play that Cobb allowed, 15 were grounders. That's a recipe for success.

Cobb's night ended one out into the seventh inning when Brett Lawrie hit a hard grounder in Longoria's direction. Longoria made a great diving stop and threw mostly on target to first, but Loney couldn't handle the throw and it bounced past him and into the stands. With Cobb at 107 pitches and the lefty Rasmus up, Joe Maddon made the switch to Jake McGee, who promptly overpowered Rasmus (popup foul) and Mark DeRosa (strikeout swinging).

Peralta came on in his usual spot as eighth inning setup man with a difficult job to do, first facing Munenori Kawasaki, the nine hitter, before needing to run through the teeth of the Jays lineup. Kawasaki reached for a good low pitch from Peralta and plopped it into center field for a soft single. Melky Cabrera worked a seven pitch at bat, fouling off many pitches, before finally earning a walk and bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of the fearsome Jose Bautista. When Bautista hit a liner into short left field, Ben Zobrist didn't panic. He picked it up on the bounce and threw to second base, allowing the speedy Munenori to score without a challenge, but holding the baserunners to first and second.

It seemed as if Zobrist's composure would pay dividends, as Peralta (who didn't look bad this inning even while giving up walks and hits) struck out Encarnacion and coaxed an ideal double play ball from Adam Lind. Ryan Roberts bobbled the pickup however, and could never quite get a hold on the ball to record one out. With his reliever running a high pitch count and the leverage of the situation skyrocketing, Maddon went to his closer for the five out save.

Source: FanGraphs

One 98 mph fastball from Rodney produced another ground ball to second base, and this time the Rays turned one of the prettier double plays you will ever see. Roberts fielded the ball cleanly and got it to Escobar just as he touched the bag. Escobar touched second with his left foot, and then used the bag to leap high over the breakup slide from Lind. At the apex of his leap, Escobar threw strongly and accurately to first base to get J.P. Arencibia by a step.

In the ninth, Rodney struck out Brett Lawrie, gave up a ground ball double to Rasmus, and coaxed a soft grounder from Maicer Izturis (that advanced Rasmus) before a wild pitch to Kawasaki brought home the run and a fourth consecutive ball walked the speedy nine hitter.

Don't worry though. Were you worried? I wasn't worried. Rodney always had it under control. He struck out Cabrera looking on three straight outside changeups that might have been called balls on a different day.

By the rulebook definition, those sure look like balls, but take a look at the pitches in the context of a normal lefty strikezone and the rest of the game.

That doesn't look too bad. It's right on the line where umpires usually extend the strike zone, and most other pitches in that same area a couple inches off the plate had been called strikes earlier (including pitches to Rays hitters). Probably Cabrera should have been swinging. I'll take it.

Some other notes:

In the top of the sixth inning, Loney plopped a fliner into left field. Melky Cabrera got caught in between making a diving play and pulling up to play the bounce, and he ended up having to take a little hop to keep it from bouncing over his head. I said this the last time the Rays played Toronto, but Cabrera is just really funny to watch. Great athlete, but he appears very comically uncoordinated at times. Can someone start making .gifs of every little strange thing he does, please?
Fernando Rodney threw a pitch near Brett Lawrie's head (after brushing him back earlier in the at bat), sending Lawrie diving out of the way. I'm not sure if there will be any tumult over the play, but there shouldn't be. It was a changeup that got away from Rodney, not a purposeful fastball.

All pitching numbers and graphs are from Brooks Baseball.