:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47067346/usa-today-8773525.0.jpg)
The first inning, presented without comment. Apologies to Manny Machado:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">For the love of ELEVATION. <a href="http://t.co/bM9dfKoalq">http://t.co/bM9dfKoalq</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Outlaw?src=hash">#Outlaw</a> <a href="http://t.co/171xF4cARJ">pic.twitter.com/171xF4cARJ</a></p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/638494396653015040">August 31, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Be cool, <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisArcher42">@ChrisArcher42</a>—the Outlaw's got your back. <a href="http://t.co/3xeFA8wKmE">pic.twitter.com/3xeFA8wKmE</a></p>— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/638496682989064192">August 31, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Joey Butler. More than happy to stand with his nose in the corner. <a href="http://t.co/u3aWt30Rma">pic.twitter.com/u3aWt30Rma</a></p>— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/638495691342393345">August 31, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Of course after that, there's no way the second inning could have lived up to the intensity of the first, but it was still pretty nice when Logan Forsythe, who's rapidly becoming my favorite Ray, lined a triple and scored on a Tim Beckham sacrifice fly to put the Rays up 1-0. Even at the bottom of the inning, the team was able to avoid giving runs right back (as they have been wont to do as of late). Chris Archer labored through the second and missed allowing a home run again by the skin of his teeth, but escaped unscathed.
In the third the Rays went down in order, but Kevin Kiermaier (who struck out to lead off) seemed to twist his ankle in a strange way on the swing. Brian Anderson noticed that once KK robbed Manny Machado's homer with the leaping grab, he seemed to be fussing with his ankle a bit.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is interesting .. Kiermaier is out of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rays?src=hash">#Rays</a> game</p>— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) <a href="https://twitter.com/TBTimes_Rays/status/638498747337560065">August 31, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rays?src=hash">#Rays</a> Kiermaier left with a mild right ankle sprain</p>— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) <a href="https://twitter.com/TBTimes_Rays/status/638512980074868736">September 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Not the best of news. Hopefully Kiermaier un-twists his ankle soon.
Innings 4-6: The (Actual) Hit Show
The Rays scored five runs in three innings and honestly it feels like forever since that's happened. When's the last time this team took a six-run lead? I mean I know that's a lot of runs even for the Blue Jays, but it still sort of feels like this team hasn't taken a sort of commanding lead like that in a very long time. And with your ace on the mound you start to get warm fuzzy feelings. For a while it's good to be a Rays fan.
And it's even more impressive with how the fourth inning started out. The Rays went down to two outs awful quickly, and Logan Forsythe had a 0-2 count before singling to left. And then:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cabby crushes a belt-high fastball for his 10th home run! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RaysUp?src=hash">#RaysUp</a> 3-0 in the 4th.</p>— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/638504076725108737">September 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
ayyyyy
Cabrera makes up for his inability to get to runner in from third with two outs in the second inning with a long fly ball to put the Rays up 3-0. The team kept knocking on the door, putting Tim Beckham and James Loney on right after Cabby's homer, but Daniel Nava (who has had a history of success against Chen) struck out on three pitches.
Not soon after, Chris Archer had to work around some odd mistakes. Joey Butler biffed a ball in left and put a runner on second, and with two outs Archer slipped while rushing for a slow ground ball off the bat of Manny Machado. With the bases loaded and an O's lead a long fly ball away, Archer managed to put away Parra on a wipeout slider.
In the next inning Rene Rivera doubled (!) to lead off, and Guyer singled to put runners at the corners. Joey Butler grounded into a double play, but Rivera managed to score anyway. With two outs and nobody on, Evan Longoria stepped up:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">See ya! <a href="https://twitter.com/Evan3Longoria">@Evan3Longoria</a> yanks a solo homer off Chen, his 15th of the year. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RaysUp?src=hash">#RaysUp</a> 5-0 in the 5th</p>— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/638511523816599552">September 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
If Longoria finds his power stroke it's not out of the realm of possibility that he can pick up 20 home runs this year. Every time I see these things I hope and pray that his power isn't gone forever. Can the bat speed pick back up? Time will tell I guess.
Anyway Logan Forysthe doubled right after that, putting him a home run shy of the cycle. Nothing else happened though, as Cabrera grounded out to end it.
Archer stayed in and worked a 1-2-3 fifth. Tim Beckham led off the sixth with a homer, giving the Rays their fabled 6-0 lead. Cash, despite the fact that his man was at 107 pitches through five, stuck with King Chris. Archer rewarded him with a 6-pitch sixth.
Matt Andriese made it a bit interesting in the seventh, allowing three runs on four hits (all of which, curiously, were hit the other way). And yet, Colome came in for the eighth, stopping the bleeding and striking out Manny Machado on what appeared to be an impossibly tight 90 MPH cutter. Gameday calls it a four-seam fastball but I swear to God that the pitch had dramatic lateral movement. Alex Colome sliced apart an elite hitter in Manny Machado and it was incredible.
Brad Boxberger entered for the three-out save and put down the formidable middle-of-the-O's-order. His changeup was in fine form, and he got Adam Jones swinging and missing at it three separate times. In doing so he recorded his *checks stats* holy crap AL-leading 33rd save. Welcome to the Brad Boxberger Experience.
All in all the game started off very well, kept going well, got a little bit dicey, but ended up as a very fine win. Tomorrow Drew Smyly takes the hill and tries to show us all that he still can be the same pitcher. I have faith in him. I have faith in this team. It's an interesting feeling.
<table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=1>
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan=2>Roll Call Info</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr><td width=150>Total comments</td><td>71</tr>
<tr class="alt"><td>Total commenters</td><td>19</tr>
<tr><td>Commenter list</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Adam%20Sanford">Adam Sanford</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/CSG%20BBR">CSG BBR</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/EvenLongoria">EvenLongoria</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Hatfield">Hatfield</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/JRTW612">JRTW612</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/La%20Mantarraya">La Mantarraya</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Mister%20Lizzie">Mister Lizzie</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Noles95'">Noles95'</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Paul%20Ellis">Paul Ellis</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Pocoroba">Pocoroba</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Ray4452">Ray4452</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Rays1118">Rays1118</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/RazeTheRoof">RazeTheRoof</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/essenpee">essenpee</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/kapaafire">kapaafire</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/killa3312">killa3312</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/nomo.red.evil">nomo.red.evil</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/npolackw">npolackw</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/the%20dobber">the dobber</a></tr>
<tr class="alt"><td>Story URLs</td><td><div><a href="http://www.draysbay.com/2015/8/31/9235385/gdt-chris-archer-time-ladies-and-gents">http://www.draysbay.com/2015/8/31/9235385/gdt-chris-archer-time-ladies-and-gents</a></div>
</tbody>
</table>
<table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=1>
<thead>
<tr>
<th width=60># Recs</th><th>Commenter</th><th>Comment Link</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>8</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Adam%20Sanford">Adam Sanford</a></td><td><a href="http://www.draysbay.com/2015/8/31/9235385/gdt-chris-archer-time-ladies-and-gents#324251638">Poetry in motion</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<td>3</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Rays1118">Rays1118</a></td><td><a href="http://www.draysbay.com/2015/8/31/9235385/gdt-chris-archer-time-ladies-and-gents#324268756">K's?</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td><td><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Hatfield">Hatfield</a></td><td><a href="http://www.draysbay.com/2015/8/31/9235385/gdt-chris-archer-time-ladies-and-gents#324254536">Yummmmmm</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>