Tampa Bay Rays news and links: Starters must pitch deeper

Well, the Rays lost again yesterday, so rookie Taylor Motter definitely should not smile despite hitting a home run and a double against his childhood team with all his friends and family watching. This is very serious, Taylor. Come on now. Look sad.

I really hope he hits another home run today and the Rays win so he can enjoy it properly.

Links:

- There's some telling quotes from Topkin's recap of the game. Manager Kevin Cash says the starters must go longer, and the starters agree. Matt Moore, yesterday's pitcher, is worried about Erasmo Ramirez's arm.

"It's unfortunate we keep doing the same thing with Erasmo," Moore said. "Seeing him at that number of pitches and knowing that he's getting worn out, it's definitely something that hurts a little bit more being a starting pitcher, knowing his workload is increasing because of something I did. …

- Kevin Kiermaier will have his surgery today.

- High four-seam fastballs as a go-to strikeout pitch isn't just a Rays thing anymore. The Red Sox are doing it too, most noticeably with sinkerballer Rick Porcello.

- New overtime rules for baseball employees.

- MGL on what it means to search for "the hot hand."

- Daniel Brim talks about the experience of attending Japanese baseball games.