Rays 4, Angels 0: New World Order

Thursday’s matinee to conclude a four-game set with the LA Angels saw the Rays looking to manage a series split with the Halos after being blanked for nearly two complete games to start the saga.

They succeeded, and boy was it a fun one!

The Souza Cannon!

Steven Souza Jr. decided to show off his arm early in Thursday’s contest, cutting down some guy named Mike Trout at home plate. Maybe you’ve heard of him.

With Trout at second base and two outs in the top of the first, Andrelton Simmons knocked a bloop single into shallow right field that one-hopped to Souza. Trout rounded third and home and Souza came up, guns blazing.

Souza sent a laser of a throw to catcher Jesus Sucre, which Matt Andriese nimbly jumped over I might add, who slapped the tag on Trout for the putout to end the inning.

Like shooting fish in a bucket.

The Colby Rasmus Show!

It’s not everyday you come get to come to the plate with the bases loaded. It’s certainly not everyday that you come to the bases loaded twice in one game. And it’s definitely not everyday we see a Rays’ hitter drive in runs in both such occasions.

Colby Rasmus, Mr. nWo, have yourself a day!

In the first inning, Rasmus came to the dish with the bases loaded and launched a ball to deep centerfield, which yielded two runs on a single, production certainly welcomed, especially after those aforementioned 17 scoreless innings earlier in the week.

The teams traded zeroes until the bottom of the fifth inning when, again, Rasmus came to the plate with ducks on the pond. And once again, Rasmus crushed the ball to deep centerfield and out of play on a bounce which, speaking of waterfowl, glanced off of the Ducky’s logo in that part of the park.

The play was initially ruled a bases-clearing triple but was later decided to be a ground rule double. Never a normal day at the Trop, but again, we’ll take production where we can get it!

Props to Matt Andriese

Matt Andriese deserves a ton of credit for the work he did on Thursday afternoon.

Not only did he work eight innings, striking out five while only walking two and scattering six hits, but he went through the lineup three and a half times, facing the top of the Angels order four times, including that Trout guy.

Andriese has continued to show improvement in his effectiveness as this season has progressed and, if he can maintain the economical and efficient approach to his starts, will be a valuable piece to this Rays’ rotation and a potential X-factor for the team as the Dog Days quickly approach.

Other Highlights

KK was, as his walk up music suggest, hustlin’:

...and Daniel Robertson did the thing again:

Today was a good day.

Go Rays!