:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60467849/usa_today_10981613.0.jpg)
After last night, Gary Sanchez should probably un-plug for a bit. Stay off Twitter. He should avoid Pinstripe Alley and other Yankees blogs. And whatever he does, DO NOT read the New York sports pages.
In case you missed the wacky, wild game 1 of the Rays-Yanks series in the Trop, two big heads up plays by the Rays and bad loafing by Sanchez lead to a swing of about 2 runs.
The first Rays run was thanks to some awesome heads up baserunning from Jake Bauers (who would get to job later on for easier runs) and a real Bull Durham-esc level of lollygagging from Sanchez:
This is a bad look for Gary Sanchez.#yankees
— Robert Flores (@RoFlo) July 24, 2018
pic.twitter.com/D1rHpASids
And the final play, a very not heads up play by DRob lead to an extraordinary effort and play from Willy Adames to get the final out and the W with Sanchez just sort of meandering down 1B:
Instincts and effort.
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 24, 2018
Willy's got plenty of both. pic.twitter.com/G7gNXFsjoi
Gary Sanchez is going to get eviscerated by Yankees fans and NY media, and with good reason. But it need to be noted that perhaps an even worse blunder happened just a few batters earlier when Aaron Boone called for a Sac Bunt play with Didi Gregorius. Don’t bunt, hit dingers is a strategy to live life by, but thank you Aaron Boone for not living by that!
The more I think about sac bunting with Didi, the more comical it gets. It opened up a base to put Stanton on, who was 27 for 9 in the series already, so you take the bat out of your hottest hitter, and create the double-play situation Hicks nearly hit into anyhow.
— Jason Collette (@jasoncollette) July 24, 2018
Rays Links:
- Yonny Chirinos is back! After Blake Snell was scratched from today’s start with shoulder fatigue (with clean MRI results suggesting, hopefully, nothing serious), Chirinos will now be slotted to get the start.
- On the subject of Snell, while the official word, the team doctor’s word, the MRI’s results, and Snell himself all saying that the DL trip is a precaution and nothing to worry about, Marc Topkin says we all should worry.
- Daniel Robertson hit a walkoff grand slam and then hit one off the field, joining fellow Rays in a surprise visit to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
- The rumors of a Chris Archer trade abound, and while the Rays always listen, Archer certainly doesn’t sound like he’s demanding a move with quotes like this one:
“I want to be on a winner and the future is bright here.”
- But if the Rays were to trade Archer, what team makes the most sense? The Brewers just lost LHP Brent Suter to a torn UCL, and Robert Murray at The Athletic thinks the Brew Crew could push the chips needed to get him.
- Also suggesting the Brewers as a potential match for the blockbuster deal is friend of the site Steve Kinsella at Sports Talk Florida.
- Wilson Ramos is feeling better and is on the road to recovery, aiming for an early August return.
- Jayson Stark at The Athletic has a tremendous (and tremendously painful) walk down memory lane to the 2008 World Series and the “Chase Utley play”. I still have nightmares about that damn play.
Around the League:
- The Class-A Advanced Myrtle Beach Pelicans are running an awesome promotion and fantastic jerseys for their Deaf Awareness Night.
- FanGraphs unveiled the results for their Community Manager Ratings. Kevin Cash places a strong #8 on this years ratings.
- Howard Bryant at WBUR has a tremendous and powerful piece on paid patriotism and the veterans speaking out against the militarization of sports. Tito Francona’s son, Nick Francona tells his story in this piece and it’s a must read.