In today’s game against the Royals, Rays pitcher Alex Cobb was hit in the head by a line drive. We at Cowbell Clankers send our best wishes to Cobb. Here’s a series of tweets from the Rays and Tampa Bay Times beat writer Marc Topkin:
The Rays won 5-3.
I’ll lead with the bad. Evan Longoria is dealing with plantar fasciitis and the Rays have dropped two straight games to the Royals. Blerg.
Now, for the good stuff.
Evan Longoria kicked off the Reading with the Rays program this week. The Rays shared this shot on Twitter:
Ready for some more cuteness?
Longo is getting ready to celebrate his first Father’s Day since the birth of his daughter. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times interviewed the All-Star and his girlfriend Jaime Edmondson to talk about their baby Elle. Click here for the story and a video.
Boston left Tropicana Field with a five-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays, winning two games of the three-game set, the first victory in extra innings and the last by a single run. The Rays left thirteen on base in losing the first game of the series 10-8 in fourteen innings. They were only three-for-sixteen with runners in scoring position. They were oh-for-eight with RISP, leaving seven runners stranded in losing the final game of the series by a score of 2-1.
The Rays had nine home runs and scored seventeen runs, only to see themselves fall farther down the ladder of the American League East for want of a timely hit here or there. After Alex Cobb gave up six runs in the first inning of the series, Tampa Bay outscored Boston seventeen to eight. But baseball doesn’t tally victories by total runs scored, but by each and every game. Too bad the Rays couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity to close the gap on Boston, but they are still in search of magic.
This weekend, the Rays will play host to the Kansas City Royals, proprietors of Billy Butler’s BBQ Sauce, which is used to celebrate K.C. victories. The scheduled starters for both clubs are as follows: » Continue reading “Rays: Review/Preview”
Jeremy Hellickson put together six very good innings, allowing no runs of four hits, and the Tampa Bay Rays’ bats banged out thirteen hits in their 8-0 win over Baltimore yesterday. In so doing, they jumped over the Orioles in the American League East standings as well. Hellickson was effective, largely due to his changeup, striking out five in six innings. In all, four Rays’ pitched struck out nine and allowed no free passes. Three relievers, Alex Torres, Jamey Wright, and Kyle Farnsworth struck out four while putting up zeroes across the board.
The Rays’ pitching seems to be rounding into shape. Traditionally strong on the mound, Tampa Bay has struggled to put things together until recently. The offense has carried the day, but over the past two games, the Rays allowed only one run, while shutting down a deep Orioles’ lineup.
Here are the Rays’ numbers and rankings in three important offensive categories both last year and this:
OPS – 2012 – .711, ranked 20th in baseball
OPS – 2013 – .745, ranked 7th
Strikeouts – 2012 – 1323, 8.17/game, 5th
Strikeouts – 2013 – 422, 6.91/game, 25th
Runs scored – 2012 – 697, 4.30/game, 18th
Runs scored – 2013 – 298, 4.88, 7th
The ability of the Rays to strike out, on average, 1.26 times less than last season might not seem like much. In actuality, that means Tampa Bay has put the ball in play or walk 76.86 times. Now, if you calculate based upon the team’s batting average, that adds up to 19.9 hits. By walking or putting the ball in play more often, that allows the lineup to turn over more often, which puts a greater strain on the opponent’s pitching staff.
With all the new-look Rays have established on the offensive side of the ball, it’s looking more and more like the pitching staff is tightening its belt. This ten-game home stretch can go a long way toward putting the Rays back around the top in the East.
The annual free agent player draft is over, and Tampa Bay chose catcher high school Nick Ciuffo with the 21st pick of the first round. With the 29th choice, they selected Ryne Stanek, a hard-throwing right-hander from the University of Arkansas. Ciuffo gives them an opportunity to develop a top-flight catcher, a position that has been in a state of shuffle for some time. Stanek could have been a top-ten choice according to many, and the Rays’ were glad to take him with their second choice. More on the draft picks to come….
The Tampa Bay Rays will look to hit the players’ jackpot when the major league free agent draft takes place, beginning this evening. Yesterday, former 4th round pick Alex Cobb paid dividends as he held the Detroit Tigers scoreless over seven and two-thirds innings, en route to a 3-0 Rays victory. While he didn’t earn the win, Cobb dazzled the Tigers’ with an array of fastballs, breaking balls, and off-speed pitches that resulted in numerous uncomfortable at bats.
Tampa Bay knows how to draft and develop pitching, and Cobb is evidence of that. One article shows that approximately one-in-three players drafted in rounds 3-5 make it to the major leagues. And there is no guarantee they will all pan out well over time. That’s the big leagues.
Cobb has made the most of his time in “the show.” Over forty-three starts, the righty is 16-10 with a 3.44 ERA. This season, his numbers are 6-2, 2.39, and he is averaging over 6.8 innings per outing, which allows the Rays’ to use their bullpen as planned, with their 7-8-9 formula of Jake McGee, Joel Peralta, and Fernando Rodney. If it were up to Cobb, he would probably be going a bit deeper in games.
The Rays have a unique individual in Alex Cobb. He’s a guy who has pleased both the draft and develop guys in the front office as well as those who are enamored with tools. Every organization has competition within, from the scouts who see the tools, to player development, responsible for putting those tools to use, and developing them into skills. Here are some of his strengths, as I see it. » Continue reading “Rays: Cobb Dazzles In Detroit, MLB Draft Starts Tonight”
We fans can’t help the Rays take their series against the Tigers than started tonight, but we can help third baseman Evan Longoria improve his chance to start in the All-Star Game. Longo currently ranks fourth at his position behind Miguel Cabrera, Manny Machado and Adrian Beltre. Click here to vote.
When you’re done voting, here’s a story that will stop you from missing some former Rays players (except maybe James Shields, we can still miss James Shields).
A single game into the second-third of the season, I don’t know that many people would be surprised at where the Tampa Bay Rays stand in the American League East. At 30-25, the Rays are only three games out of first place, as they sit alone in fourth. Boston is alone in first, followed by the Yankees and Baltimore. Pre-season favorite (in the minds of many) Toronto seems to have a fairly strong hold on the cellar at this time.
While many wouldn’t be shocked at the record the Rays possess, they would probably be stunned by how they have gotten there. This isn’t the Rays of 2008-12, which were built upon a strong pitching staff, from starter to closer, with all the necessary middle-relievers as well. Play good defense, run the bases aggressively, and get a timely hit here or there, and voila! Another 90+ win season, or, at the very least, a competitive season.
This year seems to be backwards. Rays’ starters have struggled more than usual – with the exception of Matt Moore and Alex Cobb – and the middle-relief hasn’t been as sure as in the past, with the exception of Joel Peralta. Last year’s record-setting closer Fernando Rodney has struggled to eleven saves in sixteen opportunities with nineteen walks in twenty-two and two-thirds innings and an ERA of 5.16. This season, the hitting has saved the day. James Loney has been resurrected in Tampa Bay, Kelly Johnson is hitting for average and power, Evan Longoria has remained healthy, and everyone else seems to be putting their best swing forward when needed. » Continue reading “Rays: One-Third Down”
Roberto Hernandez was dominant as the Tampa Bay Rays topped the Miami Marlins 3-1 in South Florida. The big right-hander threw ninety-two pitches while allowing just three hits and an unearned run over eight and two-thirds innings. Hernandez had allowed ten earned runs in six innings over his previous two starts. Fernando Rodney closed the game out on a line drive to right fielder Matt Joyce.
Tampa Bay opened the first with three straight hits from Ben Zobrist, Matt Joyce, and Kelly Johnson, and scored two runs in the frame. That would be all Hernandez needed, as the Marlins scored their single, unearned run to close out the first frame. Hernandez is now 3-5 on the season, and the Rays are four games over .500 for the first time this season, at 28-24.
• The Rays are within three games of the A.L. East lead, although they sit behind Boston, New York, and Baltimore. Should their pitching staff smooth out the rough edges, they are more than capable of being a major force again. Offensively, Tampa Bay ranks fifth in runs scored in all of baseball – and from an offensive perspective, it’s all about the runs.
• Alex Colome will start this evening for the Rays. Alex Cobb suffered a split finger nail in his last start, and was not able to throw his curve and change-up comfortably during a bullpen session. He will be backed up several days in the rotation. This will be Colome’s first major league start.
• Matt Moore, originally scheduled to start against Miami this evening, will start tomorrow night against the Cleveland Indians.
• Kelly Johnson is hitting 371 over his past ten games with four home runs and eleven ribbies. His OPS is .920 and his batting average is up to .298.
Following their sweep of the Padres, the Tampa Bay Rays got off to a rocky start against the Boston Red Sox.
Boston pulled out to a 3-0 lead in the first. Now, I’m sitting here in the third as the bases are loaded with Rays hoping for things to turn around.
Keep up with me on Twitter (@sarahmtyson) to see how things turn out/if my phone continues to work in the dead zone that is the Trop.
Evan Longoria homered the Tampa Bay Rays to a walk-off win over the San Diego Padres last night as the club reached the .500 mark for the first time since they were 3-3. And Kathryn, the mother of our daughters Sarah and Hannah, called the shot. [Video: Rays players thank the mothers of their children]
When Longoria stepped to the plate, she said, quite simply, “He’s going to hit a homer and win the game.” Interestingly, she had left the room with the Rays leading 6-2 with Jeremy Hellickson on the mound, and within seconds, the game was tied at six apiece.
