The Tampa Bay Rays rode seven strong innings from Alex Cobb and Chris Archer and four unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning to top the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 in spring training action this afternoon. Tim Beckham had a hit and two ribbies and Leslie Anderson had a pair of hits and an RBI, as Chris Gimenez added a pair of knocks. Rays’ pitchers combined for eleven strikeouts while allowing only four hits and three walks.
Cobb has a batting-average-against of .188 and a WHIP of .78. He has twelve strikeouts and only one walk in nine innings pitched this spring.- Chris Archer has a WHIP of 0.57 while allowing only a single hit in seven innings pitched.
- Gimenez is hitting .500 for the spring, and Anderson is batting .435. Each has an OPS of over 1.100.
- Most of the bats the Rays are counting on when the season starts are off to a good start in the pre-season. Evan Longoria, Matt Joyce, Desmond Jennings, and Yunel Escobar are hitting over .350, and Escobar’s .957 is the lowest OPS of the bunch. A number of Rays who will very probably be in platoon roles are also showing their stuff.
- Anderson is an interesting almost-thirty-one-year-old. The Cuban native is hitting .435 with a pair of doubles, a triple, and a homer.
- Mike Fontenot and Ryan Roberts are each having the type of spring Joe Maddon must love. He and the Rays’ management are going to have some decisions to make and some different cards to play when the regular season starts. It’s always a good thing to have options.
