Tampa Bay Rays III: The Thunder From Down Under
Posted on Jun 6, 2009 11:47 am
By Cliff Corcoran
Coming off their World Series appearance last year, the Rays were expected to be one of the best teams in baseball yet again in 2009, but two months into the season, they have yet to be a factor in the AL East race. It’s not for lack of trying. The Rays have the second-best Pythagorean record in all of baseball (behind the Dodgers). They are second only to the Yankees with 5.57 runs scored per game, and have been better than average at keeping runs off the board, ranking sixth in the AL in least runs allowed per game.
What’s gone wrong is some bad luck in one-run games (they’re 6-11 in such contests), and some bad luck in April. Since the beginning of May, the Rays gone 19-14, winning at a .576 clip. That despite the litany of other things that have gone wrong for them.
Expected to be a boon to the offense, designated hitter Pat Burrell landed on the DL in early May with a neck problem having hit just one home run and slugged .315 to that point. Second baseman Akinori Iwamura was lost for the season two weeks ago after tearing his anterior and medial collateral ligaments on a collision at the keystone. Slick-fielding shortstop Jason Bartlett was off to a fluky start, hitting .373/.418/.596, but he sprained his ankle in the same game, landing on the DL.
The Rays new and improved right-field platoon of lefty Matt Joyce, acquired from the Tigers in the offseason, and righty Fernando Perez never got off the ground when Perez dislocated his wrist in spring training, ending his season. The Rays then inexplicably kept Joyce in Triple-A for most of the first two months of the season while persisting with the unexceptional Gabe Gross (.256/.362/.400) as the strong side of that platoon.
The Rays have finally called up Joyce, who hit .315/.408/.530 for Durham, as well as his Triple-A teammate David Price, who was supposed to fill the rotation spot vacated by the man the Rays traded for Joyce, Edwin Jackson. Price was kept down because of arbitration and innings limit concerns, but now that he’s here, he’s replacing the injured Scott Kazmir (quad), not Jackson or Jackson’s early-season replacement, rookie Jeff Niemann. Then again, maybe that’s just as well. Kazmir posted a 7.69 ERA before hitting the DL, and Andy Sonnanstine, who will start Monday, has posted a 7.07 mark.
As for Price, after a shaky, abbreviated first outing, he dominated the Twins for 5 2/3 innings his last time out, striking out 11 against just two walks while allowing just one run on five hits. He takes on CC Sabathia this afternoon in what should be a thrilling pitchers duel. Over his last five starts, Sabathia has gone 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA. In those five starts he’s averaged nearly eight innings per start, and held opponents to a .187/.242/.259 line.
Francisco Cervelli will continue to catch Sabathia this afternoon. Jorge Posada will DH. Evan Longoria, who leads the majors with 55 RBIs, is expected to return to the Rays lineup after missing a couple of games with a tight left hamstring.
Tampa Bay Rays
2009 Record: 28-28 (.500)
2009 Pythagorean Record: 32-24 (.571)
Manager: Joe Maddon
General Manager: Andrew Friedman
Home Ballpark (multi-year Park Factors): Tropicana Field (102/103)
Who’s Replaced Whom:
- Matt Joyce (minors) replaces Pat Burrell (DL)
- Joe Dillon (minors) replaces Akinori Iwamura (DL)
- Reid Brignac (minors) replaces Jason Bartlett (DL)
- David Price (minors) replaces Scott Kazmir (DL)
- Jason Isringhausen (DL) replaces Troy Percival (DL)
- Randy Choate (minors) replaces Brian Shouse (DL)
25-man Roster:
1B – Carlos Peña (L)
2B – Willy Aybar (S)
SS – Ben Zobrist (S)
3B – Evan Longoria (R)
C – Dioner Navarro (S)
RF – Matt Joyce (L)
CF – B.J. Upton (R)
LF – Carl Crawford (L)
DH – Joe Dillon (R)
Bench:
L – Gabe Gross (OF)
R – Gabe Kapler (OF)
L – Reid Brignac (SS)
R – Michel Hernandez (C)
Rotation:
R – James Shields
L – David Price
R – Matt Garza
R – Andy Sonnanstine
R – Jeff Niemann
Bullpen:
R – Joe Nelson
L – J.P. Howell
R – Grant Balfour
L – Randy Choate
R – Dan Wheeler
R – Lance Cormier
R – Jason Isringhausen
15-day DL:
SS – Jason Bartlett (sprained ankle)
DH – Pat Burrell (neck inflammation)
C – Shawn Riggans (shoulder tendonitis)
LHP – Scott Kazmir (quadriceps strain)
RHP – Troy Percival (shoulder tendonitis)
RHP – Chad Bradford (elbow surgery)
LHP – Brian Shouse (strained elbow)
60-day DL:
2B – Akinori Iwamura (ACL, MCL, and ankle)
OF – Fernando Perez (dislocated wrist)
Projected Lineup:
R – B.J. Upton (CF)
L – Carl Crawford (LF)
R – Evan Longoria (3B)
L – Carlos Peña (1B)
S – Willy Aybar (2B)
S – Ben Zobrist (SS)
L – Matt Joyce (RF)
R – Joe Dillon (DH)
S – Dioner Navarro (C)
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Rays Rising Alert: baseball prospectus, which is a lot of fun and a lot of smart has the Rays as the #3 team in baseball this week. (Dodgers 1st, BoSox 2nd, Yankees 6th behind Cards and Phillies). They note that Rays have the AL’s best run differential now.
You don’t have to agree with the exact rankings to at least note that it is WAY too early to get smug or dismissive of last year’s champs.
nice preview cliff.
i figured the rays must not have been doing too well in 1 run games which is why their actual record wa below their pythag but i am glad to see it was confirmed by cliff’s research.
[1] defintely agree – would be nice to get some separation from the rays to help ward off if they come on strong in the latter part of the season
I wonder if the Rays will put Price in the bullpen. I bet he’d make a great eighth inning guy… or maybe even a closer!
: )
[3] hey at least they actually need a closer
willy aybar is batting 3rd?
I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO psyched for this game and pitching matchup.
let’s get it ON!
[4] What, you don’t like Randy Choate?
[7] I’ll take, “things that sounds dirty, but aren’t” for $500, Alex!
CC needs to “bring it” today! I hope he can beat Price this afternoon. They “owe” Tampa and Boston these days…
[7] i actually was surprised to learn he was even still pitching in the majors
LOL @ testing “Granpa” in the OF early!
Must be trying to get him tired or something…
Not bad; he’s throwing strikes.
will be interesting to see how the yanks approach price – more on the agressive side or patient, grind it out side.
It’s like a “mirror match” this.
jeez gabe kapler is still around?
oh michael kay starts with the price as closer question.
[15] Heh heh…
: )
Patience, I hope. Make him throw strikes, please…
am i misremembering – or was crawford tried in cf and was a butcher? if he could play cf it would really increase his value (to the yanks next year)
well the 1st inning has lived up to a pitcher’s duel!
[18] I don’t think Crawford was a butcher in CF. I believe Upton was simply better there.
Nice, was that a change-up?
[19] thanks .
good lord rex ryan has some fat stubby hands.
[15] i certainly don’t mind kay telling yankee fans that a contending organization that knows what it’s doing developing young players and actually needs a closer doesn’t even think twice about putting its best pitching prospect into the pen.
[17] Yo, Chyll. Shante was not on my hip-hop radar in the 80’s. I had to youtube her and nothing rang a bell. : / Lots of southpaw nastiness on the bump today.
Kay’s hatred of Eric Mangini is legend (in his own mind)…
I hate not being able to get this game. Probably more than hating Pavano pitching well for the Indians.
[22] oh definitely.
ah a pitcher’s best friend
Woohoo defense!
[25] Ma and Pa Pinstripe on MLB Gameday Audio ftw, RBJ…
: )
Woohoo Alex!
yeah alex – crushed that @#!$
Boom. Sweet.
[23] Really?? She had one of the biggest hits in the mid 80’s with “Roxanne’s Revenge”, the answer rap to UTFO’s “Roxanne, Roxanne”, which wasn’t even about her (and set off the long battle between her and the Real Roxanne, which was hilarious on it’s own). I kinda think she minimized her own presence by being petty; even Biz alluded to this on his track “The Vapors”. BTW, they’re making a movie called “The Vapors” all about the Juice Crew, with Keke Palmer playing Shante.
Oh, now who didn’t see that blast coming since last inning?
be wonderful if that helps get his timing going
Price blinked first!
: )
The Vapors = The Gas Face
LOL
[36] is that “=” an “is” or “gets”?
being a bullpen coach seems like a pretty good gig, if you can get it.
[37] That “=” is a “yields,” chemically speaking of course…
Mohegan Sun has replaced Guiseppe Verdi as the most annoying of the recurring YES commercials…
[40]
WASPY singers “Can’t Touch This”
I would pay for a sub 2:30 1-0 final in this game!
[33] Ha. Ok, “Roxanne, Roxanne” I remember. I was just a young ‘un in grammar school in the early 80’s. And that was before Yo! MTV Raps. Deal away, C.C.
[41] I’m confused with folks who are “impressed with the hotel room”…
I would be impressed with the Butler in the hotel room!
: )
[37] Ah. Not really a fan of Juice Crew, though they yielded great talent individually. I was a huge BDP, Zulu Nation and Native Tongues fan. Chuck Chillout + Red Alert > Marly Marl + Mister Magic.
[45] amen to that chyll. have you ever been to the true school hip hop nyc park jams?
good make price work a bit
take that rays – yanks can be aggressive on the base paths too!
c’mon, JD, let’s get the run in!
[45] My youtube travels led me to “The Show.” There is a famiiliar name that pops up in those lyrics.
damn – would have been nice to take adavantage of the walks