Rays Get Hosed

I'm back baby. The playoffs started and now I'm completely enthralled again. I have to admit (and I know it sounds like sour grapes) but I really enjoy the fact that the Rays are down 2-0. The fact that they got jobbed on Michael Young's check swing is making even more fun for me.

I hope the Rays fans (all 10 of them) have enjoyed this little run. Crawford is gone after this year and perhaps after this next game as well as punk ass B.J. Upton for whatever that's worth. All that will be left in three years will be a 70-win team with Evan Longoria demanding a trade because he was dumb enough to sign a long term deal with this putrid organization.

I feel bad for the players. Upton and Matt Garza aside I kind of like the Rays. Crawford is one of the most exciting players in the game and Joe Maddon's persona and hipster glasses amuse me. As I've said before, it's their fans that I find so lame. It's just bad for the game when a team like the Rays, a novelty to the Tampa area, can't even sell out ALCS games while traditional baseball cities like Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and up until now, Cincinnati, who have suffered so long, would give anything to be in the playoffs. Those people would pack the stands, make a ton of noise and make you feel like it was 1979 again.

AL East Tightens Up

All of a sudden, with the All-Star Break on the horizon, the division is in a virtual tie. The Red Sox have used the inferior NL to gain ground and pile on the runs. They are 8-1 against the Phillies, Diamondbacks and Dodgers and averaged 6.9 runs per game while doing it. However, runs may be at a premium in the next couple of series. They have the Rockies and Giants up next. I wonder if they will manage to avoid Ubaldo Jimenez, Matt Cain, and Tim Lincecum... not bloody likely. Hopefully they will take it to the Rays like last time in their last two contests before the All-Fart game. After the break, it will be back to bludgeoning the O's.

The Rays on the other hand are getting handled by the likes of the Marlins while going 3-7 in their last ten. The Yankees have pretty much held their own, but the Sox blistering pace has closed the gap; although, the Yanks will have a cushy schedule coming up once they finish their interleague play. They face the Mariners, Blue Jays, A's, and Mariners again before finally having to face the Rays at home.

With any luck we'll have an entertaining three team race in the division that goes down to the last week in the season. It's what was anticipated. Let's see if it delivers.

Sox Destroy Rays

Boy was I wrong. Last night's 11-3 drubbing in Tampa completed the Sox three game sweep of the Rays. The Sox touched up nemesis Matt Garza for 6 runs in 5 innings. And who wants to trade David Ortiz now after hitting his 10th HR of the season? Adrian Beltre also had a small contribution...with 6 RBI!

This is just a drop in the bucket as far as the division and Wild Card are concerned, but these wins provided a shred of hope. Of course, you can't have disappointment without hope either. For the time being I'm going to relish the smack down of Matt Garza. Take that Lizard Boy!

Naturally all of this junk I'm talking with probably lead to a woeful performance against KC in the coming days. But for now, I'm going to bask in this win.

Message to Yanks and Sawks Fans: Pack it in.

We can start to pack it in and I am not only talking to Red Sox fans. Clearly, this isn’t the year for the red sox. A team supposedly bit on pitching and defense has allowed 222 runs this year the most in the AL, and the offense is what everyone thought it would be: average. Epstein should use this year to develop young talent and get something in return for the wilting flowers of the locker room known as JD Drew, Mike Lowell, and David Ortiz.

Conversely, the Yankees have been playing fairly well. Sabbathia and Hughes have carried the rotation. Robinson Cano is having an MVP year and Jeter, Rivera, and Pettitte refuse to get old. But if you look at the facts it seems unlikely the Yankees will repeat. And the reason for that is obviously : The Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rays are the best team, and I stress team, in baseball and it is not even that close. They have enough pitching to choke a horse, a dynamic lineup, and if you have see the Rays play, it seems like they can get to any ball hit in the field of play.

Another important factor is this is likely the last year for a few key players in Florida. This is their chance to win the Series. They will pull out all the financial stops and get the best team on the field. They have the experience of the 2008 postseason under their belt and a manager who seems smart enough to get out of the way.

I know some fans of the blog will remind me that there is another league of teams to consider, but none of them are as complete as the Rays. The Giants can pitch and if they get into the playoffs could give some teams problems. The Phillies are good, but not unbeatable. They have a weak bullpen and lack depth at the major league and minor league level. [On a sidenote: I heard a report by a scout say something like the Rays have something like 12 major league ready pitchers in the organization. (5 in Tampa Bay and 7 other in the minor leagues. 7!!!)] If someone is hurt or loses focus they can be replaced easily and at a low cost.

This is the year of the Rays and it is not even that close.

Sox Sucking Wind

I'm not sure if the field was more wet from the rain or Matt Garza's nonstop spitting, but at the end of it all the Red Sox had lost three in a row at home to the Rays. They lost in every conceivable way, the weird suspended game completed in two days, then the come back that fell short, and finally today, the good old fashioned butt whippin'.

The first game is the one that really hurt. In the bottom of the 11th, Boston had the bases loaded with no outs and couldn't push the winning run across. Clearly this disappointment carried over to game two. Boston came out flat and quickly fell behind.

Today Matt Garza just flat out schooled the Red Sox. He may be fidgety, nervous, with scraggly goatee and have an overabundance of saliva, but the kid can pitch. He owned the corners and changed speeds very effectively. It was the 6th before the Sox got a hit (which resulted in bupkis as Beltre got thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double. These new guys have to learn which wall balls are sure doubles and which aren't.) It's plain to see. Garza owns the Sox at this point.

Side Note: So much for run prevention. The normally reliable Marco Scutaro has 4 errors. Adrian Beltre has had a couple of flubs at third. Mike Cameron dropped a relatively easy liner the other day. And today the Sox missed out on three potential double plays. They have one more shot at the Rays tomorrow night.

Those Devilish Rays

Starting tonight Boston has a four game (sheesh!) home stand with Tampa Bay. I tell you what, I'm starting to hate them more than the Yankees. At least I can respect the Yankees while hating them. Rivera and Jeter are class acts and clear Hall of Famers. I am unabashedly jealous that they managed to get Mark Teixeira when the Red Sox had first crack at him.

But the Rays, what's to respect about them? They finally managed to put together a couple of winning seasons after getting years and years of high draft picks due to their ineptitude. They have some awesome young talent that is well documented, but let's face it. They have no fan base to hang their hats on, and they're a bunch of skinflints. The team will slowly be dismantled as they gradually let free agents get away and trade players that they're too cheap to try to re-sign. Scott Kazmir was traded last year. Now they have Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford to deal with this season. There is no way they will keep either. Crawford is going to want $100 million I'm sure.

This is why get so aggravated when they keep beating the Sox. There is no commitment, no tradition, and no fan base. In five years they will be back to losing 90 games a year.

A Look at the 1st Half

With the season just over halfway finished, I thought it would be a good time to analyze the first half and look ahead to see how the season will play out. The AL East is just as tough as everyone thought it would be. The Sox are in 1st place and have done it with solid pitching, timely hitting, and playing well at Fenway. Also, it doesn't hurt that they have taken the first 8 games against the Yankees.

The Yankees are not far behind and have been the best team in baseball since Alex Rodriguez rejoined the team in May. Jeter is having a renaissance season at 35 while Mark Texiera is proving he is worth every penny. If the Sox had managed to sign Texiera last winter, I have no doubt that the Sox would be running away not only from the Yankees, but the entire American League. Their pitching is starting to become more consistent and Phil Hughes and the timeless Mariano Rivera have anchored the bullpen.

The Rays are still within striking distance of both teams and will remain close until October. They have, arguably, the most potent offense in the AL and Carlos Pena is having a career year. They are still a very dangerous team.

Looking forward, the Sox and the Yankees both have the money and prospects to make some needed additions before the July 31st deadline. The yankees could use another reliable arm in the bullpen and the Sox could use another bat. Though it is unlikely, if either team can put together an offer to pry Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays the rest of baseball should pack it in. Personally, if I was Theo Epstein, I would sell the farm to the Jays for Doc Halladay. If you have Roy Halladay, Josh Beckett, and John Lester you are basically guaranteed the next two world series. I think that is worth any 3 or 4 prospects you have. If the yankees manage to get him I will probably stop following baseball all together.

The Rays could probably add a small piece like an extra arm or a bench guy, but nothing major. Here is where the Rays have a distinct disadvantage when it comes to competing with the Sox and Yankees. I see this race staying close to the end and a series in Tampa with Yankees on the last week on the season might be the deciding factor of who get the last playoff spot. I have a feeling those 8 games against the Sox will come back to hurt the Yankees, but I find it hard to image them not making the playoffs. The Sox have the best pitching so I think even with injuries to Mike Lowell and an inconsistent David Ortiz the Sox still get into the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Rays will most likely win 94 games and not get into the playoffs while the Tigers or the White Sox will win 85 and get swept in the 1st round.

Tomorrow I will submit Part II of this monster post. We will examine the rest of baseball and see what story lines we can all look forward to following.

Bay Beats Rays

At least we won't have to deal with the Rays again until August. It has been a little rough against them this season, a continuance from last year. The Sox have played the Rays 10 times already going 4-6. Finally, the Boston hitters got to Matt Garza a little bit. They didn't blow him up or anything, but he actually had to work somewhat this time out.

Once again Jason Bay delivered with the game on the line. His second double of the game drove in the winning run. He's really been picking up the slack with Youkilis out of the line up. The double he hit in the first was a result of pure hustle. Some other left fielders would have been thrown out admiring it leave the yard only to find it carom back into play. Jason Bay is a tremendous fit for this team.

Beckett still is not the dominant force I want him to be. But he pitched decently, going six and giving up three runs.

Pedrioa left the game early with a strained groin. I certainly hope that's not serious.

Beckett Pitches Gem in Opener

Josh Beckett threw a solid 7 innings yesterday in the Sox delayed season opener at Fenway. The Boston hitters got the better of last year's nemesis, James Sheilds, scoring 5 runs in 5 1/3 innings. Of course, I wish I could have watched the bloody game.

NESN decided to air Bruins hockey instead. During the first part of the season, I have to deal with hockey games interrupting my baseball. I bet Yankee fans don't have to suffer with watching the freakin' Islanders supercede their games on YES. How could you not air opening day? I know it was postponed, but c'mon! Instead, I watched a different homage to Boston, The Depahted... er Departed. I forgot how good that movie is. I think I was hard on it when it first came out because I was expecting another Good Fellas or something.

Anyway. I'll try to watch the game again tonight. Scott Kazmir vs. Jon Lester; lefty vs. lefty. It should be a beauty.

Who's Afraid of the Rays?

I know the Rays are young and talented. I know they all buy into the team concept. I know that they slapped Boston around in the playoffs. And yet, I'm not too worried about them contending in the AL East. Everything went right for them last year. They avoided injuries by and large. Their young pitchers came of age, and they got all of the timely hits you could ask for.

They accomplished all of this when the expectations were at their lowest. After getting to the World Series, the Phillies put the breaks on the magical ride. They expended a lot of emotion in beating the Red Sox, then couldn't get things done under the pressure of the WS. Now that they will be sneaking up on no one, will they have the same regular season success?

I personally think there will be a drop off. The Rays of old are definitely deceased. I'm not talking 100 losses here. They will be competitive and a thorn in the Red Sox side. However, with all the mileage on the young arms and the unbridled enthusiasm of the 2008 season in the rear view, 85-88 wins is most realistic.

Phillies Win It

No, I am not going to create some homophone in my headline using the letters "Ph". There were only 3 1/2 innings to play and the thing still took until 10pm. Oh well, I'm glad I was able to see the end. It was perfect actually, an hour and twenty minutes of excitement. Phillies take the lead, Rays tie it, Phillies take the lead back, Rays get tying run on base, Lidge shuts the door. It was a concentrated dose of baseball fun.

Now that it's over, is it time to start talking Sox and Yanks hotstove topics yet?

"I got a fever and the only perscription is more cowbell!"

Count me among the many disbelievers who didn't think the Rays stood a chance after that Game 5 debacle. But yet again the Rays proved that they are a team to be reckoned with on the big stage.

First and foremost; that was a great baseball game. Both starters were great and while the Rays provided some timely hitting the Sox provided the tightrope walking moments late in the game. Jon Lester had more left in the tank than I thought he would after he topped his career innings high by more than 50. Everyone knows it already but Lester is pretty damn good. Moving forward I think he is easily the ace of that staff.

On the other side is Matt Garza. Garza always seemed to me like he would be one of those pitchers who would never harness their ability due to their lack of mental fortitude, but he certainly showed that he is the one who deserves the moniker "Big Game" and not his teammate James Shields. (On a side note, how can you even give that nickname to someone who plays for Tampa Bay? Apparently he earned the name in single-A ball which is absurd. You can't hand out a nickname like that until someone does something in October.)

I didn't think the Rays would pull it out last night. It didn't seem like they would ever regain their footing after that ridiculous collapse in game five but I am glad I was wrong. Many will complain that most Rays fans are bandwagon fans but what team doesn't?

During the '90s the Yankees were carrying a lot of extra weight and now the ranks of Red Sox Nation are a little more bloated than they were ten years ago. Winning is what gets the fans in the seats and you can't get on the Rays fans until next season when the team can't draw 20,000 fans to a game in July against the A's.

For right now though, there is a World Series to be played and I can now watch it in peace with the Red Sox out. I like both teams and the series should be pretty competitive. The Rays have the deeper rotation but the Phillies lineup is better. Not by much but it is. The Phillies also have a better bullpen. I know, the Rays bullpen is the reason they are where they are but we all saw what happened in Game 5 when Joe Madden had no one to stop the bleeding late in the game. If Madden is smart then he needs to use David Price as the closer. He'll be their ace in a few years but right now Madden needs to learn something from Tony La Russa and Adam Wainwright and use Price as the closer.

Prediction: Rays in six. They have the starters, they have the bats and if they use him like they should then they have Price to close. Hamels could steal one for the Phillies early and then Philly might get to Sonnanstine for one more. After that there wont be much the Phillies can do to stop this magical season of the Rays.

Sox vs. Rays Game 6

First we had the Bloody Sock Game. Now will the Torn Oblique Game go down in history as well?

Josh Beckett fought his way through five innings, and although he allowed two home runs, this time they were solo shots, limiting the damage. The most surprising development in this game had to be Jason Varitek's home run that gave the Red Sox the lead. That had to be satisfying considering the Captain's well documented struggles at the plate.

What is remarkable about this comeback by the Sox as opposed to the comebacks in 2004 and 2007 was that the Sox didn't look like they had a prayer. In '04 Boston brought the tying run to the plate in the 9th in each of the first two games before being blown out in game three. Last year's series against the Indians was competitive until the Sox destroyed Cleveland in games five through seven. This year, aside from game one, Boston was severely outclassed by Tampa. Let's hope game seven delivers some drama, if nothing else.

Sox Vs. Rays Game 5: WTF

I have to admit to you all, even though it was potentially the last time I would see my beloved Sox this season, I couldn't bear to watch with Boston down 5-0 to Tampa. I turned off the game and watched a movie with my wife (George Lopez: Why You Crying, very funny). I woke up this morning and was flabbergasted by the results.

J.D. Drew amazes me. He always seems to have a solid regular season, plays good defense, but misses 20-30 games due to injury. In the playoffs, he has been invaluable for the Sox, Mr. Clutch in fact. Remeber his grand slam in the ALCS last season? It's almost inexplicable to me.

By the way, both Boston and Tampa have outfielders who go by initials that don't correspond to their given names. J.D. Drew was born David Jonathan. Shouldn't he be D.J.? B.J. Upton was born Melvin Emanuel. B.J. stands for Bossman Junior, a tribute to his dad.

It was curious that Tampa started Scott Kazmir instead of James Shields, although that was not the problem last night. It was their heretofore unhittable bullpen that finally had a bad outing. Tampa must have a little fear creeping into their minds that they woke up a sleeping giant. All history aside, we know that Boston has a dangerous lineup and the confidence of being world champs. Who knows? After all is said and done Tampa will probably win a very pedestrian 5-3 game on Saturday. My advice if the Sox want to win; stop pitching to B.J. Upton. I'm still waiting for someone to throw a brush back pitch or something. He is practically standing on home plate and just turning on everything.

I just keep thinking of all of those Sox fans who left early, in their cars, stuck in traffic, with the radio on. What will they say to their grand kids about this game? I turned the TV off, sure. But I never would've left the game early after paying several hundred bucks to be there.

Historical Note: Much has been made of the Red Sox 0-3 and 1-3 comebacks in 2004 and 2007 respectively. But people fail to mention that the Red Sox also came back from 1-3 vs. the Angels in the 1986 ALCS as well.

Game 4: The end is near for the Sox

If game three was ugly, game four was fugly. The Sox just look gassed. Their pitchers are tired. Papi and Varitek look old. It just hasn't come together for them in this series. Going into it, I wasn't going to be surprised if the Rays won. But I did expect a competitive series where each team would have to fight for each run and each out. Instead we got the Harlem Globetrotters vs. the Washington Generals.

Is there any way that Dice-K can replicate his game one performance and keep the Sox going for one more game? Some how I doubt it. The Rays are younger, hungrier, faster, and just plain better. Just to prolong the agony he'll probably keep Boston in the game while the bullpen blows it late.

B.J. Upton, in spite of his inexplicable base running gaffe in game two, should probably be the MVP. He's been the Rays most dangerous hitter throughout and has tracked down every single ball hit to the outfield. It's almost like he could play the whole outfield by himself. He makes the spectacular look routine, seldom diving at balls because he just plain has the wheels to get to every fly ball. God I hate him. Hey B.J., when you want a real contract, come see the Red Sox.

Sox in Trouble

Now I'm not trying to gloat here (don't worry I am still taking pleasure in the anxiety of Sox fans) but the Red Sox look like they are in a world of trouble. Don't get me wrong, they can definitely still dig themselves out of this hole and make a run at the Rays - we've seen it happen before.

This time though, things are different. This is a Red Sox team that is hurting. Papi has only one wrist, Beckett has no velocity, Drew's back is as stiff as a board, Mike Lowell has no hip and even the always reliable Jon Lester has began to show signs that he is human after jumping from 183 total innings last year to 230 this year.

The other big thing you've probably already heard is that this team has no Manny Ramirez and people are right to point it out. This lineup is not nearly as intimidating without Manny. Even Papi is feeling it. Sure he is hurt, but pitchers don't have to fear pitching around him as much. Kevin Youkilis has been great as his protector since Manny left, but he just can't get out of Manny's shadow. If you think I'm being hard on Youk look at his line this series: .429/.429/.786. Those are very good numbers, especially considering how well the Rays staff has pitched this series (with the glaring exception of Scott Kazmir). Now you may not have seen what Manny has done to Philly this series since you're trying to forget Manny like an ex-girlfriend, but here is his line: .500/.667/.917.

Those numbers are simply inhuman. The most telling stat Manny has is six walks to zero for Youk. Six walks in four games means you're pretty damn intimidating. 

Aside from Manny being on the other side of the continent, the Sox are also looking at two big reasons that they should be worried. The first is that unlike last year against Cleveland, they don't have home field advantage. Games six and seven will be played to the irritating din of cowbells in the Trop. Florida hasn't been kind to the Nation this year and things could get ugly down there.

Second is Josh Beckett. He is simply not the same pitcher as last year and it looks very unlikely that he will be anytime soon. Without him Boston needs to consider the idea of moving Jon Lester up one start to game six to either save them for a game seven or to polish off the Rays.

Tonight will give us a better idea of how in trouble the Red Sox are. Wakefield has been great against the Rays during his long career but he hasn't been able to handle them this year. His record against the 2008 Rays is 0-2 with a ERA sitting at a rather bloated 5.87. 

This could get messy pretty fast.

Game 3: Rays Rout Sox

Damn, that was ugly. I don't think anyone was expecting what just happened tonight. At this point we all know that the Rays belong here. But of all of the games, this one figured to be competitive. Lester just didn't have it tonight, and Matt Garza did. I do have several complaints however. I will not make any excuses for the Sox poor play. These are just a few of things about game three that annoyed me.

What was up with the home plate umpire's strike zone? It was a wide strike zone, which is fine. It was just all over the place. Jason Varitek looked at a called strike that almost hit him in the shoulder during one at bat. The Rays had to deal with the same strike zone so I'm not blaming the umpire for the loss. It was just unbelievably bad officiating.

Jacoby Ellsbury looks terrible. Where is the guy from last year's playoffs blistering hits into the gap?

Why didn't the Sox try and do something to change the tone of the game? If B.J. Upton is killing you, throw at him. I'm not advocating hurting the guy, but he's way to comfortable in the batters box. Why not have Jacoby Ellsbury lay down a bunt or something to break Garza's rhythm?

Speaking of Garza, is there a more irritating player to watch than him? All baseball players fidget and have their idiosyncrasies. But I for one can't stand his glove flapping before every pitch or the non-stop spitting. You can actually see him scrape the loogey off of his tongue with his teeth before every expectoration. C'mon, dude. That's freakin' gross.

One inconsequential thought related to Dodgers/Phillies: what the hell has Manny Ramirez started chewing on since he moved to LA? It appears to be a red and blue mouth piece or perhaps wax lips. He better be careful he doesn't choke on it. You know Jeff Kent won't rush to give him the Heimlich.

Game 2: Sox vs. Rays

If you told anyone before the start of this series that game 1 would be the pitchers' duel and game 2 would be the five hour home run-fest, they probably wouldn't have believed you. The Sox have Scott Kazmir figured out finally. He hasn't pitched well against Boston all season. The Rays took advantage of a weakened Josh Beckett. I'm not surprised. Don't look for any post season heroics from him in his compromised state.

Over all, the first two games against Tampa were a success. Boston, who gained the split they were after, will have their most reliable arm on the mound in Jon Lester when they go back to Fenway. Dustin Pedroia emphatically came out of his playoff slump hitting two home runs. Prior to that he was hitting .095 in the post-season. It's mildly disappointing that the Sox couldn't come up with the win last night, but considering all the trouble they've had at the Trop this year, a split is fine.

The Rays have shown that they're capable of winning at Fenway this season. However, I still like the Sox chances now that home field belongs to them. We know that Lester can handle playoff pressure. I wonder if Matt Garza of Tampa can do the same in game three. The White Sox bludgeoned him for 7 hits and 5 runs in 6 innings his last time out.

Typical Matsuzaka

Daisuke Matsuzaka was his normal self last night. He started the game by walking the bases loaded before wiggling out of a jam. The whole night he was practically unhittable and aside from his walk total he was brilliant.

I still think that at some point all his walks will catch up with him, but I doubt it will be this year. Tonight Josh Beckett is on the mound against Sox killer Scott Kazmir. Hopefully Kazmir digs deep, back to his former days when the Red Sox couldn't touch his filthy slider. This year he has been far from dominant against them, posting an ERA of 9.00 in four starts against the Sox. Beckett could still have a fragile oblique and the Rays will be ready to redeem themselves after last night when they left six men on base and struck out 11 times.

In the senior circuit the Phillies knocked off Joe Torre and the Dodgers for the second straight game. You know its not your night when you let the pitcher go 3-3 against you with three RBI and two runs scored.

Torre has been in this spot before and I don't think you can count out him or the Dodgers just yet. Manny is still jacking home runs and Hiroki Kuroda can dominate any game. Plus Jaime Moyer is a good guy to have in your regular season rotation but he leaves a lot to be desired in a playoff rotation.

Game 2 was crucial for the Dodgers. They probably weren't going to win any game that Cole Hamels pitched in but they could have easily won any game that wasn't pitched by him. Chad Billingsley laying an egg in Game 2 was a big letdown for Torre. Still they are very much in the series as they head back to LA.