I'm back and the Rays never left

WOW, sorry for the hiatus but certain things could happen to a person that limits his writing capabilities (work and kids). None the less I'm back in action and ready to tackle the situation at hand. It has been months since I last commented on my favorite team but don't think I wasn't paying attention. I like to think I have studied the team from all angles now and I'm pretty sure I have a good idea of what's going on.

We all knew after the last series in Boston that the Rays were destined to make the playoffs and if there was any doubt about there capability in October it was answered after game one against Chicago. Now for the seventh time this year the Sox and the Rays will square off for the ultimate prize, the pennant.

Today the two teams announced their starters with Sheilds facing Dice-K. From a statistical and a fan stand point you have to like the Rays. Jamie is just to strong, especially at home, and K is to inconsistent with his pitch count, not to give the Rays a victory. Maddon has Kazimr two and Garza three witch I do not like. Even though Kaz will throw a hundred pitches in three innings, Matt just can't seem to win on the road. So to be objective I will have the series at 2-1 Rays. Here is where things get tricky. Does Maddon go with Sonny or a fourth starter in general, or with the break will he give the ball back to Sheilds. If you look at the regular season Sonnistine has been just short of perfect against Boston witch freaks me out because you know he should start before Kaz but what are the chances of that happening. In my opinion he will start in enemy territorywhere he has had success and he will pick up a victory. This now brings us back to the Trop where Sheilds will close it out.

Now I haven't brought up offense, defense, or injuries but from a pitching stand point it is hard to argue the Rays win in five.

Opposite Coasts, Opposite Direction

On the Atlantic side of things, the Marlins are struggling like, well, like fish out of water. Florida was once again rocked by the Rockies (I'm full of the obvious puns tonight!), this time by the score of 12-6. A common thread in many of these recent losses is a lack of longevity in starting pitching. Tonight's starter, Ryan Tucker, last just 4 innings. He gave up 8 runs on 7 hits, with 6 of those runs coming in his final inning. This marks a Major League record 263rd straight game without a complete game pitched. To make matters worse, one of the Marlins more reliable relievers, Justin Miller, was put on the 15 day DL earlier today. Closer Kevin Gregg has had a rough stretch, failing in his last 2 attempts to record a save. On the season, Gregg is 15 of 21. The Marlins are going to have to find longer starts from someone in the rotation if they hope to keep pace.

Meanwhile, on the other coast (of Florida), the Rays have the best record in baseball. With their win over the Royals tonight, Tampa extended its winning streak to 6, and its lead in the AL East is at 4 games. The Rays are 9-1 in their last 10. Perhaps the most telling stat is their home record, 35-13. The friendly confines of the Trop have been... devilish... to their opponents. The Rays, as opposed to their Floridian counterparts, have 3 pitchers who have complete games this season, including 3 time CG-er, James Shields. Closer Troy Percival, although currently on the DL, is saving games at a much better clip (19 of 21). Quality pitching = wins.

The Marlins are still only 3.5 games back of the Phils, but now sit just one game over .500. To make things worse, the Mets are starting to play well. They are just one game behind the Fish after their win against the Phillies. The Fish continue their tour of the NL west with 1 more against the Rockies tomorrow, and then a trip to lowly San Diego where they need to make a statement. A 4 game series against the struggling Dodgers offers more opportunities to turn things around before the All-Star break. Oh yeah, the first series after the break is at home against the Phillies.

The Rays lead the highly financed AL East by 4 games, and are playing like a team that will be there in October. Tampa still has 2 more against the Royals, then a quick 2 game set with at Yankee Stadium, followed by a 3 game series in Cleveland against another surprisingly wallowing team in the Indians. They won't see Boston or New York again until the first week in September.

With one week to go before the break, both clubs have opportunities against lesser opponents to show that they are planning to play meaningful baseball well into September. Hopefully, Florida will have multiple representation in October.

Marlins Signing Their Draft Picks

As I casually observe the Marlins down 3-0 at the moment, I suddenly find myself more interested in the future of the team. The good news for the teal and black is that they've been signing their draft picks.

Here's an excerpt from the informative report of Future Fish:

"The Fish have signed first pick Kyle Skipworth for $2.3mil and he’s already in camp. Big win right there for the Marlins to already have him signed and ready. RHP Pete Andrelczyk signed for $185,000. 3B Paul Gran signed for $40,000. LHP Daniel Jennings signed for $145,000 out of Nebraska. The other signees have been RHP Bryan Evans, RHP Johnny Dorn, LHP Andy Loomis, RHP Thomas Koehler, OF Kenneth Bass, LHP Wade Korpi, 2B Lonnie Lechelt, C Robert Taylor, OF Kevin Mattison, 3B Richard Orton, RHP Wayman Gooch, OF Brian Schultz, RHP Drew Clothier, OF Jeremy Synan, and 3B Joel Staples."

By the way, it's now 5-0 and Hendrickson is chased from the game. The Rays look all-world while the Marlins are really struggling. Bad, bad times.

Marlins Lucky to Have Jacobs

As the Marlins attempt to bounce back today from their most embarrassing loss of the season, I think we, the depressed fans of the slumping Fish, should look on the bright side of things.

The Marlins have Mike Jacobs: The best .240 hitter in the National League.

Where else can you find a guy like this but on the 2008 Marlins?

Jacobs plays consistent defense (well, consistently awful, but hey consistency is consistency, lets not be picky).

He hits big home runs (for instance he got the Marlins on the board last night vs those devilish Rays. So what if we were down 15-0 when we did it?)

He hits for a high average. (Um, higher than Nick Swisher and Adrian Beltre! How 'bout that?)

Jacobs gets more value per hit than anybody except maybe Cody Ross. Jake has 55 hits, 18 of them homers, with 57 strikeouts and a robust .270 OBP.

In all seriousness, I'd rather have Jake at the plate more than any other .240 hitter except Oakland's Jack Cust. Almost nobody hitting around .240 can rake like Jake. I realize he isn't the player we saw pre-annual injury, but he is really this bad? Is Jorge Cantu really THAT much better defensively than Jacobs?

This Citrus Series is really putting me in a bad mood. Rant over.

Marlins SOOO Dependent on Long Ball

I've certainly enjoyed the Marlins-Rays game so far today. The Marlins currently lead 6-2 through seven innings (if that changes significantly by the time you read this article, feel free to ignore the following).

We've focused a lot on the Marlins' lack of execution. Simply put, the Marlins hit nothing but homers. How did they get their six runs today? Two three-run bombs, from Wes Helms (a beautiful AB) and Mike Jacobs respectively.

Mike Jacobs is the prototype of the Marlins player. His average is dipping south of the .250 line, and yet he has 16 HRs. When he's at the plate, I think HR or bust, every time. At some point, he's going to have to think about shortening his swing a little bit.

The long ball can be an excellent source of run production, and it's been rumored that chicks dig it (anyone know Mike Jacobs? can he validate that?). The problem is, the Marlins offense goes nowhere when they aren't hitting balls out of the park. They went homerless for three straight games, and to nobody's surprise, they lost all three of them.

It's never a good idea to live or die by anything...it's time to start finding other ways to score. Chicks may dig the long ball, but they like a little foreplay too!

Ricky Nolasco vs. Edwin Jackson

There's no way the Marlins can give their father fans another loss, right? Not on Father's Day!

Today's matchup is an interesting one. The Fish have had success against Edwin Jackson in the past, but there's a quick lesson to be learned; all previous impressions of the Rays go out the window. Jackson has had a productive year, mixing in his dominant stuff with more poise and maturity. He also seems to perform best at home and in day games (Fish Stripes tells us)...yikes.

Fortunately, the sparkling-of-late Ricky Nolasco will combat him. Nolasco needs to be a streak-stopper here. Win today and the series is salvaged, at least to some degree. Get swept and the Marlins are in a whirl of trouble.

Look for Dan Uggla, who recently became a father for the second time, to pull out of his slump today. Just a gut instinct.

Marlins Fall Again

The Rays are making fish stew of their in-state rivals, especially when it comes to the Marlins offense. Ever since Dan Uggla launched that walkoff grand slam, the Marlins offense has been incredibly anemic. Every AB has been uninspiring, with few runs to show for it. This has to change or the season could be over soon.

Yesterday, it was Matt Garza who did his best Jamie Moyer impression. He silenced the Fish to just one run, leading the Rays to an easy victory. The Marlins just never seemed in the game. No HRs, poor execution...where is that potent offense?

So far, the Rays look like a legitimate contender. The Marlins? Rotten fish.

Citrus Series More Acidic These Days

Can you remember the old days of the Marlins-Rays rivalry series, when the losing Marlins would usually beat up on an even worse Tampa Bay Devil Rays team? You'd have Yankees-Mets, Cubs-White Sox, Giants-A's, and of course, that dreadful all-Florida series.

This is the first time both teams come into the matchup with a winning record, and at this point, the Rays have the upper hand. Not only do the Rays sport a better record, but they've played much tougher opponents in the vastly superior American League. A complete team, with a strong rotation, lights-out bullpen, and promising young lineup, the Rays are a sight to behold.

They also took Game 1 of the series last night, demonstrating a brilliance for execution (something that has eluded the Marlins). They converted 3 for 3 on runner-on-3rd-less-than-2-out situations, which is the mark of a great team. The Marlins, not so much.

Let's see if the Marlins can push the Rays around with the long ball tonight. If you want to see the game, however, you'll have to drive over to Tampa. No television.

Time to Start Thinking Wild Card

Don't mistake the title of this post...I'm not in any way advocating that the NL East Division race is over. The Phillies do happen to be on a monstrous tear, separating themselves from the pack (3.5 ahead of the Fish), but their fortunes will turn.

Rather, I just want to alert our readers to the prospect of the Wild Card. It's not so disappointing really, when you consider the Marlins have won two World Series from that position. It's very much within reach, and it could serve as an excellent consolation. Here are the current Wild Card standings:

St. Louis 38-27
Florida 34-28
Milwaukee 33-30
Houston 32-32
Atlanta 32-32

The Marlins sit 2.5 back of the Cardinals, but many believe St. Louis has been overperforming. I tend to agree...in fact, my concern rests with the Braves. This is something we'll be monitoring closely from now on.

Note: The Rays have a comfortable lead in the AL Wild Card race, leading Oakland by 3 games. Could both Florida teams be Wild Cards?

Plenty of South Florida interest in top 10 picks

South Florida has been well represented through the top 10 picks of the 2008 MLB Draft. With the first pick overall, the Tampa Rays selected Timothy Beckman, a high school short stop out of Georgia. It appears as though Beckman has all the tools in place to be a bona fide MLB'er in the future; he has speed enough to cover the holes in the infield as well as steal a few bases, and the power to be a solid fixture in any lineup.

The 3rd pick came from the Royals, and they selected, from American Heritage (Boca Raton\Delray Beach\Plantation area), Eric Hosmer. He's been called the top bat in this year's draft, drawing comparasion to Casey Kotchman, despite only being in high school.

With the 6th pick, the Marlins selected, as predicted here on TSFFB, catcher Kyle Skipworth.

Then, with the 7th pick, the Reds picked University of Miami first baseman Yonder Alonso, who beat out South Carolina's Justin Smoak to be the first college first baseman to be picked. What Alonso lacks in defensive abilities, he more than makes up for with power.

And just recently, another Hurricane was taken with the 12th pick; 2nd baseman Jemile Weeks.

More as the draft unfolds...

Marlins and Rays Continued

We've talked a lot about the Marlins and Rays this week. Though we've all been civil, the national media has asked the question: Which team is more for real?

Jayson Stark actually led a debate on this very issue, concluding that the Rays were better suited for long-term success. Here's three good excerpts:

THE CASE FOR TAMPA BAY
Look out: This team finally has some pitching to go with all its up-and-coming position-player talent. The Rays just threw back-to-back shutouts against the Angels. Their rotation has almost as many quality starts (20) as the Red Sox (21). And they're second in the league in bullpen ERA.

THE CASE FOR FLORIDA
Nobody wants to face this lineup. The Marlins are now hitting more home runs per game than the Phillies (and everyone else, for that matter). Just the double-play combination alone -- Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla -- has combined for as many home runs (19) as the Royals' entire team. And no team in baseball has scored in double figures more times than the Marlins (six), even though they play in the worst hitters' park in the Eastern time zone.

THE VERDICT
Much as I admire the Marlins' thump and hustle, this is still a team winning with a very shaky formula. Florida's rotation just nudged its ERA under 5.00. The Marlins have committed the most errors in the league (33). And they had been outscored for the season by their opponents until they bludgeoned the Nationals, 23-7, over the weekend. So I'll take Tampa Bay -- a team with superior pitching, an offense that has outscored the Yankees and has had the look of a team Team On The Rise since the first day of spring training.

And:

Sam (Chicago): Jayson, if you had to choose between Carl Crawford and Hanley Ramirez, who would you build your team around?

Jayson Stark: Fun question. I love watching Carl Crawford, but Hanley Ramirez is as multi-talented as any player in the whole sport. He'd be my pick. Feel free to try to talk me out of it.

And Finally:

Steven Krajnyk (TAMPA BAY, FL): Could Dan Uggla be the most underrated player in the MLB?

Jayson Stark: He's definitely on my all-underrated team. Does ANYBODY know he had 83 extra-base hits last year? And he's on the same kind of pace this year. Check your list of middle infielders who have had back-to-back 80-xbh seasons. You've heard of them! The only other second baseman who has ever done that? How about Rogers Hornsby!

It's great to see Uggla finally get his due. I encourage you all to read the whole thing if you have the time.

MLB Standings as of 5/12/08 at 12:00PM

As Dwight D. Eisenhower was known for saying (former President of the United States and Columbia University (which just won the Ivy Baseball title...Go Lions!)), it's best to keep things brief. In accordance with his philosophy, I give you the MLB standings:

Florida 23-14, .622, -
Arizona 23-15, .605, .5
Boston 24-16, .600, .5
Chicago Cubs 22-15, .595, 1
Oakland 23-16 .590 1
St. Louis 23 16, .590, 1
Tampa Bay 21-16, .568, 2
LA Angels 22-17, .564, 2
Houston 21-17, .553, 2.5
NY Mets 19-16, .543, 3
Philadelphia 21-18, .538, 3
Minnesota 19-17, .528, 3.5
Atlanta 18-17, .514, 4
LA Dodgers 19-18, .514, 4
Cleveland 18-18, .500, 4.5
Chicago Sox 18-18, .500, 4.5
NY Yankees 19-19, .500, 4.5
Baltimore 19-19, .500, 4.5
Milwaukee 18-19, .486, 5
Pittsburgh 17-19, .472, 5.5
Texas 18-21, .462, 6
Toronto 17-21, .447, 6.5
Kansas City 16-21, .432, 7
San Francisco 16-22, .421, 7.5
Detroit 16-22, .421, 7.5
Cincinnati 15-23, .395, 8.5
Washington 15-23, .395, 8.5
Colorado 15-23, .395, 8.5
Seattle 15-24, .385, 9
San Diego 14-24, .368, 9.5

Living in a "State" of Baseball Euphoria

Wildfires are crossing the state, it's an ordinary Monday, and yet I find myself bubbling with something I haven't felt in years...baseball euphoria!

All our posters seem to have gotten a case of it, and it's highly contagious. You know the Marlins are making news when The South Florida Fan favorite Rick of SFDB kicks off his Cooler (not Sift) with: "How 'bout them Marlins?!!! That and just a few other stories from your mainstream media for you to read and discuss."

So what if we've endured a 1-win Dolphins season, a 15-win Heat season, another playoff-less Panthers season. The Marlins have the best record in all of baseball! The Rays have dominated competition in thrilling fashion! Ah yes...euphoria feels good.

IS THIS THE END OF THE WORLD?

Wow! I don't know where to start. The Rays are playing out of their minds right now and are looking damn good doing it. In fact they have been playing so well that I haven't had a new post in a week because of the state of shock that I'm just starting to recover from. Yet when looking back at the last couple of weeks the only explanation for their winning ways is that they are just playing good fundamental, baseball. I know that is not the sexiest awnser but it's the truth. The Rays have won 15 of their last 24 but more impressively have won six of their last seven series including three sweeps. But it's the way they have accumulated these wins that has really got the Bay are up in a frenzy.

Since the first day of spring manager Joe Maddon has been serious about installing a winning attitude based on the basics and the team has not only bought this message, they have invested it towards the future. Good pitching, timely hits, and most importantly, stellar defense can be accredited to the teams recent success. As I before mentioned, the attitude is the underlining factor here. This Rays team won't roll over any more when pushed against the wall, cause no one puts C.C. in the corner. This is a scrappy mix of youth and veteran leadership that proves good character and chemistry is the foundation for success. If you don't believe me just recap a few of the victories over the past couple of days.

Percy blows a save, no problem, Navarro will hit a grand slam in the 13th. Bullpen tired, no sweat, Sheilds and Kazmir will pitch deep into the game. Starting pitching having some issues, don't worry Crawford will do it all by himself. Remember it's not how you win, as long as you win. The other teams in the A.L. East have known this day will come, but know the rest of the league is paying witness to a franchise that doesn't let inflated payrolls or egos get in the way of playing the game the right way.

So Who's For Real?

East is east, and west is west,
So which one of our teams is really the best?

As we wake up this Monday morning, the Marlins have the best record in all of major league baseball, at 23-14, and are riding a 7-game winning streak. The Rays have the third best record in the American League, at 21-16, and are riding a 4-game winning streak. Both teams are greatly exceeding any forecaster's wildest predictions, and yet neither team is really taken very seriously for the long haul, especially when it comes to the Marlins.

The point was driven home during my doubles tennis game yesterday morning. In response to my comment about the recent success of our team, my opponent, a diehard Yankee fan from Scarsdale, calmly remarked, "They're playing well for a weak team." Perhaps he should have referred to the payroll, not the quality. A more appropriate comment might have been, "They're playing well for a poor team." Looking at the inflated payroll of both New York teams, it is hard not to cringe. But even that is about to change somewhat with the long term 70-million dollar contract soon to be signed by Hanley Ramirez.

Then, in listening to ESPN radio last night, the discussion revolved around these two Florida over-performing teams, with the consensus being that the Rays were the more likely team to prevail over for the duration of the season, with the Marlins the more likely team to collapse. After all, the Marlins have been winning on scoring runs and power, while the Rays have the stronger pitching with Kazmir back in form and a better team ERA overall.

I predict exactly the opposite. The Marlins pitching will only improve, with Miller and Badenhop showing signs of belonging above triple A, Mitre and Sanchez on the mend, and a strong corps of relievers and closers. The lineup is also likely to strengthen, with Willingham and Jacobs due to return any day now. History favors the Marlins as well, need I say more?

There may be a ray of hope for Tampa Bay, but, at least in the mind of this reporter, the Marlins are the big fish in Florida.

Later Hammel

In case any one out there has actually listened to my podcast then what I'm about to write won't come as much of a surprise, but for those of you with a life I'll try to make this short and sweet. I've had a bit of a conspiracy theory involving the Rays that dates back to the end of spring training, and basically it goes as follows.

The only real problem about having so much raw, untapped talent is that it's hard to single out who's in and who's out as quickly as you would want. And this formula becomes even more difficult when these fringe players are out of options, and just happen to be good enough that you can't cut them out right. So what do you do? Well if you're the Rays you send down the players with options even if they are the best player (Longoria). And you put a guaranteed starter on the DL even if he's not that hurt (Kazmir). All of this was done just to try to get a few extra weeks to evaluate the talent that's left.

Now for the last few weeks with the team playing quite well management has been almost hoping for a bad outing just to help them make there minds up. And now that Kazmir is coming back time is running out fast. Well last night Jason Hammel gave them the excuse they needed. After giving up three runs and putting a lot of base runners on, Maddon had no choice but to pull him after only going 2 2/3 innings. Now we will go over the reasons why Hammel has drawn the unlucky chamber in this game of Rays Roulette. Kaz, Sheilds, and Garza are absolute locks which leads only two starting positions and with success of Sonny and the hard on they have for Jackson the chances of the starting five changing is slim to nill.

And with the bullpen playing out of their minds the only changes that will be made is dropping Birkins for Reyes, but even Birkins is playing well, unless of course they release Reyes and keep Hammel but I just don't see that happening. And if you look to the bench Haynes is the one they might move but then you have to take in to consideration what to do when Aybar and Zobrist are healthy. Now all of this is of course is speculation but no matter how you look at it Hammel's days are numbered, and it's not because he can't cut, but because he's on a team with too much talent.

Marlins and Rays in First Again

Earlier this year (on April 5th to be exact), I wrote a post chronicling the rarity of the Marlins and Rays being in first place at the same time. In that piece, I noted that it had happened only ten times in baseball history, with April 16th, 2004 being the furthest into a season.

Not so anymore. Both April 27th and 28th, 2008 shattered all previously conceived notions. The Marlins currently lead the NL East at 15-10 and the Rays the AL East at 14-11 (riding a dominating 6 game winning streak). As amazing as that sounds, there are intangibles that make it even more improbable. I'll state the reasons for each team:

1. Florida Marlins - Not only were the Marlins predicted last in the division by every analyst, but the Braves, Phillies, and Mets were supposed to be dominant. Could the Marlins conceivably be in first place after 10 games? Certainly. Any team can ride a 6-4 start out of the gate. What about after 25 games? NOBODY would have predicted it. In fact, most people would have been shocked by a third place standing.

2. Tampa Bay Rays - There was a good deal of optimism surrounding the team this year, but not the kind that has them leading the Yankees and Red Sox. They were the lovable losers, who just might squeak the engine that could to third place for the first time. Somewhere along the way, the Rays forgot to listen. They just dismantled the Red Sox for a punishing three-game sweep, and the division has taken notice. This Rays team is a legitimate threat.

How long will these expected bottom-dwellers slurp the cream at the top of the crop? You can't expect too much, but let's relish it while it lasts. After all, it could be for a while.

Navarro Good, Bullpen Better, C.C. Best

The two biggest question marks coming into this season have, by all means, been the two biggest surprises so far. Dionar Navarro came into this season with a make or break attitude hell bent on proving to every one that he more then belongs to be in the Bigs. Average fielding and sub-par hitting had him closer to the exit than his locker, and after another freak accident where he had to get stitches in his hand slipping in the dugout, it looked like just another mishap that has seemed to follow him through out his career. But since coming of the DL he has been nothing short of fantastic. In four games he has gone 6 for 14 with 2 walks and 3 R.B.I.'s. Not to mention the starting pitchers he's caught in those games have all looked quite impressive. He has almost single handily kept the team in competition over those games.

I say almost because the biggest surprise by far has been the pen. After setting records for worst relief pitching in baseball history, the Rays now hold the title of best bullpen in the majors with an E.R.A. at 3.4, and if you were to take Reyes out of the equation it would about 2.9. Hats off especially to Scott Dohman, who has been more then effective as both a long reliever and a situational pitcher. But to be the best you have to beat the best, and after a slow start there is no one hotter right now than Carl Crawford. Last night he hit two triples and a single to extend his hitting streak to 13 games and give the Rays (and my fantasy team) the boost it most desperately needed.

What is really impressive though is that during this streak, 12 of those games have been multi-hit games and 6 have been three hitters. As of now Carlos Pena is really the only one slumping and I think Maddon giving him a night off will be good for him, and I do believe he will bounce back shortly. So hopefully the team can keep this winning streak rolling and when you can get production from you superstars and your "scrubs" then only pennants can follow. Wait, did I just say that?

Home Sweet... ORLANDO?

For the second year in a row the Rays have made the trip down I-4 to The Magic Kingdom for a three game home/away series in Orlando. And for the fifth straight game they have won. Tonight's game was especially exciting with Evan (MAN CRUSH) Longoria getting a two out, two R.B.I. single off the great Roy Halladay in the sixth to tie the game. Jason Hammel was good enough (again) going six full and grabbing the W. My only question is, why are the Rays so freaking good in Orlando?

It's been hard for them to do anything successful in bunches since the formation of the organization and all I want to know is, why not play more games there. Now just to let you know, I am not the biggest fan of them having "home" games on the road but I do understand what they are trying to do. For those who do not follow ratings, the Tampa and Orlando markets combine to be the number six market in the country. And that's a lot of money if every one is on board.

But the reality is, how many of these Disney based homes are going to make the two hour drive to St. Pete to catch a game. I don't know one person going from here to Orlando to see the Magic, and they're in the playoffs! So even though I support the spread of Rays mania, I don't think the experiment is going to be much of a success. But if they keep winning out there I have no problem sacrificing a couple of extra games just to pad the stats.

ODB on the road

So in the interest of the Florida Fan Blog (and to do some hard core gambling at the Hard Rock) the ODB took it on the road this weekend to Tampa and took in a Devil Rays, er, whoops, Rays game. Here are my thoughts from the live action Saturday night against the White Sox.

-It was a good crowd. The line to get tickets before the game was about half an hour long and at least half the seats were filled up. Granted there were some loud go White Sox chants but the painted, inebriated college kids(USF maybe?) all decked out in Rays gear more than made up for it.

-Jonny Gomes is a stud. With two outs he got picked off first only to run his way out of a pickle with a diving slide past an old groaning Mark Buerhle. This led to a four run inning that pretty much put the game away. His next at bat he hit a shot that should have been out but hit the top of the wall. Didn't bother Gomes. He didn't stop to admire the blast. He ran the whole way through and cruised in with a triple.

-Andy Sonnanstine(I just looked up the spelling) threw strikes. It might not sound like much but all he did was throw strikes. He was ahead on every hitter and never being behind in the count led to no rallies for the White Sox.

-Other than the Rays mascot(what in the world is that thing?) I was impressed with the experience. Here's to the Rays continuing to sign their young talent and putting fans in the stands.