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Art Deco · 06-23-2020, 02:27 PM

Game 1: It's Boston, again. Having played them 7 times already out of the first 24 games it's time to revisit the scene of the 19-17 loss which still has me scarred. Nothing like that tonight, though, as Max Fried took the mound and pretty much shut the Sox down. Which was important because the Rays offensive juggernaut was slowed tonight to the tune of 6 hits, but they were opportunistic in the 4-2 win. The game was scoreless until the top of the 6th when Wander Franco reached on an error, stole second, and then Meadows went opposite field over the Monster for HR #8 of the season to make it 2-0. Xander Bogaerts doubled in a run off Fried in the bottom of the 7th, and with Adams and Alvarado tired, Dany Jimenez got pinch-hitter Jeter Downs to fly out to end the threat and earn his first hold of the season. And in the top of the 8th with two out, Ji-Man came through with a clutch 2-run double to make it 4-1. Tried sneaking Jimenez through the 8th but with two out he gave up a HR to Yairo Munoz to cut the lead to 2. Nick Anderson got Alex Verdugo to fly out to end that threat, and then he stayed on in the 9th to face Buster Posey, only to walk him. Enter Brad Hand with the lefty Eric Thames due up, and Hand got Thames to roll into a 4-6-3 DP on his way to save #10. The record now stands at 21-4 as Fried goes to 3-1 and lowers his ERA to 2.79. Incidentally Whit Merrifield finally walked for the first time this season. The Jays beat Texas so the lead remains 3 games.

Game 2: With the key end-game relievers needing a rest, it was time for Zack Greinke to step up and earn the $15+ million contract he was given. And step up he did, tossing a complete-game shutout (the Rays' first since Blake Snell's 1-hitter vs Toronto last season) as the offense made it easy for him in a 10-0 win. He wasn't dominant or overpowering - his line was 9 8 0 0 1 5 - but he hung in there and threw a team-high 123 pitches. Given his veteran arm and the fact he's getting an extra day's rest with our current 6-man rotation, it was an easy call to leave him in as long as he was effective. On the hitting side of the equation, Nelson Cruz had a pair of 2-RBI singles, the more important one in the first inning with 2 out to put the Rays on the board. Max Kepler had an RBI single in the 3rd, Kiermaier went oppo over the Monster as Meadows did last night for a solo shot and just about everybody got into the act with team totals of 12 hits and 9 walks. Meadows was 2-3 with a pair of walks and 4 runs scored. The only one who didn't crash the party was Wander Franco, 0-5 today and in perhaps his worst slump as an MLBer with his batting average down to .280. It really does say something about this offense though if they can put 10 on the board without any contribution from him. They're now 22-4 and 4 games up on Toronto as the Jays fell to Texas 9-7.

May 1: Hitters of the month at all the levels! (Meadows took the honor last June and July as well)

Game 3: The Rays got out to an early 2-0 lead after a Ji-Man sac fly in the 1st and yet another Ronaldo Hernandez bomb over the Monster, and then broke it open with a 6-run 4th that kicked off with a Kepler solo shot and finished with a 3-run Meadows blast. That was more than enough for Joe Ryan, who dealt with numerous baserunners but still turned in a nice 6 6 1 1 2 7 line. With an 8-1 lead, Jacob Nix came on in the 7th, gave up a run, but got through the 8th. Then the fun started, Nix gave up another run to make it 8-3, Dany Jimenez walked a couple of batters including one with the bases loaded, and suddenly it was 8-4 with the tying run at the plate and two outs. Eric Thames was due up so I had no choice but to bring in Alvarado. The Red Sox countered by pinch-hitting Bogaerts but Alvarado got the strikeout and the Rays preserved the win to go to 23-4. Ryan is now 4-0, 3.07 and Meadows was 4-5 today giving him an insane 396/484/802 triple slash. His 1.286 OPS and 2.6 WAR lead MLB by a decent margin. Hernandez continues to rake playing every 3rd-4th day, now at 433/469/933 himself with 5 HR and 10 RBI in only 30 AB.

Team record: 23-4, 4 games up on Toronto.

06-23-2020, 02:27 PM	#31
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,341	April 29-May 1, 2022: at Boston (3) Game 1: It's Boston, again. Having played them 7 times already out of the first 24 games it's time to revisit the scene of the 19-17 loss which still has me scarred. Nothing like that tonight, though, as Max Fried took the mound and pretty much shut the Sox down. Which was important because the Rays offensive juggernaut was slowed tonight to the tune of 6 hits, but they were opportunistic in the 4-2 win. The game was scoreless until the top of the 6th when Wander Franco reached on an error, stole second, and then Meadows went opposite field over the Monster for HR #8 of the season to make it 2-0. Xander Bogaerts doubled in a run off Fried in the bottom of the 7th, and with Adams and Alvarado tired, Dany Jimenez got pinch-hitter Jeter Downs to fly out to end the threat and earn his first hold of the season. And in the top of the 8th with two out, Ji-Man came through with a clutch 2-run double to make it 4-1. Tried sneaking Jimenez through the 8th but with two out he gave up a HR to Yairo Munoz to cut the lead to 2. Nick Anderson got Alex Verdugo to fly out to end that threat, and then he stayed on in the 9th to face Buster Posey, only to walk him. Enter Brad Hand with the lefty Eric Thames due up, and Hand got Thames to roll into a 4-6-3 DP on his way to save #10. The record now stands at 21-4 as Fried goes to 3-1 and lowers his ERA to 2.79. Incidentally Whit Merrifield finally walked for the first time this season. The Jays beat Texas so the lead remains 3 games. Game 2: With the key end-game relievers needing a rest, it was time for Zack Greinke to step up and earn the $15+ million contract he was given. And step up he did, tossing a complete-game shutout (the Rays' first since Blake Snell's 1-hitter vs Toronto last season) as the offense made it easy for him in a 10-0 win. He wasn't dominant or overpowering - his line was 9 8 0 0 1 5 - but he hung in there and threw a team-high 123 pitches. Given his veteran arm and the fact he's getting an extra day's rest with our current 6-man rotation, it was an easy call to leave him in as long as he was effective. On the hitting side of the equation, Nelson Cruz had a pair of 2-RBI singles, the more important one in the first inning with 2 out to put the Rays on the board. Max Kepler had an RBI single in the 3rd, Kiermaier went oppo over the Monster as Meadows did last night for a solo shot and just about everybody got into the act with team totals of 12 hits and 9 walks. Meadows was 2-3 with a pair of walks and 4 runs scored. The only one who didn't crash the party was Wander Franco, 0-5 today and in perhaps his worst slump as an MLBer with his batting average down to .280. It really does say something about this offense though if they can put 10 on the board without any contribution from him. They're now 22-4 and 4 games up on Toronto as the Jays fell to Texas 9-7. May 1: Hitters of the month at all the levels! (Meadows took the honor last June and July as well) Game 3: The Rays got out to an early 2-0 lead after a Ji-Man sac fly in the 1st and yet another Ronaldo Hernandez bomb over the Monster, and then broke it open with a 6-run 4th that kicked off with a Kepler solo shot and finished with a 3-run Meadows blast. That was more than enough for Joe Ryan, who dealt with numerous baserunners but still turned in a nice 6 6 1 1 2 7 line. With an 8-1 lead, Jacob Nix came on in the 7th, gave up a run, but got through the 8th. Then the fun started, Nix gave up another run to make it 8-3, Dany Jimenez walked a couple of batters including one with the bases loaded, and suddenly it was 8-4 with the tying run at the plate and two outs. Eric Thames was due up so I had no choice but to bring in Alvarado. The Red Sox countered by pinch-hitting Bogaerts but Alvarado got the strikeout and the Rays preserved the win to go to 23-4. Ryan is now 4-0, 3.07 and Meadows was 4-5 today giving him an insane 396/484/802 triple slash. His 1.286 OPS and 2.6 WAR lead MLB by a decent margin. Hernandez continues to rake playing every 3rd-4th day, now at 433/469/933 himself with 5 HR and 10 RBI in only 30 AB. Team record: 23-4, 4 games up on Toronto. Last edited by Art Deco; 06-23-2020 at 07:04 PM.