The new-look Rays faced their sternest test of the season to date going on the road to play the team that swept them out of last year's playoffs, Houston, and passed it with flying colors by sweeping the Astros.
They took the opener in comeback fashion, turning a 4-2 deficit after 6 into a 6-4 triumph.
Danny Perez started the turnaround with a solo homer (#7) in the 7th to cut the deficit to 4-3 and then a 3-run rally in the 8th as
Tony Fisher's RBI single tied it, Perez's RBI single put them ahead, and
John Lopez added one of his own for insurance. Earlier they got solo shots from
Danny Rivera (#5) and
Isaiah Jackson (#3).
Leo Gutierrez struggled at 4.2 8 4 4 1 3 but the bullpen held Houston scoreless the rest of the way with
Ken Battle (3-0) getting the win and
Eric Lewis pitching a 2-whiff 1-2-3 9th for his 6th save, so perhaps he's gotten his act together.
The final score of the second game was 11-3 Rays but they trailed 2-1 after 5 and it was tied at 3 after 6 before 8 runs over the 7th and 8th made it a laugher.
Danny Perez drew a bases-loaded walk in the 7th to put them ahead for good and
John Lopez singled in another run before 6 runs in the 8th keyed by a 2-run
Justin Blackwell single ended any suspense. Blackwell (#3) and
Danny Arroyave (#8) had earlier hit solo homers in the 6th and
Willis Ramirez had 4 of the team's 17 hits on the night.
Chris Ericson once again couldn't get through the 5th thanks to control problems (4.1 3 2 2 4 3 and 16 BBs in 22 IP so far) so
Isaiah Washington (2-1) earned the relief win.
After the game we made a trade:
Although Lopez is listed as a SS the only position he could really play competently was 1B and we had used him as our DH against lefties the last two seasons where he did combine to hit .347 over 392 ABs with little power (5 HR). With
Danny Rodriguez soon to come off the IL there wasn't going to be any room for him with
Danny Perez taking over at DH and Lopez was off to a poor 2 for 20 start so it was time to move him. In return we got a guy who could serve as a stopgap 3B next season as
Danny Arroyave is a free agent. Benavides has 45 contact/55 power with 50/60 potential and is an average fielder at the position. He'll go to Durham.
Back to the action. We were up against our former longtime ace Joe Marlette in the finale. Marlette completely lost his stuff last year as has been well-chronicled in these pages and was down to 35 and he came into the game with a 4.76 ERA and only 5 whiffs in 17 IP in his first year with Houston. We did knock him around a bit (5 9 3 3 1 4) but he held his own; instead it was the Houston bullpen we got to in an 8-7 win to complete the series sweep.
Danny Perez continued to impress, hitting a 2-run homer (#8) off Marlette in the first and added a 2-run single in a 4-run 6th that put us up 7-3. But
Danny Morales struggled big-time for the first time this year and he left two on before giving way to
Jon Coggin in the bottom of the inning, and Coggin promptly gave up a 3-run homer to former Rays C Willie Gutierrez to let Houston tie. We held there until the 9th when
Danny Rivera singled in
Willis Ramirez, who himself had singled and stole second with two out.
Jeremy Begley also had a big game, going 4-4 with 2 runs scored, a steal and an RBI. Morales had a brutal 5.1 8 6 6 3 4 line allowing 3 homers, and
Walt Kelly (2-1) picked up the win after getting the final out in the 8th and staying on in the 9th to preserve the win.
Team record: 20-7. Lost in the excitement of sweeping Houston is the fact the team is now on an 8-game win streak, and the division lead is up to 4 1/2 on Baltimore. And this while playing most of our games on the road and our next stop is Chicago, where we'll play 3 against the 12-13 White Sox.
And this:
