Sure, you can giggle about going to see the Go-Go’s.  Feel guilty about what you might see while watching Adam Lambert.  But, for pure star value, the Tampa Bay Rays are the 2010 champions of post-game concerts.

Take the Texas Rangers for example.  Their list of “talent” includes Reckless Kelly, Stoney LaRue and Los Lonely Boys.    To make things interesting, they bring in MercyMe for a pre-game performance.  ZZ Top alone trumps this sorry list.

The Pittsburgh Pirates give it the all-american try.  But, to me, their list doesn’t measure up.  They offer the likes of Collective Soul, Steve Miller Band, George Thorogood, Luke Bryan, and O.A.R.  Not bad, but top-to-bottom, the Rays are still the winners.

The Florida Marlins have a bunch of Hispanic musicians I’ve never heard of, O.A.R. and the Steve Miller Band.  They get one bonus point for having Pitbull last year, but they still come up short.

Then there’s the Arizona Diamondbacks.  They pulled in Hall and Oates.  We both got Maneater.  No big deal.  The other?  The Wiggles.  Seriously?  The Wiggles?  What demographic does that play to?  The D-Backs are trying to appeal to the 2-5 crowd?

Personally, I think the Lansing Lugnuts might be doing a better job than some of these big league teams.  At least they are bringing in some cover bands that mimic top acts.  There’s pseudo-Kiss.  Make-believe Pink Floyd.  And, fake Neil Diamond.  Any one of those is better than The Wiggles.

 

 

3 up…

1. Hank Blalock – 4 for 6 with two home runs and four RBI
2. Evan Longoria – 2 for 5
3. John Jaso – 1 for 2 with two RBI

3 down…

1. Reid Brignac – 0 for 4 with three strikeouts
2. Carlos Pena – 0 for 4 with two strikeouts
3. Carl Crawford – 0 for 4 and caught stealing twice

• With this series split at home, the Rays home record is now 15-12. That is not very good for the best team in baseball. Their 19-5 road record has saved them, or else this team could be a lot worse than what it is now. That was just a bad game yesterday. The Rays were a little unlucky, but it was not well played. Why would you throw a fastball down the middle on a 3-2 count with the bases loaded? You are begging for a grand slam. Give him a changeup or curveball. C’mon James Shields, you’re better than that.
• The Rays open up a three game series with the Blue Jays tonight in Toronto tonight. The Rays will send Matt Garza to the mound. Garza has  done well this season, going 5-3 with a 2.97 ERA on the season. The Rays need to turn around their skid after a rough 2-5 homestand.
• The Rays will face Brandon Marrow, who has struggled this season. Morroww is 3-4 with a 6.66 ERA. The Rays will hope to beat him up and get an easy win to get back on the right track.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (28-22, 1st place) – beat Rochester 6-0

• Jeremy Hellickson does it again.  He went seven innings, allowing four hits, no walks, no runs while striking out seven.  He’s now 8-2 on the season with a 2.49 ERA.
• Elliot Johnson had a big game, going 3-4 with two home runs. 
• Chris Richard and Jose Lobaton also hit home runs in this game.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (26-22, 2nd place) – game against Tennessee postponed due to bad weather.

Single-A Charlotte Stone Crabs (26-23, 3rd place) – swept a doubleheader with Dunedin 3-2 and 5-3.

• In game 1, Shane Dyer improved his record to 2-1 with Charlotte, allowing two unearned runs on five hits in six innings.
• Zach Quate allowed a hit, but struck out the side in the seventh to earn his sixth save.
• Leslie Anderson was 2-4 to lead the Stone Crabs.
• In game 2, Nick Barnese improved his record to 4-3 as he went five innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits.
• Matt Joyce and Michael Sheridan each had three hits for Charlotte.

Single-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (20-30, 6th place ) – beat Fort Wayne 1-0

• Starter Jason McEachern pitched six shutout innings, allowing just four hits.
• Alex Koronis pitched the final 1 2/3 innings to notch his third win of the season.
• Chris Murrill and Tyler Bortnick each had two hits for the Hot Rods.

 

3 up…

1. Ben Zobrist – 2 for 2 with a double and an RBI
2. Carlos Pena – 2 for 4 with an RBI
3. Reid Brignac - 1 for 3 with two RBI

3 down…

1. Carl Crawford – 1 for 6 with 4 K’s
2. Evan Longoria – 0 for 3 with a strikeout
3. John Jaso – 0 for 2

 

 

With the Rays’ bats slumping in recent weeks, the attention is definitely on the Rays starting pitching rotation.  Paul White of USA Today wrote about the staff, calling them the “Five-armed Monster”.

Quoting Indians manager Manny Acta:

“Pitching rules.  They’re in first place because of their pitching.”

So, how did the Rays develop such a strong rotation?  Five starters, all doing well with Jeremy Hellickson waiting in the wings.  Quite frankly Rays General Manager Andrew Friedman isn’t saying: 

“There are certain attributes we like in pitchers.  Beyond that, it’s none of your business. Sorry, I was trying to think of a polite way to say that.”

***

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram passed out more high praise on the Rays’ starting pitching staff, noting that Wade Davis is the only starter with an ERA over 3.00.  And, the team ERA of 3.04 more than a half-run better than the next-best team, Seattle, who sits at 3.72.

***

Frank Fitzpatrick takes a parting swipe at Pat Burrell in the Philadelphia Inquirer:

• On the day that Roy Halladay throws a perfect game to get us off of the consecutive perfect game streak, the Rays tore apart John Danks. Danks tore apart the Rays offense the last time he faced them, so it was only fair that the offense exploded to guarantee a split. For the Rays, Evan Longoria went 3 for 5 with a run and a RBI. Carlos Pena was only 1 for 5 but his 1 was a hude 3 RBI double to left-center. John  Jaso was 2 for 5 with a RBI. BJ Upton was 1 for 3 with a run, a RBI, and 2 walks. Reid Brignac was 2 for 4 with 2 runs. Wade Davis went 6 1/3 innings while allowing 3 earned on 6 hits to pick up his 5th win. Rafael Soriano picked up his 14 save on a perfect 9th.
• The Rays will look to keep the offense going while facing Jake Peavy, who has struggled of late. He is  3-4 with a 6.05 ERA. The last time he faced us, he allowed 7 earned in only 4 1/3 innings. The Rays would like to see that Jake Peavy today to pick up the series win.
• The Rays will send James Shields to the mound, who has pitched great this season, going 5-2 with a 2.99 ERA. The Rays would like to see a good outing out of Shields to pick up a much needed home series win before heading to Toronto tomorrow.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (27-22, 1st place) – lost to Rochester 6-4

• Carlos Hernandez was roughed up for six runs (five earned) in 4 1/3 innings to lose for the third time this season.
• Another first base option, Chris Richard, went 5-5 with three doubles in the losing effort.
• Desmond Jennings was 0-6 with three strikeouts.  He’s mired in a slump that see’s him 1-23 in his last six games.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (26-22, 2nd place) – lost to Tennesee 3-0

• Starter Alex Cobb allowed three runs on eight hits over five innings to drop his record to 0-1.
• Darin Downs pitched three shutout innings, striking out seven.

Single-A Charlotte Stone Crabs (24-23, 3rd place) – game in Dunedin postponed by rain.

Single-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (19-30, 7th place ) – lost to Fort Wayne 3-2 in ten innings

• Starter Aaron Dott allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits over 5 1/3 innings.
• Deivis Mavarez looked good in relief, pitching 3 2/3 shutout innings, allowing one hit and four walks.
• Chris Murrill slugged his first professional home run in the seventh inning, a solo shot.

 

It’s hard to watch a walk-off celebration that goes as bad as it did today for the Angels.  Kendry Morales will be lost for an extended period of time after fracturing his lower leg.  He will undergo surgery tomorrow.

So, I bring up the Rays.  The Angels would seem to have a glaring hole in their lineup.  If they call Andrew Friedman looking for a first baseman, namely Hank Blalock, should Friedman listen, or hang up the phone?

Here’s my serious question.  Could a trade be worked out that would send Blalock to Los Angeles that would bring Scott Kazmir back to Tampa Bay?  Kaz is struggling as a starter.  A record of 3-5 with a 6.34 ERA is ugly.  Blalock and, say, Andy Sonnanstine for Scott Kazmir seems fair.  It doesn’t have to be Sonnanstine.  We can negotiate someone from the minor league system. 

The Rays just shook off a season-ending injury to JP Howell.  How about adding Scott Kazmir to the bullpen as a lefty specialist?

 

3 up…

1. Dioner Navarro – 5 for 13 with two doubles and a stolen base (!).
2. Carl Crawford – 4 for 15 with a home run
3. Willy Aybar – 2 for 8 — both hits were doubles

3 down…

1. Ben Zobrist – 0 for 7 with three strikeouts
2. BJ Upton – 1 for 12 with five strikeouts
3. Evan Longoria – 1 for 9 with three strikeouts

For a team in an offensive funk, this game has the makings of nothing fun.  As a lefty, Danks is actually tougher on the Rays’ right-handed bats.  We wait until later this afternoon to see what kind of magic Joe Maddon comes up with in creating tonight’s lineup.