Baseball, Buds & Brews

Joey Wendle deserves that ASG spot! His WAR is nearly 3.0 higher than Giancarlo Stanton's since 2018!!

As the great Dave Wills would say, RAYS WIN! RAYS WIN! RAYS WIN! 7-1 to 🧹🧹🧹 the Mets. Another big day for the Rays offense, imagine how tough this team will be if they score five runs and pitch like this every day. Thoughts on the game? We'd love to hear them...

Mets @ Rays - 1:10pm - Stroman (NYM) vs. Fleming (TB) - 📺 BallySports SUN 📻 95.3 WDAE 620AM

A huge bounce back week for the Rays to salvage the series against the Yanks. And a great start with two wins against the Mets. A pitchers duel in the first and an offensive explosion yesterday afternoon. The pitching was great against the Yankees, however the Rays bats were reminiscent of the series against Oakland at the Trop. Opportunities to win every game, but you gotta score a run or two to win. Glad to see they're putting it together, and the pitching staff looks great with multiple guys slated to return from the IL soon.

In other news, the Rays sent Yoshi Tsutsugo to LA for cash/PTBN and he will now play for the Dodgers. I'll keep you all posted on his status as I closely follow Dodger baseball as well. The Dodgers also just signed Albert Pujols to come off the bench and pinch-hit occasionally.

Last night was about as good a pitching performance as you'll get. Sean Manaea's perfect game broken up with an Arozarena walk in the 7th and Manaea's former HS teamate in Mike Brosseau breaks up the no-hitter with a double to lead off the 8th. A beautiful piece of hitting I might add, nice short swing to slap that splitter into the Right-Center gap. Rich Hill was spectacular too with 6 innings of shutout ball allowing the only 2 hits in the game at the point, all of which came from Jed Lowrie. Prior to Seth Brown's RBI single in the 7th, Lowrie had all 3 hits in the baseball game for all 18 hitters. And sure enough it was Brown who hit the walk off homer with 2 out in the 9th, making him the only Athletic to drive in a run. Just an all around great game of baseball, and spectacular pitching from both sides. Hopefully Rays can bounce back tonight and get to a Mother's Day rubber match.

Some videos from the series in Anaheim 🧹

Some pictures from the series in Anaheim 🧹

HOME OPENER SPECIAL

We will be live from the Trop on Friday Noon-2pm talking about the first week of Rays baseball and what to expect from the first home series of the year. Stop by our tent in the back of Lot 7 for a free hotdog and grilled potatoes and talk Rays baseball with us. It's an ALCS rematch baby! You don't want to miss it!!

Rough last three games for the Rays. Pitching is struggling and missing Anderson and now Chaz Roe is starting to take its effect. Will they turn it around tonight in Boston and salvage a win? We'll discuss this and recap the series with the Fish in our blog post later today.

Rich Hill's curveball usage has increased by 2% annually the last 3 years lowering his opponent average against his curveball also drop annually over the last 3 years

Rays @ Marlins 6:10p ET - TV: Bally Sports Florida (NO COVERAGE ON SUN TODAY) - Radio: 95.3 FM WDAE 620 AM
Just under two hours to first pitch looking for the opening series sweep. Still pumped over the big late rally last night? Me too! Bats came alive late and we saw our first solid offensive inning of the season in the 9th last night. Tonight we get to see what Rich Hill has left in the tank. He has always been a very solid starter and obviously he does something right to have been pitching at this level for the last two decades. I got to see him a lot with the Dodgers, and he had good stuff then, I expect him to be the same dependable Rich Hill we've seen the last few years and he will be a key piece to filling the void of Morton and Snell.

Keys to the Game:
1) A solid start from Rich Hill (just like we got from Glas and Yarbs)
2) Get a couple runs and the lead early, run support for Hill.

Rays Lineup:
Meadows RF
Margot LF
Wendle 3B
Diaz 1B
Kiermaier CF
Adames SS
Zunino C
Brosseau 2B
Hill P

Thoughts and comments after the game. Lets go !!

Huge comeback win for the Rays after blowing a late 2-0 lead. Cash pulled Yarbrough after giving up a two out double in the fifth (5.2 IP 0 R). Marlins putting together a 3 run 7th inning rally that all started with two outs to go up 3-2. They would add one more in the 8th. But clutch singles from Lowe and Diaz set the stage for Joey Wendle starting in place of W***y Adames. Wendle roped a 1-2 splitter into the first row of the right field upper deck stamping the Rays back on top 5-4. Margot would immediately follow with a triple, being driven in on a sac fly by new young catcher Francisco Mejia to tally it at 6-4. Castillo would close it out for a second consecutive night to get the Rays to 2-0 and in good position to sweep the opening series.