CHEESE & WHINE: Another Day Another L

RAYS: 3
TWINS: 4


CHEESE:

• Ben Zobrist. Pinch hit homer off the first pitch from top-notch closer Joe Nathan to lead off the 9th. This kid impresses me more every day.
• Ummm... That's it.

WHINE:

• Willy Freakin' Aybar. It could easily be said that Aybar cost the Rays the game with his poor decision-making on the basepaths. In the top of the 5th Aybar was at 3rd with 1 out when Navarro hit a soft grounder through the infield. Instead of taking off for the plate immediately, for some unknown reason, Aybar hesitated before heading for home where he was easily gunned down. Huge mistake on many levels; obviously that 1 run was the difference in the game, and Navi (or anyone for that matter) finally comes through with an opportunity to make a productive out just to have it nullified by Sleepy McGee over at 3rd. Here's a piece of advice Willy: don't take baserunning tips from Melvin Upton (I know, I know he had 2 steals last night... woo-freakin-hoo)
• James Shields. The Rays "ace" looked more like the joker last night (again). Shields surrendered 7 hits and 3 runs in 6 and 2/3 innings, recording 4 K's while issuing 4 walks. Oh, and let's not forget the hit-batter with the bases loaded that gave the Twins the 3-2 lead. Beauty, eh? Give yourself a pat on the back Shieldsy, way to build on the momentum of last night's win by coming out strong in the 1st and shutting them down.
• The Rays were 2 for 11 with RISP.

CRACKERS:

• The Rays have now gone 14 games since winning 2 in a row, when they won the final game of the Baltimore series followed by the first game of the Yankee series, and are now 6.5 games behind Toronto.