CHEESE & WHINE: The Long(oria) Ball Returneth

RAYS: 6
SOX: 2


CHEESE:

• Evan Longoria. Dirtbag showed once again why I think he'll be the best player in the league someday (soon). Defensively, he's already trained us to believe that tough plays are routine, so the great charges and throws to first go largely unnoticed. But once again the story was his offense, as Dirtbag was 1 for 3 form the plate with a walk. Oh yeah, that one hit being a grand slam (the second of his career) to put the Rays up 5-2.
• Dan Wheeler. Wheels came-in in relief of Howell and recorded the hold. Danny-boy worked 1 and 1/3 innings striking out 3, walking 0, and allowing 0 hits. That's why he'll be around all year.
• Carlos Pena. Just two pitches after E-Lo's grand slam El Gato smashed his 10th homer of the year into right field. Pena leads the league in homeruns.
• Heart. In the top of the 5th the Sox took a 2-0 lead. The Rays had only recorded 1 hit and it looked like the same old feast or famine routine for Tampa Bay, but for the first time this season they showed some heart, some determination, and the will to win. They put up 6 in the bottom of the inning and never looked back.

WHINE:

• Andy Sonnanstine. Sonny was off of his game again, lasting only 5 2/3, while allowing 2 runs off of 8 hits, walking 4 and striking out 1. Sonny's one asset as a pitcher has always been that he throws strikes. Sometimes too many strikes, that's what makes him hittable, but if he can't find the strike zone soon its gonna get interesting. Sonny threw 96 pitches and only 56 were strikes (58%), and yet through it all he recorded the W. That's what people like Prof at Rays Index mean when they say that all this guy does is win.
• The Los Angeles Angels of Disney Near Anaheim in/or around Southern California. The Angels led the Yankees by 5 in the 8th, but found a way to let the Yanks score 6 and record the W with a walk-off single by Posada. Thanks for nothing.

CRACKERS:

• The Rays are now 5th in the league in HR's with 30.
• Of those 30 homers, Longoria and Pena are responsible for 17.
• Only 1 of the 30 HR's have come from the DH position (Burrell).
• I'm now 2 for 2 with my predictions for the Rays from my Eternal Optimist post. The bad news is that I predicted a loss tonight, so hopefully my streak ends here.