CHEESE & WHINE: Thank Heaven For Small Miracles

TAMPA BAY: 3
MINNESOTA: 5


CHEESE:

• Evan Longoria. Dirt McGirt went 3 for 4 from the plate, including a 3-run dinger in the 6th to put the Devil Rays back on top for good. (We'll accidentally forget about the error at 3rd...shhh).
• James Shields. The ace looked the part in what turned out to be a grit-and-grind kind of game. Shields pitched 7 innings, allowing 2 runs on 7 hits while striking-out 5 and walking 1. That, my friends, is what a top of the rotation starter's stat line should look like just about every time around. Shields threw strikes at a rate of about 69% which is paramount in getting ahead of scrappy hitters like those on the Twins. Shields now moves to 4-4 on the season with a respectable ERA of 3.53.
• Carl Crawford. CC had another productive game; 2 for 4 from the plate with a solo homer (his 2nd) and recording 3 of the Devil Rays' 5 runs.
• The Red Sox lost.

WHINE:

• Carlos Pena. Pena struggled at the plate going 0 for 4... again. The Crime Cat looks like he needs to get back to basics; "see the ball, hit the ball". With the injury bug sneaking around camp the Devil Rays need El Gato to produce more consistently.
• Reid Brignac. Okay kid, you're getting your opportunity to show management why they should keep you up to play second base in Aki's absence, now take advantage. Another 0-fer for young Reid last (o-3) and he's not doing himself any favors.
• Joe Maddon. Why? Why Joe? Why pull Gross in the 6th in favor of Kapler in a close game? Give me one good flippin' reason? Gross is at least 147 times better in RF (which is crucial in a close game), and he's a better, more patient hitter than Kapler as well. This is a situation where playing the lefty v righty match-up makes no sense whatsoever because Gross is hitting better against lefties than Kapler is. Plus from that at-bat forward Kapler faced right-handed pitchers, so what was the point? Don't over-think yourself in an attempt to be Phil Jackson. Come on Joe, what's your beef with Gross, and on the same note, what's up with your love affair with Kapler?

CRACKERS:

• Randy Choate was credited with the save last night, giving him his first career save in 199 games.
• Starting today we will now hand out a "gameball" called "Caviar" (keeping with the high-end dining experience theme) to the best Devil Rays' player each game- similar to what Rays Index does with their Sunburst Player of The Game (with the obvious exception that I'm not giving away a prize if you guess who I'll pick- my pockets aren't nearly as deep as Prof's).

CAVIAR:

Evan Longoria. Its only appropriate that the first Caviar award be given to my nickname-sake.