CHEESE & WHINE: Rocky Mountain High

Rays: 12
Rockies: 4


CHEESE:

• Gabe Kapler. I'm still one of Gabe's biggest critics, but credit is given where credit is due: The Hammer finished the night 3 for 4 with 4 RBI, including another homer (his 4th). Kapler finished a double away from being the first Rays player to hit for the cycle.
• Ben Zobrist. I might as well call this the Zobrist & Whine post every morning. Zorilla ended the day 3 for 5 with 1 RBI (coming on his 14th homerun of the season). Zorilla also finished a double shy of being the first Rays player to hit for the cycle.
• Jason Bartlett. How great was it to see JB back in the lineup? I was slow to come around on this guy, but his value is no longer arguable. In his return from the DL Bartlett managed to go 2 for 4 with an RBI and scored twice.
• BJ Upton. Upton was 3 for 5 on the night with a home run and 3 RBI. Bossman also had 7 total bases in the game. Of course he couldn't help but get picked-off at first, again.
• Joe Nelson. Nelson has been about as good as you can be over his last seven appearances; allowing zero runs and, believe it or not, zero hits in that span. Last night Nelson threw for 1 and 1/3, walking 1 and striking out 3, allowing zero runs on zero hits. Go ahead and keep doing that Joe.
• Longball. The Rays combined for 5 homers in the game, one each for Upton, Pena, Kapler, Longoria, and Zobrist.

WHINE:

• Boston, New York, and Toronto all won their respective games as well- so much for making up ground. C'est La Vie.

CRACKERS:

• The Rays are now 4 games over .500 for the first time this season.
• Ben Zobrist has just one fewer homer run than Evan Longoria despite having 60 less AB's so far this season.
• Pena's 21 homers leads the AL.

CAVIAR (gameball):

• Ben Zobrist/Gabe Kapler. These two are on fire.