CHEESE & WHINE: Well Played

Rays: 7
Phillies: 1


CHEESE:

• Matt Garza. Matty-G was sharp to start the game but struggled with his control starting around the 4th inning where he walked the bases loaded. Garza was tossing a no-hitter into the 5th and finished the night having pitched 8 innings, allowing 1 run (a homer by Werth) on 3 hits, while striking-out 7 and walking 3.
• Jason Bartlett. JB was only 1 for 4 with 2 K's, but he extended his hitting streak to 18 games and is now tied for the franchise record. Bartlett's 1 hit was a 2-run single in the 5-run 8th.
• Pat Burrell. You have to feel good whenever a player gets to play against his former team, and to me it was just a matter of time in this series before Pat the Patient brought out the bat against a bunch of pitchers that he's ultra-familiar with. PB finished the night 1 for 4 with a homer and 3 RBI. He did, however, leave 4 runners on base. Baby steps.

WHINE:

• Evan Longoria's Hammy. Longo left the game in the 7th inning with some pain in his hammy (the same hammy he's been nursing for nearly a month now). Evan doesn't think its a big deal [TB Rays], but I'm fairly certain we've seen the last of Longo for this home stand. Apparently the Rays can't enjoy good news (Aki's knee not being as bad as originally assumed) without matching it with bad news.
• JC Romero. Forgive and forget I cannot do. The league knew he was juicing and let him pitch in the world series regardless. B.S. I never want to see him again.

CRACKERS:

• Sonny's last game as a starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays will be tonight (strictly conjecture), hopefully he puts together a solid performance and the Rays can actually win a series v. the Phils.

CAVIAR (game ball):

• Pat Burrell. Let's hope that's the start of his first hot-streak for the Rays.