Rays The Stakes: Preparing for a More Limited Role

As we rapidly approach a new season (finally), I wanted to reach out and let everyone know that although things have gotten extremely hectic at the DirtbagFan household we still intend to cover our beloved Rays, albeit in a more limited role, but we'll be here none the less- I have too many opinions to keep quiet for too long.

In the meantime keep up with all your Rays' needs at Rays Index, and be certain to continue to support the BBA for everything else.

Check back often.

Thanks for your support,

DirtbagFan

Win a Jason Bartlett Autographed Card

**UPDATE (Sept 19)**
The entries keep rolling in, so get in while you still can- and tell your friends... its free.
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Rays the Stakes in conjunction with our good friends over at Sports Memorabilia are proud to announce some good news:


We are having a giveaway contest:

Win this Jason Bartlett Autographed Card (with C.O.A.)

THE CONTEST:

Send an email to raysthestakes@gmail.com telling us who you think will win this season's AL MVP award.

Everyone who correctly guesses the MVP will be entered into a random drawing to see who wins the Jason Bartlett autographed card from Rays The Stakes and Sports Memorabllia. Be sure to include your full name in your response.

Good Luck.

*Click here for more detailed info in regard to the card you could win.

CHEESE & WHINE: It Hurts.

Rays: 2
Yankees: 4

CHEESE:

• Jeff Niemann. Niemann continues to prove why he belongs at the top of the rotation, and has quickly become the Rays' most consistent pitcher. Last night Jeff pitched a great game and was rewarded by his bullpen with a no-decision. Niemann lasted 7 innings, allowing 1 run on 8 hits while walking 1 and striking-out 8, several of which were swinging K's thanks to the addition of his new toy, the splitter.
• Jason Bartlett. His lead-off homer would've been enough for the win if the Rays had anything that remotely resembled a major league bullpen. JB is hitting .331 for the season.
• Watching History. Even if it is Yankees' history. Seeing Jeter tie Gehrig as the all-time Yankees' hits leader was a treat. When you see Jeter at the top of a list that includes Mantle, Ruth, and Gehrig it puts how good he really is into perspective. Jeter represents all that is good in baseball (except for the fact that he plays for the Yankees, of course).
  

WHINE:

• Grant Balfour. Balfour allowed a 3-run pinch-hit homer (Posada) which allowed the Yanks to complete the comeback win. This was Balfour's third blown-save in a week.

CRACKERS:

• Congrats to our friend Prof (aka Cork) over at Rays Index. Who welcomes a new Rays' fan to the world.

CAVIAR (game ball):

• Derek Jeter. Well done.

CHEESE & WHINE: And Yet Again...

*a picture truly is worth a thousand words:Rays: 2
Yankees: 3

CHEESE:

• David Price. King David looked solid, pitching 6 innings allowing 2 runs on only 3 hits while walking 2 and striking-out 6. Price looked like we expected him to look all season, and hopefully he can finish strong and head into next season with all the confidence he lost when he was sent down to Durham to start this season.
• Evan Longoria. Dirtbag is ridiculous. Another day, another homer. Dirtbag now has 30 homers.
• Chris Richard. Richard played a solid 1st base, making some nice stops on tough hops, and also managed to record his first major league hit in 6 and a half years.

WHINE:

• RISP. Team RISP 0 for 5.
• Beating Dead Horses. I'm tired of complaining about the bullpen. Every day its a new scapegoat, this time it was Wheeler who surrendered the walk-off homer. A little offensive help would've been appreciated though. When your bully has been struggling the guys in the dugout should work extra hard to put runs on the board to make certain that no matter how bad the relievers are- they'll still have a shot at the W.
• Tailspin. The fall into the abyss continues as this is the Rays' 7th straight loss- their longest skid since their pre-all-star break meltdown last season.

CRACKERS:

• Evan Longoria is just the ninth player in MLB history to finish a season with 30 homers, 40 doubles, and 100 RBI while under the age of 25.

CAVIAR (game ball):

• David Price. Quality start under pressure in the Bronx. Dirty, rotten shame his team couldn't get him the win.
  

CHEESE & WHINE: I'm Calling It

I'm calling it:

Rays time of death, September 3, 2009 @ 10:23 pm.

Rays: 3

Red Sox: 6

CHEESE:

• Gregg Zaun. Zaun is a great addition to this team. I really hope they keep him around through 2010, so he can, at the least, mentor the young guys behind the plate. Zaun has also been a force from beside the plate, last night he finished just 1 for 4, but his 1 hit was a nice RBI double.
• Evan Longoria. Longo has been on fire from the plate again. This time he went 2 for 4 with 2 doubles and an RBI.
• Young Guys. The sadness of knowing that the postseason is just not gonna happen is somewhat off-set by the excitement of getting to see what some of the top minor league prospects have to offer over the next several weeks. Wade Davis makes his major league debut on Sunday, and several other players are on their way soon. I'd love to see the Rays find a way to make room for Desmond Jennings also.

WHINE:

• Flippin' Bullpen. Springer, Bennett, Shouse... you can have 'em. I'm done with 'em. Russ Springer is completely useless and Shouse makes even him look good.

CRACKERS:

• The Rays are now 6 games behind Boston in what I call an already-over playoff race. But I do believe in miracles, so there's that. Its gonna take God's help to make it happen, because these guys sure aren't going to do it themselves.

CAVIAR (game ball):

• Longoria. 2 more doubles (37,38) and an RBI (94)

CHEESE & WHINE: Whatever

Rays: 2

Tigers: 6

CHEESE:

• Nope.

WHINE:

• Matt Garza.

CRACKERS:

• Grab hold of the towel and prepare to throw it in.

CHEESE & WHINE: The Rays Can't Get Out of Their Own Way

Rays: 2
Jays: 3

CHEESE:

• Scott Kazmir. Kaz delivered his second consecutive solid start (with Zaun behind the plate). Kaz threw 6 solid innings allowing 1 run on 4 hits while striking-out 10 and walking just 1. Do you remember those days when Kazmir was capable of striking-out 10 every time out- wouldn't that be nice if he could be that guy again? I think in the case of Scott Kazmir, Gregg Zaun is just what the doctor ordered. If Kaz continues to pitch this well with Z-man behind the plate Mr. Zaun may just get resigned specifically for his ability to keep Kaz under control.

WHINE:

• JP Howell. Howell is still the man, but last night's performance was unacceptable, especially in a game in which the Rays could have made up a game on Texas who had just lost to NY earlier in the night. JP retired 1 in the 8th, but came back in the 9th and was not sharp, to say the least. Howell pitched 1 inning, giving-up 2 earned runs on 1 hit (a homer) and 3 walks. Howell spiked the last pitch of the night into the ground so far in front of the plate that it got away from Zaun and led to the final run strolling across the plate for the literal walk-off win.
• Star-Making. This Rays team has a propensity for making mediocre pitchers look like super stars. Once again the Rays made Mark Rzepczynski look like Pedro Martinez. They allowed Rzepczynski to pitch a no-hitter into the 6th before finally doing some damage (a Gabe Kapler, 2-run homer).
• Evan Longoria. Dirtbag grounded into yet another double play and leads all of baseball in hitting into double plays with an astounding 28.

CRACKERS:

• Tonight is an off-night for the Rays who resume play tomorrow in Detroit.

CAVIAR (game ball):

• Scott Kazmir. Another solid start from the former ace. If he can keep it up it will go a long way in helping the Rays make the postseason.... Zaun gets the assist.
  

CHEESE & WHINE: That Cat Can Hit

Rays: 7
Jays: 3

CHEESE:

• Carlos Pena. El Gato is about as hot as a hitter can be right now, and he belted 2 more homers last night; finishing the game 2 for 5 with 4 RBI. He did strike-out twice but if he maintains the ratio of 1 homerun for every K I'll be okay with that.
• Jason Bartlett. Who could ask for a better lead-off hitter? JB is batting .346, has an OBP of .397, and a slugging percentage of... wait for it... .530! Last night JB was 3 for 5 and scored a run.
• The 'Pen. Choate, Bradford, Shouse, and Wheeler combined to pitch 2 and 1/3 innings allowing 2 hits (both on Bradford) while combining to strike-out 4, issuing 0 walks and allowing 0 runs.

WHINE:

• Treading Water. Its seems as if whenever the Rays lose Texas and Boston win and whenever the Rays win Texas and Boston win. Infuriating.

CRACKERS:

• Not having the game televised was annoying, but being able to see Saturday's game in its stead will help mend the wound.

CAVIAR:

• Carlos Pena. This is the type of streak that helped invent the phrase, "He's on Fire!".
  

CHEESE & WHINE: Who Was That Pitcher?

Rays: 5
Rangers: 3


CHEESE:

• Gregg Zaun. Kazmir will get all the love, but I'm going to have to go out on a limb here and agree with Kevin Kennedy and say that Gregg Zaun had as much to do with Kaz' efficiency as Kazmir himself did. Zaun called a game that played to Kaz' strengths, and when things got a little hairy (men on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out) Zaun imposed his will, worked the batters, and helped Kaz get out of a jam. I was a little critical of the Zaun signing, but all I've seen so far is the glaring difference between Zaun (a hard worker and intelligent game caller) and Navi (a lackadaisical youngster who's got a lot to learn). If the Rays are able to squeeze into the wildcard a good portion of the credit may go to 38 year old Gregg Zaun- and rightfully so.
• Scott Kazmir. Kaz was efficient, I repeat Scott Kazmir was efficient! Kaz lasted 7 and 1/3 innings,his longest outing of the year (some will call it coincidence, I'll call it Gregg Zaun's game calling ability), allowing 3 runs on 5 hits, striking-out 4 and walking 2. Kaz threw 67 of his 106 pitches for strikes.
• Ben Zobrist. Zobrist finished the night 2 for 3 with a walk...oh, and another homer; a 2-run shot which was his 22nd of the season. Zobrist is hitting homeruns at a clip of 1 every 16.4 at-bats. To put that into perspective, your league leading HR hitter (Carlos Pena) is hitting a homer every 13 AB's. Impressive for a utility guy. If the Rays are able to squeeze into the playoffs we'll all know that Zorilla played an unexpectedly huge role.
• JP Howell. At what point do we start saying that this kid is money?

WHINE:

• RISP. As a team, the Rays were 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position. If you think you're going to win games against tough teams without pushing runners across the plate via productive outs you're wrong... I'm talking to you Carlos Pena, sometimes you just have to put the ball in play with 2 men on and 1 out, I understand you're a power hitter and you should dance with who brung ya, but swinging for the fences in that situation is busch-league.
  

CRACKERS:

• With this win over Texas and the Yankees beating Boston, the Rays are once again 3 back of Boston and 2 back of Texas in the AL Wildcard hunt.

CAVIAR (game ball):

• Scott Kazmir. The Rays could use more quality starts like that. Well done.

CHEESE & WHINE: Put Away The Brooms

Rays: 7
O's: 8


CHEESE:

• The Beef. Batters 1 through 5 were a combined 10 for 23 with 4 RBI (all belonging to Zobrist).

WHINE:

• The Beef. Batters 1 through 5 struck out a combined total of 8 times.
• BJ Upton. 0 for 4... again.

CRACKERS:

• Both Texas and Boston won their games leaving Tampa 4 behind Boston and 3 behind Texas in the AL Wildcard hunt. Simple math tells us that it'll now take a sweep just to pull even with Texas.
• The Rays have just 2 players batting over .300, Crawford (.321) and Bartlett (.344), and 4 starters batting under .240, Pena (.213), Navi (.221), Burrell (.232), Upton (.239).

CAVIAR (game ball):

• Ben Zobrist. Zorilla hit his 21st homerun of the season, and did all he could to keep the Rays close.

CHEESE & WHINE: One Run(g) At A Time

Rays: 3

O's: 1

CHEESE:

• Pat Burrell. Pat has found his bat. Burrell hit his 12th homerun of the season last night, his third in 4 games. We've waited very patiently for Pat to get on one of his famous streaks, and hopefully this is just the beginning. PB finished the night 2 for 4.
• BJ Upton. Speaking of waiting patiently, we've been more than patient with the junior Bossman as well, and he too seems to finally be putting together a little hot streak. Last night BJ was 1 for 3 with a solo homer, his second consecutive night with a dinger. If BJ and Pat can get hot and the pitching can hold up... look out.
• Ben Zobrist. While we're giving praise for solo homers let's not forget that Zorilla also knocked a solo shot in the 6th inning, his 20th of the season. Zobrist finished 1 for 3 with a homer and a walk.
• Jeff Niemann. The big man worked 7 and 1/3 allowing just 1 run on 7 hits while striking-out 5 and walking 1. Niemann is now 11-5 with an impressive 3.71 ERA. Unfortunately his name isn't even being bandied about in AL R.O.Y. circles while David Price's (6-5, 5.03 ERA) name is... sad.
• JP Howell. The gift that keeps on giving. Another converted save for the closer who isn't a closer. Howell pitched the 9th and allowed no runs on zero hits.

WHINE:

• Roy Halladay. Come on man, you can't do us one little favor and pitch lights-out against the Red Sox like you do v. everyone else. Allowing 5 runs on 8 hits and only lasting into the 5th... thanks for nothing.
• Evan Longoria. Dirtbag is slumping. Longo was 0 for 3 last night and is 1 for 11 over the last 3 games. Evan also hasn't his a homer since August 8th. BJ getting hot doesn't help if Longo goes cold.
  

CRACKERS:

• Wild Card. Texas lost again, so Boston now takes sole possession of the wild card spot leaving Texas 1 back and Tampa Bay still 3 behind Boston and 2 behind the Rangers with the Rangers headed to town tomorrow. Oh man, how exciting is this series going to be?
  

CAVIAR (game ball):

• Pat Burrell. PB Blaster is back on track and may still be able to pull-off 20 homers before all is said and done.

CHEESE & WHINE: Losing ground

Rays: 2
Blue Jays: 5


CHEESE:

• Carl Crawford. CC was 4 for 4 with 2 doubles and 6 total bases.
• BJ Upton. Bossman managed to go 2 for 3 and seemed just a smidge more comfortable at the plate. He still made a poor base running decision, but babysteps are all I'm asking for.

WHINE:

• Losing. For years everytime we'd turn on the Rays game we expected a solid start to each game but fully expected a loss each time out. A win was a welcomed surprise. Then around the middle of 2007 things started to look a little more promising- we dared to believe that the Rays actually could win any given game. 2008 was pure euphoria, and by the all-star break even if the Rays were behind in the 7th inning we still had this confidence that we knew the Rays were still going to win. This season started with the same confidence; convinced that the Rays could match-up with anyone and with the general knowledge that the Rays would win in the end even if they started slowly. It was an amazing feeling. Its gone. I just can't fool myself into believing that the Rays are going to win a game once they fall behind now. A team which was once at the top of the league in patience at the plate is now reckless at the plate, and they're making the opposing teams' pitching duties very easy. How can I put this in proper literary terminology?... This sucks.

CRACKERS:

• The Rays have now lost 5 straight, 6 of the last 7, and find themselves a mere 11.5 games behind NY and 5 games behind Boston.

CAVIAR (game ball):

• Carl Crawford. CC is doing all he's able.

JB & BJ: A Tale of Two Seasons

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

For Jason Bartlett times are good.
For BJ Upton, not so much.

The Best Of Times
One year ago we were all just learning to appreciate Bartlett's ability to play SS, and we were all pleased with the obvious upgrade at the position (formerly occupied by Brendan Harris), but offensively Bartlett had just begun to break out of his shell.

I, for one, was still not sold on Bartlett as a legitimate, long-term solution due to his lack of throwing power, and couldn't wait for Reid Brignac to break the line-up in 2009.
I even went so far as to coin the nickname Ol' Noodle Arm whenever I referenced JB (turns out he was having some minor shoulder issues).

At first, I wasn't impressed to say the least.

After the first half of last season Bartlett's stat line was acceptable, but nothing to write home about:
.256 BA/.299 OBP/.293 SLG/.592 OPS with 0 HR's and 20 RBI

Bartlett was essentially a role player. Filling his spot in the lineup and proving that he deserved a starting job, but he had only just begun:

Then came August. JB's line suddenly skyrocketed:
.389 BA/ .413 OBP/ .583 SLG/ .997 OPS with 1 HR and 17 RBI

Bartlett caught lightning in a bottle and he's been riding that wave ever since.
In the last year not only has JB proven to me and everyone else who watches the Rays on a daily basis that he's an All-Star caliber shortstop, but he's also shown that last fall's offensive explosion was not a fluke.

In fact, in the last 365 days Bartlett's numbers are as good as anyone else in the league:
.343 BA/ .396 OBP/ .523 SLG/ .919 OPS with 12 HR's and 72 RBI. Those numbers are all-world. Not bad for a player who was a side-note in the Delmon Young for Matt Garza trade.

Jason Bartlett has arrived. He is at the top of his game. He has become a very good, well-rounded middle infielder, who is a legitimate contender for AL MVP, and has a real shot at winning the batting title this season. At 29 years old he has finally hit his stride.

For Jason Bartlett it is the best of times.


The Worst Of Times
One year ago BJ Upton was taking heat for being a bit of a "slacker", but none of us really cared because he was "fluid" and his natural talent was spilling out all over the place. He was hitting decently, despite the fact that he was playing with a major shoulder injury, and he was playing a darn good center field.

BJ was coming off of a stellar year in 2007 during which he compiled an impressive stat line:
.300 BA/ .386 OBP/ .508 SLG/ .894 OPS with 24 HR's and 82 RBI, and most believed that the drop in power from one season to the next was directly related to the injury, so we gave him a pass for a sub-par 2008.

Then came the playoffs. Cliff Floyd supposedly pulled BJ aside and told him that he had to either man-up and ignore the pain or sit down and let someone else help the team. Upton chose the former. He was an offensive juggernaut during the post season, helping 7 balls over the wall and playing an important role in getting the Rays to the World Series.
Life was good.

Cue the rain clouds.
Upton underwent offseason surgery to repair his damaged shoulder (torn labrum), and was cleared to play shortly after the 2009 season began.

He struggled mightily in April and May, but the baseball world was patient, giving BJ the benefit of the doubt after not having the opportunity to practice in the offseason or spring training due to the shoulder surgery and subsequent rehab.
The season progressed and BJ continued to struggle. The more BJ struggled the more Joe Maddon stuck his neck out for him, "He's my lead-off guy. Period."
The days, then weeks, then months rolled by.
No improvement.

Then out of the blue, in June, the BJ we've all come to know and love, and whose return to glory we had all so patiently awaited, finally came screaming back to stardom.
In June Upton's stats were spectacular: .324 BA/ .395 OBP/ .562 SLG/ .957 OPS with 5 HR's and 22 RBI, and earned him the title of AL Player of the Month. Finally! Upton was back, and the world was right again.

But just as quickly as his talent had reappeared it slinked away into the dark corners of the Trop again. Upton's numbers suddenly dropped back to earth, and have continued to plummet as the season crawls forward.

BJ's mojo has left the building. Since June, Upton's numbers are utterly despicable, and August's embarrassingly slow start: .143 BA/ .189 OBP/ .143 SLG/ .332 OPS with 0 HR's and 1 RBI
has finally triggered Joe Maddon to remove Mr. Upton from the lead-off spot.

Everyone knows the rest of the story; BJ complains about being moved down in the lineup. The whole world turns their back on BJ. BJ complains some more. Joe Maddon is left with no choice but to sit Upton down- give him a few days off so he can clear his head, you know, just in case the Rays want to make a playoff run and need the help of their ultra-talented centerfielder.

It all boils down to this:
BJ Upton is in a slump. Its as obvious as anything we've ever seen. Its painful to watch.
Mark my words though, he will recover.
He will return to the all-star caliber player that he is. I guarantee it.
The only true question is this: will he learn from this?
The difference between a talented player and a great player is not always determined by what happens between the lines- sometimes its about what happens between the ears.

It's always darkest before the dawn.
Right now it's pitch black, and for BJ Upton it's the worst of times.


-JS

CHEESE & WHINE: Get Out The Dustpans

Rays: 5
Angels: 10


CHEESE:

• Carlos Pena. El Gato managed to record his league-leading 30th and 31st homeruns yesterday afternoon, but alas it wasn't enough.
• Jason Bartlett. JB finished 4 for 5 with a double hitting out of the lead-off spot. He did have an ugly throwing error which was very Bad-News-Bears-esque, but 4 hits in 5 tries helps with the forgiveness of sins.
• Joe Maddon. Should've benched Upton 5 days ago, but at least he did it. Wasn't it around this time last season when Upton was benched for jogging to first? Hopefully he responds the same way. The only problem with Maddon's decision to sit BJ was that he replaced him with Gabe Kapler who, although I didn't think it possible, looked worse at the plate than BJ.

WHINE:

• Losing. 4 in a row. Instead of smelling blood in the water when Boston lost 4 straight v. NY the Rays decided to show Boston that anything they can do we can do better; even when it comes to losing.
• Gabe Kapler. You want to know the turning point of this game? Do ya? It was in the 6th inning just after Pena had hit his second homer of the day. With 2 on and 1 out Kapler was ahead in the count 3-1 against a pitcher (Bulger) who had only thrown 1 strike since coming into the game. Instead of waiting for his pitch, Kapler hits into a double play. Inning over. Momentum switches tracks, and BJ Upton smiles knowingly in a dark corner of the dugout, thinking, "Ha, at least all I would've done there was strike-out- I should totally be in the game."

CRACKERS:

• The Rays are now 10 games behind NY and 4.5 behind Boston. The time to start winning is right...now!

CAVIAR (game ball):

• Carlos Pena. Pena hit 2 more homers, and just missed a third.

CHEESE & WHINE: I'd Like to Buy a Run Please

Rays: 0
Angels: 6


CHEESE:

• David Price. King David looked good, very good in fact, until he didn't. Price was working on a no-no until the 5th, at which point he did his best Matt Garza impression and watched helplessly as the wheels fell off. Price finished the game having pitched 6 innings, allowing 6 runs on 8 hits while striking-out 4 and walking none (he did hit a batter (Izturis)). I've decided to put him in the "cheese" section because for half a game he looked the part of the ace most scouts and pundits have always considered him to be.
• Gregg Zaun. Zaun is doing everything Navi is supposed to do; call a smart game from behind the plate, and put balls in-play when standing next to it. Zaun finished the night 2 for 3 with a double. I was fairly sceptical about the Zaun signing, but have absolutely loved what I've seen so far especially two nights ago when he cut Garza off at the pass when Matty G was trying to escape down the tunnel during a tough inning. Zaun put a comforting hand on his shoulder and brought the temperamental Garza back down to earth. Priceless.

WHINE:

• Everything Else. Santana looked good, but the entire Rays lineup made his job as easy as possible.
• Reality. The pain of having to realize that perhaps these Rays aren't a playoff caliber team. Watching other playoff contenders is starting to make this painfully obvious. The Rays' lineup has more holes than an afghan.

CRACKERS:

• Tom Verducci of S.I. wrote an article about the AL wildcard race which seemed fairly accurate and informative- until he mentioned Andy Sonnanstine's crappy ERA as a reason why the Rays can't contend. He also mentions Price as having a great rookie campaign, but failed to mentioned Niemann at all. Last I checked Niemann has been by far the better rookie. Darn professional writers.

CAVIAR (game ball):

• No game ball.

CHEESE & WHINE: Something In The West Coast water

Rays: 7
Angels: 8


CHEESE:

• One Player To Rule Them All. Jason Bartlett is doing everything he can to try to lead this team to the promised land, but apparently not everyone's on-board (I'm talkin' to you Melvin). JB finished a single shy of recording the Rays' first ever cycle; going 3 for 5, with a double, a triple, a HR, 2 RBI, and 9 total bases. Come on JB, is that all you got?
• Ben Zobrist. Zorilla finished the night 2 for 3 with 2 RBI, and was robbed of a game-tying homer in the 9th.
• Randy Choate. On a night where everyone else was giving up runs like they were going out of style Randy manned-up for 1 and 2/3 innings, allowing just 1 hit and no runs. Choate's ERA is an impressive 2.21 over 36 games with the Rays.

WHINE:

• Matt Garza. Matty-G's team kept giving him forgiveness for his sins. They spotted him 2 runs right off the top, but that wasn't good enough. They gave him back the 3 runs he had so hastily given away, but it wasn't enough. Garza lasted an abysmal 3 and 1/3 innings, allowing 6 runs (4 earned) on 6 hits, while walking 4, hitting a batter, and surrendering 2 HR's. Do me a huge favor- stop hanging out with Scott Kazmir!
• BJ Upton. Still not sure why you're not leading-off? Another 0-fer for the junior Bossman. 0-4 with 1... 2... 3 more strike-outs in the old ball game. Thanks for all the help.
• Willy Aybar. Maddon has tried his best to get Aybar consistent AB's, but it seems that he's a much more effective batter from the bench. Aybar was 0 for 3 with 2 K's. Do me a favor and stop hanging-out with BJ.
• Russ Springer. A few reports have said that Springer is just what the Rays needed. Ummm.. really? Last night Jerry's brother pitched to 2 batters, allowed 2 hits, one of which was a homer, and was quickly yanked before Rays' fans mistook him for Shawn Camp or Brian Stokes.

CRACKERS:

• Despite the fact that the Red Sox have done everything in their power to help the Rays slide into the wildcard slot the Rays' inability to win in the Pacific Time Zone still has them 2.5 games back of Boston and 2 games behind the Rangers with 50 games to go.

CAVIAR (game ball):

• Jason Bartlett. I bet Maddon wishes he'd have listened to the informed masses and made the lead-off switch about 2 months ago. Hey Joe, I told ya so (so did everyone else)! JB is batting .340 over the last 365 days- not bad for an add-on to the Delmon Young trade. No single player has ever re-formed my opinion about them as much as Mr. Bartlett.