The Tampa Bay Rays have not had much to celebrate of late losing last night for the for the fifth straight time (while scoring seven runs) and eighth in their past nine games (scoring 19 total), dropping to 75-61and blowing a chance to gain ground on the Boston Red Sox.
Last night down 11-2 in the eighth Rays manager Joe Maddon thought it might be time for a morale boost. Enter Sam Fuld into the game, as a relief pitcher.
Maddon didn’t want Josh Lueke to go past 50 pitches and thought bringing in Fuld would “boost morale somehow.’ Fuld hit 86 mph four times and 87 once, getting J.B. Shuck to fly out to end the eighth.
He was the third position player in team history to pitch, following Wade Boggs (1999) and Josh Wilson (2007).
Fuld’s career ERA of 0.00 is better than that of legendary lefty Sandy Koufax. Fuld smiled when that fact was called to his attention.
“Yeah, and I’m going to sit on it, too,” Fuld said.
The team will have to wait until tonight to see if it worked on morale.
