Tampa Bay Rays Issues Extend Beyond Bad Call

The Tampa Bay Rays  had a ninth-inning rally snuffed out by a bad call by home plate umpire Marty Foster on a 3-2 pitch to Ben Zobrist.  The Rays were trailing 5-4. at the time. Joe Nathan “earned” his 300th save, and the rest of us were left to ponder what might have been. In case you missed it check out this video/audio by Rays Index. Rays announcer Dave Wills was at his best. Foster later admitted it was the wrong call.

Bottom line, it was a bad call, and it may have affected the outcome of the game, maybe not, but the Rays issues extend well beyond a bad call in the  bottom of the ninth inning.

The Rays Way is a well documented formula of winning with pitching and defense. Add to that  timely hitting and the Rays turned around an organization over the last several years. But for now there is no hitting, which translates to very little winning. Evan Longoria  to no one’s surprise, is  off to the best on the team start hitting .417 10-for-24  in the first seven games.  He has two RBI and no home runs. Ben Zobrist,  generally a slow starter as parlayed his time in the WBC into  the most productive player for Tampa Bay, hitting .400  with seven RBI and one home run.  After Longoria and Zobrist  the fall off dramatic.

Desmond Jennings  got off to a good start and looks like a completely different player at the plate but is now hitting.208.  James Loney checks in at .211. Matt Joyce has a home run and RBI and a .200  batting average. Kelly Johnson .125, Yunel Escobar .120, and Sam Fuld .111  are making the Mendoza line look good.

Not exactly numbers that will strike fear in the hearts of opposing pitchers and unless Longoria and Zobrist are allowed to take turns batting to make up a line-up it might get worse before it gets better, if it gets better at all.

Rays pitching will continue to keep them team in games, albeit frustrating games most nights, but the pressure to make perfect pitches inning after inning  adds up. Luke Scott is still a few weeks away, recovering from a calf injury. Wil Myers is not yet  ready for prime time,  although you have to wonder if could he do worse, but the smart play is to keep them in Durham for now.

One bat behind Longoria would help him to get some better pitches but for now that is probably going to have to come from someone on the current 25 man roster. Any ideas?

Rays Notes: Jeff Niemann  will have surgery on his right  shoulder  to repair his labrum and rotator cuff. Niemann will have an additional MRI exam today before the surgery that “more than likely” will keep him out the whole season, Rays trainer Ron Porterfield said.