No Quick Fix In Sight

May 27th, 2016

Jim Hickey’s legendary mojo has disappeared

This Citrus Series was way more sour than sweet.

Mercifully, the Rays’ agony against the Marlins ended yesterday with a 9-1 thumping at the Trop.

The typical culprits were to blame for this butt spankin’: Poor starting pitching and uninspiring bullpen play (not to mention one stinkin’ run) sank Tampa Bay’s hopes of earning a split of the four-game dance with Miami.
Ryan Garton (who?) wore the dunce cap for the day, allowing three runs and six hits in two innings after Drew Smyly coughed up five runs in six frames.
In garbage time, Ryan Webb surrendered one run on three hits in 2/3 of an inning, and Dana Eveland pitched 1/3 of an inning.
The Marlins have an intriguing lineup, but the Rays made them look like Murderes’ Row the past two days. Miami cranked out 13 runs and 28 hits without two of its top players, Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich.
Embarrassing!
The Rays sure look like a flawed team in the pitching department with no quick fix in sight. They have more problems in the area than a trailer house with a backed up toilet.
Just be glad the citrus chaos is over.

8 Responses to “No Quick Fix In Sight”

  1. Miguel Grande Says:

    Recently we have seen the mental breakdown of two starting pitchers simply because the opposing batters had an extended at bat. Jake Oddorizzi became completely unglued and yesterday it was Smyly.

    In the 2nd inning with a runner on 2nd and a sharply hit single to Guyer in left, a completely befuddled Smyly wandered aimlessly in to effectly shield the catcher from a pretty accurate throw to the plate.

    He actually deflected it from about 12 feet in front of the catcher so it went past the catcher to the backstop where the pitcher should have been. The runner then went from 1st to 3rd base. What was Smyly thinking?

    Last time I saw that happen it was on a Little League Softball Field and the girls were 8 years old.

    Do the Rays need a coach to teach them fundamentals or a team psychiatrist?

    The Marlins are definitely going places with Mattingly at the helm. The Rays, not so much, mediocrity at best.

    I saw James Loney drinking a rum & coke at Bongo’s Beach Bar and his hair was perfect.

  2. Darth Ray-der Says:

    I live 50 miles away from the Trop and I could smell that gassy, oily discharge from here. Hard to blame Coach Cash-less for the starting pitching. As Miguel Grande alluded to above, a lack of fundamentals is afoot. I hope they didn’t mess with Mikie Mahtook’s head by keeping him down at AAA when he had EARNED a job from last year’s results and spring training success. Hitting 9 home runs in 106 AB’s not good enough for you? All for keeping Desmond Jennings, who has never proved he belonged. Mikie is 26 years old. We’ve had him down in the minors since we drafted him off the LSU’s National Championship Team. All he’s done is play great defense and hit, hit, hit.

  3. Darth Ray-der Says:

    Competition is good for everyone. It keeps us from getting lathargic and keeps us “In the game”. If Smyly can’t keep his head in the game, maybe Blake Snell can. Anyone can be replaced. Hear that Archer ?

  4. bob Says:

    Erasmo got screwed. His going to the pen should have been temporary. Apparently no good deed goes unpunished. He was one of our best starters last year, and now our starters suck. Why not move Moore or some other struggling starter to the pen and let Erasmo start. Seems like everything the Rays try this year, is stupid and doesn’t work. Maybe kind of like Morrison, let them all suck for a few months and hope things turn around. Looks like a circus run by the clowns. Sorry, but I have been a Rays fan a long time and rarely have seen a more clueless management team. Wow

  5. Darth Ray-der Says:

    Couldn’t agree more. Time to bring Erasmo and Blake Snell up to start. Then watch the starters finally get their collective heads in the game. Competition rules !

  6. Darth Ray-der Says:

    It’s going to be a long weekend Big Miguel. so no articles. That’s why we fill in for Joe. Our buddy, James Loney, who’s hair is perfect, but has trouble with his girlfriend at the strip club; Peek a Boo Lounge, has been Traded ! Our old 1st baseman, who was hitting .342 in the San Diego’s AAA club is going to the Mets. Good luck Loney. He’s in good shape and will do well for the Mets. I hate New York teams ! The Yankmees for buying up all the good players and the Mets for coming on late in 1969 to beat my Cubbies. I’ve got a long memory.Oh yeah, for what the Mets did to my Cubbies last year in the playoffs. There’s a special place in hell for New York teams !

  7. Miguel Grande Says:

    Was anyone surprised that Jake Odorizzi had a mental breakdown after Brad Miller destroyed his bid for a perfect game?

    Jake has previously demonstrated his mental instability by freaking out when a batter extends an at bat. When Miller “Beckhammed” a routine ground ball to short and threw a too late bouncer to first, it was game over.

    Was Miller the only person at the Trop who didn’t realize that Jake was rolling towards a perfect game?

    How does a team recover from such a heart breaking loss?

    I saw James Loney drinking a Manhattan at McFaddens and his hair was perfect!

  8. Darth Ray-der Says:

    I believe we were all thinking that this team would hang around playing .500 base ball & when the pitching got their act together, make a run for the playoffs. After watching their 1 and 4 home stand, this team could go the other way. They are already in last place. A few more stinky series like this last home stand and it will all be over. If so, what happens to “Not ready for prime time” Coach Kevin Cash-less ? The pitching staff doesn’t respect him and the front office (Tarnished Silverman) screwed him by bringing players over from other teams that have been worse than what he had at the end of last year. I was optimistic at the end of last year. Now it’s depress city.

 

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