Game Pictures from Rays Spring Training

Nick Martinez has provided us with photos from two of the recent Tampa Bay Rays home games featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Red Sox. To view more of Nick's photos, visit his photo page: JCM Action Photography.

Minor Moves: Releases Made Official

These have been previously posted in the Comments section, but now they are official according to Matt Eddy. The Rays have released RHP Jamie Bagley, RHP Jeff Cinadr, RHP Tyler Oakes, LHP Brian Flores, LHP Ryan Owen, and SS Dan Rhault.

Also in former Rays news, the San Francisco Giants released OF Erold Andrus and the Washington Nationals released LHP Mike Wlodarczyk. For info on other former Rays players check the Forum.

Tampa Bay Rays win final road spring training game 10-3 against Minnesota Twins

The Game: The Tampa Bay Rays made their final road game a winning affair by defeating the Minnesota Twins 10-3 on Wednesday at Hammond Stadium.

The Rays took the lead in the first inning. Sean Rodriguez doubled to right field, leading off the game. Reid Brignac followed with a single to move Rodriguez to third. Ben Zobrist drove home the first run with a double to score S-Rod. Then Evan Longoria drove home the second run with a sac fly to score Brignac and give the Rays a 2-0 lead.

The Rays increased their lead in the second inning. Elliot Johnson singled on a bunt to get things going followed by a single by Rodriguez. Zobrist delivered again, this time with a two run double to increase the lead to 4-0.

Minnesota cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second. Jim Thome and Brian Dinkelman drew walks for the Twins. Steve Singleton followed with a line drive double to score both runners and pull the Twins to within 2 runs of the lead 4-2.

But the Rays fought back to double their tally, striking for four more runs in the third inning. Carlos Pena and Willy Aybar struck back to back singles to lead off the inning. Gabe Kapler plated the first run with an RBI double to score Pena. Aybar then scored on a ground out by Nevin Ashley. Johnson singled to right to advance Kapler. Kapler then scored on a single by Rodriguez. Zobrist drove home his fourth run of the game on an RBI single to give Tampa Bay a 8-2 lead.

The offenses remained quiet until the eighth inning when Tampa Bay posted an insurance run. Rashad Eldridge double to right to lead off the inning then moved to third on a single by Kyle Spraker. Ty Morrison then reached on an error, allowing Eldridge to score and increasing the lead to 9-2.

The Rays posted their final run in the top of the ninth inning. Once again it was Morrison picking up the RBI by hitting a double to left to score Eldridge for the Rays tenth run of the game.

Minnesota posted another run in the bottom of the ninth on a solo home run by Joe Benson but the Rays held them off the board for the rest of the inning to secure the 10-3 victory.

Wade Davis pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits with 5 strikeouts and 4 walks. Grant Balfour followed with 2 innings and gave up a hit with a strikeout. Andy Sonnanstine pitched the final inning and allowed 1 run on a solo home run and struck out 1 with 2 walks.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 1 for 5 with a run scored.
Wade Davis: 2 runs, 4 hits, 5 K's and 4 walks in 6 innings.
Ty Morrison: 1 for 3 with 2 RBI's.

A Look Ahead: The Rays (19-7-2) return home to Charlotte Sports Park for their final spring game at Charlotte Sports Park, facing the Baltimore Orioles (10-17). Mike Ekstrom will start for Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Reds Sox play to a tie

The Game: The Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox played to tie 9-9 with extra innings not being played. The Rays rallied from a six run deficit to tie the game.

Boston took the lead in the first inning. Mike Cameron was hit by a pitch to lead off then Bill drew a walk. A double steal was called and both runners advanced into scoring position. Adrian Beltre drove home two runs with a triple to left, giving Boston a 2-0 lead.

The Red Sox added four more runs in the third inning. Beltre drew a walk to get things started. Josh Reddick followed with a double. Then Tug Hulett drove home the runs with a double to score Beltre and Reddick. Anthony Rizzo cleared the bases with a two run homer to increase the lead to 6-0.

The Rays reached the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning. Carl Crawford singled to the mound followed by a walk to Ben Zobrist. Carlos Pena drove home both runners with a two run single to pull the Rays to within four runs of the lead 6-2.

The Rays pulled closer in the fourth inning. Wily Aybar, Pat Burrell and Dioner Navarro led off the inning with singles to load the bases. Gabe Kapler drove home a run by hitting into a double play, Aybar scored and Navarro was safe at second. Jason Bartlett singled to advance Navarro to third. Crawford then drove home Navarro to bring the Rays to within two runs 6-4.

Boston struck again in the fifth inning. Reddick went deep with a solo home run to push the lead to 7-4.

Tampa Bay battled back to tie the game and take the lead in the seventh inning. Kapler and Reid Brignac led off the inning with back to back singles. Both runners advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch. Elliot Johnson drove home two runs with a single to center. Johnson then scored on a double by Greg Sexton. Sexton would later score on a double by Joe Dillon to take the lead 8-7.

The Red Sox tied the game in the eighth inning. Jason Place singled to first base, scoring Matt Sheely to tie the game 8-8.

The Rays regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Reid Brignac singled to right field to get things going. Brignac moved to second on a wild pitch then advanced to third on a fly ball by Johnson. Sexton drove home the go ahead run with a single to center, scoring Brignac and giving the Rays a 9-8 lead.

The Red Sox tied the game once again in the ninth inning. Frandsen's RBI single scored Hulett to tie the game 9-9. Neither club could push across another run and the game was ended in the ninth as a tie.

Joaquin Benoit pitched 2 innings and allowed 2 runs on hits with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. Rafael Soriano pitched an inning and allowed 4 runs on 3 hits with 2 strikeouts and a walk. Lance Cormier allowed a run on 1 hit with 3 strikeouts and a walk in 2 innings. Andy Sonnanstine threw a shut-out inning allowing 2 hits. Heath Rollins followed with 2 2/3 innings allowing 2 runs on 5 hits with a strikout and 2 walks. Paul Phillips had the final 1/3 inning and allowed 1 hit.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 2 for 2 with 2 runs scored.

A Look Ahead: The Rays travel to Fort Myers to play the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. Wade Davis will get the start for the Rays.

Tampa Bay Rays win big over Boston Red Sox 9-3

The Game: The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox 9-3 on Monday night at City of Palms Park. Jeff Niemann made his final spring start, throwing six scoreless innings in the winning effort.

The Rays took the lead in the first inning. Evan Longoria struck a solo home run, his fourth of the spring, to give Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead.

Tampa Bay added another run in the third inning on another long ball. This time it was Nevin Ashley going yard, increasing the lead to 2-0.

The Rays increased the lead again in the fifth inning. Ashley singled to the mound, then advanced all the way to third on an error by Boston’s Josh Beckett. Jason Bartlett would later drive home the run with a single to center to score Ashley and increase the lead to 3-0.

Niemann continued his amazing performance on the mound while the Tampa Bay offense kept producing, adding two more runs in the seventh inning. Ashley got things going with a single to right, then later advanced to scoring position by stealing second. Bartlett plated the run with a single to short to score Ashley, Bartlett pulled into second on an error during the play. Carl Crawford and Longoria then drew back to back walks to load the bases. The Rays pushed across another run in the inning as BJ Upton drew a bases loaded walk to give the Rays a commanding 5-0 lead.

The Red Sox finally reached the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh inning. Bill Hall drew a walk and then was replaced by Shannon Wilkerson as a pinch runner. Marco Scutaro followed singled to center, moving Wilkerson to third. Wilkerson then scored on a sac fly by Dustin Pedroia to give Boston their first run on the night, 5-1.

The Rays further increased the lead in the eighth inning. Elliot Johnson led off the inning with a walk but was erased on a force out by Hank Blalock a play later. Blalock was then replaced by Alvin Colina as a pinch runner. Sean Rodriguez singled and Matt Fields drew a walk to load the bases. Reid Brignac drove home two runs with a single to score Colina and Rodriguez. Joe Dillon then drove home Fields with a ball to third. Rashad Eldridge would later drive home Brignac to give Tampa Bay a 9-1 lead.

Boston would add two more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Tug Hullett drew a walk and then later scored on an RBI double by Dusty Brown. Brown would later score on an RBI single Kevin Frandsen. But the Rays would hold on for the 9-3 win.

Jeff Niemann picked up the win improving to 3-0 by pitching 6 scoreless innings, allowing 7 hits while striking out 6 and walking 1. Dale Thayer pitched an inning and allowed 1 run on 2 hits with a strikeout and a walk. Mike Ekstrom pitched the remaining 2 innings, surrendering 2 runs on 4 hits with a strikeout and a walk.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 1 for 1 with 2 RBI’s and a run scored.
Ty Morrison: 0 for 1.

A Look Ahead: The Rays (18-7-1) will return home to Charlotte Sports Park for a rematch against the Boston Red Sox (13-14) on Tuesday afternoon. Joaquin Benoit will get the start in the game that will air live on ESPN.

Tampa Bay Rays power past Pittsburgh Pirates 8-2

The Game: The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-2 on Sunday afternoon at Charlotte Sports Park. Carlos Pena and Ben Zobrist went deep for the Rays with Zobrist finishing a double shy of the cycle in the contest.

The Rays took the lead in the first inning. Carl Crawford drew a walk then later scored on a triple by Zobrist. Carlos Pena followed with a two run homer to give the Rays a 3-0 lead.

Pittsburgh posted their first run in the top of the second inning. Jeff Clement hit a solo home run to pull the Pirates to within two runs of the lead 3-1.

The Rays extended their lead in the third inning. Crawford led off the inning with a double to left. Zobrist cleared the bases with a two run homer to tight. Pat Burrell then drew a walk and later advanced to third on a single by Hank Blalock. Gabe Kapler reached on a fielder choice with Burrell out at the plate. Sean Rodriguez then singled to center scoring Blalock and moving Kapler to second. Alvin Colina drove home Kapler with a single to center to increase the lead 7-1.

The Rays scored their final run of the day in the fourth inning. Crawford doubled to right field then later scored on a sac fly by Burrell to increase the lead. The Pirates would add a run in the ninth but the Rays held on easily for the 8-2 win.

Matt Garza earned the victory, pitching 7 innings and allowing 1 run on 4 hits with 7 strikeouts and a walk. Dan Wheeler pitched a perfect 1/3 of an inning. Grant Balfour threw 2 /3 of an inning allowing 2 hits and striking out 1. Randy Choate pitched the final inning and allowed 1 run on 1 hit.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 1 for 1.
Kyeong Kang: 0 for 1 with a strikeout.

A Look Ahead: The Rays (17-7-1) will take a short road trip to Fort Myers to face the Boston Red Sox (13-13) on Monday night. Jeff Niemann will start for the Rays.

Spring Training Pictures

Rays Prospects is pleased to welcome guest photo contributor Nick Martinez to the RP Family. Those of you who have attended a Stone Crabs game in 2009 have seen Nick's work but may not have known who the photgrapher was. Nick's work has appeared throughout the year in the Stone Crab's First Pitch game program publication. Nick has shared two galleries with us to kick off his contribution to the site, the galleries are Spring Training and Rays Prospects. We look forward to seeing more of Nick's work in the future.

Spring Training


Rays Prospects


To view more of Nick's work, visit JCM Action Photography.

Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros play ten innings resulting in a 4-4 tie

The Game: The game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros went ten innings and ended a tie as neither team could push across the winning run.

Tampa Bay coming off a huge game against Toronto, picked up right where they left off by posting three runs to the scoreboard in the first inning. Elliot Johnson singled to lead off the game followed by a walk to Ben Zobrist. Evan Longoria plated the first run of the afternoon with a single to left field. Carlos Pena followed with an RBI double to score Zobrist. Longoria then scored on a sac fly by Kelly Shoppach to give the Rays a 3-0 lead.

Houston used the long ball to tied the game in the sixth inning. Kazuo Matsui singled to center to put a runner on the bases. Carlos Lee then struck a two run home run to left field. Pedro Feliz followed with a solo home run to tie the game 3-3.

The game was still tied and headed to the tenth inning when the Rays struck for a go ahead run. Cody Cipriano singled to center field followed by a walk to Greg Sexton. Kyle Spraker hit into a double play, losing Sexton at second by moving Cipriano to third. Cipriano then scored on a wild pitch to give the Rays a 4-3 lead.

Houston battled back to tie the game in the bottom of the tenth inning. Cory Sullivan singled to second then advanced to second on an error. Sullivan moved to third on a ground out by Jeff Keppinger then scored on a ground out by Jack Shuck to tie the game. The clubs decided to end the game in the tenth resulting in a 4-4 tie.

James Shields pitched 7 innings allowing 3 runs on 7 hits with 4 strikeouts in his final spring training outing. Dale Thayer followed with a no hit inning, striking out 1. Heath Rollins pitched the final 2 frames, allowing 1 run on 2 hits with a strikeout and a walk.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 0 for 3 with 2 K’s.
Kyeong Kang: 0 for 1 with a strikeout.

A Look Ahead: The Rays (16-7-1) return home to Charlotte Sports Park Sunday afternoon to face the Pittsburgh Pirates (6-14). Matt Garza will be making his final spring start for the Rays.

Charlotte Stone Crabs Spring Training Notes -- March 27th

[Via email from the Charlotte Stone Crabs' Marketing Manager Jonathan Gantt.]

THE GAME:

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Despite some help from a few big league relievers, the Charlotte Stone Crabs fell to the Frederick Keys (Orioles) 2-1 on the back fields at Charlotte Sports Park on Saturday afternoon.

Tampa Bay Rays relievers Rafael Soriano, Dan Wheeler and Grant Balfour each pitched an inning to start the game for the Stone Crabs with Soriano and Balfour recording perfect frames. Wheeler gave up two hits and allowed two runs but neither was earned.

The Stone Crabs bats were quiet, but right-hander Nick Barnese gave a strong performance backing up the Major League relief corps. He gave up just one run in five innings of work while striking out four and retiring the last 10 batters he faced.

The minor league affiliates will take a break from games tomorrow with a camp day for the entire farm system, and the Stone Crabs will then matchup against the Fort Myers Miracle at Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers at 1:05 p.m. on Monday.

WHO PLAYED:

Chris Murrill -- CF
Ty Morrison -- LF
Mike Sheridan – 1B
*Shawn Williams – 3B
Jake Jefferies -- C
Isaias Velasquez – 2B
Eligio Sonoqui -- DH
Dustin Biell -- RF
David Genao -- DH
Robi Estrada – 2B
Tim Beckham – SS
Rafael Soriano – SP (pic)
Dan Wheeler – RP
Grant Balfour – RP
Nick Barnese – RP
Neil Schenk – RP

* Denotes member of Stone Crabs roster during 2009 season


WHO STOOD OUT:

Barnese: 5 IP, 1 ER, 4K, 0 BB – retired last 10 batters he faced
Estrada: 2-for-3, Run, Double, Single
Murrill: 2-for-3, 2 Singles, reached on an error
Soriano: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Wheeler: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1K, 0 BB
Balfour: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K


WHAT’D THEY SAY:

Manager Jim Morrison...

On Major Leaguers relievers in today’s game:
“They’re very cordial to the minor league guys. It’s always fun to have those guys down here. The young guys definitely look up to them.”

On Nick Barnese:
“He looked good today. He was working on some mechanical changes, but he was working ahead in the count and was pounding the zone. He threw a lot of first-pitch strikes.”


CRAB NOTES:

Stone Crabs co-owner and former Hall of Fame shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr. will return to Charlotte Sports Park for Opening Night on Thursday, April 8. A small amount of reserved seats are still available for the game in addition to general admission seating that starts at just $6 for advance purchases. Call 941-206-HITS to reserve seats or visit StoneCrabsBaseball.com for more information.

Game Pictures from 3/26: Spring Training Stone Crabs at Keys

Tampa Bay Rays defeat Toronto Blue Jays in 14-10 slugfest

The Game: The Tampa Bay Rays were on the winning side of a 14-10 slugfest against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday at Dunedin Stadium. Both clubs combined for 24 runs, 30 hits and 4 home runs on the afternoon and when the bats silenced the Rays went home winners.

The Rays took the lead in the first inning. Jason Bartlett led off the game with a double to center. Carl Crawford moved Bartlett to third on a sac bunt. Gabe Kapler singled to score Bartlett. Then Evan Longoria cleared the bases with a two run homer to give the Rays a 3-0 lead.

Toronto battled back to tie the game in the bottom of the first. Aaron Hill doubled to left then moved to third on a single by Jeremy Reed. Kyle Phillips the struck a three run home run to tie the game 3-3.

The Blue Jays took the lead an inning later. Aaron Hill singled to second then later stole second base. Phillips drove home his fourth run of the game with a double to left, scoring Hill and giving the Blue Jays a 4-3 lead.

The Rays fought back to regain the lead in the third inning. Longoria got things started with a single. BJ Upton followed with a two run homer to give Tampa Bay the lead 5-4.

The Rays increased their lead in the fifth inning. Gabe Kapler drew a walk and then was replaced by Ty Morrison as a pinch runner. Longoria followed with a single, moving Morrison to second. Then Upton doubled, scoring Morrison and moving Longoria to third. Kelly Shoppach drove home two runs with a double to score Longoria and Upton. Shoppach later scored on a sac fly by Hank Blalock giving the Rays a 9-5 advantage.

The Tampa Bay offense kept rolling striking for five more rune in the sixth inning. Bartlett singled and Crawford drew a walk to get the inning going. Matt Sweeney drove home both runners with a double to right. Sweeney then scored on a double by Shoppach. Sean Rodriguez delivered an RBI double to score Shoppach and then later scored on a single by Blalock to increase the lead to 14-4.

Error by the Tampa defense aided the Blue Jays in posting four runs to the scoreboard in the eighth inning. Michael McDade singled to lead off the inning. Jose Molina was then struck by a pitch and Joey Gathright reached on error to load the bases for Toronto. A double by Johnny Tolisano combined with an errant throw helped in Toronto pushing three runners across the plate on the play and Tolisano ending up at third base. Tolisano scored a batter later on a single by Jeremy Reed and the Jays now trailed by six.

Toronto pushed across two more runs in the home half of the ninth inning. McDade singled to right and then scored on a home run by Molina. The Rays rallied to get the third out to hold on for a 14-10 victory.

Wade Davis earned the victory, pitching 5 2/3 innings and allowing 4 runs on 10 hits with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks. Lance Cormier followed with 1/3 no hit inning. Andy Sonnanstine pitched the final 3 innings and allowed 6 runs (2 earned on 6 hits with 2 strikeouts in recording the save.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 0-1.
Wade Davis: 4 runs on 10 hits with 3 K’s and 2 walks in 5 2/3 inning.
Ty Morrison: 0 for 2 with a run scored.
Matt Sweeney: 1 for 2 with a double, 2 RBI’s and a run scored.

A Look Ahead: The Rays (16-7) travel to Kissimmee to play the Houston Astros (12-10) on Saturday. James Shields will start for Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay Rays earn win against Minnesota Twins 5-3

The Game: The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Minnesota Twins 5-3 on Thursday afternoon at Charlotte Sports Park. The win improved the Rays record to 15-7 this spring in Grapefruit League action.

Tampa Bay took the lead in the home half of the first inning. Carl Crawford and Ben Zobrist delivered back to back singles to get things started. BJ Upton struck an RBI single to left, scoring Crawford and giving the Rays a 1-0 lead.

The Twins tied the game in the second inning. Jason Kubel hit a solo home run to center field to tie the game 1-1.

The Rays would regain the lead in the home half of the third inning. Zobrist drew a walk then later advanced into scoring position by stealing second. Upton drove home his second run of the game with an RBI double to score Zobrist and give the Rays a 2-1 lead.

The Rays increased the lead in the fourth inning. Sean Rodriguez double to center field with one out to put a runner on. Rodriguez then scored on an RBI single by Nevin Ashley to increase the lead to 3-1.

The Twins battled back to tie the game in the seventh inning. Jason Kubel led off the inning with a single to center field. Delmon Young then cleared the bases with a two run homer to left to tie the game 3-3.

But the Rays took back the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning. Ashley reached on an error to lead off the inning then later advanced to second on a ground out by Elliot Johnson. Reid Brignac plated the go ahead run with a single to right that scored Ashley. Rashad Eldridge drove home an insurance run with a sacrifice bunt to score Brignac and give the Rays the 5-3 margin of victory.

David Price pitched 6 innings allowing 3 runs on 7 hits with 5 strikeouts and a walk in the no decision. Mike Ekstrom picked up his third win of the spring by pitching 2 shut-out innings and allowing 3 hits and striking out three. Lance Cormier earned the save with a no hit ninth recording a strikeout in the process.

RP Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 1 for 1 with an RBI and a run scored.

A Look Ahead: The Rays (15-7) travel to Dunedin to face a split squad of the Toronto Blue Jays (9-9). Wade Davis will get the start followed by Andy Sonnanstine and Lance Cormier.

Where The Top Prospects Come From

Top 15 Pitchers:
1. Wade Davis
2. Jeremy Hellickson
3. Matt Moore
4. Alex Colome
5. Kyle Lobstein
6. Nick Barnese
7. Alex Torres
8. Alex Cobb
9. Jason McEachern
10. Jake McGee
11. Wilking Rodriguez
12. David Newmann
13. Joseph Cruz
14. Matt Gorgen
15. Aneury Rodriguez

8 high school draftees: Davis, Hellickson, Moore, Lobstein, Barnese, Cobb, McEachern, McGee
4 international signees: Colome, Torres, W. Rodriguez, A. Rodriguez
2 college draftees: Newmann, Gorgen
1 junior college draftee: Cruz

11 drafted by the Rays: Davis, Hellickson, Moore, Lobstein, Barnese, Cobb, McEachern, McGee, Newmann, Cruz, Gorgen
2 signed by the Rays: Colome, W. Rodriguez
2 acquired via trade: Torres(signed by Angels), A. Rodriguez(signed by Colorado)

Top 15 Hitters:
1. Desmond Jennings
2. Reid Brignac
3. Tim Beckham
4. Kyeong Kang
5. Luke Bailey
6. Matt Sweeney
7. Todd Glaesmann
8. Shawn O'Malley
9. Jeff Malm
10. Hector Guevara
11. Ty Morrison
12. Cody Rogers
13. Jake Jefferies
14. John Jaso
15. Tyler Bortnick

9 high school draftees: Brignac, Beckham, Kang*, Bailey, Sweeney, Glaesmann, O'Malley, Malm, Morrison
2 junior college draftees: Jennings, Jaso
3 college draftees: Rogers, Jefferies, Bortnick
1 international signee: Guevara

*Kang was drafted by the Rays out of high school, but played a year of Junior College ball as a draft-and-follow.

13 drafted by the Rays: Jennings, Brignac, Beckham, Kang, Bailey, Glaesmann, O'Malley, Malm. Morrison, Rogers, Jefferies, Jaso, Bortnick
1 signed by the Rays: Guevara
1 acquired via trade: Sweeney(drafted by Angels)


Round Drafted
1 - Beckham
2 - Lobstein, Brignac
3 - Davis, Barnese, Glaesmann, Jefferies
4 - Hellickson, Cobb, Newmann, Bailey, Morrison
5 - McGee, O'Malley, Malm
7 - Rogers
8 - Moore, Sweeney
10 - Jennings
12 - Jaso
15 - Kang
16 - McEachern, Gorgen, Bortnick
30 - Cruz

It says something that the Rays have such a strong system despite only three picks from the top two rounds making the top prospect lists.

Minor Moves: Four Released

Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports the Rays have released four minor leaguers: RHP Mike Southern, catchers Alex Jamieson and John Mollicone, and 1B Lucas Nakandakare.

He also notes that the Toronto Blue Jays have released former Rays 1st round pick RHP Wade Townsend.

Crab Camp Notes -- March 25

[Via email from the Charlotte Stone Crabs' Marketing Manager Jonathan Gantt.]

THE GAME:
FORT MYERS -- The Charlotte Stone Crabs dropped their afternoon matchup today against the Salem Red Sox, 6-2, at the Boston Red Sox Minor League Complex in Fort Myers.

The Stone Crabs lineup only featured a few familiar faces with Shawn Williams, Diogenes Luis and Deives Mavares serving as the only players from Charlotte’s 2009 FSL South Division Championship team.

Ty Morrison collected two hits, swiped a base and scored a run as the lone offensive highlight for Charlotte while Mavares struck out four batters in 2 ½ innings of relief.

Camp continues tomorrow with a 1:05 p.m. matchup against Frederick Keys (Baltimore Orioles) at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota.

WHO PLAYED:
Brett Nommensen – DH
Ty Morrison – 2B, OF
Jake Jefferies – C
Burt Reynolds – 3B
Mike Sheridan – 1B
Ruben Contreras – LF
Robi Estrada – SS
David Genao – DH
Elias Otero -- SS
Brian Bryles -- RF
*Shawn Williams – 3B
Michael Jarman – Starting Pitcher (LHP)
*Diogenes Luis – 2B
*Deivis Mavares – RHP

*Denotes member of Stone Crabs roster during 2009 season

WHO STOOD OUT:
Morrison: 2-for-4, Run, Stolen Base
Sheridan: 1-for-2, Single
Mavares: 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 4 K, 4 BB

WHAT’D THEY SAY:
Manager Jim Morrison

On current roster (made up mostly of players from Hudson Valley and Bowling Green):
“We’re giving everybody a look. We certainly hope to see these guys in Charlotte at some point. That’s what they’re all working towards.”

CRAB NOTES:
Tomorrow (Friday, March 26) marks the last day to purchase the limited “Joe Cracker Mini Plan” featuring reserved seats to 10 games, a free logo cooler, seat cushion and team hat, and a free $10 gift card to Joe Cracker Sportsgrille. Call 941-206-HITS (4487) or visit stonecrabsbaseball.com for more information.

Tampa Bay Rays defeat Toronto Blue Jays 5-3

The Game: The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 on Wednesday at Charlotte Sports Park. Jason Bartlett accounted for three of the runs with two of them coming off solo home runs.

The Blue Jays took the lead in the first inning. Jose Bautista singled to right field to start the game. Jeremy Reed later singled to center, moving to second. Lyle Overbay drove home the run with an RBI single to right, scoring Batista and giving the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead.

The Rays battled back to tie the game in the bottom of the first. Jason Bartlett reached on an error to start the inning then moved into scoring position by stealing second. BJ Upton singled to score Bartlett and give and tie the game 1-1.

The Rays took the lead an inning later. Sean Rodriguez and Bartlett delivered back to back singles. Rodriguez would later score on a ground ball by Ben Zobrist to give the Rays the 2-1 lead.

Tampa Bay would increase their lead in the fourth inning. Bartlett delivered a two out solo home run for the first run of the inning. Carl Crawford singled to short then scored on an RBI double by Zobrist to increase the lead to 4-1.

The Blue Jays cut the lead in half in the fifth inning. Aaron Hill drew a walk then was replaced by Brad Emaus on the base path. Overbay later doubled to center, scoring Emaus and pulling the Jays to within two runs of the lead 4-2.

Toronto pulled closer in the sixth inning on a solo home run by Alex Gonzalez. The home run left the Blue Jays one run back from the lead 4-3.

Bartlett provided the Rays with an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run, his second of the game. Both clubs would remain off the scoreboard the remainder of the game and the Rays took the 5-3 victory.

Jeff Niemann recorded is second win of the spring by pitching 5 innings and allowing 2 runs on 7 hits with 3 strikeouts and a walk. Rafael Soriano surrendered 1 home run and struck out 2 in an inning worked. Randy Choate pitched a no-hit inning of relief striking out one. Dale Thayer pitched the final 2 innings and allowed no runs on 2 hits with 3 strikeouts.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 0 for 1 with a strikeout.
Ty Morrison: entered the game in the seventh inning to play right field, made one out in the ninth but saw no plate appearances.

A Look Ahead: The Rays (14-7) will host the Minnesota Twins on Thursday at Charlotte Sports Park. David Price will make the start with Winston Abreu, Lance Cormier and Heath Phillips available to pitch.

Crab Camp Notes -- March 24

[Kevin - I'm re-posting this, the format was messed up for me, maybe for others(maybe not), and I couldn't fix it in the other post.]
Photo of Wilking Rodriguez courtesy of Charlotte Stone Crabs

[Via email from the Charlotte Stone Crabs' Marketing Manager Jonathan Gantt.]

NOTES: Minor league affiliate rosters are still in limbo with big league camp still holding at 45 players, but the Stone Crabs did have manager Jim Morrison back at the helm for today’s spring training matchup against the High-A affiliate of the Fort Myers Miracle.

Fort Myers picked up a 6-5 victory over Charlotte on the back fields as new Miracle manager Jake Mauer (brother of Twins catcher Joe Mauer) coached opposite Morrison.

The Tampa Bay Rays made 11 cuts following today’s game, which should create a trickle-down effect for the affiliate rosters tomorrow. Look for a few more familiar faces as the Stone Crabs face off against Salem (Red Sox) in Fort Myers tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.

WHO PLAYED:
John Matulia*
Robi Estrada
Michael Sheridan
Shawn Williams*
Greg Sexton*
Ty Morrison
Alejandro Torres
Reid Fronk*
Diogenes Luis*
Ruben Contreras
Wilking Rodriguez – Starting Pitcher -- 2 2/3 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

*Denotes member of Stone Crabs roster during 2009 season

WHO STOOD OUT:
Matulia: 2-for-2, Double, Single, 2 R
Sexton: 1-for-1, Single
Fronk: 0-for-0, Walk
Contreras: 1-for-1, 2-R Home Run

What’d they say:
Manager Jim Morrison

On rosters:
“A lot of the guys here are going to be bumped down as big league camp bumps guys down. We’re about midway through. Guys are working hard, doing good things, and continuing to work.”

On returning players (Matulia, Fronk and Williams):
“Today was an abnormal day in that our older guys only played three innings and then headed over to play with the big club. Normally, they’d get five or six innings in, but we got them a couple at-bats and then they headed over to help the big league club out.”

[Originally posted by Jim Donten]

Crab Camp Notes -- March 24

Photo of Wilking Rodriguez courtesy of Charlotte Stone Crabs

[Via email from the Charlotte Stone Crabs' Marketing Manager Jonathan Gantt.]

NOTES: Minor league affiliate rosters are still in limbo with big league camp still holding at 45 players, but the Stone Crabs did have manager Jim Morrison back at the helm for today’s spring training matchup against the High-A affiliate of the Fort Myers Miracle.

Fort Myers picked up a 6-5 victory over Charlotte on the back fields as new Miracle manager Jake Mauer (brother of Twins catcher Joe Mauer) coached opposite Morrison.

The Tampa Bay Rays made 11 cuts following today’s game, which should create a trickle-down effect for the affiliate rosters tomorrow. Look for a few more familiar faces as the Stone Crabs face off against Salem (Red Sox) in Fort Myers tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.

WHO PLAYED:
John Matulia*
Robi Estrada
Michael Sheridan
Shawn Williams*
Greg Sexton*
Ty Morrison
Alejandro Torres
Reid Fronk*
Diogenes Luis*
Ruben Contreras
Wilking Rodriguez – Starting Pitcher -- 2 2/3 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

*Denotes member of Stone Crabs roster during 2009 season

WHO STOOD OUT:
Matulia: 2-for-2, Double, Single, 2 R
Sexton: 1-for-1, Single
Fronk: 0-for-0, Walk
Contreras: 1-for-1, 2-R Home Run

What’d they say:
Manager Jim Morrison

On rosters:
“A lot of the guys here are going to be bumped down as big league camp bumps guys down. We’re about midway through. Guys are working hard, doing good things, and continuing to work.”

On returning players (Matulia, Fronk and Williams):
“Today was an abnormal day in that our older guys only played three innings and then headed over to play with the big club. Normally, they’d get five or six innings in, but we got them a couple at-bats and then they headed over to help the big league club out.”

Tampa Bay Rays fall to Philadelphia Phillies 4-3

The Game: The Tampa Bay Rays fell to the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Tuesday at Brighthouse Networks Field.

Th Philles broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning. Both Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino struck solo home runs off Matt Garza to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead.

The Rays battled back to tie the game in the top of the sixth inning. Nevin Ashley singled to center to lead off the inning. Ashley later scored on a double by Matt Joyce. Evan Longoria drove home Joyce with an RBI double to tied the game 2-2.

Philadelphia regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run by Howard, his second of the game. The Phils were back out front 3-2.

The Rays tied the game again in the ninth inning. Rashad Eldridge drew a walk to start the inning. Justin Ruggiano followed with a single to right and Eldridge moved to third on an error. Elliot Johnson plated the run with a ground ball to second, scoring Eldridge to tie the game 3-3.

But the Philles scored again in the bottom of the ninth as a sac fly by Brian Schneider scored Dewayne Wise giving the Phillies a 4-3 win and recording their second walk-off win in two days.

Matt Garza pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing 3 runs on 7 hits with 4 strikeouts. Joaquin Benoit followed with 1 1/3 no-hit innings with a strikeout. Grant Balfour suffered his second loss by allowing 1 run on 1 hit with 2 walks in 1 2/3 inning.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 1 for 4.

A Look Ahead: The Rays (13-7) return home to Charlotte Sports Park to face the Toronto Blue Jays (9-7). Jeff Niemann will get the start with Dale Thayer, Randy Choate and Rafael Soriano scheduled to pitch.

Tampa Bay Rays go deep seven times in 11-9 win over Boston Red Sox

The Game: The Tampa Bay Rays used the long ball to help defeat the Boston Red Sox 11-9 on Monday afternoon at City of Palms Park. Evan Longoria and Kelly Shoppach accounted for two homers a piece in the contest that saw the Rays combine for seven home runs during the game.

The Rays broke the scoreless tie in the second inning. Ben Zobrist led off the inning with a single later followed by a single by Hank Blalock. Sean Rodriguez drove home the first run with a single to left that scored Zobrist. Shoppach followed with his first home run of the day, a three run shot to give the Rays a 4-0 lead.

The Rays increased their lead in the third on a solo home run by Longoria. Then again in the fourth on a solo home run by Shoppach, his second of the game to put the Rays ahead 6-0.

The Red Sox reached the scoreboard in the third inning. Mike Cameron led off the inning with a double to center. Cameron later scored on a sac fly by Dustin Pedroia for the Sox first run of the game.

The Tampa Bay offense kept producing and struck for four runs off three home runs in the fifth inning. Longoria led of the inning with his second home run of the contest. Ben Zobrist followed with a two run homer and Sean Rodriguez a solo home run to give the Rays a 10-1 lead.

The Rays added another run in the seventh inning. Hank Blalock went deep to right field increasing the lead to a commanding 11-1.

The Red Sox began a comeback run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Adrian Beltre singled and Marco Scutaro walked to put two runners on. Then Ray Chang delivered a three run home run to clear the bases and pull the Sox to within seven runs of the lead 11-4.

Boston chipped away at the lead a little more in the eighth inning. Jorge Jimenez reached on an error with two outs to put a runner on. Matt Sheely double to center moving Jimenez to third and put two runners in scoring position. Derrik Gibson drove home two runs with a single to left to pull the Boston within five, 11-6.

The Red Sox rally continued into the bottom of the ninth. Ray Chang singled to lead off the inning then scored on an RBI triple by Mark Wagner. Chris McGuiness then drove home Wagner with an RBI single to the mound. McGuiness would later score on a doubly by Sheely. Heath Rollins managed to recover and get the third out to end the rally and give the Rays the 11-9 win.

James Shields improved to 2-0 by allowing 1 run on 5 hits with a strikeout, 2 walks and a pick-off in 5 2/3 innings on the mound. Mike Ekstrom pitched a no-hit 1/3 of an inning striking out the batter. Winston Abreu followed and surrendered 3 runs on 3 hits with 3 strikeouts and a walk in 1 inning. Carlos Hernandez allowed 5 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits with 4 strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. Heath Rollins recorded the save by getting the last out of the ninth inning to end the game.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

A Look Ahead: The Rays (13-6) head to Brighthouse Networks Field to face the Philadelphia Phillies (9-7-1) on Tuesday. Matt Garza will get the start followed by Grant Balfour, Randy Choate and Joaquin Benoit.

Spring Training Showdown Ticket Update

[Via email from the Durham Bulls Director of Media Relations Matt DeMargel.]

Durham, NC – With only 11 days remaining until Evan Longoria and the Tampa Bay Rays come to Durham to face the Bulls, baseball fans in the Triangle have purchased the remaining individual tickets in the Durham Bulls Athletic Park seating bowl. The team still has some seating bowl tickets remaining in ticket packages.

“We thought demand for this game would be pretty high considering the number of superstars Tampa is bringing to this game,” Durham Bulls General Manager Mike Birling said, “B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria are premier major league players, so it should be a great afternoon of baseball.”

Fans interested in getting seating bowl tickets to the April 3rd game can still purchase them through the “All-Star” package, which includes a ticket to the Spring Training Showdown and Opening Day for only $22. Seating Bowl tickets are also available with Season Tickets and Mini-Plans.

Individual tickets are still available in the right field Diamond View section and lawn section.

Charlotte Stone Crabs Individual Tickets on Sale

[Via email from the Charlotte Stone Crabs' Marketing Manager Jonathan Gantt.]

Individual tickets for the Charlotte Stone Crabs 2010 season will go on sale to the general public starting at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, March 22, at the Charlotte Sports Park box office.

The Stone Crabs are offering extra incentives for fans who arrive at the event early with free breakfast items from Chick-fil-A and two phone giveaways from Metro PCS with three months of free service for each. The event will also feature a live remote broadcast by Kix Country 92.9 FM, and fans will have the opportunity to take pictures and get autographs from the team's mascot Stoney.

Tickets for all 2010 home games range anywhere from just $6-11 and are currently available for all home games. Reserved seats for Opening Night (April 8) are limited and tickets for that game sold out in less than 15 minutes last year.

The Stone Crabs have already sold more than 250 new Season Seat packages for 2010 in addition to renewing 93% of their season seat holds from last season. The organization led the Florida State League in attendance during their 2009 Inaugural Season with more than 175,000 fans through the turnstiles and won the FSL South Division Title after defeating the Fort Myers Miracle in the Divisional Series.

The team will host their Opening Day on Thursday, April 8, against the Palm Beach Cardinals at Charlotte Sports Park. The only way to guarantee a seat for the game is to purchase a Season Seat package. Call 941-206-HITS (4487) or visit StoneCrabsBaseball.com for more information.

Tampa Bay Rays struggle against Minnesota Twins while split squad rained out against the Pittsburgh Pirates

The Game: The Tampa Bay Rays were scheduled to play a split squad contest on Sunday with a game against the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium and a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at McKechnie Field. Mother Nature rained out the game against the Pirates and the Rays lost to the Twins 12-3 in the other.

Minnesota jumped out to a huge lead in the first inning, getting to Wade Davis quick for five runs. Orlando Hudson drew a walk then advanced to third on a single by Joe Mauer. Justin Morneau followed with an RBI single to right to score Hudson. Then Michael Cuddyer singled to left scoring Mauer and moving Morneau to third. Jim Thome drove home Morneau with a single to right. Then Delmon Young doubled to right to score Cuddyer. Hardy then plated the fifth game of the inning with an RBI single to give the Twins a 5-0 lead.

The Twins added two more runs the next inning. Thome drove home two runs with a double to right, scoring Morneau and Cuddyer to give Minnesota a 7-0 lead.

The Minnesota offense kept rolling, striking for two more in the fourth inning. Morneau drew a two out walk. Cuddyer cleared the bases with a two run home run to increase the lead to 9-0.

The Rays took the zero off the board in the sixth inning. Matt Joyce struck a solo home run to right field for the first Tampa Bay run of the game.

Tampa Bay managed to push across two more runs in the seventh inning. BJ Upton reached on error to get things started then was awarded second on a defensive indifference. Hank Blalock followed with a walk. Dan Johnson the plated a run by doubling to right, scoring Upton. Reid Brignac struck a sac fly to score Blalock.

But the Minnesota offense struck again in the eighth inning. Matt Macri and Ben Revere struck back to back singles to get things going. Matt Tolbert then drew a walk to load the bases. A passed ball by Joe Dillon allowed Macri to score and moved everyone else 90 feet closer to home. Then Joe Benson doubled to right, scoring Revere and Tolbert to give the Twins the 12-3 margin of victory.

Wade Davis struggled in his first loss, allowing 7 runs (5 earned) and 9 hits with a walk and a strikeout in 2 innings. Richard De Los Santos followed allowing 2 runs on 2 hits with a walk. Heath Phillips pitched 3 shut-out innings allowing a hit with 2 strikeouts. Dale Thayer pitched the final inning allowing 3 runs on 3 hits with 2 walks.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 0 for 2 with an RBI.
Wade Davis: 7 runs on 9 hits with a K and a walk in 2 innings.

A Look Ahead: The Rays (12-6) travel to City of Palms Park to take on the Boston Red Sox on Monday afternoon. James Shields will start for Tampa Bay.

Sunday Afternoon Links

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the Predictions series this past week. Very nice of you to do it and some interesting incites on the future roster of the Rays. And thanks of course to Kevin for organizing the whole thing. Good stuff.

Denny Foster scouted LHSP Matt Moore and said his curveball "may also already be a plus-plus pitch." [ProjectProspect]

Stacy Long updates us on where former Rays prospect Chris Mason will be pitching this season. Hint: It's not in the States. [BiscuitCrumbs]

For more on the whereabouts of former Rays visit the Forum for info on J.T. Hall, Chuck Tiffany, Joe Gaetti, Brandon Mann, and JESSY DARCY. [RP Forum]

Matt Eddy of BaseballAmerica has a great series of articles on player options (including the elusive 4th option) and the Rule 5 draft. If you are as interested in the rules of baseball as I am, this is definitely for you. [Part 1] [Part 2]

Game Pictures from 3/20: Spring Training Stone Crabs vs Red Sox

Rays Spring Training Probable Pitchers

Sunday, March 21st (Split Squad)

at Minnesota, Lee County Sports Complex, Fort Myers, Fla. (Radio: 620 AM WDAE with DAVE WILLS) – 1:05 p.m.

Rays – RH Wade Davis, LH Heath Phillips, RH Dale Thayer

Twins – RH Scott Baker, LH Jose Mijares, LH Glen Perkins, RH Clay Condrey

at Pittsburgh, McKechnie Field, Bradenton, Fla. (Radio: 620 AM WDAE with ANDY FREED) – 1:05 p.m.

Rays – RH Andy Sonnanstine, RH Joe Bateman, RH Jeff Bennett

Pirates – RH Daniel McCutchen, RH Vinnie Chulk, RH Octavio Dotel

Monday, March 22nd at Boston Red Sox, City of Palms Park, Fort Myers, Fla. (No TV/Radio) – 1:05 p.m.

Rays – RH James Shields, RH Winston Abreu, RH Richard De Los Santos, RH Mike Ekstrom

Red Sox – RH Boof Bonser, RH Scott Atchison, RH Junichi Tazawa

Tuesday, March 23rd at Philadelphia, Bright House Field, Clearwater, Fla. (Webcast: Raysbaseball.com) – 1:05 p.m.

Rays – RH Matt Garza, RH Grant Balfour, LH Randy Choate

Phillies – LH J.A. Happ, RH Chad Durbin, RH Jose Contreras

Tampa Bay Rays fall to Minnesota Twins 6-2

The Game: The Tampa Bay Rays fell to the Minnesota Twins 6-2 on Saturday afternoon at Charlotte Sports Park. Things got scary for the Rays when a collision at the plate in the fourth inning sent Navarro to the field in agony and trainers racing to his aid. An x-ray would later reveal that the leg was not broken.

The Twins took the lead right off the start. Ben Revere led off the game with a double. Revere scored a batter later on an RBI single by Orlando Hudson to give the Twins a 1-0 lead.

Minnesota increased their lead in the fourth inning. Jacque Jones doubled to get things started. Brendan Harris then singled to right field, Jones tried to scored from second but a cannon throw from Gabe Kapler nailed Jones at the plate. Unfortunately Navarro was injured on the play and had to leave the game on the cart. Once play resumed, Alexi Casilla hit an RBI double to left field to score Harris. Nick Punto followed with a single to right. Revere then drove home two runs with a single to right field, giving the Twins a 5-0 advantage.

It wasn’t until the fifth inning that the Rays reached the scoreboard. Elliot Johnson singled to center to put a runner on the bases. Reid Brignac singled to left to move Johnson to third. Then Sean Rodriguez plated the run to give the Rays their first run of the game.

Tampa Bay added another run in the sixth inning. Justin Ruggiano tripled to center with two outs to put a runner in scoring position. Ruggiano later scored on a wild pitch to give Tampa Bay their second run.

The Twins posted another run in the ninth inning. Chris Parmelee struck a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Matt Tolbert and giving Minnesota the 6-2 victory.

David Price suffered his first loss of the spring, allowing 5 runs (3 earned) on 11 hits with 3 strikeouts in 4 innings. Randy Choate pitched 2 shut-out innings allowing a hit and a walk. Rafael Soriano followed with a shut-out inning allowing a hit with a strikeout and a walk. Joaquin Benoit pitched a no-hit eighth inning recording a strikeout and a walk. Grant Balfour finished the game allowing 1 run on 2 hits with a walk in an inning worked.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 1 for 2 with a strikeout.

A Look Ahead: The Rays (12-5) will play a split squad contest on Sunday. Half the squad will travel to Hammond Stadium to replay the Twins (8-8) while the other half heads to McKechnie Field to play the Pirates. Wade Davis will start against the Twins while Andy Sonnanstine starts against the Pirates.

Cal Ripken Jr. to attend Stone Crabs opening night April 8

For the second year in a row, Cal Ripken Jr. will be on hand on Opening Day for the Charlotte Stone Crabs. The Stone Crabs begin their Florida State League South title defense on April 8th against the Palm Beach Cardinals.

Hall of Fame shortstop and Charlotte Stone Crabs co-owner Cal Ripken, Jr. will attend the Stone Crabs 2010 Opening Night on Thursday, April 8 at Charlotte Sports Park as the team begins their FSL South Division title defense against the Palm Beach Cardinals.

Tickets for the game are still currently available and will go on sale to the general public at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, March 22 at the Charlotte Sports Park box office. Ripken attended the team's inaugural game last season in front of a sellout crowd of more than 7,100 fans and threw out the ceremonial first pitch along with his brother and fellow Stone Crabs co-owner Bill Ripken.

The only way to guarantee a reserved seat for Opening Night is to purchase a Season Seat package for as low as $60 by calling 941-206-HITS.

The Stone Crabs are once again planning a variety of promotions for their opener including giveaways, pre-game player greetings at the gates and other fun highlights around the ballpark in addition to Ripken's appearance. Fans will also receive a free Stone Crabs 2010 Magnet Schedule courtesy of Pro Air Conditioning as they enter the gates.

Individual tickets for the entire 2010 Stone Crabs regular season are set to go on sale on Monday with a special event that includes free breakfast items from Chick-fil-A, phone giveaways from Metro PCS and a live remote broadcast on Kix Country 92.9 FM. For more information, call 941-206-HITS (4487) or visit StoneCrabsBaseball.com.

Link

Tampa Bay Rays defeat the New York Yankees 6-2

The Game: The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees matched up again in a rematch from Thursday, this time the results were in the Rays favor as they took a 6-2 victory on Friday night at Charlotte Sports Park.

The Yankees struck first in the third inning. Brett Gardner singled to short followed by Curtis Granderson getting hit by a pitch. Nick Swisher delivered an RBI single to right, scoring Gardner and giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead.

New York extended their lead in the fourth inning. Juan Miranda struck a solo home run to increase the Yankee lead to 2-0.

The Rays battled back to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth. Jason Bartlett drew a walk to lead off the inning. Bartlett later scored on a double by Evan Longoria. Longoria advanced to third on a balk then scored on a ground out by Carlos Pena to tie the game 2-2.

The Rays took the lead in the sixth inning. Longoria singled to the mound with two outs to get thing going. Longo then advanced to second on a while pitch and then to third on a single by Pena. Ben Zobrist plated the go ahead run with an RBI single to right, scoring Longoria and giving the Rays a 3-2 lead.

Tampa Bay added another run in the bottom of the seventh. Hank Blalock drew a walk to lead off the inning. Blalock then stole second and moved to third on a single by Bartlett. Carl Crawford singled to left, scoring Blalock and increasing the lead to 4-2.

The Rays picked up some insurance runs in the eighth inning. Pena drew a walk and was replaced by JJ Furmaniak as a pinch runner. Furmaniak moved to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a fly ball by Sean Rodriguez. Reid Brignac drove Furmaniak home with an RBI single to right. Brignac later scored on an ground ball by Justin Ruggiano to give Tampa Bay the 6-2 margin of victory.

Dan Wheeler pitched a no-hit inning to start, only allowing 1 hit. Jeff Niemann followed with 4 2/3 innings allowing 2 runs n 6 hits with 7 strikeouts and a walk. Mike Ekstrom earned his second win of the spring by pitching 1 1/3 inning and allowing only 1 hit. Joe Bateman pitched a no-hit inning, striking out 2 of the 3 batters faced. Richard De Los Santos pitched the final frame only allowing 1 hit.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 1 for 1 with an RBI and a run scored.

A Look Ahead: The Rays (12-4) will take on the Minnesota Twins (7-8) on Saturday afternoon at Charlotte Sports Park. David Price will get the start followed by Rafael Soriano, Grant Balfour, Lance Cormier and Randy Choate.

RaysProspects 2010 Predictions: Wildcard Prediction

To wrap up our series, our panel of bloggers could predict... whatever they felt like predicting. The floor was wide open.

Cork Gaines: The Rays would love for a top pitching prospect to make the jump to the big leagues and help in the bullpen in September in the same way David Price did in 2008. Most think that will be Jeremy Hellickson. I predict that it will be Jake McGee and there is a good chance Hellickson does not make his big league debut until 2011.

Tommy Rancel: I think Jake McGee is a wildcard, not only for the minor leagues, but the big leagues as well. The plan is to build up his arm strength as a starter for the first few months, but after that it's anyones guess. If he proves that his arm is 100%, I would expect his transition to short relief to start in the mid-summer with an eye on a September call-up.

FreeZorilla: Durham will run wild over the International League. Tim Beckham will survive another season at SS with meaningful offensive and defensive improvements.

Ricky: The acquired players from the Scott Kazmir trade will all have excellent seasons (Sean Rodriguez, Matt Sweeney, and Alexander Torres).

Jason Collette: Matt Moore will either lead the 2011 prospect list or drop off it if he can't get his walk rate under control.

Jake Larsen: 5. Matt Sweeney will become Carlos Pena's "heir apparent" for the 2011 season despite the signing of JJ Ruiz.(note: this was written before the Rays signed Leslie Anderson, so Jake had signing a Cuban 1B correct, just the wrong one. -Kevin)

Doug Milhoan: Selected by the Rays out of Gulf Shores High School (AL) in the 11th round of the 2007 draft, outfielder D.J. Jones was ranked by Baseball America as the Rays #30 prospect in 2008. The ranking was primarily based on his tools and athleticism. In 2009 for Hudson Valley he started off slowly in June (.095/.095/.143), began to lose playing time, and continued to struggle into July (.154/.170/.173). But something clicked in August, the goundballs and popups turned into line drives (16.7 LD%) and his overall line improved to .364/.391/.545. His defense has never been an issue, playing primarily in left and right with a strong arm and great range. The 22 year-old should start this season at Bowling Green. Just a hunch, but I think he'll continue his success from the end of last season, turning his tools into results, and jump back onto the prospect radar.

Kevin Gengler: Next off-season, we'll be talking about Matt Bush as a potential set-up man or closer for late 2011 and beyond... Is everyone done laughing? He hasn't pitched in two years thanks to Tommy John surgery and being cut by the Blue Jays for violating their behavior policy, but his stuff, while raw, was legitimately really good before the surgery and I think it'll be back. He'll have a nice year out of the bullpen, probably starting at Bowling Green.

Game Pictures from 3/18: Spring Training Stone Crabs/Hot Rods at Keys/Shore Birds

RaysProspects 2010 Predictions: Most Over-Hyped

Today's question: Which prospect is the most over-hyped(who's getting too much love heading into 2010)?

Cork Gaines: We were surprised to see Matt Sweeney in Keith Law's Top 100 (#68) and #5 in the Rays organization. His power might translate well to the big leagues, but even Law admits Sweeney's future is at first base, and slow-footed first basemen with some pop are a dime-a-dozen these days. And even then, does anybody think Sweeney is going to be a 40-home run guy? I don't.

Tommy Rancel: It's hard to pick an over-hyped prospect because I like them all, but I think Matt Moore may gotten a little more attention than he deserved. I only say that because his walks regressed in the neighborhood of 5.0/9. The good news is he's lefty, young, and talented enough that he can work on correcting that over the next few seasons.

FreeZorilla: Alex Torres. I don't mean to knock Torres, but he was deemed the headliner in the Kazmir package and may end up as the 3rd best of the Rodriguez, Sweeney, Torres package. He has the stuff for potential, but command is a big unknown at this point.

Ricky: Desmond Jennings. Yes he is excellent and yes he likely be the replacement for Carl Crawford in the Rays outfield, but that injury issue always comes up, likely to miss the rest of spring training with an wrist strain.

Jason Collette: Matt Moore. The strikeout rate is insane but so is 105 walks in 197 innings. Something has to give eventually as more disciplined hitters at the higher levels won't chase stuff out of the zone that he's been able to get away with so far.

Jake Larsen: My most over-hyped prospect is Aneury Rodriguez. While I was happy that we could turn Jason Hammel into a decent pitching prospect like Aneury, I really am not impressed with him at all. 2010 is a make-or-break year for him, especially with the youngsters coming up through the pipeline and the possibility of blue-chip prospects we could draft in the 1st and 2nd rounds(combined 6 picks, 4 of them are comp(meaning we don't get anymore re-dos/"must sign" guys))

Doug Milhoan: Of the Rays top ranked prospects, Tim Beckham is the one that I have the most doubts about. He's not a bust (yet), but he was a reach at #1 overall (and $6,150,000). Offensively, a .275/.328/.389 line by a 19 year-old SS in full-season ball isn't bad, but it's not the kind of performance you expect from a top pick. Defensively, 43 errors and a .919 fielding percentage raise serious doubts about his ability to stick at shortstop. On the basepaths he was only successful on 13 of 23 steal attempts. He has some tools that give some hope, such as good bat speed at the plate and good movement and a strong arm in the field. So even though I still like him and appreciate the tools, his #67 ranking on Baseball America's Top 100 prospects in baseball seems overly optimistic.

Kevin Gengler: I'll double-dip here and take two of the players received in the Scott Kazmir trade: Alex Torres and Matt Sweeney. Both do a lot of things well, but I think they're being rated too highly. Torres gets a ton of groundballs and strikes out plenty, but he doesn't have a good pitcher's frame and his control is suspect at best. In seven stints as a pro, his BB/9 was under 4.7 only one time, and that was in the Arizona Rookie League as a 20-year old. Sweeney swings a decent bat, but he's probably limited to 1B in the future, and I don't know if he has the power to be a starter there.

Tampa Bay Rays fall to New York Yankees 6-4

The Game: The Tampa Bay Rays dropped a close game with the New York Yankees 6-4 on Thursday night at Steinbrenner Field. Carlos Pena snapped his 0 for 21 skid with a solo home run in the second inning of the game.

The Rays got on the scoreboard first in the second inning with Pena’s solo home run to right field.

The Yankees answered back in the bottom of the inning by adding two runs of their own. Marcus Thames drew a walk to lead of the inning. Then Ramiro Pena singled to right with two outs. Derek Jeter drove home both runners with a two run double to center giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead.

Tampa Bay battled back to retake the lead in the fourth inning. BJ Upton things started with a triple to center. Upton then scored on a passed ball to tie the game. Pat Burrell singled to center, followed by a walk to Dioner Navarro and a single by Jason Bartlett to load the bases with two outs. Then the second passed ball of the inning allowed Burrell to score and give the Rays a 3-2 lead.

The Rays lead lasted until the sixth inning. Randy Winn and Ramiro Pena singled to put two runners on for the Yankees,. Then Colin Curtis cleared the bases with a three run homer to give the Yanks a 5-3 lead. They then picked up an insurance run in the seventh off an RBI single by PJ Pilitere, increasing the lead to 6-3.

Tampa Bay picked up one more run in the eighth inning. Justin Ruggiano tripled to lead off the inning then later scored on a ground ball by Dan Johnson. The Rays could not push across any more runs and they lost 6-4.

Carlos Hernandez surrendered 2 runs on 3 hits with 6 strikeouts and 3 walks in 3 innings. Heath Rollins followed with 2 shut-out innings allowing only 1 hit and a walk. Jeff Bennett suffered the loss, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits with a walk. Heath Phillips allowed a run on 3 hits with a strikeout. Dale Thayer pitched the final frame allowing no runs, no hits and striking out 1.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

A Look Ahead: The Rays (11-3) and Yankees (6-8) do it all over again Friday night, this time at Charlotte Sports Park. Dan Wheeler will get the start with Jeff Niemann, Joe Bateman, Richard De Los Santos and Mike Ekstrom available to pitch.

RaysProspects 2010 Predictions: Lower-Level Breakout

We tackled the upper levels yesterday, so today we look to the lower levels for a breakout player in 2010:

Cork Gaines: Another player who pitched much better in the second-half was Kyle Lobstein. His FIP was close to 4.00 in the first-half and approximately 2.00 in the second-half. And while those that follow the minor league system closely were not surprised by the strong numbers, this will be the season that more casual observers recognize the talent.

Tommy Rancel: Going back to the Kazmir trade, I think Matt Sweeney, if healthy, could really have a good season and put himself in position to be the heir apparent at first base. I like his power and moving over to first base will help ease any defensive concerns people had at third base. The key for Sweeney is health, but if he's on the diamond, I expect big things.

FreeZorilla: Jason McEachern. Admittedly this is Kevin's train, but I am happy to be on board.

Ricky: Alex Colome. He definitely has the stuff to miss bats and the Rays need someone from their Latin America program to blossom.

Jason Collette: Jason McEachern. Besides the great first name, I love his 5:1 strikeout to walk ratio to date in his minor league career and he did all of that before turning 19. I think he's the next guy prospect pundits are raving about from the Rays system in 2010.

Jake Larsen: My lower-level "breakout" player is Hector Guevara. While I don't think he's going to stay long-term at SS, his bat will impress no matter. He's going to make his US debut in 2010 and should only continue to bash the ball like he did in 2009 playing in Summer Leagues.

Doug Milhoan: When the Rays drafted Tyler Bortnick in the 16th round last June out of Coastal Carolina University my reaction was pretty much limited to "well, at least this pick will sign." Now he's one of the top players I'm looking forward to following this season as he heads to Bowling Green. Why? He's the complete package: offense, defense, athleticism, and character. Offensively, last season at Hudson Valley he batted .300/.386/.470 with 24 steals and hit righthanders equally as well as lefties. He was reportedly timed at 6.7 in the 60 in college, so he should continue to be a threat on the basepaths. TheHardballTimes ranked Bortnick the top defensive collegiate shortstop for 2007-8 and he didn't disappoint in the New York-Penn League, displaying a strong arm, solid glove and fluid movement. All reports I've heard say he's a great teammate, a guy who helps younger players any way he can and a leader in the clubhouse. He's blocked at shortstop by Tim Beckham at Charlotte and Shawn O'Malley at Montgomery, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's moved to second if promoted mid-season.

Kevin Gengler: I see Ty Morrison having a big season for Hudson Valley. He showed good speed and patience at the plate with Princeton in 2009, but his bat still needs work. A raw talent, he has good contact and some power potential, and I think he'll start to tap into that in 2010. The New York-Penn League(and HV) have historically favored pitchers, but Morrison will emerge as a top hitting prospect for the Rays.

Tampa Bay Rays celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a 5-2 win over Minnesota Twins

The Game: Donning their green caps in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Minnesota Twins 5-2 at Charlotte Sports Park. Sean Rodriguez continued his hot streak by going 2 for 3 and scoring two runs.

The Rays took the lead early by scoring in the first inning. Rodriguez double to left to lead off the inning. He later scored on a ground ball by Evan Longoria to give the Rays a 1-0 lead.

Tampa Bay added to their lead in the third inning. Once again Rodriguez got the rally started with a single to lead of the inning. Gabe Kapler followed with a single to put a second runner on. Hank Blalock then delivered a ground rule double to score Rodriguez and give the Rays a 2-0 lead.

The Twins cut the lead in half in the fifth inning. Luke Hughes struck a solo home run that cleared the tiki bar to pull within a run of the lead 2-1.

The Rays added some runs to the scoreboard in the seventh inning. Dan Johnson doubled to lead off the inning. Hank Blalock then drew a walk to put runners on the corners. A wild pitch by Jeff Manship scored Johnson and moved Blalock to second. Then Kelly Shoppach drew a walk . Justin Ruggiano drove home two runs with a triple to left, scoring Blalock and Shoppach to give the Rays a 5-1 lead.

Minnesota added another run in the ninth inning off an RBI double by Trevor Plouffe. But the Rays held on to take a 5-2 win.

James Shields picked up his first win of the season by pitching 5 innings and allowing 1 run on 4 hits with 3 strikeouts. Rafael Soriano followed with his first appearance and allowed 1 hit with 2 strikeouts. Joaquin Benoit recorded his third hold of the spring by a shut-out inning with two hits and a strikeout. Grant Balfour pitched a no-hit eighth inning. Lance Cormier surrendered 1 run on 2 hits in an inning.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 1 for 3 with a walk.

A Look Ahead: The Tampa Bay Rays (11-3) head to Tampa to take on the defending champion New York Yankees (5-8) on Thursday night at Steinbrenner Field. Carlos Hernandez will start followed by Jeff Bennett, Heath Phillips, Dale Thayer and Heath Rollins.

Cuban Imports and 1B possibilities

Its not quite official, just yet, and Mr. Anderson has yet to set foot onto American soil, but the Rays' temporary stop-gap for Carlos Pena and/or Carl Crawford may be the same guy that scouts deemed "Cuba's Baseball Adonis." Leslie Anderson really shouldn't be deemed a "prospect" exactly, seeing as he's going to be 28 in less than 3 weeks, but he's an interesting signing internationally by the Rays. Lost in the negotiations for Arguelles(now a Royal) and the on-going story of JJ Ruiz(still a FA), the Rays snuck in and worked out a 4 year, 3.75 MIL deal with Anderson.

There's a lot of confusion regarding Anderson as a player. Some scouts at a past workout deemed him mediocre and really didn't like his swing/throws and didn't see much of a future for him. However, he's shown in the past that he's more of a "pure hitter" than a "power" hitter and he's possibly an above-average fielder at 1B and could very well be an average fielder at the 3 OF positions(however, one would think he's best suited for the COF spots).

BP's Clay Davenport translated his Cuban stats and there's a possibility that Leslie isn't a full-time starter in the majors(mainly due to his lack of power) but if he continues to show his prowess to take pitches and draw walks, while roping doubles and playing above-average D...I'm quite alright with that.

Onto where he's going to start his minor league career. Many people believe that Leslie will start in Durham, however it may be best suited for the Rays to give him a small look in Montgomery, where he's not pressured to hit the ground running like he would in Durham with the 4-5 other players slotted to share time at 1B, 3B, DH and the 2 corner OF spots(Shealy, Blalock, D. Johnson and Richard to name a few). Leslie may face better pitchers in a two-week stint in Montgomery than he would in the probable 3-4 month stint he may get in Durham before the MLB Trade Deadline(in which a spot may end up opening for him).

I could be wrong and rushing to judgement, but I believe that the signing of Anderson was a very good one for the Rays both on and off the field. Though he may only play out his contract, establishing the Rays' brand in another international locale is only going to help the Rays' in finding Int'l Free Agents world-wide.
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[Posted by Jake Larsen]

Tampa Bay Rays shut-out Boston Red Sox 7-0

The Game: The Tampa Bay Rays rocked their AL East foe the Boston Red Sox 7-0 on Tuesday night at Charlotte Sports Park. Wade Davis and Andy Sonnanstine were perfect, combining to shut out the Sox while battling for the fifth spot in the starting rotation.

The Rays broke the tie ball game in the home half of the fourth inning. Ben Zobrist doubled to right with two outs to get things going. Pat Burrell then drew a walk followed by a single by BJ Upton to load the bases. Dioner Navarro picked up an RBI the hard way by being hit by a pitch to score Zobrist. The next batter, Gabe Kapler drove home two runs with a single to give the Rays a 3-0 lead.

The Rays struck again in the seventh inning. Hank Blalock double to left field and then later scored on an RBI single by Willy Aybar to increase the lead to 4-0.

Then Tampa Bay posted a three run eighth inning to put the nail in the coffin. Elliot Johnson double to right followed by a single by Fernando Perez to put runners on the corners. Then Johnson scored on a double steal, with Johnson swiping home and Perez going to second and then to third on an interference call. Sean Rodriguez cleared the bases with a two run home run, his fifth of the spring, giving the Rays the 7-0 win.

Wade Davis went four shut-out innings allowing 3 hits and striking out 5 with a walk in the winning effort. Dan Wheeler picked up his third hold of the spring throwing a no-hit inning with 2 strikeouts and a walk. Andy Sonnanstine pitched the final four innings, allowing no runs on 1 hit with 3 strikeouts and recording the save.

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Reid Brignac: 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
John Jaso: 0 for 1.

A Look Ahead: The Rays (10-3) will take on the Minnesota Twins (5-7) on Wednesday afternoon at Charlotte Sports Park. James Shield will get the start with Rafael Soriano expected to make his first appearance of the spring.

RaysProspects 2010 Predictions: Upper-Level Breakout

Carrying on with question #2 today: Who among the upper levels of the minors do you see having a breakout season in 2010?

Cork Gaines: We are not sure what he changed, but we loved the numbers posted by Aneury Rodriguez in the second-half last year after what was a very disappointing first-half. He had an FIP close to 6.00 in April and May. In the final two months of the season, his FIP was below 4.00. What was interesting, was that his strikeouts per 9 innings went down from more than 8.0 per 9 innings the first two months to just above 6.0 the final two months. But in easing off the strikeouts, his walk rate fell at an ever greater rate and thus his strikeout-to-walk rate went from about 1.6 early in the season to 2.6 in the final months. So whatever it was that he changed, it worked, and should carry over in triple-A this season.

Tommy Rancel: I really like Alex Torres in 2010. At the time of the Kazmir trade, I didn't know much about him, but getting to learn more about him this offseason, I really like his potential. Of course in this system, he's more of a back of the rotation prospect, but that's more of a barometer of the talent the Rays have than a knock on Torres.

FreeZorilla: Safe answer: Jake McGee. He's looked really solid this Spring and should be fully recovered from Tommy John Surgery. Its easy to forget how high his ceiling was. If he can command his secondary offerings, watch out. If not he can still be a dominant back-end reliever. Some off-the-radar names I really like are David Newmann and Aneury Rodriguez. Aneury came on really strong during the second half while Newmann gets unfairly knocked for his age. Injuries hindered the start to his pro career, but in his first season the lefty induced north of 55% grounders with a K/BB of nearly 3. He was lights out in 59.2 innings in August and September.

Ricky: Matt Gorgen. Future late-inning reliever.

Jason Collette: Matt Sweeney will make the Florida State League All Star team and really make Angels fans wonder what the hell they were thinking trading Rodriguez, Torres, and Sweeney for Kazmir.

Jake Larsen: My "breakout" prospect in the upper levels is Kyeong Kang. It was a toss-up between Kang and Matt Moore, who I already think had a "breakout" season and will only improve from there. Kang's body is starting to fill out to what he's going to look like long-term and his swing make me think that he's going surprise a lot of folks in what is usually a very pitcher-friendly FSL. I wouldn't be surprised if he hits 15 or more HRs for Port Charlotte and gets a promotion to Montgomery later in the year.

Doug Milhoan: In the past couple of years I've gone from doubter to fanboy with Alex Cobb, so I might as well continue the love here. He's flown under a lot of people's radar due to all of the great pitching coming through the organization lately: Niemann, Price, Davis, Hellickson, Moore, McGee, Lobstein, etc. I don't think he will 'breakout' in 2010 in terms of putting up much better numbers (he had good season in 2009), but in terms of people finally noticing him with the increased exposure at AA Montgomery.

His stuff isn't electric, but is effective: plus curveball is his best pitch, low 90's fastball, average changeup with good sink. The thing I like best about him is that he's gotten better every year, even as he advances to face tougher competition. His ERA has decreased each of the past four seasons, down to 3.03 at Charlotte in 2009. Cobb strikes out enough batters (7.7 per 9), doesn't give up walks (2.2 per 9), and while he is hittable, he doesn't allow many homeruns (6 in 124.2 innings). His frame (6'1", 180 lbs.) isn't ideal for a starter, which limits his upside, but he still projects to be a middle- to back-of-the-rotation starter. In most organizations, a 22 year-old heading into AA with no injury history (other than some blisters last year) and that type of projection would be getting a lot more attention.

Kevin Gengler: Alex Cobb had a very under-rated 2009 season, and I think people will notice when he has a similar year in 2010. He doesn't have the ceiling of an ace(or even a #2 pitcher), so he gets lost in the shuffle with all the big arms in the system. He shows good control, keeps the ball in the park, and his strikeouts per 9 innings jumped from 6.3 to 7.7 in 2009. It may not get much higher, but a 3.5- or 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in Montgomery would put him on the map for sure.