Pafcenter

Indians @ Rays- Friday, May 15

FIRST INNING
 The all-important first inning is underway and no off to a good start as Grady Sizemore leads off with his sixth homer of the season.  Probably not the start Joe Maddon was looking for when I asked him about it pre-game.  He gets a strikeout, but then allows a single.  He walks Jhonny Perralta with two outs putting two runners aboard.  Mark DeRosa singles to make it 2-0 Indians.  Wow, the first inning struggles continue.  “Mr. Automatic Out” BJ Upton lived up to his new nickname, popping up to left.  Nothing doing from Carl Crawford or Evan Longoria, as they both strike out.  2-0 Indians

SECOND INNING
  Jamey Carroll singles to left with one out.  The Indians are putting good wood on Kazmir’s pitches so far tonight.  That is not a good sign.  Kazmir strikes out Asdrubal Cabrera to end the inning.  Carlos Pena led off trying to bunt with the shift on, but he bunted it back to Anthony Reyes, and he was thrown out at first.  Willy Aybar and Gabe Gross go quietly to end the inning.  2-0 Indians

THIRD INNING
  Victor Martinez leads off with a single to right.  Kazmir throws a wild pitch, advancing Martinez to second.  Shin-Soo Choo walks on four pitches, none of which were close.  Peralta singles to load the bases with nobody out.  DeRosa walks, giving the Indians a 3-0 lead.  This us a huge nightmare for the Rays, and a single by Ryan Garko up the middle makes it worse.  4-0 Indians with still nobody out.  Matt LaPorta hits a shot to the fence in right, but Gabe Gross saves a bases clearing hit with a crashing catch.  Still, a runner scores from third and its 5-0 with now one out.  BJ Upton throws out DeRosa at home on a single, and Indians manager Eric Wedge gets ejected arguing the call.  The inning ends with far less damage than could’ve been incurred.  The Rays go 1-2-3 to end the third.  5-0 Indians

FOURTH INNING
  Cabrera walks to lead off the inning.  Kaz has walked four already tonight.  Choo hits a two-run homer, his fifth of the season, and it’s now 7-0 Indians.  Peralta just misses going back-to-back, instead doubling off the top of the wall in left.  Sadly, that’ll be the end of the night for Kazmir.  Lance Cormier now into the game, and Kazmir is hearing from some in the crowd.  The inning ends with the Indians ahead 7-0.  Upton doubles to left for the first hit of the game for the Rays.  Upton steals third for his 10th steal of the season.  Looking at it, there is a pretty good crowd at the Trop tonight.  Kazmir cannot use the fans as an excuse this time.  Evan Longoria walks, putting runners at the corners with only one out.  Pena singles to right, scoring Upton.  Longoria also scores as Choo’s throw to third gets past Peralta for an E9.  Aybar blooped a single to center, scoring Pena.  Here come the Rays.  The inning ends with the Rays now trailing 7-3.

FIFTH INNING
With two outs, Sizemore singles on a bunt to the pitcher.  Cormier’s throw pulled Pena off the bag, but the ruling was that Sizemore beat the throw anyway.  He then steals second easily, right before his base hit was taken away and changed to an E1.  Upton makes a sliding catch to end the inning.  The Rays go quietly in the fifth and still trail by four.  7-3 Indians

SIXTH INNING
  Cormier gets Martinez swinging to start the inning, but then walks Choo.  The inning ends with no damage.  Crawford leads off with a single to right-center.  CC then steals his league-leading 23rd base, without a throw from Martinez.  Longoria singles to center, scoring Crawford.  Tony Sipp replaces Reyes for the Indians with one out.  Longoria advances to second on a wild pitch.  Aybar walks, so now Ben Zobrist will pinch-hit with two runners on.  Zobrist hits a fielder’s choice, but the throw from second gets away from first, an error on the second baseman, scoring Longoria.  Zobrist steals second, but is stranded there.  7-5 Indians

SEVENTH INNING
 Troy Percival is now in the game for the Rays.  This is an interesting spot to use Percy.  I guess he can’t blow a lead since the Rays are losing.  Garko strikes out to lead the inning.  Percival gets the Indians 1-2-3.  Bartlett leads off with a double down the line in left.  The Rays could’ve just folded when they trailed 7-0, but they’ve battled.  JB moves to third on the sac bunt by Dioner Navarro.  Bartlett then scores on a wild pitch.  Upton singles to right with one out.  The tying run is at first.  CC lines a single to left.  There are two runners on for the major’s RBI leader.  Rafael Betancourt has the task of facing Longoria.  The runners execute a double-steal and are now both in scoring position.  Crawford has 24 steals on the year.  Longo strikes out swinging for the second out.  Pena is walked intentionally to face Aybar, who pops to short on the first pitch to end the inning.  7-6 Indians

EIGHTH INNING
  JP Howell is now pitching for the Rays.  Howell upsets Martinez with a bit of a brushback, and then he grounds out to end the inning.  Zobrist hits an 0-1 pitch out to right field to tie the game.  It was his seventh homer of the year.  Matt is super excited right now.  Akinori Iwamura walks with nobody out.  Bartlett strikes out for the first out.  He should’ve maybe been bunting there, but maybe not with Navi on deck.  Aki gets thrown out trying to steal for the second out.  The inning ends but the Rays have tied it up.  7-7

NINTH INNING
  Choo leads off with a single off Howell.  Dan Wheeler is coming in now for the Rays.  After a sacrifice bunt, DeRosa grounds out to Longoria, holding Choo at second.  Garko walks to put two runners on with two outs.  LaPorta flies out to deep center to end the inning.  Luis Vizcaino is now in for the Indians.  BJ Upton hits a lead-off, walk-off homer, his first of the season, to win it for the Rays.  The Trop is going bonkers!

 

Manny, you've got some 'splainin' to do

Yesterday, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez became the latest in the long line of baseball superstars to fall under the dark cloud of steroids.

Ramirez was suspended by Major League Baseball for 50 games due to a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs.  The drug, according to sources, is commonly used as a women's fertility drug, but it is well-known that that same drug is used by steroid users to restart their testosterone production after coming off a steroid cycle,

My first question is, if that if it's true, and Manny has been using, I'd ask how long he's been using, because this certainly isn't something he'd have just started doing.  Secondly, I'd ask why he felt the need to use, and if he regretted the using or the getting caught.

My real question, though, is does it even matter?  As each day passes, it becomes more clear that the majority of players in the last decade or so have either used or are still using performance-enhancing drugs.  So if everybody is doing it, then techinally there shouldn't be anything wrong with it. 

I think baseball turned it's head in the 90s when steroid use became prevelant, because balls were flying out of the ballpark and fans were packing each stadium.  The clubs were making millions upon millions of dollars, and ownership and the league turned a blind eye as they watched the money pour in.

Live- Red Sox @ Rays

Coming this afternoon!

Hope you'll join me. 

Red Sox defeat Rays behind Green, Youkilis

 

ST. PETERSBURG---  Both Kevin Youkilis and Nick Green had three RBI, and the bullpen allowed one run in four innings, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 10-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Here is my inning-by-inning report, compiled live from the press box at Tropicana Field.

FIRST INNING
 Rays starter Jeff Neimann walks Dustin Pedroia with one out.  There is a much bigger crowd at the Trop tonight.  David Ortiz pops high to shallow left for the second out.  The first pitch hits Kevin Youkilis, and Neimann is in trouble in the first.  JD Drew doubles off the wall in the right-corner, scoring two runs.  The inning ends with the Red Sox 2-0.  Evan Longoria doubles the opposite way to right with two outs.  Carlos Pena singles in Longo on a ball to right-center.  2-1 Red Sox

SECOND INNING
  Mike Lowell singles to center to start the inning, followed by a double from George Kottaras.  Former Ray Nick Green singles up the middle to score two.  This has the makings of a long game.  Green caught stealing as he falls down halfway to second.  That was funny!  Jacoby Ellsbury reaches on an error by Akinori Iwamura, who promptly steals his 11th base.  Pedroia singles to right, then takes second on Gabe Kapler’s throwing error.  This is not a good inning for the Rays.  Ortiz walks, getting action in the Rays bullpen.  Youkilis grounds into a 5-3 DP, ending the inning.  Tim Wakefield and his knuckler get the Rays in order.  5-1 Red Sox

THIRD INNING
  Jason Bay reaches on an infield single with one out, then steals second.  He moves to third on a wild pitch with two outs.  Green singles after a walk and that scores Bay.  There are runners on the corners with two outs.  There is action again in the Rays bullpen.  Ellsbury strikes out to end the inning.  Carl Crawford singles to right with two outs, then steals his 11th base.  6-1 Red Sox

FOURTH INNING
Lance Cormier is the new pitcher for the Rays.  Pedroia hits a ground-rule double to lead off the inning.  Ortiz flies out to right, but Pedroia tags up.  He gets injured as he slides into third.  He’s okay, and Drew strikes out.  Pena connects for his 11th home run of the season.  The inning ends with the Rays trailing 6-2. 

FIFTH INNING
Cormier gets the Sox in order to start the fifth.  Navarro gets hit with one out.  Upton walks, putting two runners on with only one out.  The runners move into scoring position on a passed ball.  Longoria does it again, this time ripping a two-run single to left.  Pena walks on four pitches, bringing up the struggling Pat Burrell.  He doubles down the third-base line, scoring Longo.  Ben Zobrist strikes out to end the inning.  6-5 Sox 

SIXTH INNING
Grant Balfour is the new pitcher for the Rays.  Ellsbury reaches on an infield single, and then steals his 12th base of the season and second tonight.  He then steals third for his 13th of the year.  Pedroia walks to put runners on the corners with one out for Big Papi.  Papi walks to load the bases, and Brian Shouse will face Youkilis.  This is a big spot with only one out.  Youkilis hits a two-run double down the line at third.  Drew strikes out.  The inning ends with two runs scored by the Sox.  Iwamura leads off with a single to right.  Hideki Okajima is now in for the Sox.   Kapler rips a single to left with no outs.  The tying run is at the plate; too bad it’s Navarro. He sacrifices the runners for Upton.  Upton fouls out to first for the second out.  Crawford strikes out to end the inning.  8-5 Sox
SEVENTH INNING
  Lowell leads off with a crushed ball to deep left for a home run.  Green doubles down the line at first with one out.  He is having a great game tonight.  The Rays walked Pedroia intentionally to face Ortiz.  When is the last time that happened?  That just tells you how much Papi is struggling.  Ortiz gets hit to load the bases for Youkilis.  Youkilis walks, scoring a run and bringing in Joe Nelson from the Rays pen.  He gets the out to end the inning.  Pena walks, but Burrell follows with a strikeout.  Zobrist reaches with two outs, so there are now runners at the corners.  Aki strikes out to end the inning.  10-5 Red Sox 

EIGHTH INNING
  The Sox went quietly in the top of the inning, and so do the Rays.  10-5 Sox

NINTH INNING
  The great Troy Percival is now pitching for the Rays.  Miraculously, the Red Sox don’t score, and now Makashi Saito is in to close it out for the Sox.  Crawford rips a single after fighting off numerous pitches.  Longo goes down on strikes.  Burrell singles to right to score Crawford.  The game is over and the Red Sox have won.

W: Wakefield (3-1)
L:  Neimann (2-3)
S:  None
ATTENDANCE: 34,910

Longoria's slams leads Rays past Red Sox

ST. PETERSBURG--- Evan Longoria hit a grand slam in the fifth inning, and Andy Sonnanstine allowed only two runs in 5 2/3 innings, leading the Rays to a 6-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

Here is my inning-by-inning report, compiled from the press box during tonight's game.

FIRST INNING
 Red Sox Nation is heard early as Dustin Pedroia singles with one out.  The crowd looks similar to the 20,341 from last night, which would be disappointing for Red Sox/Rays on a Friday night.  David Ortiz walks, and Rays pitcher Andy Sonnanstine is already in trouble.  Pedroia makes a huge blunder and is thrown out at third on a ball that bounced like five feet to the left of the plate.  Youkilis fouls out to right to end the inning.  BJ Upton leads off with a single to left.  Upton steals second as Carl Crawford strikes out, and then Upton is thrown out trying to steal third. 

SECOND INNING
  Jason Bay walks and reaches second on a single to center by Mike Lowell.  Jason Varitek, the Sox’ captain and catcher, is at the dish.  He flies out to right for the second out.  Julio Lugo flies out to deep left to end the threat.  Masterson gets out of a two-on jam by retiring Dioner Navarro on a comebacker to end the inning

THIRD INNING
  Pedroia singled to right with one out, followed by an Ortiz fly out to center.  Youkilis, to the delight of the Sox fans, rips a double to the corner in left, putting runners on second and third with two outs.  Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey is visiting the mound.  JD Drew walks to load the bases.  Jason Bay walks on four pitches.  Nice conference, Hickey.  Lowell grounds out to end the inning, and Sonny and the Rays are lucky they only allowed one run.  The Rays go quietly in order to end the third inning.  1-0 Red Sox

FOURTH INNING
Lugo singles to left with one out, then gets doubled-off first on a liner caught by Carlos Pena that ends the inning.  The Rays get nothing in the inning and still have only one hit.  1-0 Red Sox

FIFTH INNING
Youkilis hits a ground-rule double, then scores on Drew’s single, both with two outs.  At one point that inning, Sonnanstine’s ERA was 6.66.  A single and a walk to start the inning, followed by a perfect sac bunt gives the Rays runners at first and third with only one out.  Bartlett gets hit to load the bases for Upton.  This would be a perfect time to hit his first homer of the season.  Upton hits a sac fly to deep center, and all the runners move up in a good piece of base running.  Crawford walks to load the bases.  Longo hits a grand salami to deep left, giving the Rays the 5-2 lead.  Pena crushes his 10th homer of the season, and the Rays have gone back-to-back off Masterson.  Longo and Pena have done that twice this season (first time coming against Baltimore on April 12).  6-2 Rays

SIXTH INNING
After getting two outs and allowing a base runner, Rays manager Joe Maddon summons lefty JP Howell from the bullpen to face Jacoby Ellsbury, who strikes out swinging.  Gabe Gross singles and reaches on an infield single by Aki.  Gross then is thrown out trying to steal third for the first out.  The inning ends without any damage.  6-2 Rays

SEVENTH INNING
Ortiz continues to struggle, hitting into a rare 6-5-3 double play.  Dan Wheeler replaces JP Howell, who allowed two runners after getting Ortiz.  Bay strikes out looking to end the threat.  Crawford lines a single to center with one out.  CC steals second, his 10th steal of the season.  Longo walks and then Pena strikes out for the second out.  Burrell flies out to right to end the inning.  6-2 Rays

EIGHTH INNING
Wheeler strikes out Lugo to end the top of the eighth.  This game is working on being as long as last night, which featured 13 runs by the Rays and like 100 hits.  The Rays go in order.  6-2 Rays

NINTH INNING
Joe Nelson, who’ll try and get the Red Sox to give the Rays their second-straight win, replaces Wheeler.  A one-two-three inning ends the ballgame.

W: Andy Sonnanstine (1-3)
L:  Justin Masterson (2-1)
S:  None
ATTENDANCE:  27,045

Rays Destroy Red Sox--- Live Inning by Inning Report from Thursday, April 30

ST. PETERSBURG--- The Tampa Bay Rays, buoyed by an outstanding pitching performance from Matt Garza, crushed Josh Beckett and the Boston Red Sox 13-0 on Thursday night at Tropicana Field. 

Here is my inning-by-inning report, as compiled while in the press box at the Trop:

Boston Red Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays
Thursday, April 30, 2009

FIRST INNING
 The crowd tonight at Tropicana Field isn’t what you’d expect from a Red Sox/Rays game, there are a ton of empty seats in both outfield corners…Matt Garza retired the Red Sox in order, including a David Ortiz fly-out to deep center…Josh Beckett got the Rays in order, with the final out coming on Evan Longoria flying out to the warning track in left

SECOND INNING
Garza is really in groove.  He retired the side in order, including strikeouts of JD Drew and Jason Bay…after Carlos Pena strikes out, Pat Burrell breaks his bat and singles to shallow left…Gabe Gross continues to not impress, striking out for the 9th time in 35 at-bats this season…Iwamura Ks to end the inning

THIRD INNING
Garza retires the side in order again, including his fourth strikeout…Jason Bartlett singles on a slow roller down the line at third…Michel Hernandez strikes out looking for the first out…Upton reaches on an infield single, giving the Rays their first RISP of the game…Beckett walks Crawford to load the bases…Longoria with a bases-clearing double to right-center…Burrell singles in Longo to give the Rays a 4-0 lead…Aki strikes out to end the inning, which included 43 pitches by Beckett

FOURTH INNING
Garza gets the side in order again, including a strikeout of Ortiz to end the inning…Garza has thrown 48 pitches through four, while Beckett has thrown 75 through three…Hernandez hits his first-career homer (on the first pitch), and Upton follows with a double down the line at third…Crawford doubles to left, scoring Upton…Beckett doesn’t have much left…Crawford steals third (#9 on the year)…Longo lines out to short against a drawn-in infield for the second out…the Rays strand two runners while scoring two…6-0 Rays

FIFTH INNING
I’d be shocked if Beckett comes out for the bottom of this inning…he has thrown 95 pitches so far…Youkilis goes down swinging to start the inning (six Ks for Garza)…Bay strikes out looking to end the inning…
Beckett is back out there for the sixth, and nobody is warming up in the bullpen…Iwamura doubles in front of Bay in left, who misplayed the hop (should’ve been scored a single and an error)…Upton hits an RBI single to left, ending Beckett’s night (Hunter Jones now pitching)…Beckett has now allowed 15 runs in his last two starts…he threw 116 last week against the Yankees and 113 tonight

SIXTH INNING
Lowell grounds to short to lead off…Kottaras strikes out (8th for Garza)…a groundout ends the inning with no damage done again…Longoria absolutely crushes his 6th homer of the year to left-center (off the C-ring catwalk)…Pena grounds to Pedroia, playing in shallow right, and beats the throw with a head-first slide…Gross strikes out again to end the inning

SEVENTH INNING
Ellsbury reaches on an infield single to short, the first hit of the game for the Sox…the crowd responds with a standing ovation…Pedroia grounds into a 4-6-3 double play, as the throw just beat him at first…Ortiz walks on a full-count, giving the Sox their second baserunner of the game…groundout ends the inning…Takashi Saito now in for the Sox…does Garza finish the game?  That’s the only question at this point…he has thrown 98 pitches through seven innings…

EIGHTH INNING
Garza back out there, with Grant Balfour warming in the bullpen…paid attendance was announced at 20,341, which is very low for a Red Sox/Rays game…Garza strikes out his ninth batter…Garza strikes out his 10th batter then leaves to a standing-ovation…Longo gets a 1-out single, followed by a single by Pena…I’m ready for this game to end already, but nope, because Burrell walks to load the baseball…Gross doubles down the line in left, scoring two runs…Iwamura hits a 2-run double to right-center…the Red Sox, out of position players, send right fielder Justin Van Every, who hit his first major-league homer last night…Hernandez doubles to right-center, as the Red Sox right fielder (pitcher Javier Lopez) made a valiant effort

NINTH INNING
Balfour walks Julio Lugo, but retires the side to end the game in 3 hours 20 minutes.

W: Garza (2-2)
L:  Beckett (2-2)
S:  None
ATTENDANCE:  20, 341