| 30 April 2009
While NESN looks right past the defending AL East Champs with commercials for the upcoming Red Sox/Yankees series in New York... Josh Beckett will try and get himself on track against the floundering Tampa Bay Rays when they kick off a 4-game series tonight.
Rays Manager Joe Maddon is trying to stay positive, but the Rays have lost every series this season since taking two of three against Boston to kick off 2009.
"We're not really pleased with what's going on, there's no question about that," manager Joe Maddon said. "We should have been able to win more than one series to this point. But it's early. It truly is early and I'm very optimistic that we can turn this around.
"I have a lot of faith in our guys, it's just not working right now."
Matt Gazra - The Human Llama, is a perfect microcosim of the Rays season thus far. After licking and spitting his way through a seven-inning victory over the Red Sox on April 9th, Garza fanned nine Yankees in a no decision and then got beat up by the White Sox and Athletics, allowing a combined 11 runs through 11.1 innings (5 2/3 each) in his last two starts. The long ball (3) and the walks (14) seem to be catching up to Garza, and with the Sox leading the AL with a .373 OBP and 5th in the AL with 26 ding dongs... Garza better have his A-game tonight if he expects to win.
"It would be big if we were able to win some games against the Red Sox, that's for sure," Tampa Bay starter Scott Kazmir said. "We just need a kick start. We just need to get going."
Sorry Kaz... you caught Josh Beckett coming off of an embarassing shellacking at the hands of the Yankees and I expect him to be mighty ornery tonight.
Walks have been and issue for Beckett so far this season (3 per game), but Jaosh had his best game of 2009 the last time he faced the Rays - allowing just one run on two hits and three walks through seven innings. Beckett is 6-3 with a 2.93 ERA in 11 starts against the Rays and 1-2 with a 1.93 ERA and 34 strikeouts at the Trop...
Graza is 4-1 with a 3.40 ERA against Boston and 7-4 with a 3.31 ERA at home in his career... but he looks like a llama.
I'm just saying...
Side Note: David Ortiz remains homerless... but he's riding a 9-game hitting streak and the only two hits he's had against Garza have been home runs.
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