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Rays Take Down Reds 3-1

  It is always good to see Jonny Gomes at a game. Iman the guy always has a smile on his face and is always eager to see fans and player he knows while traveling around during this years Spring…

 


It is always good to see Jonny Gomes at a game. Iman the guy always has a smile on his face and is always eager to see fans and player he knows while traveling around during this years Spring Training. So here I am in Gomes-land, the Sarasota complex where the Cincinnati Reds will call home for only the next month. If Gomes does make the Reds 25-man squad, we will not see him here in Florida in 2010. that is right, for the first time in a long while, next season’s Grapefruit League might not have Gomes to kick around anymore.


The main reason is that the Reds have decided to move their spring operations to Arizona next year. This will make most of the team still here in the Grapefruit league have to play split-squad games because there will only be 15 teams left in Florida. You know that MLB will be laboring and straining to again get a 16th team back in the Sunshine State, but who could it be. Everyone who currently play out in the Arizona sun seemed to be happy and pleased with their complexes, and none of them have voice even any unhappiness about their next year. So this spring might be the swan song of Mr Gomes. It will be a said day when the Rays last play the Red  here again on March 29th.

Today’s game will be the second start of the spring for Scott Kazmir. He is still fighting some of the rust of the short off season, but he reported to camp with 20 pounds of additional muscle and lean throwing ability and wants to regain his edge again this year. That should be a great thing to hear if you are a Rays fan. When this guy feels good, it is usually a bad sign for opponents in the American League.  So he takes the mound today looking to gain more control and to stretch his inning totals for the first time this year. And that could also be a bad thing for batters.

Brandon Arroyo took the mound first today for the Reds and was trying to seek some early rhythm in his second start of the spring.  Jason Bartlett lead off the game on base for the Rays as he was hit by a Arroyo pitch.  Carl Crawford then hit a single to right field to put two men on with no out in the game. Evan Longoria then hit a nasty liner to Keppinger at shortstop who grabbed the liner and then tossed to second base to get Bartlett who had wandered too far off the bag for a double play. Carlos Pena then hit a double that scored Crawford from first base and gave the Rays a 1-0 lead. Pat Burrell, who was playing right field today then came up and hit a RBI-double down the left field line to score Pena. Willy Aybar then struck out to end the Rays rally, but they now led 2-0.

Willy Taveras is the first batter to face Kazmir today and he was selective with Taveras before getting him to strikeout on a breaking pitch for the first out. Jeff Keppinger then came to the plate and hit a solid ball through the hole between short and third for the first base runner of the game. He then  stole second on Kazmir, who seemed to take an extra amount of time between pitches today on the mound. Layne Nix, who is fighting for a spot on this team then hit a grounder to Willy Aybar at second. Aybar then flipped the ball to Pena for the second out of the inning. Keppinger moved over to third on the play. Daryle Ward then struck out to end the Reds attempt at a rally.

                         
 

 
Arroyo then took the mound in the top of the second inning and got Dioner Navarro to hit a grounder to second that was easily tossed to first for the first out of the inning. Ben Zobrist then hit a short fly ball that Arroyo fielded for the second out. Since we are playing in a National League park. It was the home teams decision on if the Designated hitter rule would be sued today. Cincinnati Manager Dusty Baker decided to let the pitcher’s hit to get his team in mental shape for the regular season. So Kazmir came to the plate for his first chance to hit in 2009. He proceeded to strike out to end the inning for the Rays.

Kazmir came to the mound again in the second inning and Juan Francisco to hit a hard grounder to Aybar, who threw to Pena for the first out. Craig Tatum the hit a single to left field to put a man on for the Reds. Norris Hopper then hit a fly out to center for the second out of the inning. Paul Janish then hit an RBI-triple off the top of the left field wall to score Tatum. With the game taking part in a National League park, it was the Reds decision for the pitcher’s to bat today. So with two outs in the inning, Arroyo came up to bat in the inning. He ended hitting a deep fly ball to Ben Zobrist in center field for the final out of the inning.

Arroyo came out again in the third inning only down one run and with the Rays top of the order coming up in the inning. Bartlett started the inning by striking out. Crawford then struck out. That made it six Rays batters in a row to go down to Arroyo today. Longoria then hit a fly ball to right-center field to end the inning. That again sent down the Rays 1-2-3 for the second straight inning. Sine his first inning, Arroyo has settled down and has hit his marks for the Reds.

In the third inning, the Rays again sent Kazmir out to the mound and he quickly got Taveras to hit a grounder to Aybar that was easily thrown to Pena for the first out. Keppinger then got his second hit of the day on a ball that just missed a diving Pena down the right field line. Nix then came to the plate and hit a fielder choice to the right of Pena that he threw to second to get the lead runner for the second out. Ward then connected for a single to center field to put two men on base. Francisco then struck out to end the Reds chance to try and tie the score.

 

 

 
Arroyo, feeling a bit energized by his last few innings came out ready for the fourth inning. Pena started off the inning by hitting a ball to right of first base and Arroyo came over to take the pitch for the first out in a 3-1 put out.  Burrell then hit a fly ball to left field for a quick second out. Willy Aybar then came up and hit his first homer of the season out against the wind for a 3-1 Rays lead. Navarro then hit a ball to left field that was easily taken for the third out of the inning. So the only base runner since the first inning took Arroyo deep for another Rays run. Kazmir again came out in the fourth inning and  Tatum again made an attempt to go 2-2, but Zobrist made a great adjustment on the ball in the last second and recorded the first out of the inning. Hopper then made another solid hit towards that same area of center field, but Zobrist again was there for the out. Janish then hit a sharp ball to longoria, but was thrown out for the third out of the inning.

Arroyo came out for the Red again in the fifth inning. He quickly got Zobrist to hit a ball to second that was trapped and thrown to first for the first out. Gabe Gross then came on to pinch hit for Kazmir. He hit a soft ball down the first base line and again Arroyo came over and took the pitch  and step on the bag for the second out of the inning. Bartlett then got on base after a walk and moved over to second on a wild pitch by Arroyo. At that point Reds Manager dusty Baker came out and replaced Arroyo with Daniel Herrera. He then got Crawford to hit a long ball to right field for the final out in the inning.

 
Lance Cormier came to the mound for the Rays.  He got Kevin Barker, who was pinch hitting for Hererra to ground out to Longoria, who then threw to first for the out. Tavera then singles to right field and then stole second base to get into scoring position for the Reds. Keppinger then hit a slow grounder to Cormier who threw to Pena for the second out. Nix then struck out to end the Reds chance at trying to tie the game.

 
The Red sent reliever Arthur Rhodes to the mound for the sixth inning. He quickly got Longoria to hit a ground out to lead off the inning. Pena then walked to give the Rays only their second base runner since the first inning. Burrell got jammed and hit a foul ball out to first base for the second out of the inning. Aybar then hit a long fly ball out to center field that was converted for the third out of the inning. The Rays sent Cormier out again for the bottom of the sixth. He got the first batter Ward to hit a grounder to Aybar at second that he quickly converted for the first out. Maddon then came out and called in Jeff Niemann from the Bullpen. Niemann is one of the last three guys effectively fighting to fill the fifth spot in the Rays rotation this spring. He quickly got Francisco to fly out, but gave up the first walk of the day by Rays pitchers to Chris Kroski. He then got Hooper to line out to Brignac at shortstop to end the inning.

 
The Red sent reliever David Weathers to the mound in the top of the seventh inning. Weathers is trying to come back from injury this year to make the Reds Bullpen. He first faced Justin Ruggiano, who struck out to start the inning. Michel Hernandez then hit a hard ball to third, but it was easily thrown to first for the second out. Gross then struck out to provide a fast 1-2-3 inning for the Reds. Niemann again came out to the mound in the bottom of the inning. He got the Reds lead-off hitter Danny Richar to hit a bouncer down to Chris Richards at first that he easily stepped on the bag for the first out. Joey Votto then came up and hit another ball to Elliot Johnson at second base, which he threw to Richards at first for the second out of the inning. Darnell McDonald then hit a sharp grounder to Rays Olmedo at third for the final out of the inning.


 
        
 

Francisco Cordero, who like Weathers is trying to come back after injury took the mound in the 8th inning. He quickly gave up a single to right field to Reid Brignac. Rays Olmedo then hit a grounder to second that was thrown to second and then to first to complete a 4-6-3 double play. It was the first one of the day against the Rays. Johnson then came up and hit a deep ball to center for the third out of the inning. Niemann again took the mound for the Rays and faced Luis Bolivar first in the inning. He got him to hit a short grounder back to the mound that Niemann threw to first for the first out of the inning. Maddon then came out and pulled Niemann from the game and brought in Wade Davis.

Davis, like Niemann had started Spring Training with the idea of trying to secure that fifth rotation spot. But the Rays seem to have other plans for Davis this season. He will probably be the first pitcher the Rays bring up if an injury or a trade makes an available spot open in the Rays roster for a pitcher. First batter to face Davis is former Ray Jonny Gomes. Davis tries to pitch around Gomes, but ends up walking him. Then former Rays farm hand Wes Bankston comes to bat for the Reds. Bankston hit a long fly out to center that is easily converted for the second out of the inning. Adam Rosales then hit another ball into deep center, but it is caught for the third out of the inning.

 
Jared Burton takes the mound for the top of the ninith inning for the Reds. Hernandez hits  grounder to short that is quickly thrown to first for the first out.  Chris Richard then hit a ball down the first baseline that is quickly scooped up by Bankston for the second out of the inning. Then Rays 2008 first round draft pick, Tim Beckham, who is getting a bit of extra time with the big club this spring comes to bat. He ends up striking out swinging to end the inning for the Rays.

 
Davis takes the mound in the top of the ninth with a chance to garner a save opportunity. He gets Kroski to ground out to shortstop for the first out. Then Jacque Jones comes up and hit another grounder to second that is easily converted for the second out of the inning. Richar then hit a swirling ball down the left field line that Beckham circles and then lunges and finally secures in his glove while slipping on the foul line for the third out and to preserve the Rays victory.

Jeff Niemann did nothing to discount his stride to take the fifth rotation spot. He ended up going 2 innings and only gave up a walk. but he also lowered his spring ERA to .082. I am thinking that barring a bad outing in the next two weeks, the spot in the rotation might have been decided today. I am not going to put it in stone until the next outing by Jason Hammel, but the writing is beginning to be written on the wall. Carlos Hernandez also still has an outside shot at maybe gaining ground and maybe a roster spot with a great spring.


 
Photo credits:  1) RRCollections
                         2) The Enquirer ( Michael E Keating )
                         3) The Enquirer ( Michael E. Keating )
                         4) The Enquirer ( Kathy Willens)

By Rays Renegade

2004 inductee to the Rays/Pepsi Fan Wall of Fame. Ex-Evening Independent Sports Correspondent who STILL misses the deadlines and writing about his hometown baseball team. Someone who has spent an entire night in the haunted Clubhouse of Huggins/Stengel Field...and loved it when he smelled the cigar smoke.

8 replies on “Rays Take Down Reds 3-1”

Well,
For some reason they think it is warmer than Florida, and the state has a very lucrative economic package for team training in their state.
Florida does the same, but not wit the same upside. But with Cincy leaving, it brings about an odd number of teams, which constitutes split squad games to make up for the 16th team.

Rays Renegade

http://raysrenegade.mlblogs.com

I did take a class in announcing in college, but I have a face for radio. lol
I just like to let some people know what happened since most of the games are not on television.
I do not go so far into depth to tell you if it was a “ground ball with eyes”, or a “Texas Leaguer hit”, but sometimes the basics are perfect for the illustration of the game.

Thank you for that compliment, I will forward this to Rich Herrera who does the pre-game and post-game for the Rays lol (Just kidding Rich).

Rays Renegade

http://raysrenegade.mlblogs.com

Very good play-by-play! It’s disappointing to see the teams leave for Arizona. The photos of an empty Dodgertown at Vero Beach were depressing. Hopefully, the Grapefruit League can lure one of the desert dwellers back to even the numbers…

Scott
http://fotr.mlblogs.com

I know, seeing Progress Energy/Al Lang empty in St. Petersburg also makes the Grapefruit League seem to be a decaying league. And that is a crime. The history is deep and solid in Florida and to see any team leave is disheartening.

Dodgertown also lost the Florida State League Vero Beach D-Rays last year as they moved to Port Charlotte and became the Stonecrabs.

Rays Renegade

http://raysrenegade.mlblogs.com

Oh, great – so they are going to do more split squads next year. I’m not too sure about those games. It seems to work for exhibition games against colleges and such. I guess the Cactus league will have to do the same too.
Canuck

I would think they woiuld since there will be an odd 15-team split in both Leagues next Spring.

But, that can sometimes work out great to get some of the Triple-A guys more reps with the big boys. In the long run, it works for everyone.

Rays Renegade

http://raysrenegade.mlblogs.com

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