MVN - Most Valuable Network

Kazmir Feels Squeeze as Rays Drop Series To Halos; Loss #1,000

We have to play better in hostile moments in different environments. We’re not there yet.” –Joe Maddon

 Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports

Rays 2, Angels 4 

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP)—Gary Matthews Jr.and Vladimir Guerrero homered, Maicer Izturis hit a go-ahead single and the Los Angeles Angels beat Tampa Bay 4-2 on Wednesday to snap Scott Kazmir’s six-game winning streak.

John Lackey(3-1) allowed two runs and four hits over 7 1-3 innings, striking out seven and walking two. The right-hander, who had a career-high 19 wins and an AL-best 3.01 ERA last year, has a 1.83 ERA mark in six starts after spending the first 6 1-2 weeks of the season on the disabled list with a strained triceps. He is 9-1 with a 2.25 in 11 career starts against Tampa Bay.

Scot Shieldspitched two-thirds of an inning and Francisco Rodriguezworked a hitless ninth for his major league-leading 27th save in 28 chances. It was his 24th straight save, extending his club record.

Kazmir (6-2) allowed three runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings with 10 strikeouts and three walks.

Some additional quotes on the “squeezing“

“Let’s talk about that seventh inning,” Kazmir said.

“When you get told right before the game that he doesn’t call anybody out on strikes and then it happens, and then the very next pitch you see a makeup call [against the next hitter, Izturis] that was so bad that it was literally almost in the dirt,” Kazmir said. “It’s just amazing.”

“I didn’t like the calls,” said Maddon, who has now been ejected eight times as manager of the Rays, with four of those ejections coming against the Angels. “I didn’t like the calls at all. I was disappointed in that and let my voice be heard.”

You make the call, Video link  courtesy of Eric Seidman and Red Lasso

Inside of Box Score

• Aki Iwamura: 2-4, run scored, Only Rays player with multi hit game
• Carl Crawford: 1-4, RBI(33), 3rd on the team in RBI
• Evan Longoria: 1-2, run scored, 2 BB, .345 OBP on the year
• Upton & Hinske: 0-8, 4 K’s
• Scott Kazmir(L, 6-2): 6.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2, I mean 3 BB, 10 K

Tommy’s Take: It’s hard to talk about a game and a controversial call that you didn’t see, but I’ve heard plenty about the AB in question. With two outs and runners on first and third in the 7th inning, Scott Kazmir appeared to get Reggie Willits looking on a strikeout, but instead it turned into a walk and Kazmir gave up the GW 2 RBI single to the next batter. After talking with several people who saw the call and have looked at the pitch f/x chart, the consensus I got was Kazmir and the Rays got squeezed and Derryl Cousins tried to make it up on the next pitch on a ball that was around Izturis’ ankles.  Scott Kazmir felt it was a strike and Joe Maddon felt so strong about it that he got ejected for arguing the call.

Like I said it’s tough to say yes or no call when you haven’t watched the game. Every umpire has a different strike zone and I don’t know if that call was there all day. Obviously, Kazmir and Maddon didn’t feel like the zone was consistent. Another thing is the umpire behind the plate, Derryl Cousins.  From what I’ve heard, Cousins doesn’t like to call third strikes which is ridiculous. If it’s a strike and the guy doesn’t swing, you call it.  Of the 18 strikes outs yesterday only two were on a called 3rd strikes and none of Kazmir’s 10 K’s were on a called 3rd strike.

Lost in the “squeeze call” was Joe Maddon’s decision to leave Kazmir to face Izturis after the walk to Willits. Kazmir was facing a bases loaded situation after “loading” the bases and had thrown 113 pitches already on a sunny California afternoon. It’s one of those damned if you do damned if you don’t situations. If Kazmir gets that called 3rd strike the situation doesn’t happen, and if he retires Izturis Maddon made the right move. If he goes to the pen and the reliever gives up the GW hit then people will question why he took Kazmir out. Tough to say what was the right call.

Erik’s Take:  Kaz is going to get fined, but I’m ok with what he said.  I like it when guys come out and voice their opinions if it’s warrented, even if they are going to get fined.  Darryl “Shoe Box” Cousins was the man behind the bad call.  I have a friend who lives in Anaheim and was t the game.  He was talking to me about Maddon getting tossed and said “I thought that pitch was a strike too.  OOOOO cousins was the home plate umpire?  He’s terrible.”  That pretty much explains it.

For all of you out there that love Eric Hinske, here are his stats for the month of May.

.205/.244/.410

That’s not in 10 at bats or something either.  That’s 78 at bats.  I told you all he would come back down to earth.  He’s lost all of his trade value now. 

Hopefully they can return home and sweep the Marlins and Jorge Cantu.

Congrats on loss number 1,000 too boys.

Rays Next Game:

The Rays are off Thursday, but open a three game interleague, intra state series against the Florida Marlins.  Andy Sonnanstine(6-3, 4.88 ERA) will face Ryan Tucker(1-0, 1.80 ERA) who will be making just his second start.

OPS Notebook:

• Rays Record: 38-28, 2nd Place AL East, 2.0 games back
• 683-1, 000, The Devil Rays/Rays all time franchise record
• The Rays are 14-18 on the road, but 24-10 at home. They open up a nine game home stand on Friday.
• Wrapped up this road trip 3-6, including 1-5 against the Red Sox and Angels, the two teams ahead of the Rays in the American League standings.
• Joe Maddon’s ejection was his 8th as a Rays manager, but his 4th against the Angels.
• When the Rays and Marlins meet on Friday it will be only the 2nd time in 11 years that both teams will be over .500 
• Jonny Gomes completed his five game suspension yesterday while James Shields started his six game suspension. Carl Crawford’s four game suspension will begin on Friday, which will give him some time to rest his sore legs
• Rocco Baldelli went 0-5 in his final extended spring training game. The Rays next step is to see if they want to send him on a minor league assignment.

“This is probably the first time since the beginning of spring training where I actually felt that I was going to be coming back and playing,” Baldelli told the Associated Press. Baldelli, 26, has been sidelined with a rare disorder that causes muscle fatigue in his legs.

• Troy Percival is set to come off the DL and the Rays will have to cut on of their current relievers. One situation to keep your eye on literally, is Gary Glover has a case of pink eye. Wilson Betemit of the Yankees went on the DL earlier in the year with pink eye.
• Ben Zobrist has played a total of one game since being sent down to Durham. Zobrist was placed on the 7-Day DL with a shoulder strain.
• Two more signings to report:
  • Jason Corder, OF, 7th rd (Keep your eye on this one)
  • Jason Tweedy, 2B, 20th rd

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 12th, 2008 at 8:43 am and is filed under MVN Rays. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.