Tampa Bay Rays showing potential through tenacity in 2015
The city of Tampa was no different than Baltimore, with its own ‘NFL’ type box score yesterday. At Tropicana Field, the Washington Nationals trounced the Tampa Bay Rays 16-4. Things typically are not going right for a baseball team anytime a position player is used to pitch in a game
Rays infielder Jake Elmore pitched the eighth inning and fellow infielder Nick Franklin pitched the ninth inning for the Rays during the crushing defeat at the hands of the Nats. It was the second time Elmore has been called upon to perform this unique procedure while it was Franklin’s first. All things considered, they performed remarkably well. Elmore became the fourth position player used as a pitcher in team history, joining Wade Boggs, Josh Wilson and Sam Fuld. Franklin became the fifth position player to pitch.
There were only 11,491 fans at Tropicana Field and they probably left the stadium wishing they had stayed home. “You put it behind you as soon as the last out’s made, basically,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Just one of those nights. That might be true as this was one of three outrageous scores across the Major Leagues on the same night.
Tampa Bay Rays
The scene now shifts to Nationals Park in Washington on Wednesday for two games. Tampa heads north to the nation’s capital with a somewhat fresh bullpen. Cash took a gamble throwing two position players to preserve the ‘pen. This game against Washington was not the type of turmoil game for the future of the franchise. The Philadelphia Phillies game against the O’s was a different story. They lost their 44th game of the season. They have only played 66 games thus far, so you do the math. Things are not going right for them.
However, things somehow remain strong for the Rays’ franchise. When former manager Joe Maddon left for Chicago, the future of the Rays began to come into question. It further cemented things with the trading of infielder Ben Zobrist and outfielder Wil Myers. Yet, somehow, the Rays have maintained a competitive edge and are right at the top of the American League East, with the New York Yankees one game behind.
The Yankees also had a game that they’d like to forget down in Miami on the same night the Rays probably want to forget their game against Washington. Age and health are always issues for the Yankees. Fans tend to dismiss New York as a playoff threat because.
The Tampa Bay Rays have clearly shown that when their backs are up against the wall and people are ready to count them down and out, this youthful roster comes back with an “I’ll show you!” attitude and it is a great model for teams to emulate.