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A rough 8th inning broke today's tie, ending the Rays Spring Training winning streak. Despite the loss, Hellickson has a decent start.
The Tampa Bay Rays will face off against the Baltimore Orioles at Port Charlotte, FL. First pitch will be at 1:05 PM ET.
Spring Training started roughly for the Rays as they went 1-8-1 through the first ten games. Since then, the Rays have gone 14-6, winning the last 5 games by a margin of 3 wins or higher. Though the Spring Training records are in no way a barometer for regular season success, it has made watching and listening to the games much more enjoyable.
The Rays recent roster cuts have all but finalized their opening day bullpen. Kyle Farnsworth, Jake McGee, Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos, Joel Peralta, and Juan Cruz look to fill out the bullpen, while the Rays starting rotation will include David Price, James Shields, Wade Davis, Jeff Niemann, and top prospect Jeremy Hellickson.
That leaves 13 position players. Most of the positions are locked down by regulars such as Manny Ramirez, Evan Longoria, and platooners such as John Jaso, Matt Joyce, and Kelly Shoppach. The two remaining spots have been seemingly won by utility man and AAA veteran Elliot Johnson and recently acquired outfielder Sam Fuld.
There have been a few competitions this Spring -- namely between Elliot Johnson and Felipe Lopez, Dan Johnson and Casey Kotchman, and the now-closed bullpen openings -- but it seems unlikely the opening day roster will feature many surprises.
Today's lineup, per Marc Topkin:
Ben Zobrist 2B
Johnny Damon LF
Evan Longoria 3B
Manny Ramirez DH
Dan Johnson 1B
B.J. Upton CF
Matt Joyce RF
Kelly Shoppach C
Sean Rod SSJeremy Hellickson P
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Rough 8th Inning Spells Rays Doom
Top prospect Jeremy Hellickson had a good start to the day, giving up 2 runs in 4 and 1/3 innings. He ran into some trouble in the 5th inning, but Andy Sonnanstine was able to get the final two outs with only 1 run allowed.
The game turned in the 8th inning, when reliever Cesar Ramos had trouble locating his pitches, walking Derrek Lee and allowing a homer to Vladimir Guerrero. In all, Ramos allowed 3 runs and then got tabbed for 2 more after reliever Sergio Espinosa came in to finish the inning. The late-game, five run outburst gave the Rays, who had by then pulled their starters, little chance of a comeback.
Despite today’s poor results, Cesar Ramos looks like a lock to start the season on the Rays 25 man roster as the team’s LOOGY. His status with the team may depend on the health of J.P. Howell, though, who appears to be ready to return about a month into the season.
On the offensive side of today’s game, Dan Johnson and B.J. Upton both had two-hit days, Johnson collecting a double. Leadoff man Ben Zobrist also knocked a home run in the first at bat of the day, his third homer of the spring.
The Rays will be back in action again tomorrow at 1:05 PM ET.
Mar 26 4:34p by Bradley Woodrum