During the 4th inning, Phillies pitcher Roy Oswalt took a looper from Manny Ramirez to the side of the neck. Oswalt was both responsive and able to get up at his own will. He laid on the the mound for a few minutes after the hit, but it appeared only precautionary. After x-rays, Oswalt does not appear seriously injured.
Video:
Roy Oswalt Hit by Manny Ramirez Line-Drive (via Rappaone)
James Sheilds was lights out through seven innings with four strikeouts, surrendering four hits and allowing no runs. The Rays were close to a shut out until (bullpen hopeful) Cesar Cabral took the mound, allowing 2 hits and 2 walks in the ninth. The Rays won 4-1.
Notes:
- Evan Longoria hit a solo homerun off Oswalt in the fourth.
- The first 5 batters to face Oswalt all made contact with the first pitch. This aggressive approach produced doubles from Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, scoring one run. Oswalt would strike out the side in the second, but the trend would continue the entire game.
- Andy Sonnanstine pitched the eighth well with no hits or walks.
- Cabral's performance in the ninth does not bode well on his attempts to make the 25-man roster and receive a slot in the bullpen. Considering how long the Rays have held on to this Rule 5 draft pick, one could speculate the front office is trying to complete a trade to keep the hard throwing 22 year old. That said, his performance is not yet up to snuff.
- From Joe Maddon's twitter: "Manny looked like Pedro Rosa with that headfirst slide into second today."