Disney Sweep!

Toronto Blue Jays 3 - Tampa Bay Rays 5

Everything, every single thing that I have said about the Rays over the last couple of days is going to be repeated now about last night's game that I have just finished watching. Because it was yet another battling performance against a pitcher who looked as though he had his good stuff early. It was another perfect example of stringing together good at-bats. And it was another case of a job well done by the bullpen.

I shall start with the pitching, and while Andy Sonnanstine was not in the kind of form that saw him shut down the White Sox in his last start, he was certainly solid. He allowed the Blue Jays just 3 runs in 6 1/3 innings - one of those scoring on a wild pitch, and another on a mental lapse that saw him and Navvy leave home plate unguarded with a runner on third. Relieving Sonnanstine was Gary Glover, who retired all four batters he faced, Trever Miller and, for the fourth game in a row, Troy Percival. Percy let the first two batters he faced get on base, but then showed the value of his experience as he came right back to retire the next three, and pick up his fourth save of the season.

He was in the position to get another save mostly thanks to the hitting of Evan Longoria and Eric Hinske. Longoria went 2-2 with a double, a triple, a walk, a sacrifice fly and a steal of third. I honestly could not be more impressed with the start he has made to his big league career. Hinske only went 1-4, but picked up 2RBI pushing his total for the season to 13.

Elsewhere in the lineup, CC moved his batting average above .300, going 3-5 and in the process moving his hitting streak to 11 games. He also added a pair of steals and an RBI. Aki Iwamura and Carlos Pena are still stuggling at the plate - Aki just looks like he needs to take a few more pitches, whereas I have almost lost count of the number of called third strikes that Pena has taken recently. Not like him at all. Meanwhile, Gabe Gross made his Rays debut in right, going 0-3 at the plate, and making a few decent plays in the outfield.

Back to the Trop tonight, and a three game set against the Red Sox. Matt Garza has been reinstated from the DL, and will make the start - outfielder Justin Ruggiano being optioned to Durham as expected to make room on the roster. I'm looking forward to the game tonight, and seeing a (hopefully) healthy Garza go up against the Red Sox hitters.

The only downside is that Tim Wakefield is making the start for Boston, and he has a quite ridiculous record against the Rays - 19-3, with a 3.12ERA. And at the Trop he's 9-1 with a 2.41 ERA. Ouch. Still, now is a good a time as any to get hitting against him!