The Sports Xchange
MLB Team Report – Tampa Bay Rays – INSIDE PITCH
Matt Moore has gone from answer to question.
For two months the most successful pitcher on the Rays staff, running his record to 8-0. But Moore’s last two starts have been brutally bad, as he has worked only seven innings and allowed 19 hits and 14 earned runs.
While Moore’s problem in Detroit on Tuesday was his inability to throw strikes — walking a career high six in only two innings — the issue on Sunday was that his strikes were too good, as he was leaving too many pitches in the middle of the plate.
“Detroit and this game are completely different in my mind,” Moore said. “You look at six walks and (12 hits). Tonight, I would actually say I feel like I just got shelled to death more so than putting runners on when they didn’t have to do very much. They were doing everything. Every time I looked up the ball was in the gap. Our outfielders were diving, running their butts off.”
Manager Joe Maddon said in his opinion the biggest problem has been a lack of command, specifically with Moore’s off-speed pitches, which he has been throwing more often since the velocity on his fastball is down a few miles an hour.
Both Moore and Maddon said there is nothing wrong physically,
Maddon said he thinks the problem stems from Moore’s awkward schedule, starting with a May 31 outing that was limited to one inning, and 11 pitches, due to a lengthy rain delay. He came back to start four days later in Detroit.
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MLB Team Report – Tampa Bay Rays – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 34-28
STREAK: Lost one
PAST 10 GAMES: 6-4
NEXT: Red Sox (John Lackey, 3-5, 2.79) at Rays (Alex Cobb, 6-2, 2.39)
PLAYER NOTES:
–RHP Alex Cobb enters Monday’s start with a 6-2 record, a 2.39 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 75 1/3 innings, making him arguably the Rays’ top starter in light of Matt Moore’s recent struggles. Cobb has given up four earned runs with 12 strikeouts in 13 innings in his two starts against the Red Sox this year, but one of the most important things he’s done this season is forget about each start after it’s over. “I kind of restart my first day out there,” he said. “I’ll start from the ground up, working on my mechanics all over again, kind of forgetting what took place my last outing and really focusing on making sure I feel comfortable going into my next start.”
–LHP Matt Moore continued his recent funk Sunday against the Orioles, allowing a career-high nine runs and a career-high-tying eight earned runs along with a career-high 12 hits. He allowed six doubles, all within his first 2 1/3 innings, to tie a Rays record. He’s gone 0-2 and allowed 15 runs (14 earned) over his last two starts after opening the season 8-0 and allowing only 15 runs in his first 11 starts. Moore couldn’t draw any parallels between his two ugly outings, though he was clearly unhappy with himself for letting his team down.
–OF Sam Fuld hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning of Sunday’s loss to the Orioles, his first home run since May 27, 2011, off Josh Tomlin and the Indians. Sunday’s blast was also the diminutive outfielder’s second career long ball off a left-handed pitcher — his first since Oct. 4, 2009, when he was with the Cubs.
–UTL Ben Zobrist snapped a 31-game drought without a home run Sunday by crushing a fourth-inning solo shot to right field. The homeless stretch had been his longest since 2011. Zobrist has hit leadoff or second in the order in each of his last 12 starts dating back to May 27, and he’s hit .311 with a .415 on-base percentage in that time.
–OF Desmond Jennings has been caught stealing six times in 13 attempts this season and has also been picked off three times. No American League player has been caught stealing more than the athletic outfielder, who was recently moved down in the order. It’s an unusual turn for Jennings, who entered the season 53-for-63 (84.1 percent) in stolen-base attempts and had never been picked off in his career. Last season, Jennings went 31-for-33 in stolen-base attempts and led all big leaguers with at least 30 attempts in stolen-base percentage, at 93.9.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “It seemed like when I was getting ahead, I just wasn’t making a pitch. I would say that I feel like I got shelled to death more so than putting runners on when they didn’t have to do much.” — LHP Matt Moore after a loss Sunday.
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MLB Team Report – Tampa Bay Rays – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–LHP David Price (left triceps strain) went on the 15-day disabled list May 16, and though he was eligible to return on May 31, is looking at a late-June/early-July return. Price started throwing May 27 and said he felt “normal” and was ready for increased activity, on June 2 he progressed to long toss and threw his first bullpen session on June 7. He will throw another June 10, and after a simulated game is expected to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment that will last three starts.
–RHP Brandon Gomes (right lat strain) went on the 15-day disabled list May 10 (retroactive to May 8), and was feeling better by early June, with a plan to start throwing bullpens by the middle of the month aiming for a late June return.
–RHP Jeff Niemann (sore right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 28, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 16. He had season-ending surgery April 10 to repair his rotator cuff and labrum. The expected recovery time is nine-to-12 months.
–RHP Juan Carlos Oviedo (Tommy John surgery in September 2012) went on the 60-day disabled list on March 31. He will spend most of the season rehabbing his elbow, with the possibility he could help the Rays in September. Plus, they hold a 2014 option.
ROTATION:
RHP Jeremy Hellickson
RHP Roberto Hernandez
LHP Matt Moore
RHP Alex Cobb
RHP Chris Archer
BULLPEN:
RHP Fernando Rodney (closer)
RHP Joel Peralta
LHP Jake McGee
RHP Kyle Farnsworth
LHP Cesar Ramos
RHP Jamey Wright
LHP Alex Torres
CATCHERS:
Jose Molina
Jose Lobaton
INFIELDERS:
1B James Loney
2B Kelly Johnson
SS Yunel Escobar
3B Evan Longoria
DH Luke Scott
INF Ryan Roberts
INF/OF Sean Rodriguez
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Sam Fuld
CF Desmond Jennings
RF Ben Zobrist
OF Matt Joyce
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