Comments on: Tuesday’s wild card matchup preview

By: housebroken dad

housebroken dad — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:32:54 +0000

What would be the pitching matchup if Rays and Sox meet for #163 – would it be Lackey vs Davis? Oh boy…

By: hittfamily

hittfamily — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:05:35 +0000

Of course they would gladly trade rotations. However, Beckett and Lester are better than Niemann and Davis. Farnesworth, the Rays closer, would not even be the setup man on either the Yanks or Sox. Jennings has been great, but Crawford’s salary keeps Desmond on the bench. So by my count, the Rays have 3 better pitchers than the Sox, and that is the only place where they have an advantage.

I was just making an observation how much weaker the Rays players are,not areguing what makes them successful.

By: foreverchipper10

foreverchipper10 — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:12:46 +0000

Just another night of sweating these games out.

By: hackerjay

hackerjay — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:07:35 +0000

I think at this point the Sox would gladly trade starting rotations, and in a 100 fewer games Desmond Jennings has already been significantly more useful then Crawford, giving the Rays three solid outfielders where the Sox only have one.

By: hittfamily

hittfamily — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:48:47 +0000

This is really incredible that the Rays are still in this. With the exception of Longo overtaking Youk (although Youk was the All-Star), and the Sox moving Zobrist to right, the Rays do not have a single player that would start on either team. They have Kyle Farnsworth as the closer, and have started 3 rookie pitchers.

Maddon has managed his pitching staff extremely well, making a terrible bullpen seem respectable by allowing his starters to pitch their maximum number of pitchers before removing them. His catcher and SS both have sub .200 averages, but he pulls the strings at the right times. Maddon is coach of the year, and second place is far behind.

By: florida727

florida727 — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:40:30 +0000

Thanks “kopy”. Appreciate the knowledge. I thought that made sense, which of course I assumed also meant I would be wrong Should be an interesting couple of days…

By: kopy

kopy — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:00:50 +0000

If what you are saying is true, that the Rays have a winning record against the Red Sox, then yes.

You can thank the Minnesota Twins for that. In 2008 they played Game 163 in Chicago, even though they had a winning record on the season against the White Sox, because they lost a coin flip. That was the rule at the time for deciding home field advantage of a one game playoff, and they rightfully complained. The rule was changed next year, and against all probability the Twins were the immediate benefactors of the rule change when they finished with the same record as Detroit in the regular season and then hosted Game 163 in the dome because they had a winning record against the Tigers that year.

By: florida727

florida727 — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:32:22 +0000

Matthew, what happens if the Rays and Red Sox finish tied. Playoff game where? I think the Rays are 12-6 v. Boston this year. Does that give them the playoff game in Tampa?

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:26:17 +0000

I see a Ray of light at the end of the tunnel. I see calls for job terminations by the Boston Red Sox fans and a playoff game for the former Boston Braves.

By: Matthew Pouliot

Matthew Pouliot — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:56:46 +0000

Yep, thanks for catching that.

By: Ick McWang

Ick McWang — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:47:53 +0000

and on top of that, most of his losses came with 3 runs or less scored against….with the yankees or red sox offense, he’s a 20 game winner as a rookie.

By: Ick McWang

Ick McWang — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:46:23 +0000

matthew, hellickson doesn’t have a 4.90 era, or he wouldn’t be in the running for rookie of the year…he’s 13-10 w a 2.90 according to baseballreference.com

By: bigharold

bigharold — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:33:04 +0000

Here’s to neither the Rays or the RS getting another win in the regular season and getting a preview of next year’s one and done WC format.