Rays Go Nuts Against The Yanks

There are few things in life that make me as happy as walloping the New York Yankees.  This game was a memorable one in many ways for the Rays.  First off we raised the banner for AL East Championship and our American League Championship.  Just saying that still makes me a little giddy and I know still shocks some people around the country.  

The real show of the night started with our first batter in the bottom of the first inning.  BJ Upton took a walk to start the game, and the onslaught against Chien Ming Wang began.  We put up 4 in the first, and loaded up the bases in the 2nd inning before Joe Girardi finally pulled Mr. Wang.  His replacement Jonathan Alabaladejo threw two pitches to Carlos Pena before he belted a Grand Salami to really open the score up to 8-0.  The Rays didn’t look back from there, putting up a total of 17 hits, and 15 runs.  It got so bad for the Yanks at one point that they put Nick Swisher into pitch!!! 

Upton finished the game 1 for 3 with 2 runs and 3 BB.   Cp23 drove in 6 runs on 6 hits.  Pat the Bat Burrell hit his first jack as a Ray and had 2 hits, 2 rbi and 3 runs.  Up and down the lineup it was just an ass kicking.  I know I’m not generally the cursing type on any of the three Tampa team sites, but this game was just in all honesty, a good old fashioned ass whooping.  

Scottie Kazmir was brilliant, walking 0 batters, striking out 6 and going 6 and 2/3 innings.  

I will say this befor the video highlights, the video of the banner raising and the box score.  With BJ Upton back, our lineup is dangerous.  Akinori Iwamura and Jason Bartlett, hitting .385 and .444 respectively out of the 8 and 9 holes is not something other teams want to see.  1, 2, 3, 8 and 9 hitters can all steal 20 bases and a there is power loaded in the middle.  This lineup and this staff, and there is no reason to expect us to fall of from last years magical season.  

FIELDING
E: Cano (1, fielding).
Outfield assists: Damon (Gross at 2nd base). 

BASERUNNING
SB: Crawford (2, 2nd base off Wang/Posada), Bartlett (2, 2nd base off Wang/Posada), Upton 2 (2, 2nd base off Wang/Posada, 3rd base off Wang/Posada).

FIELDING
DP: 2 (Longoria-Iwamura-Pena, C, Iwamura-Zobrist-Pena, C). 

Wang pitched to 4 batters in the 2nd.

Albaladejo pitched to 2 batters in the 5th.

WP: Kazmir.
HBP: Crawford (by Wang).
Pitches-strikes: Wang 61-34, Albaladejo 60-34, Ramirez, E 51-31, Coke 38-18, Swisher 22-12, Kazmir 100-68, Cormier 28-14, Shouse 12-8.
Groundouts-flyouts: Wang 1-0, Albaladejo 3-4, Ramirez, E 1-2, Coke 1-2, Swisher 0-2, Kazmir 9-5, Cormier 3-1, Shouse 3-0.
Batters faced: Wang 12, Albaladejo 15, Ramirez, E 11, Coke 7, Swisher 5, Kazmir 25, Cormier 8, Shouse 3.
Inherited runners-scored: Albaladejo 3-3, Ramirez, E 2-1, Cormier 1-1.
Umpires: HP: Tony Randazzo. 1B: Chris Guccione. 2B: Ed Montague. 3B: Jerry Layne.
Weather: 72 degrees, dome.
Wind: Indoors.
T: 3:29.
Att: 36,973.
April 13, 2009