Game of the Week: July 2: BOS @ TB

[Commissioner Erick]

Boston Red Sox (34-42) @ Tampa Bay Rays (44-33)

BOS: Rick Porcello (7-4, 3.34)
TB: Blake Snell (9-2, 2.99)


By ERA, Blake Snell is one of the best pitchers in the American League. By FIP, Snell is due for a correction any moment now. In his first start against Boston this year, Snell pitched a one-walk, seven strikeout gem. In his next game against the Red Sox, Snell walked eight and allowed six runs.

Everything is on the table when Blake Snell and the Tampa Bay Rays host the Boston Red Sox. Snell leads the American league in Wins and Strikeouts, and is up there in opponents average. He doesn't throw exceptionally hard, but he gets good life on all his pitches, isn't afraid to challenge hitters, and has outstanding secondaries that keep hitters off balance.

However, despite making slight improvements with his delivery and control, he's still third in the league in walks. At times, his secondary pitches have too much life, and he doesn't have the best command. That dichotomy of extreme strikeouts with extreme walks and above average home run percentage has FIP looking at Snell as a slightly above average performer.

From game to game, though, Snellzilla has been extremely erratic. Two starts ago, Snell pitched a gem against the Tigers, walking one and whiffing 12 in a complete game masterpiece. Four outings ago, he surrendered four home runs to the Indians. Six starts ago, the Red Sox walked eight times in 3.2 innings. Boston is third worst in the league in walk rate.

Fortunately the Rays defense is superb and helps keep Snell's batted balls from driving in the runners put on by walks. Tampa Bay is fourth in zone rating, led by All-Universe Center Fielder Kevin Kiermaier. Kiermaier is third in zone rating among AL Center Fielders, and is first in outfield assists. He also leads the American League in home runs, and adding on seven steals, has entered the conversation for best player in the American League.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, have been tied up with upper management being caught up in real estate transactions. As a result, the on-field product has suffered. One person who has not suffered, is 2017 Cy Young winner Rick Porcello. Porcello isn't on the same pace as last year when he allowed only six home runs and 28 walks in 232.1 innings, leading the league in home runs per nine, walks per nine, and innings (nines per nine, if you will). All of those numbers are worse this year, but coming from such a baseline, he's still been outstanding.

However, with offensive players Alex Dickerson hitting .197, Dustin Pedroia carrying a .595 OPS, and Bryce Brents contributing -1.0 WAR, there have been too many non-entities in Boston's lineup to get to a winning record.


Questions for the GM's:


For Dave Gutierrez, you have a lot of negative players in your lineup. Will you make a change anytime soon?

Your Triple-A team is 5-72. What's happening there?

Craig Kimbrel has an ERA of 6.00. Do you plan on moving him if your team stays out of the race?

For Ryan James, Kevin Kiermaier is having a spectacular year. Is he simply having a great year or is he a legitimate top-five AL player?

Alex Colome doesn't get a lot of love, but he has 20 saves and a microscopic ERA. Tell the PBA about what's made him so exceptionally good this season?

Joe McCarthy has been called up and is your starting left fielder. Give us a scouting report on how you'll use him.

[Commissioner Erick]

Rays 9 - Red Sox 6

WP: M. Barnes (2-0)
LP: R. Elias (1-2)
SV: A. Colome (21)


Kevin Kiermaier isn't just putting up nice numbers this season. He's delivering when it counts too.

Kiermaier hit a game-tying home run in the seventh inning, Tampa Bay scored four runs off Roenis Elias in the seventh, and the Tampa Bay Rays knocked off the Boston Red Sox 9-6.

Despite Blake Snell's ceiling, and Rick Porcello's excellence, a pitching-dominated game never materialized. Hanley Ramirez got the Red Sox on the board with a second inning home run. Jake Bauers countered with a home run of his own in the bottom of the second. Tampa Bay took the lead on some small ball, when Matt Chapman beat out an infield hit, stole second, and scored on a Willy Adames single.

Snell couldn't solve Ramirez in the fourth either. After two hits put runners on second and third, Ramirez dropped a ball in the left-center field gap just past Kiermaier to drive in two runs. However, Snell's biggest test was in the fifth. After a bunt hit by Jose Ramirez, and a Dustin Pedroia double, Snell walked Mookie Betts to load the bases with one out. Bogaerts put a charge in a ball to center field but it stayed in the park, just shy of the track. A run scored despite Kiermaier tracking it down, but more damage could have been done. However, with two on and two outs, Snell had to retire Ramirez who had killed him all game. Snell got to 3-1, and threw a 3-1 changeup that Ramirez swung through. On 3-2, he spun a slider that dropped down and in, Ramirez swung over the top of it, and Tampa Bay remained in the game, just down 4-2.

Tampa Bay was then able to beat up Porcello with two outs in the fifth. It started innocuously when Joe McCarthy squibbed a ground ball to the right side. Ramirez was playing back and by the time he fielded the ball, McCarthy had already crossed first for a hit. Tampa Bay then did a good job forcing Porcello to elevate, with Kiermaier and Casey Gillaspie drawing walks on low pitches. A changeup in the dirt bounced away from Dan Butler to bring a run in on the passed ball, advancing the runners. Bauers followed and yanked a low sinker past Ramirez and down the right field line for a two-run double.

Porcello was pulled for Roenis Elias, a win for Tampa Bay given Porcello's stature. With five runs in 4.2 innings, it was the second road start in a row Porcello couldn't make it through five. Porcello had only two games where he allowed more than two walks. He couldn't recover from his lack of control in the fifth where he walked two in the inning.

Despite Snell being pulled after striking out Ramirez, Boston didn't stop its barrage. Carter Capps walked the slumping Alex Dickerson on four pitches before Taylor Motter connected on his eighth home run of the year. Matt Barnes came on, and after getting to two outs, walked Jose Ramirez and gave up a hit to Pedroia to put two on with two outs for Mookie Betts. Betts' attempt for an RBI hit was snagged nicely by Chapman, who fired to second to end the threat.

It stayed 6-5 Boston until the seventh. Kiermaier connected on his 22nd home run to continue his awesome campaign and tie the game. Casey Gillaspie followed with a hit, before Bauers dumped a ball in front of Brentz for a hit. Despite it being a fly ball, Gillaspie got an awesome read and made it to third. Chapman was rewarded for his aggressive baserunning when a wild pitch scored him with the go-ahead run. Chapman was intentionally walked and Elias was pulled for another lefty, Robbie Ross Jr.

First Justin Williams grounded a single through the middle for a run. Next Wilson Ramos lined a single through the middle for a run. The two hits up the middle made it 9-6 Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay didn't get another run, but the damage was done.

Tampa Bay's bullpen was exceptional. After Barnes went 1.2 scoreless, Jake Diekmann struck out Dickerson to begin the eighth. Paul Fry was brought aboard to face his former Seattle teammate in Motter, and he struck him out, then struck out Butler for good measure.

In the ninth, Alex Colome's overwhelming stuff was quickly made apparent. Jose Ramirez hit a weak squibber that barely made it 60 feet. Colome fielded the nubber and retired Ramirez for the first out. Pedroia followed with a weak ground ball back to the mound for a second out. Betts smacked a clean double, before Bogaerts topped a weak grounder Colome and Bauers couldn't make a play on for an infield hit on the third weak grounder of the inning. Hanley came up as the tying run, but his magic from early in the game had dissipated. He struck out to end the game. Colome recorded his 21st save with the punch out and lowered his ERA to 0.50.


Questions for the GMS:


For Dave Gutierrez, two more starts for Bryce Brentz and Alex Dickerson and they went 0-7 with six strikeouts. How much more rope do you give them?

Hanley Ramirez had a great offensive day with a home run and three RBI's, but his defense wasn't great. Do you plan on keeping him at first base?

Rough day for Elias. Do you plan on keeping him on the roster?

For Ryan James, Jake Bauers had a real big day. He's coming off a significant neck injury from earlier in the year, but he appears to be turning a corner. How different was your lineup yesterday with another strong hitter like Bauers in there?

Colome had another dominant performance. Where does he rank in the pantheon of closers?

McCarthy went 1-5 with a run scored. How do you think he looked out there?

[Ryan - Mets]

Kevin Kiermaier is having a spectacular year. Is he simply having a great year or is he a legitimate top-five AL player?

I think there should be no doubt that Kiermaier is a top-five player in the AL. He had a great season last year, and has nearly eclipsed his homerun and RBI totals before the All-Star break. His name should be one of the first mentioned in the conversation for MVP, and in my opinion he should be the favorite to win it at this point in the season.

Alex Colome doesn't get a lot of love, but he has 20 saves and a microscopic ERA. Tell the PBA about what's made him so exceptionally good this season?

Like many of our players, Colome doesn’t get the attention that he would if he played in a bigger market. He disguises his pitches well, and has managed to keep his walk totals low. In 40.1 innings this season he has only allowed 2 earned runs, that’s just insane! There’s nothing more comforting then knowing you can give the ball to a guy like that at the end of a close ballgame!

Joe McCarthy has been called up and is your starting left fielder. Give us a scouting report on how you'll use him. 

It’ll be interesting to see how McCarthy adapts to the majors early on in his career. I decided to call him up because I was growing impatient with the struggles of Khris Davis and Mallex Smith. Instead of going and getting a bat (and a big contract) like Justin Upton, I think it is in the clubs best interest to see what Joe can do as the everyday LF. He won’t hit for much power, but fits more as a contact hitter with great patience at the plate.

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Jake Bauers had a real big day. He's coming off a significant neck injury from earlier in the year, but he appears to be turning a corner. How different was your lineup yesterday with another strong hitter like Bauers in there?

We love Bauers and his potential, and expect him to be a big part of the club’s future. Having his bat in the line-up producing to his potential takes this offense to another level, and is part of why we’ve been winning so many games in the recent weeks.

Colome had another dominant performance. Where does he rank in the pantheon of closers?

I think Colome is the best closer in the PBA right now. There is no other player I’d rather give the ball to needing 3 outs to finish a close game.

McCarthy went 1-5 with a run scored. How do you think he looked out there?

I think as with any rookie things won’t be perfect every game. But it’s hard to argue against a hit and a run scored for a young player who’s only played in 6 games in the PBA.