So it was the bottom of the ninth. The Indians had the bases loaded with two outs. The Rays were leading 4-1, and it had been the sixth inning the already-weary bullpen had pitched that evening. Boxberger was obviously tired, you could see it in his eyes. Urshela had fouled off a couple pitches with plenty of ferociousness. The Indians were smelling walk-off, were smelling at least a rally. Boxberger throws a shocking fastball right down the middle, inching just a bit to the left. Called strike, froze Urshela completely, effectively ending the game.
That is the 2015 Tampa Bay Rays in a nutshell.
It is nearly July, and the Maddon-less Rays are in first place, and not in a weak division either. With the Blue Jays scoring bundles of runs, and the Yankees and Orioles being tough draws, this is no division for a weak squad. Somehow however, in spite all the injuries and departures, the Rays are producing wins in various ways and have become quite the inspiring story. Skipping past its questionable future in Florida (Montreal is threatening more and more) and skipping past the ugly offseason which saw Friedman and Joe Maddon take off to the National League, we are seeing a spunky squad led by a chill manager that seems to be carrying the Maddon culture handedly.
The Rays are not outstanding in any category specifically, but have exceled collectively and produce in multiple ways. The Rays are among the leaders in ERA, Saves, opponents’ batting average, defensive efficiency rating, and stolen bases. Whatever offense the team lacks (Longoria doing more Jeter-like numbers with decent average, fewer home runs) is made up for with outstanding defense, risky play, and superb pitching from starters to the bullpen.
No one player has stepped up all season, they arrive in droves. Chris Archer had an insane streak recently in which he pitched 23 innings with no walks, 38 strikeouts, 14 hits, and a meager run. Sousa Jr. decided to look like a home run hitter by entering the Top 20 in home runs. Steve Geltz retired 25 straight batters, and most of them happened after a Paula Abdul kiss. The Rays are keeping it close always, with 22 one-run games, and have at least three pitchers capable of saving the game when necessary. They are on pace to nearly double their stolen base output from 2014.
And…..this isn’t even the complete team yet.
Smyly is coming back. Moore will be back. Loney will eventually be back. Odorizzi will soon be back. Jennings and Jaso will be back down the road. So if the Rays are playing good baseball and we still have important pieces arriving, what might be their ceiling? Kevin Cash and Jim Hickey have pulled out miracles with the limited rotation, so who knows what Cash can do when he actually has more options.
Overall, the culture in Tampa Bay has remained the same, which was the most important requirement heading into Opening Week 2015. The small ball style has not left Tropicana Field, and the friendly approach to playing the game has definitely influenced the worry-free image of the young team. There hasn’t been a player controversy, there is wonderful support being dished out left and right, and every player is given their chance to shine and make an impact. It’s a beautiful thing.
Of course, the biggest weakness of the Tampa Bay Rays is the utter lack of home-field advantage. Last in attendance continues to plague the franchise even after the miraculous turnaround back in 2008, averaging nearly 4,000 less a game. Lack of buzz surrounding a good season is a mentally and emotionally draining problem that affects the best of teams. Although one can only hope, it appears that once again for another season the fans simply won’t make an appearance at The Trop---and that’s a shame considering the 110% effort the players have been giving so far this season.
But this Rays squad has survived an improving division, hordes of injuries, the departures of the heart and soul of the Rays Way, and relying on tons of inexperience. Perhaps it can handle the lack of fans too. After all, with half a team the Rays are approaching July with not only playoff range, but possibly even leading the division. It has been an interesting ride, and an unexpected one.
As a fan, it baffles me how you can still find ways to surprise me. But this 40-31 Tampa Bay Rays is not only surprising me, but is surprising the entire world of baseball. Let’s just wait and see how long this can hold up.
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