On a national telecast through Peacock, the Tampa Bay Rays got a well deserved spotlight this Sunday, starting with the star of the show – Junior Caminero – clearing the fence:
After giving up the lead, the Rays would battle back the second time through the order, and after loading the bases, Taylor Walls – who I have always loved and have never said otherwise – stepped up with two outs and cleared the bases with a triple on a fastball
down the middle.
Yandy Diaz padded the Rays lead in the fifth with a solo shot that could have had Caminero on base had he not been caught out by a hit and run the batter before, with the liner snagged by the second baseman and doubling him up with a quick throw to first.
It was a fun game for the Rays offense, but the interesting elements came when the Rays were on defense.
Drew Rasmussen worked to expose the weak Marlins offense by throwing almost exclusively fastballs, pitching to contact to get outs. It should have worked! If I had a nickel for every time the Rays outfielders played a liner on one hop instead of going for the out, I’d have three nickels, which feels weird!
CF Jakob Marsee was credited with a double in the second on what could have been called an error, when a liner to Jonny DeLuca in left field took a weird hop and went under his outstretched glove. He would be thrown out by Nick Fortes trying to steal third shortly thereafter.
RF Owen Cassie then had his bat sawed off by a cutter in the third, which conveniently rolled up the middle. He would come around and score when former Rays prospect 2B Xavier Edwards slapped a dink the opposite way when he finally got a change up. Edwards was moved to third on a fielder’s choice, then SS Otto Lopez stood in for a full count before getting his bat on a cutter in the zone. This dropped, somewhat inexplicably, in front of DeLuca as well who played the hop in front of him instead of trying to get his glove on the ball with two outs.
In the fourth, after a long at bat, 3B Leo Jimenez got on a similar way in the fourth, lining a full count tenth pitch fastball to left field, which one hopped into the glove of a deep Chandler Simpson.
The third time through the order, the at bats started to stretch out for Rasmussen, and the Marlins got two men on, but Kevin Cash got the groundball double play the Rays drew up by going to bullpen.
Garrett Cleavinger allowed a third run to score and then loaded the bases in the eighth with one out, so Kevin Cash turned to Ian Seymour. He picked up the second out on a phenomenal change up, and then coaxed a liner to Taylor Walls to escape further damage.
Rays closer Bryan Baker got the nod in the ninth and, despite a first pitch single to the No. 9 hitter, worked through 1-2-3 in the Marlins order with some nice fielding from Simpson and the middle infield.
Game Notes
- Peacock brought Rays color man Brian Anderson to the telecast, a smart decision allowing for an honest and thoughtful perspective from someone who knows the Rays well, something you don’t always get from a national broadcast crew.
- Kevin Cash, interviewed midgame, described Junior Caminero’s power as “unprecedented” and it’s hard to disagree. Since 2016, when EV90 started getting tracked, Caminero is the only right-handed hitting players to enter the top 20 at the age of 23 or younger (109.5 mph). Caminero ranks 13th overall on that list. The only other 23-or-younger player is James Wood, a left handed hitter (110.7 mph).
- Junior would lose his bat on a foul ball in the game.
- Taylor Walls career stats with bases loaded: 42 PA | .367/.476/.533
- The Rays loaded the bases again, chasing the Marlins starter but getting pushed to two outs. Jonathan Aranda stepped in and gave some eager swings on pitches outside the zone and then tapped out to the pitcher, slamming his helmet. An uncharacteristic moment!
- Peacock’s broadcast was thrilled the Rays concessions had both a Miami and Tampa Cuban sandwich available, with man among the people John Fanta correctly noting the addition of salami and crispy toasted bread made it vastly superior.
