Tampa Bay Rays Recap 6/11/2011

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W: J. Cruz (4-0)
L: J. Accardo (3-2)
S: K. Farnsworth (14)

Friday was not a good night. The Baltimore Orioles dominated the Rays in every aspect resulting in an embarrassing 7-0 shutout. The Rays were so atrocious I neglected the game recap as I felt it best to forget the night altogether. Thus, for purposes of Consider This! Consider That!; the Rays didn’t play on June 11, 2011. It was simply that bad.

Fortunately, Saturday was a different story. The night started off with Longoria driving in Johnny Damon after doubling to deep right. The run production continued in the 5th with Zobrist’s RBI double scoring Mr. Damon and Longoria promptly driving in Zobrist to give the Rays a 3-0 lead. With David Price pitching the game was Tampa’s to lose.

Entering Saturday, David Price had only allowed one career home run in 39 1/3 innings to the Orioles. Mark Reynolds promptly ended that streak with a 400 foot bomb in the 5th. After Reynolds four bagger Price became shaky and never settled down. He allowed another run in the fifth via an Adam Jones ground rule double scoring Snyder and in the 6th, Mark Reynolds returned to the plate where he took Price deep for the second time in the game. Baltimore took the lead 4-3 and Price was taken out of the game.

The Rays tied the game when Ben Zobrist scored on a Casey Kotchman double in the 7th. With David Price out of the game Maddon brought in Peralto to record the HOLD. However, Paeralto quickly loaded the bases and eventually WALKED in the go ahead run. Baltimore, AGAIN, took the lead 5-4.

Thank goodness for Ben Zobrist as he led of the 9th with a lead off triple eventually getting knocked in by another Casey Kotchman single. So for the next second time in three games the Rays were heading into extra innings.

In the 11th Zobrist recorded his fourth extra base hit of the night setting a franchise record for the Rays. Longoria followed by knocking in Zobrist for the go ahead run and THIS TIME the Rays wouldn’t relinquish it. Longoria scored off a Kotchman double adding another insurance run for Farnsworth to handle in the bottom half of the inning. Farnsworth recorded his 14th save of the year and the Rays pulled off another extra innings (W).

After the game, Joe Maddon almost ran out of breath trying to pass around the credit for the victory. "Just go around the field," Maddon said. "Whether it was Ruggiano going over the wall, B.J. doing the Willie Mays thing, Matt moving runners, Jaso really good game behind the plate ... every player contributed tonight to that win." In addition to Zobrist’s three doubles, triple, and 4 runs, Kotchman went 4-6 with two RBI’s; and Longoria went 3-5 with three RBI’s.

With tonight’s victory the Tampa Bay Rays ended the Orioles four-game winning streak. The series finale is tomorrow at Camden Yards 1: 35 EST.