Which would you prefer – home runs or web gems?
On Friday night, the Rays and Astros put on an early exhibition in exactly what fans want, home runs and web gems. For your amusement, here is a rundown of all the early excitement from Tropicana Field.
Corey Dickerson got the party started with the second lead-off home run of his career.
Carlos Beltran wasn’t amused so he joined in for the Astros. Heading into the bottom-of-the second, the Rays and Astros (1-1) were tied. The first batter that Mike Fiers faced in the inning was Logan Morrison, and once again the ball left the yard.
I Glove You Man
Not to be out done by the home runs, defensive web gems were on display early and often. As in Tim Beckham robbing Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, followed by Kevin Kiermaier robbing catcher Brian McCann. Instead of witnessing back-to-back hits, we witnessed consecutive web gems.
#Rays out here showing off the gloves. https://t.co/A8z5IX9wAu pic.twitter.com/mqhG00gND2
— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) April 22, 2017
After two innings of play, let’s take a look at the standings…
Home Runs: 2
Web Gems: 2
Then in the third inning it was Longo-time. His third home run didn’t take long to clear the seats in left-center (5.1 seconds to be exact), giving the Rays a 3-1 lead.
#Astros 1 @ #Rays 3 [B3-1o]
Evan Longoria homers (3): fly ball to LCF (solo)Exit velocity: 103mph
Distance: 410ft
Angle: 25°????— Home Run Tracker (@DingerTracker) April 22, 2017
Long Lost Friend
For all of the dazzling defensive plays and slick fielding that was on display early, it was as if the later innings were a completely different affair. The Astros capitalized on a couple of Rays miscues and took the lead late.
After Cobb loaded the bases to start the seventh, Jumbo Diaz came on in relief. The first batter he faced, George Springer drove a hard grounder to Longoria at third. It was the perfect opportunity for Longo to go for the 5-2-3 double play – until he bobbled the ball. He was able to regroup and get the force-out at third base, but the Astros took the 4-3 lead.
In the ninth inning, Josh Reddick drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to center. Then, a wild pitch from Danny Farquhar brought the Astros lead to three. Closer Ken Giles was able to convert the save opportunity, his fourth of the season.
Final: Astros 6 — Rays 3
W: Michael Feliz (1-0) — L: Alex Cobb (1-2) — S: Ken Giles (4)
Notables:
Xavier Cedeno (forearm tightness) has been placed on the 10-day DL. Ryan Garton has been recalled and will join the team on Saturday.
Quotables:
When asked about the decision to bring Cobb back for the seventh inning, manager Kevin Cash talked about the health of the bullpen…
“Our bullpen was not in the best shape…(I) didn’t want to get too hung out there (and) liked the way Alex had been throwing the ball to that point.”
Certainly the news of the Cedeno injury factored into this decision. Cobb was at 95 pitches when he entered the seventh inning. He gave up back-to-back hits and Cash still left him in. After Springer drew a walk, the move was then made.
Thanks for the Memories TK
A video montage for former Rays broadcaster Todd Kalas brought the fans, and Kalas himself to their feet. Prior to this season, Kalas had been with the Rays since the club’s inception. Here’s what you missed…
Thanks for the memories, @RealToddKalas. pic.twitter.com/2IyqdraW6u
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 22, 2017
Next Up
RHP Charlie Morton (0-1; 2.81) v. LHP Blake Snell (0-2; 2.76)
Snell faces the Astros for the second time in his career. In his last start against Houston (8/27/16), Snell managed to go just three innings while allowing four earned runs.
