Winning the Rays Way.....

Nice victory for the Rays this evening. I have a feeling this is the way most of their wins are going to come – jumping to an early lead and then hanging on. James (Don’t Call Me JAMIE!) Shields picked up his first win of the season. He pitched 7 innings, if not for one misplaced pitched to Michael Young he would have pitched 7 STRONG innings.

Brian Stokes and Al Reyes cleaned up the win with two scoreless (and hitless) innings of relief. It looks like Reyes has officially stamped his name on the closer role. He also vaults into the lead as the most likely Ray to be traded before the deadline.

The offense racked up 12 hits, or should I say 11 hits and one Aki-knock as the Wasteland’s favorite Japanese import went 1 for 3 with another steal and another run. Ben Zorbist hit his first home run of the season, a 421 foot blast in the first inning. I think it went further than all of his previous hits this season combined.

After building up a 6-1 lead though 4 innings the bats went silent collecting only 2 hits the rest of the way. Ah-ha I knew Juliet was a plant! “Lost” can’t pull one over on me…. The Rays need to keep the pressure on other teams starters if they’re going to be successful this season.

Zorbist’s home run makes Josh Paul the clubhouse leader as to which Ray isn’t going to hit a home run this season. It’s always a fun way to make the dog days of July and August go by.

That’s all I got for tonight. Except for the one and only comment I’m making on the “Imus Situation”. He said something stupid. He’s old, antiquated and out of touch with the times. He probably has the same amount of listeners that the Tennessee/ Rutgers game had viewers. Should he have been suspended – yes. Should his show have been yanked from MSNBC – no.

Radio and TV announcers have been making bone headed comments ever since the first person held up a microphone. Heck Rays broadcaster Joe Magrane makes at least one idiotic comment per game. His aren’t racist or sexist, but they’re just as dumb. Let Imus make his apology and do his time. All of this incessant writing and talking about it doesn’t change anything it just prolongs it.