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B.J. Upton Not Going Anywhere This Trade Deadline? | ||||
Read More: Kosuke Fukudome (RF – CLE), Tampa Bay Rays Now that the Braves have acquired Michael Bourn, it appears the market for Tampa Bay Rays’ outfielder B.J. Upton has all but disappeared. The Giants acquired Carlos Beltran. The Indians traded for Kosuke Fukudome. The Phillies got Hunter Pence. The Braves just acquired Michael Bourn this morning. And the Nationals are still hot on the heels of Denard Span. If there’s still a team out there looking for a bat, they’re in hiding. There have been some small rumors surrounding B.J. Upton, with Jon Heyman suggesting that a couple teams were still taking one last look at him (Indians, Pirates, and Reds). But at this point, I would assume there aren’t any teams out there that are willing to pay what the Rays are asking for Upton. The Rays can easily hold onto Upton — he’s under team control for another year and a half — so there’s no reason for them to lower their price just to unload him. With two and a half hours remaining before the deadline, it seems unlikely that the Rays will pull off any majors trades now. It’s still possible, but with each minute that passes, it gets tougher and tougher to envision a scenario where B.J. Upton leaves Tampa Bay today. For breaking news on the Rays as the trade deadline approached, follow SB Nation Tampa Bay on Twitter or Facebook. That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow. Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
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St. Petersburg council elections could break… | ||||
By Michael Van Sickler, Times Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG — In the standoff with the Tampa Bay Rays over a new stadium, the City Council has been Mayor Bill Foster’s ace in the hole. The eight-member board hasn’t wavered in its support of Foster’s refusal to allow the club to explore locations in Hillsborough County. But that unified front could be fracturing. Half of the council seats are up for grabs this year, and in each race, a candidate could be elected who would want to end the stalemate. During interviews with the St. Petersburg Times editorial board last week, only two candidates, incumbents Steve Kornell and Wengay Newton, didn’t offer any immediate change in course. “The election obviously provides an opportunity to revisit the city’s approach,” said Chris Steinocher, president and chief executive officer of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. “It’ll put more spotlight on the conversation. I’m not sure it will change the conversation, but it offers everybody a chance to understand where we’re at.” The council is no mere observer in the stadium showdown. The board has the power to amend the city’s contract with the Rays, which binds the team to Tropicana Field through 2027. If a council member were to make a motion to amend the use agreement — and a majority agreed — then city attorneys would be required to bring the offer to the Rays. Foster could veto such a measure, but the council could override that with a two-thirds vote. Last summer, Rays owner Stu Sternberg announced he wanted to leave downtown St. Petersburg and explore stadium sites on both sides of the bay. Foster, City Attorney John Wolfe and the City Council refused, saying they’d only allow the club to explore sites in the city or nearby in the county. The Rays countered by saying they wouldn’t explore any site if they couldn’t explore all. Neither side has budged. The three candidates running for the District 1 council seat say the status quo won’t do. The seat is being vacated by Herb Polson, who decided not to run again. Charlie Gerdes, a lawyer, takes the city’s current position personally. He served on a committee of the ABC Coalition, a group of business leaders that identified downtown Tampa as the best location for a new stadium. The City Council refused to hear the group’s findings. “I was really disappointed, just short of insulted, when the product of our work wasn’t given a hearing,” Gerdes said. While he wants to keep the team in St. Petersburg, or at least Pinellas County, he said he would consider Tampa as a last resort. “So far, this gamesmanship is counterproductive,” Gerdes said. “Letting (the Rays) look might be the best way to bring them back to St. Pete when they discover that this really is the best place to play. But if we keep throwing a lease in their face, we’re not getting anywhere.” One of his opponents, financial adviser Joshua Shulman, said city officials haven’t just drawn a line in the sand, they’ve drawn it in concrete. “I’m not sure playing hardball benefits us,” Shulman said. City officials should work with the Rays to find a solution that can help both sides, such as moving the stadium to the Carillon area, closer to Tampa, he said. The new stadium could be built using green technology. Tropicana Field could be redeveloped in a project that could usher in a downtown renaissance. “The City Council’s role is to be vocal on this issue,” Shulman said. Bob Kersteen, a former council member, said he’s a consensus builder who would “commence negotiations.” While vague about what he’d do if elected, he said be willing to discuss changing the contract, if only to get the conversation started. “We need to talk with the Rays,” Kersteen said. “If we don’t, we won’t know their needs.” In the District 7 race, both candidates said they support Foster’s handling of the issue. But political consultant Gershom Faulkner, who’s challenging Newton, said the city’s tone must change. “The city and the mayor have taken an adversarial role, where I think we should be business partners,” he said. “We need to improve communication with the Rays.” Newton, however, said while he thinks the Rays need a new stadium, it would be difficult for the council to take a more active role. He said he’ll do what he can to keep the Rays, but offered no suggestions on how. Kornell, who’s running for re-election in District 5, didn’t offer any suggestions as to how to break the current deadlock. While he’s open to discussing a new stadium, Kornell said he wouldn’t push the issue himself. “I’m not sure me jumping into the middle of that debate is productive,” he said. He prefers a go-slow approach, waiting for the city to pay off bond debt on the Trop in 2017, then pursuing a similar financial arrangement for the future. His opponent, charitable foundation marketing executive Bill Protz, said the city needs to be more flexible and consider allowing the club to move to Tampa. “You have to find a middle ground. There has to be compromise,” Protz said. “If we can’t keep them in St. Pete, we have to keep them in Tampa Bay. I’ll bring a voice of reason to the negotiations.” Although Bill Dudley has moved in lockstep with Foster on the stadium issue, he said he’s no longer satisfied with the city’s position and will be more assertive in pushing his idea for a new stadium at the current Tropicana site that would also include a convention center and hotel. “We have something those convention centers in Tampa and Orlando don’t have — beaches,” Dudley said. His opponent for his District 3 seat, radio producer Brent Hatley, also said he would promote a new stadium, as long as it was in St. Petersburg. While he said the Rays should respect its contract with the city, he’d be more aggressive in seeking federal money for a new stadium that uses green technology. “They have a contract,” Hatley said. “But let’s sit down and talk about it.” Michael Van Sickler can be reached at (727) 893-8037 or mvansickler@sptimes.com. [Last modified: Jul 30, 2011 09:41 PM]
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Tampa Bay Rays at Mariners: July 30, 2011 game… | ||||
3:07 p.m.: Pineda’s day is done. He throws 110 pitches through 6 1/3 innings. He struck out a career-high 10 batters and walked off the field to a standing ovation. M’s still cling to a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh. 2:44 p.m.: The no-hitter is over. Pineda gives up a two-out single in the sixth to Ben Zobrist, who drives in a run to tie the game. Pineda has thrown more than 90 pitches through six innings. 2:25 p.m.: Pineda adds two more strikeouts in the fifth. He has nine so far in this one. 2:18 p.m.: The Mariners’ offense hasn’t done much the past few innings, but Pineda continues to pitch well as the Seattle clings to a 2-1 lead. The Rays only run came after Johnny Damon walked, stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Josh Bard and scored on a ground out from Ben Zobrist. Only two Tampa Bay players have reached base through four innings. 1:54 p.m.: Pineda is a machine right now. He has struck out seven through three innings. Evan Longoria is the only Rays player to reach base. He walked in the second. 1:50 p.m.: Chone Figgins slapped a single and stole a base in the second. Could he do enough today to earn a trade out of town? 1:40 p.m.: Michael Pineda has struck out five through two innings. 1:29 p.m.: Dustin Ackley continues to provide at least one reason to come out to the ballpark. He provides an early jolt to the Mariners’ offense in this one with a first-inning, line-drive home run that shot over the sign honoring Dave Niehaus in center field. It’s 2-0 Mariners after one. 1:17 p.m.: Michael Pineda looks very good early. He struck out Desmond Jennings to open the game and Ben Zobrist to end frame, retiring the side in order in the first. 12:46 p.m.: Plenty of news coming out today with Doug Fister and David Pauley being traded to Detroit for three players and one more to be named later. I’m working on that news story now, so I’m going to post this, but I won’t have many updates early in the game. Here are the lineups: Mariners (44-61) Rays (55-50) What are your opinions. Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
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Rays back Niemann with 8 in 2nd, rout Mariners | ||||
SEATTLE (AP) — Jeff Niemann finished the best month by a pitcher in the history of the Tampa Bay Rays. Niemann allowed three hits and struck out a career-high 11 in 6 2-3 innings in a 8-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night. He set the club record for any month for any Rays pitcher with a 1.06 ERA and a 3-0 record. “Every since I came back off the DL, I’ve wanted to get back and contribute to this team,” Niemann said. “I didn’t get off to a great start.” He began the month with a 2-4 record and a 5.00 earned run average. Before he went on the DL, Niemann was 1-4 with a 5.74 ERA. Since returning, he is 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA, lowering his overall ERA to 3.51. Over his last three starts he has a 0.87 ERA. “He’s been outstanding the whole month,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s great to see him get back in this manner.” The Rays hitters made it easier for him with an eight-run second inning. Ben Zobrist hit his 14th home run, a two-run shot. Over the past nine games, Zobrist has 15 hits in 37 at-bats (.405). “We got up early so it was nice to have like a no-stress game there,” Zobrist said. “I feel more like me as a hitter. I felt like early this season and a lot last season I did not get to the point where I felt as comfortable like I have been the past couple months.” Maddon said Zobrist “quietly is having a really, really good year.” He’s hitting .279 with a team-leading 56 RBI. Casey Kotchman had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run. In the second inning alone, he had a single and a double, scored twice and drove in a run. Kotchman, who hit .217 for the Mariners last season, is now hitting .329, third-best in the American League. Mariners starter Erik Bedard (4-7), just off the disabled list (knee) and the subject of trade rumors, showed the effects of his 32-day layoff. He threw 57 pitches in just 1 1-3 innings and was tagged for five runs and three hits, walking four and striking out two. The Rays sent a season-high 12 batters to the plate in the second. The eight runs are the most since June 25, 2008 when the Rays scored 10 in the fifth inning against Florida. The Rays also scored seven run in the seventh inning Thursday against Oakland. It’s the first time the Rays have scored seven or more runs in an inning in consecutive games. Bedard and Aaron Laffey combined to walk four in the inning and all four scored. Bedard issued a bases-loaded walk and gave up a two-run single to Johnny Damon. Laffey yielded Zobrist’s two-run shot on a 2-1 pitch. “We did a really good job of making him (Bedard) come into our zone, especially those pitches high in the zone and curves down in the zone,” Zobrist said. “We did a good job of zoning into our pitch and not chasing. Whenever you do that it makes it harder on the pitcher. He’s really got to bring strikes early in the count and he just wasn’t doing that.” The Mariners have lost 22 of their past 27 games, with a franchise-record 17 straight losses during that span. They are 5-19 in July with two games remaining. Their worst July in the franchise’s 34 seasons was last year at 6-22. It’s the ninth shutout for the Rays this season and the ninth time the Mariners have been shut out. Niemann gave up a two-out single to rookie Dustin Ackley in the first, and singles to Adam Kennedy and Chone Figgins in the seventh. “He did a good job with his fastball and a couple different types of breaking balls,” Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. “He threw some good changeups to left handers. He threw the ball well tonight.” Five Mariners pitchers issued seven walks, matching the season high set July 20 against Toronto. Notes: Before the game, the Mariners designated DH Jack Cust for assignment to make room for Bedard. “He’s a class act. He was good in the clubhouse, good teammate, hard worker,” Wedge said. “He just really wasn’t able to get it going for us this year.” Cust, 32, who signed a $2.5 million, one-year deal, hit just .213 with three home runs and 23 RBIs in 67 games. … Wedge is considering going with a six-man rotation to help preserve the young arms on the staff. … Maddon said he talks to GM Andrew Friedman every day on possible trades. He said, “our names are bandied about every year and nothing ever happens. So I’m prepared for nothing happening.” That’s all for today. Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
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Rays back Niemann with 8 in 2nd, rout Mariners | ||||
SEATTLE (AP) — Jeff Niemann finished the best month by a pitcher in the history of the Tampa Bay Rays. Niemann allowed three hits and struck out a career-high 11 in 6 2-3 innings in a 8-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night. He set the club record for any month for any Rays pitcher with a 1.06 ERA and a 3-0 record. “Every since I came back off the DL, I’ve wanted to get back and contribute to this team,” Niemann said. “I didn’t get off to a great start.” He began the month with a 2-4 record and a 5.00 earned run average. Before he went on the DL, Niemann was 1-4 with a 5.74 ERA. Since returning, he is 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA, lowering his overall ERA to 3.51. Over his last three starts he has a 0.87 ERA. “He’s been outstanding the whole month,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s great to see him get back in this manner.” The Rays hitters made it easier for him with an eight-run second inning. Ben Zobrist hit his 14th home run, a two-run shot. Over the past nine games, Zobrist has 15 hits in 37 at-bats (.405). “We got up early so it was nice to have like a no-stress game there,” Zobrist said. “I feel more like me as a hitter. I felt like early this season and a lot last season I did not get to the point where I felt as comfortable like I have been the past couple months.” Maddon said Zobrist “quietly is having a really, really good year.” He’s hitting .279 with a team-leading 56 RBI. Casey Kotchman had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run. In the second inning alone, he had a single and a double, scored twice and drove in a run. Kotchman, who hit .217 for the Mariners last season, is now hitting .329, third-best in the American League. Mariners starter Erik Bedard (4-7), just off the disabled list (knee) and the subject of trade rumors, showed the effects of his 32-day layoff. He threw 57 pitches in just 1 1-3 innings and was tagged for five runs and three hits, walking four and striking out two. The Rays sent a season-high 12 batters to the plate in the second. The eight runs are the most since June 25, 2008 when the Rays scored 10 in the fifth inning against Florida. The Rays also scored seven run in the seventh inning Thursday against Oakland. It’s the first time the Rays have scored seven or more runs in an inning in consecutive games. Bedard and Aaron Laffey combined to walk four in the inning and all four scored. Bedard issued a bases-loaded walk and gave up a two-run single to Johnny Damon. Laffey yielded Zobrist’s two-run shot on a 2-1 pitch. “We did a really good job of making him (Bedard) come into our zone, especially those pitches high in the zone and curves down in the zone,” Zobrist said. “We did a good job of zoning into our pitch and not chasing. Whenever you do that it makes it harder on the pitcher. He’s really got to bring strikes early in the count and he just wasn’t doing that.” The Mariners have lost 22 of their past 27 games, with a franchise-record 17 straight losses during that span. They are 5-19 in July with two games remaining. Their worst July in the franchise’s 34 seasons was last year at 6-22. It’s the ninth shutout for the Rays this season and the ninth time the Mariners have been shut out. Niemann gave up a two-out single to rookie Dustin Ackley in the first, and singles to Adam Kennedy and Chone Figgins in the seventh. “He did a good job with his fastball and a couple different types of breaking balls,” Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. “He threw some good changeups to left handers. He threw the ball well tonight.” Five Mariners pitchers issued seven walks, matching the season high set July 20 against Toronto. Notes: Before the game, the Mariners designated DH Jack Cust for assignment to make room for Bedard. “He’s a class act. He was good in the clubhouse, good teammate, hard worker,” Wedge said. “He just really wasn’t able to get it going for us this year.” Cust, 32, who signed a $2.5 million, one-year deal, hit just .213 with three home runs and 23 RBIs in 67 games. … Wedge is considering going with a six-man rotation to help preserve the young arms on the staff. … Maddon said he talks to GM Andrew Friedman every day on possible trades. He said, “our names are bandied about every year and nothing ever happens. So I’m prepared for nothing happening.” That’s all the news for today. Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
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MLB: Tampa Bay 8, Seattle 0 | ||||
SEATTLE, July 30 (UPI) — Johnny Damon and Ben Zobrist drove in two runs each during an eight-run second Friday, sending the Tampa Bay Rays to an 8-0 win over Seattle. Jeff Niemann (5-4) struck out 11 over 6 2/3 innings and combined with two relievers on a three-hitter. The Mariners lost for the 18th time in 19 games, failing to back up their victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday. Seattle has only five wins in July. Tampa Bay sent a dozen men to the plate in the second while scoring all the game’s runs on five hits. Damon had a two-run single in the inning that gave the Rays a 3-0 lead and Zobrist hit a two-run homer. Five of the runs were charged to starter Erik Bedard (4-7), who retired only four men in the contest. He has just one victory in his last seven starts.
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MLB: Tampa Bay 8, Seattle 0 | ||||
SEATTLE, July 30 (UPI) — Johnny Damon and Ben Zobrist drove in two runs each during an eight-run second Friday, sending the Tampa Bay Rays to an 8-0 win over Seattle. Jeff Niemann (5-4) struck out 11 over 6 2/3 innings and combined with two relievers on a three-hitter. The Mariners lost for the 18th time in 19 games, failing to back up their victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday. Seattle has only five wins in July. Tampa Bay sent a dozen men to the plate in the second while scoring all the game’s runs on five hits. Damon had a two-run single in the inning that gave the Rays a 3-0 lead and Zobrist hit a two-run homer. Five of the runs were charged to starter Erik Bedard (4-7), who retired only four men in the contest. He has just one victory in his last seven starts.
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Niemann whiffs career-best 11, Rays shut down M’s | ||||
CBSSports.com wire reports SEATTLE — Jeff Niemann finished the best month by a pitcher in the history of the Tampa Bay Rays. Niemann allowed three hits and struck out a career-high 11 in 6 2/3 innings in a 8-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night. He set the club record for any month for any Rays pitcher with a 1.06 ERA and a 3-0 record. “Every since I came back off the DL, I’ve wanted to get back and contribute to this team,” Niemann said. “I didn’t get off to a great start.” He began the month with a 2-4 record and a 5.00 earned run average. Before he went on the DL, Niemann was 1-4 with a 5.74 ERA. Since returning, he is 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA, lowering his overall ERA to 3.51. Over his last three starts he has a 0.87 ERA. “He’s been outstanding the whole month,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s great to see him get back in this manner.” The Rays hitters made it easier for him with an eight-run second inning. Ben Zobrist hit his 14th home run, a two-run shot. Over the past nine games, Zobrist has 15 hits in 37 at-bats (.405). “We got up early so it was nice to have like a no-stress game there,” Zobrist said. “I feel more like me as a hitter. I felt like early this season and a lot last season I did not get to the point where I felt as comfortable like I have been the past couple months.” Maddon said Zobrist “quietly is having a really, really good year.” He’s hitting .279 with a team-leading 56 RBI. Casey Kotchman had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run. In the second inning alone, he had a single and a double, scored twice and drove in a run. Kotchman, who hit .217 for the Mariners last season, is now hitting .329, third-best in the American League. Mariners starter Erik Bedard (4-7), just off the disabled list (knee) and the subject of trade rumors, showed the effects of his 32-day layoff. He threw 57 pitches in just 1 1/3 innings and was tagged for five runs and three hits, walking four and striking out two. The Rays sent a season-high 12 batters to the plate in the second. The eight runs are the most since June 25, 2008 when the Rays scored 10 in the fifth inning against Florida. The Rays also scored seven run in the seventh inning Thursday against Oakland. It’s the first time the Rays have scored seven or more runs in an inning in consecutive games. Bedard and Aaron Laffey combined to walk four in the inning and all four scored. Bedard issued a bases-loaded walk and gave up a two-run single to Johnny Damon. Laffey yielded Zobrist’s two-run shot on a 2-1 pitch. “We did a really good job of making him [Bedard] come into our zone, especially those pitches high in the zone and curves down in the zone,” Zobrist said. “We did a good job of zoning into our pitch and not chasing. Whenever you do that it makes it harder on the pitcher. He’s really got to bring strikes early in the count and he just wasn’t doing that.” The Mariners have lost 22 of their past 27 games, with a franchise-record 17 straight losses during that span. They are 5-19 in July with two games remaining. Their worst July in the franchise’s 34 seasons was last year at 6-22. It’s the ninth shutout for the Rays this season and the ninth time the Mariners have been shut out. Niemann gave up a two-out single to rookie Dustin Ackley in the first, and singles to Adam Kennedy and Chone Figgins in the seventh. “He did a good job with his fastball and a couple different types of breaking balls,” Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. “He threw some good changeups to left handers. He threw the ball well tonight.” Five Mariners pitchers issued seven walks, matching the season high set July 20 against Toronto. Notes
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Niemann whiffs career-best 11, Rays shut down M’s | ||||
CBSSports.com wire reports SEATTLE — Jeff Niemann finished the best month by a pitcher in the history of the Tampa Bay Rays. Niemann allowed three hits and struck out a career-high 11 in 6 2/3 innings in a 8-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night. He set the club record for any month for any Rays pitcher with a 1.06 ERA and a 3-0 record. “Every since I came back off the DL, I’ve wanted to get back and contribute to this team,” Niemann said. “I didn’t get off to a great start.” He began the month with a 2-4 record and a 5.00 earned run average. Before he went on the DL, Niemann was 1-4 with a 5.74 ERA. Since returning, he is 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA, lowering his overall ERA to 3.51. Over his last three starts he has a 0.87 ERA. “He’s been outstanding the whole month,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s great to see him get back in this manner.” The Rays hitters made it easier for him with an eight-run second inning. Ben Zobrist hit his 14th home run, a two-run shot. Over the past nine games, Zobrist has 15 hits in 37 at-bats (.405). “We got up early so it was nice to have like a no-stress game there,” Zobrist said. “I feel more like me as a hitter. I felt like early this season and a lot last season I did not get to the point where I felt as comfortable like I have been the past couple months.” Maddon said Zobrist “quietly is having a really, really good year.” He’s hitting .279 with a team-leading 56 RBI. Casey Kotchman had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run. In the second inning alone, he had a single and a double, scored twice and drove in a run. Kotchman, who hit .217 for the Mariners last season, is now hitting .329, third-best in the American League. Mariners starter Erik Bedard (4-7), just off the disabled list (knee) and the subject of trade rumors, showed the effects of his 32-day layoff. He threw 57 pitches in just 1 1/3 innings and was tagged for five runs and three hits, walking four and striking out two. The Rays sent a season-high 12 batters to the plate in the second. The eight runs are the most since June 25, 2008 when the Rays scored 10 in the fifth inning against Florida. The Rays also scored seven run in the seventh inning Thursday against Oakland. It’s the first time the Rays have scored seven or more runs in an inning in consecutive games. Bedard and Aaron Laffey combined to walk four in the inning and all four scored. Bedard issued a bases-loaded walk and gave up a two-run single to Johnny Damon. Laffey yielded Zobrist’s two-run shot on a 2-1 pitch. “We did a really good job of making him [Bedard] come into our zone, especially those pitches high in the zone and curves down in the zone,” Zobrist said. “We did a good job of zoning into our pitch and not chasing. Whenever you do that it makes it harder on the pitcher. He’s really got to bring strikes early in the count and he just wasn’t doing that.” The Mariners have lost 22 of their past 27 games, with a franchise-record 17 straight losses during that span. They are 5-19 in July with two games remaining. Their worst July in the franchise’s 34 seasons was last year at 6-22. It’s the ninth shutout for the Rays this season and the ninth time the Mariners have been shut out. Niemann gave up a two-out single to rookie Dustin Ackley in the first, and singles to Adam Kennedy and Chone Figgins in the seventh. “He did a good job with his fastball and a couple different types of breaking balls,” Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. “He threw some good changeups to left handers. He threw the ball well tonight.” Five Mariners pitchers issued seven walks, matching the season high set July 20 against Toronto. Notes
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Tampa Bay Rays beat Seattle Mariners 8-0 | ||||
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
SEATTLE — The Rays still have a long way to go. And even always optimistic manager Joe Maddon knows that. But before, and again after Jeff Niemann and a rejuvenated offense produced an 8-0 victory over the Mariners on Friday night, Maddon figured it was the right time, and place, to point out that it’s still possible for them to make a run for a spot in the playoffs. “The 1995 Seattle Mariners,” he said, and that was all that was needed. That was a team that was 11 games out of first place on July 30, fell to 13 back on Aug. 2, then roared back to catch, and ultimately defeat in a one-game playoff, the Angels for a playoff spot. That would be the Angels who had Maddon as their first-base coach. “That stuff can happen,” he said. “1995 is in my memory bank very strongly. I remember what it felt like. I remember what it tasted like. It can happen. But it only happens if you believe it can happen. If you don’t believe it can happen, then it cannot. Period. So I’m a believer. And it’s our job, it’s my job, to convince these other 25 guys it can happen.” But Friday, against a woeful Mariners team on a beautiful Pacific Northwest night, they had reason to believe. They won consecuitve games for the first time since early July, and for only the fourth time since May 12, they gained a game on both the Red Sox and Yankees, moving to within 9½ games of first place and seven off the wild card. “From our perspective, if we can gain one game a week for the rest of the season, I’ll take it,” Maddon said. “That puts us in pretty good shape.” The Rays’ eight-run second-inning outburst — their biggest in more than three years, since a 10-run fifth at Florida on June 25, 2008 — got the attention Friday. But Niemann — reportedly offered in trade this week — was worthy of applause. He struck out a career-high 11 while holding the Mariners to one hit through six innings and three total while working into the seventh. “Outstanding,” Maddon said. Niemann improved to 5-4 overall, and 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA in seven starts since coming off the disabled list following a back strain. His 1.06 ERA for five July starts is a team record for any month. “It’s been fun to get back out there and help the team win,” Niemann said. The curveball was a key weapon Friday, and the fastball was pretty good, too. Neither Niemann nor Maddon realized he had that many strikeouts until after the game, which reflected his less-than-stellar command, as he threw 118 pitches over the 6 2/3 innings. The Rays’ outburst started innocently enough against Erik Bedard: a single by Casey Kotchman, continuing a comeback from his dismal 2010 season in Seattle, and after a Kelly Shoppach strikeout, walks to Matt Joyce and Sean Rodriguez to load the bases. Rookie Desmond Jennings, continuing to show impressive patience at the plate, worked a full-count walk to force in the first run. A single by Johnny Damon scored two and ended the night of Bedard, as well as that of the assembled scouts from contenders seeking a starter. Ben Zobrist hit a two-run homer off reliever Aaron Laffey to make it 6-0. Kotchman’s double scored B.J. Upton from first, then Shoppach singled home Kotchman to complete the scoring. The 12 batters were also a season-high, and it made for the first time in 14 seasons the Rays had consecutive games with seven or more runs in a single frame. “We had a really good inning,” Zobrist said. “I think we put together some good at-bats and did some good things.” Niemann was pitching two days after his name surfaced in trade talks, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reporting the Rays offered him and reliever J.P. Howell to the Cardinals for Colby Rasmus but were turned down. With the deadline for nonwaiver deals at 4 p.m. Sunday, there has been a lot of speculation involving the Rays. Niemann said he wants to stay with the Rays, and acknowledged he was a bit concerned about the possibility of a trade. “It’s something that’s definitely floating around the clubhouse; everyone is keeping their eyes or keeping their ears open on things,” he said. “But you do your best to not let it bug you and just try to go out there and worry about the game at hand and try to do your best. “Before, it really was nothing. But then (Wednesday) you find out your name was really actually thrown around. And it … it’s not that a big a deal … there’s nothing … it doesn’t really matter … it matters not at all.” Friday night, it didn’t seem to bother him a bit. Niemann certainly didn’t seem bothered, as he improved to 3-0, 2.15 in four career starts at Safeco Field. [Last modified: Jul 30, 2011 02:19 AM]
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