Feel the heat (and sun), Miami style

Update 2:51 Garza completed his gem as the Rays won 6-1, their first road sweep of the season. He allowed only the one hit and one walk, throwing 108 pitches in the first complete game of his major-league career. He struck out Paul Hoover to start the ninth, then struck out pinch-hitter Wes Helms, and retired Hanley Ramirez on a groundout.


struck out Pau

Update, 2:33 Garza just got three more outs, without a ball leaving the infield. He's faced 25 batters, one over the minimum, and allowed just a walk and a home run.

Update 2:14: Garza just lost his no-hitter when Hanley Ramirez homered on the first pitch of the seventh. The one hit was all he allowed, retiring the next three in order, and has a one-hitter through seven innings.

Update 2:05  Garza just got three more outs, the last a well-struck line drive to left by Marlins (and ex-Rays) pitcher Doug Waechter, to complete six innings without allowing a hit.

Update, 1:50 Rays starter Matt Garza has a n0-hitter through five innings, and has allowed only one baserunner, a fourth-inning walk by Jeremy Hermida.


The Rays go for what would be their first road sweep of the season today against the Marlins with closer Troy Percival back on duty and a different look to their lineup. With the early day game after the night game, and with a lefthander (ex-Ray) Mark Hendrickson starting for Florida, the Rays have Willy Aybar at first base, Jonny Gomes in rightfield and Shawn Riggans behind the plate.

There will be more changes on Friday in Pittsburgh, with new father SS Jason Bartlett expected to rejoin the team and 1B Carlos Pena - if all goes well during his rehab appearance tonight in Sarasota - coming off the DL (with INF Ben Zobrist likely to go back to Triple-A). There is also a chance, however, they could be without 2B Akinori Iwamura, who is waiting for a ruling on the appeal of his three-game suspension. Or MLB could wait and sideline him for the Boston series next week.

Of all the notes stemming from Wednesday's 15-3 victory and 10-run inning, the Rays came up with another one: It was only the second time in 2,903 interleague games that a team had a 10-run inning; the Cardinals did it against Oakland last year.

And in a related note, the Rays are now the 9th team in modern history (since 1900) to get 15 games over .500 (46-31) after finishing the previous season with the worst record in the majors.

The others:
Year  Team       High mark      Final record
2001 Phillies      +17  35-18       86-76
2001 Cubs         +19  62-43       88-74
1991 Braves      +27   94-67      94-68
1989 Orioles      +15   53-38      87-75
1988 Indians      +15  36-21       78-84
1967 Cubs          +17  46-29      87-74
1903 Giants       +29   84-55      84-55-3
1902 Browns      +19   78-57      78-54-4

Also, 2B Akinori Iwamura's errorless streak ended on Wednesday at 74 games. That was the sixth longest streak to start a season going back more than 50 years.

One bit of news from the Marlins side: ex-Ray Doug Waechter, who has been impressive in long relief duty, will now get the chance to pitch later in games.

Here are the lineups:
RAYS
Iwamura, 2b
Aybar, 1b
Crawford, lf
Upton, cf
Longoria, 3b
Gomes, rf
Riggans, c
Zobrist, ss
Garza, p

MARLINS
Ramirez, ss
Hermida, rf
Cantu, 3b
Jacobs, 1b
Uggla, 2b
Gonzalez, lf
Ross, cf
Hoover, c
Hendrickson, p

Comments

[Bodog]

Nathan I-275 northbound - hit the road Jack, I can assure you that no-one is gonna give a damn whether you continue to live here or relocate to a larger city. When do you want us to give you a going away party.

[Bodog]

Jon, I agree with Mike. You haven't been to a game at the Trop. I would clearly love to have an open air stadium, however; that would not suffice in Florida. The Trop is a great place to watch a ball game, don't believe the negative hype about the Trop.

[Nathan]

The Trop is more passe than truly awful. It is, however, a visual abortion. Ugly by any other name, as they say. Seems to me, as a 4th Generation native and having grown up in Pinellas that the there is MLB in St. Pete despite the city's best efforts to screw it up. Now the residents give the new owners (who have, btw, given us the contender we've been demanding) the one-finger salute.

I've visited many larger cities and metroplexes over the last decade and each time I return here I wonder why I continue to stay. The entire Bay Area is little more than a haven for miscreants looking for their debut on Cops; northerners who come for nothing but the weather; and locals, like me, who are really just over the whole thing.

I personally don't care one way or another if the team gets the new stadium. I hope to have had FL in LONG in my rearview by the time that happens or doesn't happen.

[McLovin]

If you're going to go to any games this year, go to a game during the upcoming Red Sox series this Monday-Wednesday.

Wear blue. It's the complete opposite of Evil Red that those fake baseball fans will be wearing, unless they're wearing green since they just remembered what basketball was.

I can't emphasize it enough, when you go to the games against the Red Sox next week WEAR BLUE!

[Jeremiah]

I am sure nobody will be complaining about the The Trop when the Rays are in the playoffs.

[Tom]

Wow - lots of good posts here today defending the Trop: Great site lines, comfortable, dry, easy freeway access, half hour/40 min drive from where I work in Tampa.

The only thing that's been missing from the Trop is people - that's what gives it atmosphere. I've been there with 40,000+ (Tigers 1998/Braves 1999) and with 12K or less more times than I care to think about. I've been twice this year with 30K or more and the place rocked. Parking was fine, traffic was a-ok considering the size of the crowd - no complaints.

I see the Rays getting a new stadium some day, but if we can get the attendance up to 25K avg and get some more corp support, the owners will be making a nice profit and won't be harping on needing a new bldg.

Fred - You should try to make it to some games, it would cheer you up.

[Justine]

Hey Sam,
I still don't understand what the heck is wrong with the Trop. They stuck a bunch of money into improving it, it looks great and I enjoy watching baseball there. AND some people could give a rats *** about baseball. Our baseball history here in St. Pete is important and cherished by baseball fans so why can't we make Al Lang a baseball museum?? That would also bring in the tourists. I say remodel the Trop.

[Ray of Sunshine]

Most of the people who are critical of the Trop have never been there or went once back in the late 90's and like to exhibit a smug superior "baseball traditionalist" attitude. If they truly loved baseball they would be at the Trop watching one of the most exciting teams in baseball in a comfortable setting. Tony Kornheiser (whom I loathe) tried to get Derrek Lee to diss the Trop, asking if it was as bad a pit as it looked on TV. Lee replied it was actually a nice place. True, it was depressing in the early years when the team sucked and Naimoli let the Trop get run down, but now the facility is nice, the team is winning and the fans are excited. It's these sanctimonious "traditionalists" who refuse to come out to the Trop and support the team that are a greater risk to losing the franchise than government officials and taxpayers who demand answers and due diligence from the parties before approving multi-million dollar expenditures in an uncertain economic climate. Get down off your high horse, pay the gas money and come out to the Trop to support the team, you're missing a great time. And whether a new stadium is built at Al Lang, Toytown, the Trop site or the Trop remains, this franchise won't be going anywhere with a winning team and a loyal fan base of 25-30,000 fans.

[Bill]

The trop is a great environment.......now. Naimoli wouldn't let it 'get loud.' Now I have to scream to talk to the person next to me and that is great.......Cow Bells going off, people screaming, chants left and right......the place rocks!

[Rayalan]

I have attended at least 25 home games this year at the Trop and have found it to be an excellent place to watch a ballgame. With the amenities the Sternburg group has added, it is a bright and colorful atmosphere to watch a ballgame in air conditioned comfort with no fear of the elements. I have been to many outdoor Major league stadiums and I would not trade the Trop for any of them. Anyone who calls the Trop a dump has either not beeen to a game in the last year or simply is "grinding and axe", for their own devices.

[Mike]

Jon, you clearly haven't been to any games this year. It is FAR from depressing in there. It's a blast with this team teraing it up right now. Your loss.

[Jon]

I live in Hillsborough and don't go to games now (will make it soon), but would with the proposed stadium or one in DT Tampa. I don't want to make a drive to go watch baseball in such a depressing and sterile venue. If I'm going to watch a game inside, I might as well do so at home while sitting in a much more comfortable seat.

[Tim]

The way see this is the rays tried to rush this whole plan through and the people of St.Pete. said "what's the hurry"?? When team officials were pressed to answer tough questions their standard answer was , " Let us get back with you on that".. They showed up to city counsel meetings half-cocked.. They embarrassed themselves.. A very poor showing IMO..

[Bodog]

Don't fret Rays fan, the stadium will be built. Personally I would have voted YES in November, however; with these bad economic times, I think Stu and the boys timing was just a bit off - they kind of rushed it. I think the stadium with be built but not in time for the 2012 season, maybe 2015. Actually the delay will give those people sitting on the fence time to see just how great an enchancement a new waterfront stadium will benefit the city and downtown. Go Rays!

[Daniel]

Garza was still hitting 96mph on his fastball in the 9th inning. He faced 28 hitters and only allowed one hit.

What a turnaround for him since his scuffle with Navy.

Rays sweep.

[tunamanz]

Daniel.....There were also a lot of reports showing that a majority of the people in Hillsborough were complaining that the stadium was to far away and it should be built in Hillsborough. Those are the lazy one's that I was referring to.

My hat goes off to the people of Hillsborough County that are season ticket holders and relize the importance of having a local major league baseball team.

When I lived in Michigan we drove two hours each way to go see the Tigers and never once complained. We were not season ticket holders, but we did attend a fair amount of games and support having a MLB team.

[Fred]

Ah yes the Trop is still viable, I love seeing it mocked endlessly on ESPN whenever they show a Rays game (which is rare) or highlights. It's such a beautiful ballpark that it has attracted ZERO All Star games (the new stadium had a guaranteed All Star game)while stadiums built and opened after the Trop opened. I know it would be horrible to have the City showcased on national TV for weeks, that would surely encourage people from around the country to cross St Pete off their lists of places to visit. I wonder why Tampa wants that stupid Super Bowl, horrible use of money to support those fat cats. I wish they would get rid of the Skyway bridge too, why should my tax dollars allow people from Bradenton and Sarasota to invade our fair town?

St Pete will be number one because after the Twins move from the Metrodome (see...they are getting a beautiful new ballpark...crazy) Tropicana Field will officially be the ugliest stadium in all of baseball (including Japan).

Sure the Rays have spent millions of dollars of their own money to try and spruce it up but even if you put a beautiful dress on a pig, in the end you have a pig in a dress!

Next to go in the Grand Prix, I hate how the city is showcased so beautifully on ESPN and around the world, especially the cars drive past those huge wastes of Taxpayer money (museums, Bayfront, Al Lang etc)...just awful!!

[Mike]

Rule #2- Do NOT talk about the no hitter

No no-no's for the Rays yet.

1/2 the season tix holders for the Bucs are in Pinellas too. We need each other. Tampa is the business driver and St. Pete is the cultural driver, but together, we have the critical mass to be the 13th largest metro area in the country. Act like it.

[Daniel]

The trop is unique and still viable. Attendance will increase next year because the season ticket base will increase next year.

Tunamanz, you said "So building the stadium in Tampa for all the lazy people in Hillsborough is rediculous. These people would not go to the games if the stadium was in their own backyards."

According to the paper, half of the Ray's tickets sold are going to Hillsborough co. residents. They will continue to come regardless of where the stadium is.

Do the Ray's have a no hitter in their history? Garza just his bid for a no-no. Great effort though.

[Steve]

Great post Sam. I was so impressed with the Rays proposal ($150M of their own money + the whole Trop redevelopment project providing a much needed shopping district to St Pete) and am so appalled at the negative, paranoid response it received. The old, angry narrow-minded, folks killed our city.

I hope it still gets built on the waterfront. That's where it belongs!

If not, the Rays will be gone and we'll see more green benches and boarded up businesses.

This was a golden opportunity for the city! Let's get educated and realize this and get it build on the water so St Pete can become a Major League Downtown!

[Alex]

Rule #1- Do not talk about the no hitter

[Fred]

I live downtown Jim. When did all that activity start to pick up......around 1998 huh? Weird huh. You'll say Baywalk but Baywalk was built as a compliment to the expected Baseball crowd.

People like coming to St Pete Friday and Saturday night because it has a cool, young vibe and (this actually Matters)Dunedin is nice, but doesn't have the same crowd, how about DT Largo?

DC spent 34 years trying to bring back basbeall and spent $850 million to do it....why? Because it's important to the image of the city and the enjoyment of its residents. LA has been trying to get pro football (you could argue that USC is but I digress) since the Raiders and Rams left. New York made a push to get the Giants and Jets back.....maybe they are all stupid too.

Nope, its green bench, geezer town time. The new First Friday will involve the Paul Anka tribute band and free Tums for all who show up, get there early because it'll only last from 4 to 6pm!!

8 different cities and groups made bids to get the Expos to move to their town, they must have all been stupid also. Hey, lets get rid of that FAT CAT publicly funded Dali Museum....we should have to pay for that or the dumb Bayfront Center.....concerts and Art are stupid nobody likes those and I don't want my money paying for them....and definitely no more money going to Seniors!! Ok...that may have been a little sarcastic but some of you are giant hypocrites!

[tunamanz]

Number1:
I hear everyone complain about parking at the Trop and what parking would be at the new stadium. Well it is not the parking that is a problem, there is more then enough parking for wither stadium. The problem is the St Pete Police do not know how to direct traffic. All they do is direct cars to go around in a circle instead of directing them to a parking lot. If the Police would get it together there would be no parking issues.

Number 2:
I drive from St Pete to Tampa everyday for work during rush hours both ways. The traffic flow is heavier in the morning going from Tampa to Pinellas and heavier in the evening going from Pinellas to Tampa. People who live in Pinellas would never have enough timeto get to a game after they get home from work and get stuck in the major traffic going back to Tampa. So building the stadium in Tampa for all the lazy people in Hillsborough is rediculous. These people would not go to the games if the stadium was in their own backyards.

Number 3:
All the people that complain about how dead St Pete is has not been there in a long time. St Pete is booming and there continues even in these times to add more residential, restaraunts, and bars/clubs. The Broadway Plays even got smart and left TBPA to go to Mahaffey in St Pete. St Pete is on the rise get with it people.

Number 4:
The stadium should be built on the waterfront in St Pete. Ferry systems should be put in place to transport people to Port of St Pete from Channelside, Apollo Beach are, and Manatee.

Number 5:
Port of St Pete should burn any plans to turn the port into a cruise port, that is what Port Tampa is for. Port of St Pete should be turned into a similar place like Pike Street Market in Seattle.

Why is it so difficult for everyone to see the overall impact this entire plan would have on the city, county and surrounding areas. This area would turn into a major tourist area and let's face it tourism is a major flow of income for the state. These would be enough money coming from private investors and tourism taxes that the residents would never have to pay one cent.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM PEOPLE!

[Jim]

I guess you haven't been in downtown St. Pete on a Friday or Saturday night in what, about 10 years Fred?

I don't want the Rays to leave, but them staying or going has nothing to do with the SUCCESS that is downtown St. Petersburg

[Joe]

I think the Rays will get a new ballpark here, but I think there are better references than Pittsburgh and SF.

Pittsburgh has had lower-than-NL avg attendance every year since 1991. Yeah, they got a spike when PNC opened, (still below NL avg) but attendance fell 700,000 from their first year there to their second year there. Pittsburgh is averaging 18,500 per game this year, 1500 less than the Rays. Success? Guess it depends on how you define it.

PacBell was a great move for the Giants, partly because it was designed to have half the wind as Candlestick so its a lot more comfortable. But - and this is HUGE - they didn't have any taxpayer stadium controversy in SF, because NO public funds were used. Yes, they got tax breaks, but its not like the taxpayers were asked to pick up the tab for the next 20 yrs.

Stadiums/Pro Franchises are "nice to have" not need to haves. Los Angeles and New York seem to be doing just fine without NFL teams. I hope the Rays and St. Pete (or Pinellas County or Hillsborough come to a nice compromise)

[Fred]

Sam,

I couldn't agree more except to say I think the team will be gone no later then the end of the 2010 season. San Antonio, Charlotte or Las Vegas will pay the lease off for the Rays and each year that price gets cheaper and cheaper. I wonder what the anti-stadium crowd plans to do with an empty Tropicana Field? A downtown without baseball is not the same draw (think Wrigleyville without Wrigley Field). DC just spent $850 million to build the Nats a new home and we are so stupid we blocked a team from spending $150 million+ of their own money as well as providing millions in new tax revenue to the city that badly needs it all without raising a dime in new taxes. Yesterday was the day the team left. Bring back the green benches and God's Waiting room signs. Sadly most of the stadium opponents were never going to live long enough to see it anyway. Never try to stand between a Grumpy Senior and progress!

[Lee]

The problem is young people like myself by houses in Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk because it is so much cheaper and has less taxes than Pinellas, particularly St. Pete.
I feel damn lucky I bought a house near Tyrone Mall before the boom. Most other people I know my age by in Brandon, Land O'Lakes, New Tampa, etc. due to getting a lot more house for the buck.

[sam]

I hope we get the sweep, just a note to all you rediculous, ignorant fans that were against the amazing stadium that they were going to build on the waterfront, thanks for nothing you idiots. Look at what these new stadiums have done for attendance in other places such as Pittsburgh and San Francisco. And because there was all this negative reaction they pushed it back to maybe never. You people don't even realize how lucky we ar eto have a major league team and there is a legit chance we may not have one in 10 years. Thanks for nothing, why dont all you people who dont appreciate having a team here move to freakin licoln, nebraska where they dont have a team and never will. You people make me sick, NEWS FLASH: to all you misanthropes who never leave your houses, St. Pete has one of the richest histories in baseball and we deserve to have a stadium as beautiful as the one they proposed on the site they they wanted. St. Pete is changing for the better and if you don't like it then move to Sarasota, that is the only place where you can live where everyone won't hate you. And it is a comfortable temperature in the Trop, but baseball wasn't meant to be played on green carpet, just ask Carl Crawford. Thanks for nothing!!!