Halladay beats Rays for 1st time this season

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Roy Halladay beat Tampa Bay for the first time this season, and Vernon Wells homered and had three RBIs as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the AL East-leading Rays 6-2 on Tuesday night.

Halladay (16-9) gave up two runs and six hits in six innings. The right-hander posted a 5.32 ERA in losing his previous three starts against Tampa Bay this year. No team has beat Halladay four times in the same season.

Wells had two run-scoring singles and added a solo homer in the ninth that made it 6-2. He has four homers and nine RBIs over his last three games.

Rod Barajas hit a solo homer for the Blue Jays, who have won 10 of their last 13 road games.

Eric Hinske drove in two runs for Tampa Bay, which has lost consecutive games for just the second time since the All-Star break. Tampa Bay is an AL-best 47-19 at home this season.

Associated Press

Comments

[9equals8.com]

hey guys, more math for you
Team + average baseball player - good baseball player = Not as strong team

to read more about my scientific approach go to:
9equals8=dolt.com

[9equals8.com]

Sox acquisition of Kotsay is a lift for this year, but they gave up a high quality prospect to get him. Kotsay is a very good defensive OF player and a decent bat (not as scary as JD Drew, though). This tells me they are very worried about getting Drew back this year. Net net, Rays are helped by this activity (downgrade for Sox with Drew probably lost and they gave up a good future prospect).

[Ray F]

The attendance crybabies strike again. I just went online to get tix to next wednesday game vs the Yanks and best available for left field was row HH. Obviously the fans are there.

Watch next years attendance surge because of this year. We've surpassed last years total with a month and a week left. The owners aren't complaining that's for sure.

Sat game is close to selling out.

Also, the same cry babies who complained about not coming because school was in in May never showed up in June or July when they had no excuse. At least they can cower behind their school schedules and gas price excuses again. If I remember correctly, gas has gone down nearly 45 cents in the last 2 months.

Excuses, excuses...

Ooops I stubbed my toe. I can't make it to the game.

Losers! GO RAYS!!! I'll see you scumbags out tonight. Hope Rocco gets the start.

[9equals8.com]

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/golf/article786456.ece

Baseball attendance is not the only thing hurting in Tampa Bay...

Thanks, JeffC. Other "anonymous" guy - could care less if you read my stuff. Just a passionate fan enjoying the ride. I much prefer a glass is half full approach, which makes many of the comments on this board hard to stomach. But there's no sport in it otherwise.

[JeffC]

To the 9equals8.com author/blogger: GREAT info!

But you seem waay too intelligent to be posting here. LOL.

GO RAYS!

[Empty Seats at the Trop]

we outnumbered the paying customers last night

PATHETIC

time to seriously look at moving this team to Tampa, Mid or North County

[9equals8=0]

hey everyone .. please go to my website ... PLEASE!! PLEASE!!!!

[9equals8.com]

I went to the game last night and it was a sad crowd, but you can't change habits overnight. Attendance is growing and the base is building (up big over last year). A leading indicator for ticket sales is merchandise sales and those are up over 100% from last year. Also, everyone that has season tickets will buy their post-season packages. The Rays will bill for all 11 potential games and credit any games that are not played toward 2009 season tickets. This will assure a higher season ticket base next year. Repeat this cycle for a few years and you'll have a nice fan base. I was a season ticketholder for the first 4 years and then gave them up (could not stomach the prior management group's antics). Just bought in again this year and am enjoying the ride. With Stu and the crew, I'll likely buy in for many years to come.

For those of you that care about actual "analysis" and data on attendance, I did some for you:

http://www.9equals8.com/2008/08/understanding-attendance-tampa-bay-rays.html

[jeff]

OOOPS - I DID IT AGAIN!
Please fix him Rays, something is terribly wrong?

[Mitch]

Way to go, BJ Upton. You're single-handedly bringing the Rays back to the pack in the AL East!!

BJ must stand for "Barely Jogging".

Remember, nothing above the knees to Carlos Pena, and you'll beat the Rays 6 out of 10 times.

Guaranteed!!

Go Blue Jays!!

[harold]

Jesse tom and bill
Its a waste of time to respond to these negative bloggers . Yes its low attendance yes its a shame. No a new stadium wouldnt affect attendance this year. These people want to bash just for the sake of bashing. I live in st Pete but I work in Orlando right now so I havnt been able to get to the games over the last two homestands. I m watching the game in a sports bar last night after I get of work at 7 and I hear the same crap about "Oh thats a shame theres no body in the stands". Of copurse none of them went to a game this year. I bet the Blog bashers havn't either.
Anybody that has been a fan of baseball knws thatseason ticket sales will improve next year and yes a new stadium will make a difference if there is enough parking. But what do you expect from a team that has been the joke of the league for a decade?

[Jesse]

I mean seriously...The anonomous people who bash the attendance have probably not been to too many games...We already have more sellouts this year than in any previous..I have been a season ticket holder for 3 years now and I cant begin to tell you how much the trop has grown with attendance, loyalty, etc.. over those 3 years that i have been there on a consistent basis.. maybe you people who bash the fans not showing up shoudl show up yourself..ITS A TUESDAY AGAINST THE BLUE JAYS for cryin outloud..Ill be gettin my $1,500 playoff package, hopefully all you BJ haters and attendance haters will jump on and join the playoff push also...147 row T (front row) OUT

[Tom]

More stupid comments about Charlotte and Portland from an anonymous poster.

Was attendance poor? Yes it was. Now, once again for the 20th time or so in this blog: The Rays have the lowest season ticket base in all of baseball. They are more dependant on walk-up ticket sales than any other team.

Walk-up sales on a Tues, when school is in session against a 4th place team tend to be weak. Throw in the price of gas and the fact that this metro area has the second-most lost jobs of any in the US in the past year and a 30+% increase in attendance looks pretty good. You can't overcome 10 years of Naomoli with one good season.

[Bill]

How about giving an area a time to build a freaking fan base.......it's been 11 years of horrible baseball.........give it some time people. The attendance is WAY up overall in a time when the Bucs can't even sell out. Give it a rest people.

[Herb]

Schools is in,gas is over $3.50, and people have jobs in the other MLB cities too. NO excuse for less than 14,000!!

[MD]

When does BJ "I didn't like that one right down the middle for strike 3" get moved down in the line up? Also let another ball roll to the fence. Blue Jays outfielders got to every one no problem. Put Ben in. Please

13,478 - the lowest attendance for ANY MLB game played tonight! First place and all that show up is 13,478?? Honestly, if the owners decide to ship out to Charlotte or Portland who can blame them?? In fact, if I was the owner I would take a long look at the viability of this market. It may just not be a baseball market. Football yes, baseball no.

[Michael]

Tough loss to watch to a dominate pitcher.
Shields did a good job, though he didn't have his best this time he certainly had a strong performance. Going 6+ innings and only giving up 3 runs on so many awkward hits. The Bullpen looked like last years with so many HRs being belted. But if there was a day to let the Bullpen falter it was today. Our bats looked to eager to strikeout. Zobrist and Riggans are still too young to know how to hit in those situations.

So bad loss with the Sox winning in New York, but maybe the Yanks can rally (never thought I would say that) and maybe we can too. Garza on the mound tomorrow to set the Jays batters straight.

As for Rays fans being weak. It was a Tuesday night, I don't know about you, but school is in now, people have jobs, and gas is still above $3.50.

13,478 for a first place team at the end of August, what a joke! If the team happens to falter no one will care but if they make the playoffs everyone will care and say how they've supported the team all along. Rays fans are weak! Don't try to argue, under 14k is enough said.

[Roy Halladay]

1-3 vs. the Rays

15-6 vs. the rest of baseball.

Not so bad when you look at it that way.