2011 Tampa Bay Rays: Playoff Comeback

2011 Tampa Bay Rays: Playoff Comeback

2011 Tampa Bay Rays: Showing Resiliency

Coming off a postseason appearance in 2010 that ended after just five games at the hands of the Texas Rangers, the 2011 Tampa Bay Rays kept most of their roster intact in hopes of making a deeper run in the postseason. In the early going of the regular season, however, things were anything but smooth for the club.

A Rocky Start Gives Way to a Furious Rally

The Tampa Bay Rays finished the 2011 season with a 91-71 record, six games behind the New York Yankees for the American League East crown, but they finished one game ahead of the Boston Red Sox to claim the American League Wild Card. The Rays went 9-9 against the Yankees and 12-6 against the Red Sox in head-to-head play, and they finished 47-34 at home and 44-37 on the road.

Right out of the gate, the Rays didn’t start well at all, opening the regular season with a six-game losing streak that began on April 1 with a 4-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles and ended on April 7 with a 5-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

Thankfully for the Rays, they were able to rebound and string together numerous five-game winning streaks. Even though they endured a rough July, the team played good baseball month after month, going 15-12 in April, 14-13 in May, 16-11 in June, 18-10 in August, and 17-10 in September. As late as September 1, the Rays sat nine games behind the Red Sox in the divisional race, which makes their eventual charge to the American League Wild Card all the more memorable.

A Deep and Productive Offense

Everyday Starters

First baseman Casey Kotchman batted .306 with 10 home runs, 153 hits, and 24 doubles. Right fielder Matt Joyce batted .277 with 19 home runs and 75 RBIs off 128 hits, 32 doubles, and 13 stolen bases. Still moving around the field as a utility player, second baseman Ben Zobrist had 20 home runs and 91 RBIs off 158 hits, 46 doubles, 6 triples, and 19 stolen bases. Third baseman Evan Longoria had 31 home runs and 99 RBIs off 118 hits and 26 doubles. Center fielder Melvin Upton had 23 home runs and 81 RBIs off 136 hits, 27 doubles, 4 triples, and 36 stolen bases. Designated hitter Johnny Damon had 16 home runs and 73 RBIs off 152 hits, 29 doubles, 7 triples, and 19 stolen bases.

Role Players and Bench Bats

Infielder Sean Rodriguez had 8 home runs, 83 hits, 20 doubles, 3 triples, and 11 stolen bases in 131 games. Left fielder Sam Fuld had 74 hits, 18 doubles, 5 triples, and 20 stolen bases in 105 games. Left fielder Desmond Jennings had 10 home runs, 64 hits, 9 doubles, 4 triples, and 20 stolen bases in 63 games.

Starting Rotation and Bullpen Anchor the Staff

The Rotation

Starting pitcher James Shields went 16-12 with 225 strikeouts and a 2.82 ERA, recording 11 complete games and 4 shutouts. Jeremy Hellickson went 13-10 with 117 strikeouts and a 2.95 ERA, recording 2 complete games and 1 shutout. David Price posted 218 strikeouts and a 3.49 ERA despite going 12-13. Jeff Niemann went 11-7 with 105 strikeouts and 1 complete game. Wade Davis went 11-10 with 105 strikeouts and 1 complete game. Alex Cobb went 3-2 with a 3.42 ERA.

The Bullpen

Closer Kyle Farnsworth went 5-1 with 25 saves and a 2.18 ERA. Relief pitcher Joel Peralta had 6 saves and a 2.93 ERA despite going 3-4. James Phillip Howell, who went by his initials “J.P.,” had 1 save. Juan Perez went 5-0 with a 3.88 ERA. Jake McGee went 5-2 out of the bullpen. Brandon Gomes went 2-1 with a 2.92 ERA. Alex Torres went 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA.

The Wild Card-Clinching Win Over Boston

The single game that ultimately gave the Rays separation from the Red Sox in the Wild Card race came at Fenway Park on September 18, when Tampa Bay defeated Boston 8-5. In the top of the second inning, Johnny Damon hit an RBI double, and then Matt Joyce and Desmond Jennings both added RBI singles. In the top of the fourth, Sean Rodriguez hit a sacrifice fly to score Joyce. In the bottom of the fourth, right fielder Darnell McDonald got Boston on the board with a two-run double. The Rays responded quickly in the top of the fifth, though, as Jennings scored on a passed ball and Zobrist reached on an error that scored Evan Longoria. In the top of the seventh, Joyce delivered a two-run single, and by the time third baseman Mike Aviles launched a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh, the scoring had come to an end for Boston.

Rays Fall to Rangers in the ALDS

Series Outcome

Just as in 2010, the 2011 Tampa Bay Rays faced the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series, and just as in 2010, the outcome was the same. The Rangers eliminated the Rays from the postseason, this time by a margin of three games to one.

Game 1: A Statement Win in Arlington

In Game 1 on September 30 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, the Rays appeared to get off on the right foot, convincingly blanking the Rangers 9-0. Matt Moore, a starting pitcher who had only appeared late in the regular season, delivered a strong performance on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up 2 hits and 2 walks and recording 6 strikeouts. In the top of the second inning, Johnny Damon smacked a two-run home run, and Matt Joyce followed with an RBI single. Though he had endured a rough regular season, catcher Kelly Shoppach had one of the best games of his career, crushing a three-run home run in the top of the third and then coming back to belt a two-run home run in the top of the fifth. Damon provided the cherry on top with an RBI infield single in the top of the ninth.

Looking Back at the Rays’ Turnaround

Although the team took a step back and missed the postseason in 2012, the Rays returned to October baseball in 2013, only to suffer another early exit. Even so, the franchise’s run from 2008 to 2013 proved that the Rays organization had transformed from the laughingstock of Major League Baseball into a legitimate postseason contender.