Rays Round-up: Hand off panic button edition

The hand was on the panic button until the bottom of the 6th last night. It was looking bad. Even after, Zorilla's grand slam, I was on the edge of my seat until Percy finished the game off.  Now, the Rays need to keep the momentum going into tonight's match-up. The Kazmanian Devil is warmed up and ready to blast his way through the Sox line-up.

Here's today's round-up. My comments, as always, in italics.

The Chicago Tribune's write-up this morning points out an interesting trend between the Rays and the White Sox.  The Rays have come from behind six out of their last seven wins over the Sox, including the 2008 ALDS. I'd much rather see the Rays just jump out on top of these guys and put them away early. No need for the late inning heroics.

Maddon explained in the TBO game summery that he just "felt" Zorilla was swinging the bat better than Willy Aybar and Gabe Kaplar.  That's why he used him as a pinch hitter against Matt Thornton. The Times article this morning even says Zorilla was in the clubhouse batting cage and everyone had to yell back to him that he was up.  Zorilla came up big in key situations at the end of last year and it looks like he hasn't missed a beat.  For the Rays to be successful Zorilla, both Gabes, and Aybar are all going to have to have big at-bats like that.  That's what got them to the World Series last year, that's what can get them back this year.

The Rays Party calls Zorilla the Slump Buster and presents a nice chart of Big Game James' pitches from his last two starts.

Rays Index pointed out that it's been around 3 years since the cowbell campaign began at Tropicana Field. Funny, I can't imagine going to a game without a cowbell or my obnoxious horn.