Rays truly do channel the Devil Rays

Like everyone else around the Bay area, I blame the uniforms.  What else could explain complete and utter collapse at the hands of the Oakland A's.  The home team was cruising along nicely until the 7th inning and the *boom* and *boom* and the rout was on.  Garza looked like Rolando Arrojo and Joe Maddon looked like Larry Rothschild.  As for the rest of the team, they looked like the guys in the 90's who could score a few runs early and the give up the game.  I'm not going to give the Rays grief for the decision to wear them, but I will say some things are better left in the closet.

I got to enjoy yesterday's game from the 300 section of the Trop.  I bought the tickets off a season-ticket holder on Stub Hub.  They were real good seats and gave me an interesting view of the action. Here are some things I noticed from the Upper Deck of the Trop in the A's 7-2 victory.

• Matt Garza left wondering.  So was I. With 1 out in the 7th, his pitch count around 100 and Bradford warmed up, Maddon decided to leave Garza in the game.  For Garza, it was one batter too many.  The frustration was evident in Garza's body language before the homer, after he was like a caged bull. Once he gave up another hit, that was it for his night and his chance at a win.
  

• Randy Choate, 1 pitch = 2 runs.  In a rare feat, reliever Randy Choate came in the game pitched on pitch and gave up 2 runs.  Adam Kennedy (our old friend) took Choate deep to right field pretty much blowing the game open for the Rays.  To me, this was the true turning point. If the Rays can get out of the inning allowing only 2 runs, I like their chances. But, those 2 runs seemed insurmountable for the "Devil Rays."
  

• Maddon's antics. One disadvantage of being in the stands without a radio is watching events unfold without having a clue as to why.  That was the case 8th inning when the umpires mysteriously sent an A's runner to third.  Maddon came out like Sweet Lou, screaming and yelling.  Of course, in the stands, we got into it. Giving the skipper plenty of cowbell and cheers for it.  The Times says the call was a catcher error because Michel Hernandez illegally touched the ball with this catcher's mask.  Pretty obscure rule.
  

• Bye Bye CC?  Times columnist John Romano laid the team's options for Carl Crawford in the near future.  Basically he says Rays fans may have to prepare for life without CC in left field.  I said before the season began the CC may be the first guy on the trade block if the Rays were out of it at the All-Star break.  As it stands, the Rays are still in it and CC isn't going anywhere. I can't vouch for the off-season, but I believe this team will try and keep CC over other guys in the quest to keep salary in line.  
  

• Smash Mouth messes up the concert record.  As you may know, the Rays were undefeated in concert night games stretching back to last year.  Last night, changed that trend.  As for the concert, besides the awful acoustics, the group grew on me as the concert went on.  I did think they tried a little too hard to be hard core for a group that my daughter would know from their cover of a Monkees tune for Shrek.