Even though they got beat convincingly last night in Boston, the Rays are still in first place and playing well. Obviously, they will go as far as their pitching takes them.
Kaz is looking like a Cy Young candidate since coming off the DL. His slider has real bite now, and it is definitely his 'out' pitch. The key to his success is his breaking stuff. His fastball is a good one in the low to mid 90s, but it lacks a lot of movement. With him, if batters are doing that 'check swing' strikeout thing, then he's going well.
James Shields continues to give quality innings. With him, his best pitch is his changeup, and it is phenomenal. For him, getting ahead in the count is key.
Garza is a young guy still learning, but his stuff is quite good, so he doesn't have to always be sharp to win.
Sonnastine is a question mark in my opinion. His stuff is mediocre and relies more on command and control. He's been hit pretty hard the last few times out and hopefully he can turn it around. Like Shields, he needs to get ahead in the count.
Edwin Jackson could be the best pitcher the Rays have, or he could be a total bust. With him, it's command. His stuff is over the top: mid to upper 90s fastball with good movement and his power curve / slider drops off the table. If he can ever learn to keep it in the proper zip code, he'll be incredible.
If only these guys can start hitting on a consistent basis.
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