DeJesus' bat shatters on a single to third in the 5th/ANDREW J. KRAMER
Tuesday, 12:35 a.m.
As the trading deadline approaches, a lot of teams are looking for big bats.
Souza Jr. embraces home run-hitting Casali/ANDREW J. KRAMER
Just asking, but do you think that Rays' catcher Curt Casali should be worried?
Casali certainly seems to be taking advantage of his playing time lately. He hit two home runs Monday night to lead the Rays to a 5-2 win. In all, he had three hits and three RBI. Not bad for a guy who wasn't brought to the major leagues until June 13 after the team cut Bobby Wilson. Even then, Casali seemed like an afterthought. The Rays' catching seemed to be in the hands of Rene Rivera, who is hitting only .176 this season.
But Monday night wasn't just about Casali. Starting pitcher Nathan Karns gave up one hit through five innings, and he gave up only one run through six. After that, he turned it over to the three-headed monster of the bullpen: Kevin Jepsen, Jake McGee (who gave up his first run since May 9) and Brad Boxberger (who had his 25th save).
The Rays also got a bit of fielding, too. In the fourth inning, Evan Longoria dove to knock down a ball, scrambled in foul territory and threw from his knees to record the out.
But the star was Casali, who has still played less than 50 games as a pro. However, he shown a bit of pop to his bat, which can't hurt the weak-hitting lineup.
Tonight, Jake Odorizzi pitches against former teammate David Price of the Tigers. Just as he was last year, Price is hearing rumors of being traded. The Rays' talk has centered on their bullpen.
Jaso is trapped after a failed double-steal of second and home in the first./ANDREW J. KRAMER
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