Is the starting pitching in which Rays manager Joe Maddon was so confident in CL’s shamelessly-self-promoted Q&A officially suspect? The people present Exhibit A: Jeff Niemann’s night at Tropicana Field in game 4 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, hereinafter referred to as the Team With Too Many Words In Its Name.
After Maicer Izturis popped out to start the first inning, the towering Texan gave up consecutive base hits to Howie Kendrick, Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter, with Kendrick scoring. Niemann struck out Vernon Wells, then allowed another single – this one to Alberto Callaspo for 2 RBI – before catching Mark Trumbo looking to end a long first inning.
“I was a little amped up out there and not really being able to execute,” Niemann said. “A few ground balls got through and that happens.”
After a brief respite in the home half of the first, it was back in the skillet for Niemann, who yielded a career-first homer to the Halos' Hank Conger. Peter Bourjos followed that up with a base hit, bringing Andy Sonnanstine up in the Rays’ bullpen.
It appeared that fearing the hook got Niemann straightened out; he laid down a 1-2-3 top of the third – including another Trumbo strikeout looking – which at the time seemed inconceivable. He followed it up with more of the same in the fourth frame, getting Peter Bourjos swinging and Izturis looking.
This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 6, 2011.