Sports

Casali Homers, Injures Hamstring in Rays’ Tuesday Night Loss

By |

Tampa Bay Rays rookie starting catcher Curt Casali hit his 1oth home run of the season Tuesday night, but it came at a cost. Trailing Minnesota 10-6 in the fifth inning, Casali lined the first pitch of his third at bat over the left field fence off Twins pitcher Neal Cotts to pull the Rays to within three runs. Casali seemed to take an awkward stride near first base as he ran the home run ball out, and was in obvious discomfort as he rounded the bases. Replaced by backup Rene Rivera for the rest of the game, Casali was diagnosed with a strained left hamstring after an MRI on Wednesday and was placed on the 15-day disabled list. The 2007 New Canaan High School grad is hitting .238 with 10 home runs and 18 RBI in 38 games this season, including nine round-trippers since the All Star Break.

Sports

Casali Homers Again, Drives in Three in Rays’ Win

By |

Curt Casali cemented his grasp on the Tampa Bay Rays’ starting catcher job, as the 2007 NCHS grad capped off a six-run 7th inning by hitting a key two-run home run in Wednesday night’s 9-6 win over Atlanta. The Rays overcame a three-run deficit in the win, improving to 58-56 on the season. It was the fourth win in a row for Tampa Bay, who trails division leader Toronto by 4.5 games in the AL East. The Rays also sit just 1.5 games out of a Wild Card spot in the American League. Casali—who made a huge splash in the majors last month by hitting two homers in two consecutive games—finished the night going 1-for-4 at the plate with three RBI.

Sports

‘Déjà Vu All Over Again’: Casali Homers Twice for Second Consecutive Game

By |

A great baseball catcher once made famous the phrase “it’s déjà vu all over again.” Tuesday night at Tropicana Field another catcher channeled his inner Yogi Berra, accomplishing a remarkable feat for the second consecutive game. Just one night after belting two home runs against the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays backstop Curt Casali homered twice in the same game, this time off former teammate and fellow Vanderbilt alum David Price, who could do nothing but smile as the 2007 New Canaan High School grad rounded the bases. “I am just so excited for him, because this is a life-long dream for him,” Casali’s former coach at NCHS Mark Rearick told NewCanaanite.com.”It looked like Price was really happy for him.” Casali’s first homer was a two-run shot that extended the Rays’ lead over Detroit to 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Sports

New Canaan’s Curt Casali Hits Two Home Runs for Tampa Bay Rays

By |

The Detroit Tigers saw big things when they drafted Curt Casali in the 10th Round of the 2011 MLB Draft. But they never could have imagined what they saw Monday night in Tampa. Casali—who was traded from the Tigers to the Rays while still in the minors in 2013 for pitcher Kyle Lobstein—hit two home runs against his former parent franchise, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 5-2 win over the Tigers at Tropicana Field. The 2007 New Canaan High School graduate finished the night going 3-for-4 at the plate with 3 RBI and two runs scored. His first homer of the night was a tape-measure shot off Detroit starter Anibal Sanchez to give the Rays a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.

Sports

Casali Hits First MLB Home Run

By |

Less than a week after being recalled to the major leagues by the Tampa Bay Rays, Curt Casali hit his first MLB home run Wednesday night in Washington, DC. The solo blast—hit off Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann—came in Casali’s fifth plate appearance of the season, clearing the left-centerfield fence with room to spare to give Tampa a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning. Casali, who had singled in his first at bat in the third inning, also drew a walk in the seventh and added a single in the ninth for a perfect three-for-three night as the Rays won 5-0. The New Canaan native, who began the 2015 season at Triple-A Durham, was called up to the parent club after hitting .205 with four home runs and 13 runs batted in with the Bulls. With starting catcher Rene Rivera (.165 AVG, 3 HR, 15 RBI entering Wednesday’s game) struggling at the plate, the Rays designated backup Bobby Wilson for assignment, clearing the way for Casali.