TORONTO -- Including Saturday's game, the Rays have entered a stretch that will see them play 34 games over the next 35 days. Such a schedule can be a grind to the everyday player, and it can wear out a bullpen, too.
"It makes it a little more difficult, but it doesn't really change a lot," pitching coach Jim Hickey said. "When you do have the day off coming up, you can do something like we did the other day with [closer Alex] Colome, where you pitch him two innings in a tie ballgame, which you wouldn't do in normal circumstances. But we knew we had the day off coming up."
The question was posed to Hickey about which was harder to manage: a bullpen that has seen too much work, or one that hasn't seen enough?
"When they're used too much," Hickey said. "When they're not sharp, that's something, too. You know, a guy hasn't pitched in six days and all of a sudden you want a guy to get a big out, that becomes a problem as well. But I'd rather have a guy too rested than worn down."
Hickey allowed that the bullpen is "always" in a state of too much use or too little.
Chase Whitley, who notched his first Major League save in Friday night's 7-4 win over the Blue Jays, noted that the coming grind is "part of the game."
"That's what we sign up for," Whitley said. "So you just have to go out and compete and continue to do what we do. I'm very pleased about the way everybody is going about their business right now. It's so much fun to watch."
How deep into the game the starting staff pitches will determine much of the bullpen's fate. Will that put more pressure on the starters to deliver lengthier stints?
"Honestly, I'm trying to go deep every game, regardless of whether we're well-rested or if we aren't well-rested," Chris Archer said. "I think certain individuals maybe need to put more pressure on themselves to do more, because four or five innings and out is not going to be beneficial to our team."
Rays manager Kevin Cash said that the starters know they've been short on innings as a staff.
"We need to find a way -- it's not a huge amount, but if you add one inning per start, it goes a long way," Cash said. "Now, those guys will say, 'We can go, we can go.' Well, pitch better and we'll let you go."
Hickey added: "You can't have the starter recording 15 outs and expect to be good. Nobody can."
Communication between Cash and his relievers is always integral, so Cash makes sure he knows each reliever's status prior to every game.
Cash noted that he talks with Hickey and bullpen coach Stan Boroski about the relievers.
"When they throw, how they talk to them," Cash said. "What they're feeling, and, obviously, we check in with [head athletic trainer] Ron [Porterfield]. And if there's questions, I'll just go ask the guy."
Whitley said the best approach in the coming weeks is to try and stay as fresh as possible and to "use your bullets wisely."
Bill Chastain