SoCal farewell

Update, 5:45 Rays manager Joe Maddon was ejected from Wednesday's game after arguing with home plate umpire Derryl Cousins. Maddon had gone to the mound to remove Scott Kazmir, who had just given up the lead after throwing his 117th pitch of the day, and began jawing at Cousins. Based on Kazmir's reaction, he obviously felt Cousins didn't give him a couple of close calls, including a walk to Reggie Willits in advance of Macier Izturis' two-run single.
It was Maddon's eighth ejection as manager of the Rays; fourth against his former Angels team.

The Rays try again today for their first series win in Anaheim since May 1999 (having gone 0-12-1 since), and have the majors' hottest pitcher, LHP Scott Kazmir, on the mound, looking to extend his six-game winning streak to a team-record tying seven.

The Rays lineup will again look the same as manager Joe Maddon continues to ride what he considers some players swinging the bat well in Willy Aybar, Eric Hinske and Gabe Gross, which means DH Cliff Floyd is out of the lineup for a fifth straight game.

RHP James Shields officially dropped the appeal of his six-game suspension this morning, and won't be able to pitch again until June 19, the final day of the series against the Cubs at Tropicana Field. When Shields comes off his suspension, RHP Edwin Jackson will start his. OF Jonny Gomes is serving the last day of his five-game suspension, and will be eligible to play Friday. But LF Carl Crawford will have to start his four-game suspension then, so it's likely Gomes or Hinske will be in leftfield much of the weekend.

As for today's lineups:
Iwamura, 2b
Crawford, lf
Upton, cf
Hinske, dh
Longoria, 3b
Aybar, 1b
Navarro, c
Gross, rf
Bartlett, ss
Kazmir, p

Angels
Willits, lf
Izturis, ss
Kendrick, 2b
Guerrero, dh
Hunter, cf
Matthews, rf
Kotchman, 1b
Napoli, c
Quinlan, 3b
Lackey, p

Comments

[Rex]

go Kaz.