Rays-Red Sox, day 3
Update, 6:10: RHP MItch Talbot, 24, is here and excited about making his major-league debut, even if it comes in long relief. Talbot has been a starter his whole career - the only time he worked in relief was at Double-A Corpus Christi in 2006 with Houston, when Roger Clemens made a rehab start and Talbot came in after him.
Manager Joe Maddon said his plans for the late innings without injured closer Troy Percival are not as much closer-by-committee but closer by matchup - he will use whichever reliever is best at that time of the game, and whoever matches up best with that point of the other team's lineup. Dan Wheeler, Grant Balfour, Trever Miller and J.P. Howell could all be used to get saves.
RHP Al Reyes threw off the mound again and said all felt well with his shoulder, and he is likely to throw a simulated game on Saturday and possibly start a minor-league rehab, of at least one game, on Monday.
Maddon also said he talked with Boston/A.L. All-Star manager Terry Francona about potential All-Star selections and "it's possible" the Rays would have more than one player selected. "He's right on top of things, I think, in regard to how he evaluates our players,'' Maddon said. "I really agreed with what he had to say and how he had evaluated our group.''
Maddon has previously said he would recommend C Dioner Navarro, LHP Scott Kazmir and relievers LHP J.P. Howell and RHP Dan Wheeler, but acknowledges there is no one standout choice. "He's going to have pick somebody, we talked about it, and I thought he had our team pegged perfectly,'' Maddon said.
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As the Rays seek a sweep of the Sox, and with Tropicana Field soldout for the fourth time this season, they will start the same lineup they used on Tuesday:
Iwamura, 2b
Crawford, lf
Upton, cf
Pena, 1b
Longoria, 3b
Floyd, dh
Navarro, c
Hinske, rf
Bartlett, ss
Kazmir, p
Sox
Ellsbury, cf
Pedroia, 2b
Drew, rf
Ramirez, dh
Lowell, 3b
Youkilis, 1b
Varitek, c
Moss, lf
Lugo, ss
Matsuzaka, p
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I have 16 tickets for "The House that Longoria Built" on July 4th so that 15 of my best friends and myself can celebrate our Country and our Team at the same time.
Posted by: Bill | July 03, 2008 at 11:01 AM
Ray, I live in NC and was down for the series over Memorial Day weekend. Went to all 3 games vs the O's in which we, what else? SWEPT!
I am coming back down for Labor Day weekend when they oddly enough, play the O's again! If I can come down from NC the Bay Area can come out and support the Rays!
Posted by: Tony | July 02, 2008 at 04:21 PM
A little side note on today's lineup...
Notice how Crawford is playing. Every time the Rays have an off-day, Crawford has been given the day off before that day.
That shows that, no matter how "going about our business" Joe Maddon is, the bottom line is he wants to win!!!
Awesome. I'm glad I bought tickets already the pitching match-up alone should've been worth the price of admission.
WIN or LOSE- I'm proud of everyone who came out and welcome you all with open arms to join me this weekend against the Royals. Don't forget that this team needs us on non-prime games too.
Posted by: Ray F | July 02, 2008 at 04:19 PM
The Rays need to get that offense in gear tonight! Get some runs for Kaz early!
Posted by: Tony | July 02, 2008 at 04:01 PM