Rays-Royals, on Saturday
The Rays are looking for a sixth straight win tonight as they host the Royals as part of another Saturday night concert series, with Loverboy playing after the game.
Manager Joe Maddon said there is no pattern to his picks, but Ben Zobrist is starting at shortstop tonight, the game after Reid Brignac made an impressive major-league debut.
Most of the pre-game chatter had to do with what Ray (or Rays) will be selected for the All-Star Game when the teams are announced Sunday (2 p.m., on TBS).
Also, RHP Al Reyes looked good in a simulated game and could start a minor-league rehab assignment next week, with the idea that he'd be ready after the All-Star break.
The Rays tonight will go over the 1-million mark in attendance tonight, the earliest they have done so since the inaugural 1998 season. The Rays have drawn 985,833 through 47 home dates, a 34 percent increase over the same point last season, that is the largest of any team in the majors (Washington is second at 28 percent). In their last 15 games, the Rays have averaged 28,021.
Finally, congrats to Rays director of communications Chris Costello and wife Andrea on the birth Saturday morning of their first child, Rocco Michael.
The linueps:
RAYS
Iwamura, 2b
Crawford, lf
Upton, cf
Pena, 1b
Longoria, 3b
Floyd, dh
Navarro, c
Hinske, rf
Zobrist, ss
Sonnanstine, p
ROYALS
DeJesus, lf
Grudzielanek, 2b
Gordon, 3b
Guillen, rf
Butler, dh
Gload, 1b
Olivo, c
Aviles, ss
Gathright, cf
Grienke, p
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If Varitek goes to the all star game and not Navarro, then that game is the biggest joke going.
Posted by: Razzlegator | July 05, 2008 at 05:41 PM
hopefully zobrist is better this time around with the glove
Posted by: mario | July 05, 2008 at 05:33 PM