The Reinforced Rays @ Those Pecking Orioles 9/12-9/14

[Tobywan]

The Rays start a 10 game road trip in Baltimore. They need to keep the momentum going if they want to keep their hope for a play off spot alive. They just swept the Red Sox to inch a little closer.

The Orioles are coming off a series loss to the Jays and have loss 6 of their last 9 games. They have a chance to factor in as spoilers for the Rays and Angels on their current home stand.

Probables

Niemann VS Britton
Price VS Simon
Davis VS Guthrie


Tonight’s match up

Jeff Niemann is 9-7, with a 4.07 ERA. He had a rough outing Tues. against the Rangers, giving up seven runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. This will be his first time facing the O’s this season.

Zack Britton is 9-9 with a 4.33 ERA. He beat the Rays on the 2nd at the Trop out dueling David Price. He has won 3 of his last 4 starts.

Worth noting

Vladimir Guerrero has batted .462 (12-for-26) with four doubles and a home run in his last seven games, getting multiple hits in five of those.

Johnny Damon needs one stolen base to become the ninth player all-time with 200 homers and 400 stolen bases. ( He would join Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonds, Rickey Henderson, Craig Biggio, Joe Morgan, Paul Molitor, Marquis Grissom and Roberto Alomar.)

Injury report


Adam Jones was scratched for the second consecutive day after fouling a pitch off his left ankle during Friday’s 2-0 win. It is unknown if Jones, batting .109 over his last 16 games, will be available Monday.

Kyle Farnsworth has elbow tenderness which is being blamed for his meltdown in the 9th in Saturdays’ game. HE will be evaluated by the Rays trainer on Tuesday.


Moore call ups........

Top pitching prospect Matt Moore will join the Rays in Baltimore, they purchased his contract from Durham just hours after the sweep of Boston last night.. To make room for Moore on the 40-man Mike Ekstrom was DFA’d.



The theme of this road trip is Letterman sweaters, can't find a pic of the team in them yet, but this is what they look like..........





There is a pic though of the Rookie Hazing class of 2011....


****Correction, there are two make up games at NY so it's 11 games.

[Tobywan]

Line ups

Rays

Jennings LF
Upton CF
Longoria 3B
Zobrist 2B
Damon DH
Rodriguez SS
Kotchman 1B
Lobaton C
Guyer RF

Orioles

Angle CF
Hardy SS
Markakis RF
Guerrero DH
Wieters C
Davis 3B
Reynolds 1B
Hudson LF
Andino 2B

[Tobywan]

Jennings flies out to center.
Upton walks.
Longoria pops to right, Markakis running to the line, slides and makes the catch.
Zobrist grounds into a force, Andino to Hardy for the out at second.

[Tobywan]

Angle grounds out to second.
Hardy dribbles one up the third base line, Longo tries to bare hand it, can't get it.
Markakis flies out to left.
Guerrero grounds out to short.

[Tobywan]

Damon grounds out to second.
Rodriguez grounds out to second.
Kotchman walks.
Lobaton grounds out to third.

[Tobywan]

Wieters grounds out to the pitcher.
Davis grounds out to first, throw to niemann covering the bag.
Reynolds grounds out to pitcher.

[Tobywan]

Guyer hits one deep to right, off the top of the wall for a double.
DJ grounds out to third, Guyer advances.
BJ walks.
Longo hits a rocket but right at short.
Zorilla slams one off the wall in left, Guyer scores, Upton comes around to the plate, Ben into second.

Up 2-0.

JD walks.
SRod dribbles a single into right, Zorilla scores, Damon to second.

3-0

Kotch Ks swinging.

[Tobywan]

Hudson grounds out to second.
Andino grounds out to third.
Angle called out on strikes.

On to the 4th. Rays lead 3-0

[Tobywan]

Lobo lines out to right.
Guyer grounds out to third.
DJ grounds out to short.

[Tobywan]

Hardy lines a single into left.
Markakis lines right at the pitcher, throw to first to double up.
Guerrero grounds a single up the middle.
Wieters lined out to short.

[Tobywan]

BJ lobs one into the center field gap for a double.
Longo Ks.
Zo hits a long single to right, Upton to third.
JD hits along fly ball deep to center for an out, BJ scores.

4-0.

SRod batting, Zorilla tries to steal second, Wieters throw not in time. Sean grounds out to pitcher.

[Tobywan]

Davis flies out to left.
Reynolds walks.
Hudson singles into center.
Andino lines a shot into left for a double, Reynolds scores.

4-1

Angle Ks.
Hardy grounds out to short.

[Tobywan]

Now pitching Jeremy Accardo.

Kotch grounds to the picther, deflects to the SS, throw to first for the out.
Lobo walks.
Guyer flies out to right.
DJ Ks looking.

[Tobywan]

Markakis flies out to left
Guerrero Ks.
Wieters launches a bomb to center field.

4-2

Davis Ks.

On to the 7th.

[Tobywan]

BJ shoots a liner down the left feild line...giving him a club record of reaching base safely in 9 consecutive plate appearances.
Longo flies out to center, BJ to third.
Zo lines a single into right, BJ scores.

5-2.

Now pitching Zach Phillips.

JD flies out to center.
SRod lines a single into left.
Kotch grounds to third, but Davis misses it, Hardy comes up with it but no play, bases loaded.
Lobo chops to short, throw to second for the force on Kotch.