clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Game Preview: Saturday (5/6) at Oakland

RAYS (12-18) at Oakland (15-14)
4:05; Oakland Coliseum
FSN Florida; RAYS RADIO/1250 AM WHNZ

Pitching Matchup:

RAYS-RH Seth McClung (1-4, 7.67)

OAK-LH Barry Zito (2-2, 4.63)

Lineups

RAYS
SS Julio Lugo
LF Carl Crawford
DH Jonny Gomes
3B Aubrey Huff
2B Ty Wigginton
1B Travis Lee
RF Russell Branyan
C Josh Paul
CF Joey Gathright

Oakland
C Jason Kendall
LF Nick Swisher
CF Mark Kotsay
3B Eric Chavez
SS Bobby Crosby
DH Adam Melhuse
RF Jay Payton
1B Dan Johnson
2B Marco Scutaro

Upcoming Games

Tomorrow-at Oakland, 4:05 (Hendrickson)

Monday-at Seattle, 10:05 (Fossum)

Tuesday-at Seattle, 10:05 (Waechter)

I'll be honest fellas, I could've used more cowbell.......

GO SETH, GO RAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RAYS (12-18) at Oakland (15-14)
4:05; Oakland Coliseum
FSN Florida; RAYS RADIO/1250 AM WHNZ

Pitching Matchup

Breakdown

RAYS-RH Seth McClung (1-4, 7.67):

Scouting Report: McClung broke out of a funk that saw him allow a club-high 23 earned runs while lasting a combined 22 1/3 innings over five starts. On Monday, he faced just 13 batters in the first four innings of a seven-plus inning outing in which he allowed just one earned run off five hits and struck out two. McClung is 0-0 with a 8.31 ERA in 4 1/3 career innings against Oakland.

This Season: 29.1 IP, 6/6 G/S, 1-4, 7.67 ERA, 17:24 K/BB, 2.08 WHIP

Career: 177.1 IP, 52/28 G/GS, 12-16, 6.50 ERA, 134:111 K/BB, 1.62 WHIP

Last Start: vs TEX (L)-7 IP, 5 H, 2 R (ER), HR, 2 BB, 3 K

Last Start vs OAK: Has not started vs OAK this season

All-Time vs OAK: 4.1 IP, 3/0 G/GS, 0-0, 8.31 ERA, 2:4 K/BB, 1.62 WHIP

Batter v Pitcher: No OAK player has more than 2 ABs vs McClung

OAK-LH Barry Zito (2-2, 4.63):

Scouting Report: Zito has been stuck in a bad-good-bad pattern since getting shelled by the Yankees on Opening Night, but he was at his best on Monday against the Angels, holding the Halos scoreless on five hits over 7 2/3 innings of a 1-0 victory. The key for Zito is always fastball command, and against the Angels he was spotting the ball well on both sides of the plate while striking out four with one walk. It was his longest outing of the season.

This Season: 35 IP, 6/6 G/GS, 2-2, 4.63 ERA, 27:16 K/BB, 1.17 WHIP

Career: 1244.1 IP, 194/194 G/GS, 88-55, 3.53 ERA, 972:477 K/BB, 1.22 WHIP

Last Start: at ANA-7.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K

Last Start vs RAYS: Has not started vs RAYS this season.

All-Time vs RAYS: 59 IP, 9/9 G/GS, 6-3, 3.97 ERA, 45:22 K/BB, 1.29 WHIP

Batter v Pitcher:
Aubrey Huff-14 ABs, .889 OPS, HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K
Travis Lee-9 ABs, .889 OPS, 2 2B, 2 RBI, K


[Scouting Reports-DevilRays.com]
[Splits-Yahoo Sports]
[Batter v Pitcher-Batter v Pitcher]

Lineups

RAYS
SS Julio Lugo
LF Carl Crawford
DH Jonny Gomes
3B Aubrey Huff
2B Ty Wigginton
1B Travis Lee
RF Russell Branyan
C Josh Paul
CF Joey Gathright

-Ah, I'm still getting used to the top of the lineup with Julio back. It just looks so much better with him at the top. Anyways, Gomes, the only player not to get a hit last night, bats third, Aubrey Huff is in the cleanup role, which I disagree with. I'd have him and Wigginton switch places, and then Wigginton and Gomes switch places for a Wiggy-Gomes-Huff middle of the order. Travis Lee again is batting too high in the order, but then again you can't win with a 6-7-8 of Lee-Branyan-Paul, so I'm not going to bother myself about it. Nor am I going to bother ranting on how little sense putting Branyan instead of Hollins in against the lefty Zito makes.

Oakland
C Jason Kendall
LF Nick Swisher
CF Mark Kotsay
3B Eric Chavez
SS Bobby Crosby
DH Adam Melhuse
RF Jay Payton
1B Dan Johnson
2B Marco Scutaro

-This is about the only lineup you will ever see a catcher leading off. As rare as it was to see Kevin Youkilis, a first baseman, leading off for Boston last weekend, it is even rarer to see a catcher leading off, and I'm surprised Mark Kotsay, Marco Scutaro, or Bobby Corsby isn't in the leadoff spot. Still, Oakland sends out a strong lineup today, a little jumbled, but basicly the same players as yesterday except that Nick Swisher moves to DH as Dan Johnson takes over at first and Adam Melhuse is the DH. But a strong batting order out there for Oakland today.

Upcoming Games

Tomorrow-at Oakland, 4:05 (Hendrickson)

Monday-at Seattle, 10:05 (Fossum)

Tuesday-at Seattle, 10:05 (Waechter)

I'll be honest fellas, I could've used more cowbell.......

GO SETH, GO RAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!