7:15; Tropicana Field
RAYS TV/PAX
TOR-LH Ted Lilly (10-10, 4.01):
IP: 132.1
K/9: 7.75
BB/9: 4.22
K:BB: 114/62
H/9: 8.71
WHIP: 1.44
HR/9: 1.36
BABIP: .294
RAYS-RH Jamie Shields (4-6, 4.99):
IP: 83
K/9: 7.48
BB/9: 3.14
K:BB: 69/29
H/9: 10.63
WHIP: 1.53
HR/9: 0.98
BABIP: .350
LF Reed Johnson: .335/.411/.515
3B Eric Hinske: .264/.353/.513
CF Vernon Wells: .323/.380/.583
DH Troy Glaus: .262/.369/.543
1B Lyle Overbay: .308/.365/.510
RF Alex Rios: .314/.365.526
C Bengie Molina: .281.316/.423
2B Aaron Hill: .296/.352/.382
SS John McDonald: .222/.271/.305
3B B.J. Upton: .200/.231/.240
CF Rocco Baldelli: .282/.327/.450
LF Carl Crawford: .305/.351/.497
DH Jonny Gomes: .213/.319/.431
2B Jorge Cantu: .248/.303/.394
RF Damon Hollins: .221/.264/.419
1B Travis Lee: .214/.298/.341
C Dioner Navarro: .224/.303/.306
SS Ben Zobrist: .222/.234/.333
-Well, let's see if we can't snap that seven game slide today. Shields' peripherals aren't too bad, as you can see. His predictability has doomed him, and he is very hittable, as evidenced by that H/9 and BABIP. Hopefully he can keep up his recent string of good starts with Navarro as the backstop. Ted Lilly, while not glamorous, is a nice back end of the rotation guy, the type of pitcher you'd love to be Shields develop to be. But with the way the offense has been playing, he may look like an ace. Greg Norton gets a day off, so the offense may suffer a bit. In his place is Damon Hollins, as the lefty is on the mound. Why Rocco is batting second I have no clue, and I really wish they would make Upton earn the top spot in the order. Outside of Rocco and Crawford though, this lineup could be very painful to watch. Let's hope for the best, but as Rays fans, always prepare for the worst.
GO RAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!