News
Garza, Shields looking for a little support
Tampa Bay (72-69) at Boston (82-58), 12 p.m. ET
By Bill Chastain / MLB.com
09/13/09 2:05 AM ET
BOSTON -- Friday night's rainout forced Tampa Bay's second doubleheader in less than a week.The Rays lost both games of a a day-night doubleheader to the Yankees on Monday to kick off the 11-game, 11-day road trip.
Sunday's twin bill will mark the 16th time in team history that the Rays have played two games on one day. They swept one doubleheader, were swept seven times and have split seven. The lone sweep came on Sept. 23, 2008, at Baltimore.
Tampa Bay has played three doubleheaders (0-1-2) at Fenway Park. The last time it played two there was on April 29, 2004, when the club lost both games.
In the first inning on Friday, the Rays loaded the bases with one out against Red Sox starter Jon Lester. But 12 minutes after the game started, the grounds crew pulled the tarp over the infield. James Shields was supposed to start for Tampa Bay, but he never took the mound, as the game was postponed after a delay of two hours and 20 minutes.
"It's unusual, that's for sure," said Shields, who will start the second game. "You get all amped up for the game. I went home last night thinking to myself, 'I threw a pretty good no-hitter in the bullpen.' I couldn't sleep last night just because I didn't expend any energy. ... I'm glad I'm pitching [on Sunday after being the Friday night starter], and the good news is, I'm healthy and I can do that."
Shields, who has the second-lowest amount of run support on the team, managed a smile at the irony of having the game called when the Rays had three baserunners on during one of his starts.
"What are the odds of that?" Shields said. "I'm like, 'Man, why can't we start like that?' But these guys have been doing a great job in my last three or four starts, getting runs for me early."
Sunday will bring a big test Tampa Bay's hitters, since Matt Garza, who is the pitcher with the least amount of run support, will start the first game.
So who will get the support, Garza or Shields?
"[There's] a lot of pressure on the squad," Shields said. "We were kind of joking about that last night. ... I told Garz, 'Hopefully we both get a bunch of runs on Sunday.' "
Pitching matchup
Game 1
TB: RHP Matt Garza (7-9, 3.85 ERA)
Garza put forth an above-average performance on Monday against New York, limiting the Yankees to one run on five hits in seven innings, but the hard-luck right-hander came away with a no-decision. He has the best stuff on the staff and seems to be making strides toward being more consistent, which is the only quality keeping him from taking it to the next level.
Buchholz won his fourth consecutive decision last Tuesday, shutting out the Orioles over seven innings of three-hit ball at Fenway Park. The 25-year-old is 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA in seven outings since Aug. 8, posting six quality starts over that span. He has surrendered three runs or fewer in nine of 11 appearances this season. In three career starts against the Rays, he is 2-1 with a 2.79 ERA. Game 2
TB: RHP James Shields (9-10, 4.02 ERA)
Shields received an early lead for the second consecutive start on Saturday, but the bullpen wasn't able to hold on against Detroit. Six runs were charged to Shields' line, which included eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. A two-run homer off the bat of Alex Avila in the seventh inning was the crucial blow, cutting Tampa Bay's lead to one run. Shields felt that he had good command, but the mistake to Avila cost him. Shields has not won at home since June 4. Since then, he's 4-1 with a 4.76 ERA on the road. BOS: LHP Jon Lester (12-7, 3.44 ERA)
Lester has been utterly dominant for more than three months. In an 18-start run that began on May 31, he is 9-2 with a 2.25 ERA. He has given up one earned run or fewer 10 times over that span. In his most recent start, against the White Sox on Sunday, he fanned eight to become the 10th pitcher in Sox history to notch 200 strikeouts in a season. In that win, he also fired seven shutout innings. Lester is 21-5 lifetime at Fenway. He is 5-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 11 career starts against Tampa Bay. Tidbits
B.J. Upton said that his ailing left ankle feels much improved and that he wants to be back in the lineup on Sunday. Manager Joe Maddon called Upton's plan to play both games on Sunday "ambitious," noting that he wants to see Upton run hard on Sunday to see how he fares before deciding whether or not to play him. ... The Rays have three rookies in the rotation: Jeff Niemann, David Price and Wade Davis. The trio has accounted for 46 starts, the sixth most for rookies in the Majors, behind Oakland (98), Baltimore (84), Washington (81), Toronto (77) and Atlanta (57). Tickets
Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.
On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio• Gameday
• Official game notes On television
• Sun Sports On radio
• WDAE 620 Up next
• Monday: Rays (David Price, 7-7, 4.65) at Orioles (David Hernandez, 4-7, 5.05), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Tuesday: Rays (Jeff Niemann, 12-5, 3.57) at Orioles (Jason Berken, 4-11, 6.02), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Rays (TBD) at Orioles (Chris Tillman, 2-3, 4.91), 7:05 p.m. ET
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
