News
Rays playing for pride in Arlington
Tampa Bay (78-74) at Texas (83-69), 8:05 p.m. ET
By Bill Chastain / MLB.com
09/24/09 8:15 PM ET
ST. PETERSBURG -- Texas hasn't been a friendly destination for the Rays this season.The Rangers swept the Rays in Arlington from July 3-5 in a series that saw the Rays score just seven runs in three games. Now the Rays head back to Rangers Ballpark with little to play for other than pride. Sounds like the recipe for ugly baseball, only Rays manager Joe Maddon doesn't believe it.
"Last time there, we did not play well," Maddon said. "They were playing well, we were not playing well. They're still going to want to win it. I think we're going to be fine. I think we've been playing fine since the last game in Baltimore down to here, against Toronto.
"We've been playing some pretty good baseball. So I don't anticipate us just going out there and shutting her down. I'm looking forward to it."
James Shields will make his 32nd start of the season and, like Maddon, he isn't buying the idea that the Rays have sacked the bats.
"I'm still going out there 100 percent," Shields said. "There's no quit in me as far as that goes."
Shields is still the staff workhorse, leading the team with 204 2/3 innings to surpass the 200-inning mark for the third consecutive season. Yet the results have been disappointing as he's pitched to a 10-11 mark with a 4.09 ERA.
"Overall this year, I felt I pitched pretty well, but the results weren't where I wanted them to be," Shields said. "Sometimes it happens that way."
Shields will be making his fourth career start against the Rangers and his first since May 15, 2007. He is coming off a win Friday night against the Blue Jays, and he'd like to finish the season strong and healthy.
"If I finish healthy, I think I've pitched strong," Shields said.
Pitching matchup
TB: RHP James Shields (10-11, 4.09 ERA)
In his last start, Shields benefited from some early run support and lasted six innings to earn win No. 10 on the season. In the process, he reached the 200-innings plateau for the third consecutive year, just the sixth pitcher in baseball to do so in that span. It was his first win at home since June 4, ending a 10-game home winless streak. Shields' record doesn't indicate the season that he has put forth, as his run support remains among the lowest in the American League. But he's proven his durability. He goes to Texas for the fourth time in his career, where he is 2-0 with a 4.29 ERA. TEX: LHP Derek Holland (7-12, 6.17 ERA)
Holland will be trying to snap a five-game losing streak. The home run continues to badly hurt Holland. He gave up three more on Sunday and has now allowed 25 on the season, the most by a Rangers rookie in club history. His 1.77 home runs per nine innings is the fourth-highest rate by any Rangers pitcher with at least 100 innings pitched in a season. Holland is 5-7 with a 7.24 ERA at home this season. He made one start against the Rays this year and beat them, 12-4, on July 4 while allowing four runs in six innings. Tidbits
While the Rays don't appear to have anything else to play for this season, they can become only the second team in Rays history to have a winning season if they can reach 82 wins. ... Jason Bartlett entered Wednesday night's game with the eighth-highest batting average in the American League. Only one Rays player has ever finished in the AL's top 10: Aubrey Huff was ninth in 2003 at .311. ... United Football League Commissioner Michael Huyghue and Florida Tuskers head coach Jim Haslett threw out the first pitch for Wednesday night's game. Tickets
Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.
On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio• Gameday
• Official game notes On television
• FS-F On radio
• WDAE 620 Up next
• Saturday: Rays (Matt Garza, 8-10, 3.70) at Rangers (Kevin Millwood, 11-10, 3.79), 8:05 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Rays (David Price, 9-7, 4.41) at Rangers (Brandon McCarthy, 7-4, 4.87), 3:05 p.m. ET
• Monday: Rays (Jeff Niemann, 12-6, 3.81) vs. Orioles (Mark Hendrickson, 5-5, 4.37), 7:08 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.
