Rays(87-57) vs Yankees(77-69) 9/12-9/14

[Sbank]

Yankee Stadium | 7:05 PM ET

Matt Garza, RHP (11-9, 3.55) Sidney Ponson, RHP (8-5, 5.10)

Rays: Garza took a hard-luck loss against the Blue Jays in his last start, as the Rays were blanked, 1-0. The right-hander allowed just one run on six hits in seven innings. He walked one, struck out seven and needed 100 pitches in the outing. In his two starts against the Yankees this year, Garza is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA.

Yankees: Ponson got back in the win column on Sept. 6 at Seattle, tossing six innings of three-run, five-hit ball in the Yankees' 7-4 decision over the Mariners -- their only victory of the weekend. The right-hander has been a little rougher over the longer stretch, faring just 1-3 with a 7.89 ERA through his last six starts after going 3-1 with a 4.73 ERA in his first seven starts for New York. He'll be facing the Rays for the third time this season and his second as a Yankee, having hurled six innings of one-run ball in a July 9 no-decision at Yankee Stadium.

Yankee Stadium | 1:05 PM ET

James Shields, RHP (12-8, 3.64) Mike Mussina, RHP (17-8, 3.48)

Rays: Shields earned a no-decision against the Blue Jays in his last start. The right-hander pitched well, allowing just three runs on six hits over eight innings. Shields walked two and struck out three as he was stopped in his effort to win his career-high 13th game of the year. In seven career starts against the Yankees, Shields is 0-6 with a 6.86 ERA. He will look to reverse that in the Rays' second game of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees: Mussina will try again for his 18th victory on Saturday, when he faces the Rays in a Yankee Stadium matinee. Mussina took a loss on Sunday at Seattle, allowing four runs over six innings, and left with a souvenir -- a fresh red mark on his chest, courtesy of yet another ball hit back to the box. Mussina beat the Rays on Sept. 2 at Tropicana Field for win No. 17 and the Yankees are 20-10 in his starts. He's 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in three starts vs. the Rays in '08.

Yankee Stadium | 1:05 PM ET

Edwin Jackson, RHP (11-10, 4.06) Carl Pavano, RHP (2-1, 5.31)

Rays: Jackson took his 10th loss of the season Monday night against the Red Sox when he allowed three runs on eight hits in seven innings. Personifying how strong and powerful Jackson can be was the fact his 94th pitch of the game registered at 99 mph. If Jackson is locating his 97-mph fastball, his other pitches can work well, particularly his slider. Jackson is 2-3 with a 4.84 ERA in 12 career appearances against the Yankees.

Yankees: Pavano will get another shot to figure out a few command issues on Sunday as the Yankees and Rays wrap up their three-game weekend series. Pavano won his first two starts after returning from Tommy John surgery but has had intermittent problems with both his command and velocity. He allowed two home runs and five earned runs in a 5 1/3-inning start on Monday at Anaheim, suffering his first loss.

Ray.mlb.com

[Sbank]

Longoria expected to start tomorrow; Price & Gomes will join Rays

As of right now—and Joe Maddon emphasized that a couple of times—Evan Longoria is slated to start Game 1 of tomorrow’s doubleheader.

Longoria took some swings today and again felt fine, and he made it clear even before that exercise that he thought he was ready to go.

Top prospect David Price will join the Rays before tomorrow’s doubleheader and will be available to pitch.

Jonny Gomes also will join the Rays tomorrow after Durham’s season ended with a 20-2 loss to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre tonight. Jeff Niemann and Mitch Talbot will join the Rays on Monday in St. Petersburg, unless the Rays burn through so much pitching tomorrow that they need to summon Talbot as a backup for Sunday.

http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/sports/related/C142/

[Sbank]

Good win for the first of the two double headers. Hopefully game two we can win to win the series.

[Sbank]

James Shields tossed eight shutout innings to lead the Rays past the Yankees 7-1 in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday.
Shields improved to 13-8 by fanning six batters. Pitching on six days of rest, he didn't issue a single walk and allowed just five hits. He'll take a 3.50 ERA into next week's matchup against the Twins.

Evan Longoria finished 2-for-5 with two RBI in his return to the lineup during the first half of a doubleheader with the Yankees on Saturday.
Longoria hit a single in the second inning and wound up scoring, then drove in two runs with another single in the fifth. It remains to be seen if the Rays will let him play in the late game.

Justin Ruggiano finished 3-for-4 with two RBI in the Rays' defeat of the Yankees on Saturday.
Ruggiano doubled in two runs in the second inning, then the Rays scored three more in the fifth. They poured on another two tallies in the sixth. Jason Bartlett and Ben Zobrist drove in one run apiece and Evan Longoria returned to the lineup with two RBI of his own. Ruggiano is hitting .222 with four doubles and five RBI in 63 at-bats.

Rotoworld

[Sbank]

Down 1 nothing after 2 innings.

[Sbank]

Grand slam. Rays are leading 4-1.

[Sbank]

4-2 Rays.
We have to find a way to get Jeter out. Jeter got 4 hits at least these two games so far.

[Sbank]

tied game at 4.

[Sbank]

Darn we blow a 4-1 lead. We need our bats to start putting up more runs.

[Sbank]

Matt Garza was removed after allowing three runs in five innings Saturday against the Yankees.
Garza was pulled after just 83 pitches, suggesting that manager Joe Maddon is considering bringing him back to pitch Wednesday against the Red Sox on short rest. If so, making tonight's game less of a priority looks like a mistake. The Rays had a 4-3 lead before he left, but lost 6-5 after giving up two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth.

Ben Zobrist hit his second grand slam in 15 days and doubled in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.
Zobrist's first grand slam came off a pitcher who is no longer in the majors (Fernando Cabrera). His second came off a pitcher who shouldn't be (Sidney Ponson). Despite Zobrist's heroics, the Rays, using their 'B' lineup, ended up losing the nightcap 6-5. We have to question Joe Maddon here. If he knew he was only going to have Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria play one game apiece today -- this with Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton already out -- why not split them up? One big bat in the middle of the order could have made a huge difference tonight.

Rotoworld

[Sbank]

Tough loss. I thought Garza could of gone another inning. Bullpen blow the lead. Big deal we still up a few games on the Red Sox. Robber game tomorrow. Hopefully we win the series.

[IndiansFan337]

Rays recalled RHP Mitch Talbot from Triple-A Durham.
Talbot spent a day in the majors back in July but didn't get into a game. He was 13-9 with a 3.86 ERA in 28 starts for Durham this season and should work sparingly in long relief.

Rotoworld.com

[IndiansFan337]

Rays recalled RHP Jeff Niemann from Triple-A Durham.
Niemann was 9-5 with a 3.59 ERA in 24 starts at Triple-A this year. He had a nice major league debut back in April, but lost his rotation spot once Matt Garza became healthy. He'll work out of the rotation initially.

Rotoworld.com

[Sbank]

Bad lost and series but we have to do well against the red sox next series.

[goingfor28]

Rays own the Yanks this year