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Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

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Jackson finally gets his ring

Posted Sep 5, 2009 by Tribune Sports

Updated Sep 5, 2009 at 06:40 PM

ST. PETERSBURG - Eleven months after the Rays beat the Red Sox in the seventh game of the ALCS to advance to the World Series, pitcher Edwin Jackson will receive his championship ring tonight.

It’s supposed to happen in the Tigers’ clubhouse, with Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman doing the presenting. The Rays and Tigers play at 7:08 p.m.

This is the Tigers’ first (and only) trip to Tropicana Field this year, so Jackson hasn’t exactly been easily accessible.

A 14-game winner in 2008, Jackson was traded to the Tigers for outfielder Matt Joyce during the offseason. He’s had an exceptional season for the Tigers and will pitch against his old teammates for the first time tomorrow afternoon. We chatted with him before batting practice, and he said he feels like he’s back in high school again, getting to pitch against some of his friends.

Well, the Beach Boys have done what a crucial three-game showdown with the Red Sox couldn’t earlier this week: They’ve sold out tonight’s game. The midweek Rays-Red Sox games drew crowds of 17,692, 19,148 and 20,823. Tonight’s crowd will be in exceess of 35,000. Go figure.

At six games behind Boston and four behind Texas in the wild-card race, and having dropped six of their last nine, the Rays are making their last stand as a playoff contender. James Shields (9-10) faces Armando Galarraga (6-10).

Fernando Perez gets another start for B.J. Upton in center field, but Upton did some light field work today (he was also supposed to hit in the tunnel), and manager Joe Maddon said he could be available off the bench for tomorrow’s series finale. If he continues to progress, Maddon said, Upton could start one of the doubleheader games in New York on Monday.

Here is tonight’s lineup:

Jason Bartlett, SS
Carl Crawford, LF
Ben Zobrist, RF
Carlos Pena, 1B
Pat Burrell, DH
Evan Longoria, 3B
Akinori Iwamura, 2B
Gregg Zaunn, C
Fernando Perez, CF
—
James Shields, RHP