Rays @ BoSox: Baldelli starts at DH

Posted Sep 6, 2010 by Roger Mooney

Updated Sep 6, 2010 at 04:59 PM

ROGER MOONEY
BOSTON— The Rays will try add to their lead in the AL Wild Card and cut into the Yankees lead in the AL East tonight when they take on the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The Rays could trim the Yankees lead to 1.5 games in the division with a win. The Yankees, who lost to the Orioles this afternoon, currently lead the division by two games.

The Red Sox are in a free-fall, having been swept by the White Sox over the weekend. They are now in third place in the Wild Card race, a full game behind the White Sox.

Rocco Baldelli makes his first start of the year for the Rays, serving as the designated hitter. Manager Joe Maddon said he made the move based on a number of reasons, though added Baldelli’s homer in Baltimore on Sunday broke whatever tie he was in with Willy Aybar and Brad Hawpe.

The Rays would like to see Jeff Niemann return to his pre-injury form tonight.

The Red Sox have four rookies in the lineup, including Lars Anderson, who is making his major league debut.

Here are the lineups:

RAYS
Upton CF
Bartlett SS
Crawford LF
Longoria 3B
Pena 1B
Rodriguez 2B
Baldelli DH
Zobrist RF
Shoppach C
—
Niemann (10-5, 3.97)

RED SOX
Daniel Nava (R) LF
J.D. Drew RF
Victor Martinez C
David Ortiz DH
Adrian Beltre 3B
Jed Lowrie 2B
Ryan Kalish (R) CF
Lars Anderson (R) 1B
Yamaico Navarro (R) SS
—
Jon Lester (15-8, 3.27)