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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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Rays find their price point: Free tickets help fill Trop

Posted Sep 29, 2010 by Tribune Sports

Updated Sep 29, 2010 at 06:57 PM

By TONY FABRIZIO

ST. PETERSBURG With a playoff berth clinched, but the AL East title still on the line, the Rays will play their final regular-season game of the season tonight before a big crowd at Tropicana Field.

The team made 20,000 free tickets available, and they were gobbled up in less than 90 minutes. Given that the Rays are 45-15 at Tropicana Field when at least 30,000 fans show up, the value of a large turnout can’t be underestimated.

The Rays enter the night with the best record in the majors (94-63) and a half-game lead over the Yankees in the division. New York finishes up a three-game series at Toronto tonight and will have Thursday off, so the teams will have played an equal number of games entering the weekend.

All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria (strained left quad) took early batting practice but will miss a sixth consecutive game. Manager Joe Maddon said he probably won’t play Thursday at Kansas City, either.

“I’m going to be overly cautious with this,” Maddon said. “I like what he did today. I’ll talk to (trainer Ron Porterfield) at more length, but I don’ think he’s going toplay tomorrow.”

Maddon said he wasn’t ready to announce his pitching rotation for the ALDS or name his Game 1 starter, although he said nothing to discourage speculation that Cy Young Award contender David Price will get the ball first. Maddon reiterated that Price will not make his final scheduled start Sunday but said he could pitch in a game before then.

Here are tonight’s lineups:

ORIOLES

Corey Patterson, LF
Ty Wigginton, 3B
Nick Markakis, DH
Luke Scott, 1B
Matt Wieters, C
Adam Jones, CF
Felix Pie, RF
Robert Andino, 2B
Cesar Izturis, SS
—
Kevin Millwood, rhp (3-16, 5.29)

RAYS

John Jaso, C
Ben Zobrist, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Dan Johnson 3B
Carlos Pena, 1B
Matt Joyce, RF
B.J. Upton, CF
Brad Hawpe, DH
Jason Bartlett, SS
—
Jeff Niemann, RHP (11-7, 4.49)