Rays go for club road wins record

Posted Sep 4, 2010 by Tribune Sports

Updated Sep 4, 2010 at 05:56 PM

By TONY FABRIZIO

BALTIMORE The Rays haven’t done anything yet today, and they’ve already lost a half-game to the Yankees in the AL East standings and added a half-game to their cushion over the Red Sox in the wild-card race.

The Yankees beat the Blue Jays 7-5 in an afternoon game, and the Red Sox lost the opener of a doubleheader against the White Sox, 3-1. So entering tonight’s game against the Orioles, Tampa Bay trails New York by two games and leads Boston by 7 1/2.

The Rays won the opener in the three-game series 4-1 on Friday night, and if they win tonight, they’ll set a franchise record for road wins with 41. At 40-25, the Rays have the best road record in the majors - and the best by an AL club on this date in five years.

Although Dan Johnson has been heating up of late, Rays manager Dan Johnson is giving newly acquried Brad Hawpe the start at DH tonight against righthander Jeremy Guthrie. Maddon said he will continue to make a day-to-day decision between Johnson and Hawpe when the Rays need a lefthanded DH.

“We picked up Brad for a reason, and I think he needs a chance to show (what he can do),” Maddon said. “There were other teams involved, and he chose us. So I think it’s incumbent upon us to throw him out there to see how this thing is going to work.”

Hawpe made his Rays debut against the Blue Jays on Wednesday and went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. Johnson is hitting only .161 with two home runs and 11 RBIs,  but he had driven in at least one go-ahead run in three of his last four games.

Here are tonight’s lineups:

RAYS

John Jaso, C
Ben Zobrist, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Evan Longoria, 3B
Carlos Pena, 1B
Matt Joyce, RF
Brade Hawpe, DH
B.J. Upton, CF
Jason Bartlett, SS
—
Jeremy Guthrie, RHP (8-13, 3.94)

ORIOLES

Brian Roberts, 2B
Nick Markakis, RF
Ty Wigginton, 1B
Luke Scott, DH
Felix Pie, LF
Matt Wieters, C
Julio Lugo, 3B
Corey Patterson, CF
Cesar Izturis, SS
—
James Shields (13-11, 4.73)