Rays go for series win vs. Orioles

Posted Sep 5, 2010 by Tribune Sports

Updated Sep 5, 2010 at 12:23 PM

By TONY FABRIZIO

BALTIMORE It’s a beautiful sunny afternoon at Camden Yards. The Rays, after falling short Saturday night, will try to set their franchise record for msot road wins (41) and take two out of three in their second-to-last series of the season with the Orioles.

Tampa Bay begins the day 2 1/2 games behind the Yankees in the AL East standings and 7 1/2 ahead of the Red Sox in the wild-card race. New York hosts Toronto and Boston hosts the Chicago White Sox today.

Ben Zobrist gets a start at first base today for Carlos Pena, who has the day off. Dioner Navarro is catching because John Jaso caught Saturday night, and manager Joe Maddon generally avoids starting Kelly Shoppach against right-handed pitchers. (Shoppach is batting .238 against lefties and .133 against righties.) Jaso is in the lineup as the DH.

Wade Davis and Chris Tillman take the mound in a rematch of a meeting the Rays won 8-1 here July 17.

Here are today’s lineups:

RAYS

John Jaso, DH
Ben Zobrist, 1B
Carl Crawford, LF
Evan Longoria, 3B
Matt Joyce, RF
Sean Rodriguez, 2B
B.J. Upton, CF
Dioner Navarro, C
Jason Bartlett, SS
—
Wade Davis, RHP (11-9, 4.29)

ORIOLES

Brian Roberts, 2B
Nick Markakis, RF
Ty Wigginton, 1B
Luke Scott, DH
Felix Pie, LF
Corey Patterson, CF
Craig Tatum, C
Cesar Izturis, SS
Josh Bell, 3B
—
Chris Tillman, RHP (1-4, 7.92)