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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 move Hellickson up, Price back

Posted Aug 11, 2010 by Tribune Sports

Updated Aug 11, 2010 at 01:29 PM

By TONY FABRIZIO

DETROIT Rather than use Thursday’s off day to allow David Price to pitch Saturday at home against the Orioles, the Rays are pushing their ace left-hander back a day.

James Shields will pitch as scheduled Friday, Andy Sonnanstine will take Jeff Niemann turn on Saturday and Jeremy Hellickson will leap Price and pitch on Sunday. Price gets the opening game of the home series with division-leading Rangers on Monday.

Word on the rotation came from Rays spokesman Rick Vaughn. Manager Joe Maddon wasn’t ready to make an announcement when we met with him before today’s game, so we’ll get some comments later.

It’s pretty obvious that with Niemann and Wade Davis going on the DL this week with right shoulder strains, the Rays are concerned about Price’s innings (145 2/3) and decided the two-day difference between pitching on Saturday and Monday would be beneficial.

Hellickson, who’ll pitch on regualar rest Sunday because of the off day, has been sensational in his first two major league startings, going 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA. He held the Tigers to three hits over seven innings in an 8-0 Rays win Tuesday night.

Sonnanstine will get his second start after pitching mostly out of the bullpen this year. He is 2-1 with a 3.98 ERA and only 54 1/3 innings pitched.

We have a clarification on one of the notes the Rays gave us after the game. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Hellickson is only the sixth pitcher since 1900 to pitch at least seven innings and allow three runs or fewer in each of his first two starts.

The Rays go for a sweep of the Tigers this afternoon with a new leadoff hitter: power-hitting first baseman Dan Johnson, who matched a club record with four walks Tuesday. Matt Garza (11-6, 3.81) faces the Tigers for the first time since no-hitting them at Tropicana Field on July 26 and opposes ace Justin Verlander (12-7, 3.88

Here are the lineups:

RAYS

Dan Johnson, 1B
Ben Zobrist, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Evan Longoia, 3B
Matt Joyce, RF
Willy Aybar, DH
B.J. Upton, CF
Jason Bartlett, SS
Kelly Shoppach, C
—
Matt Garza, RHP

TIGERS

Austin Jackson, CF
Johnny Damon, LF
Brennan Boesch, RF
Miguel Cabrera, 1B
Jhonny Peralta, SS
Carlos Guillen, DH
Brandon Inge, 3B
Ryan Raburn, 2B
Gerald Laird, C
—
Justin Verlander, rhp (12-7, 3.81)